Article: Meet Nikul Don | The Orchard Table Chef in Bundaberg
Meet Nikul Don | The Orchard Table Chef in Bundaberg
Meet Nikul Don the chef bringing a world of flavour to The Orchard Table
There’s a delicious new reason to make a date for lunch at The Orchard Table. Our Head Chef, Nikul Don, has a new menu to share, and it brings together a world of cooking experience with the produce we’re so lucky to have here in Bundaberg.
Think oven-baked salmon with a fragrant lemon myrtle and macadamia crust. Slow-cooked beef brisket with silky local sweet potato purée. Tempura prawns with a little chilli heat and a squeeze of local lime. Food to look forward to, in the lovely setting of our macadamia orchard.
Nikul, known as Nik, joined Macadamias Australia as Head Chef at The Orchard Table in January 2026. With his new breakfast and lunch menu now available, it’s a wonderful time to introduce the person behind the dishes and invite you to pull up a chair.
A love of cooking that began at home
Born and raised in Sri Lanka, Nik first became curious about cooking while watching his mother prepare meals. Her influence went far beyond the flavours in the kitchen.
“She taught me that cooking is not simply about preparing a meal; it is about bringing people together, creating happiness, and expressing care through food.”
It’s a lovely starting point for a chef whose work has since taken him through Japan, Italy and Australia. Wherever he has cooked, that wish to make people happy through food has stayed with him.
Japanese foundations and a taste of Milan
Nik began developing his professional cooking skills while undertaking higher studies in Japan. Working in Tokyo and Yokohama, including at Japanese Sake EN and Watami, gave him a lasting appreciation for precision, balance and respect for ingredients.
In Milan, he explored new combinations and approaches in kitchens including Finger’s Garden, which is listed in the Michelin Guide, as well as Kanpai, Cinc Milano and Sumire Milano. He credits chefs Nobuya Niimori, Roberto Okabe and Masaki Okada with influencing his creativity, attention to detail and willingness to keep learning.
His Australian experience includes the Peninsula Boutique Hotel in Port Douglas and the Douttagalla Hotel in Melbourne. Now, at our café in Bundaberg, he has the opportunity to draw on those experiences and create a menu of his own.
Finding inspiration in our Bundaberg orchard
For Nik, the chance to work with Australian macadamias, surrounded by the orchard, was especially appealing. So was the opportunity to connect the farm, the kitchen and the people sitting down to enjoy a meal.
His approach to the new menu is “Farm to Plate Meets Global Cuisine”: Japanese techniques, Italian influences and modern Australian cooking, with Bundaberg produce close at hand.
“My aim was to create dishes that are approachable and comforting but still offer something exciting and unexpected.”
What to order for lunch at The Orchard Table
Local sweet potatoes, seasonal vegetables and citrus all have a place. And our macadamias? They’re finding their way into everything from a savoury crumb to the butter in his sweet potato purée.
Ask Nik what to try first and he has plenty to recommend. These are a few of the dishes he’s most excited to share.
Janelle’s Lemon Myrtle and Macadamia Salmon
This is Nik’s first recommendation for anyone wanting to explore the macadamia flavours on the menu. Oven-baked salmon is finished with a lemon myrtle and macadamia crust, then served with local chat potatoes, lemon herb butter and a crisp garden salad.
The fragrant citrus notes of lemon myrtle complement the salmon, while the macadamias bring their buttery flavour and crunch. A lovely choice for a long lunch and a delicious introduction to what we grow.
Braised Beef Brisket
If your idea of a good lunch is something tender, rich and comforting, start here. The slow-cooked brisket comes with seasonal greens, local sweet potato purée and red wine jus.
Nik loves the patience involved in the dish, giving the beef time to become beautifully tender. He also uses macadamia butter in his sweet potato purée, a little detail worth savouring with your next forkful.
Tempura Chilli Prawns
Nik’s Japanese cooking experience comes through in these lightly battered prawns, served with house-made fresh chilli mayonnaise, coriander, spring onion and local lime. There’s the crunch of tempura, a little warmth from the chilli and plenty of freshness to finish.
And for another way to enjoy macadamias with seafood, try the Ocean Fish Cake: white fish, Sebago potato and parsley with a macadamia and parmesan crumb, micro herb salad and pickled tartare purée.
“For me, macadamias are not just a garnish; they are an ingredient that can transform the flavour, texture, and identity of a dish.”
Breakfast is worth making a date for too
If you’re joining us earlier, Nik’s new breakfast menu has plenty of macadamia inspiration. Chilli Scram comes with sweet chilli macadamia crumb, jalapeño cheese and fermented kimchi sambal. SMAVO pairs smashed avocado with lemon myrtle macadamia dukkah, cherry tomato and marinated feta on sourdough.
For a breakfast made for sharing, the Signature Breakfast Platter for Two includes mini croissants, pumpkin and macadamia scones, seasonal fruit, scrambled eggs and bacon on sourdough, with house-made jam and relish. Bring someone you’d love to catch up with and settle in together.
A few things you might not know about Nik
There’s another side to Nik’s story, too. Before leading kitchens, he was an under-19 national-level soccer goalkeeper in Sri Lanka. He sees plenty in common between sport and cooking, especially teamwork, discipline and making quick decisions under pressure.
Away from the kitchen, he enjoys skydiving and scuba diving. At work, his curiosity takes him towards new food cultures and techniques, with more ideas always waiting to be explored.
For all that adventure, what he hopes to give our visitors is simple: a meal they enjoy, a happy memory and a reason to come back.
“My culinary journey has taken me from Sri Lanka to Japan, Italy, and Australia, and every country has taught me something different about food. I believe great cooking comes from discipline, passion, creativity, and respect for ingredients. At The Orchard Table, my goal is to bring those international experiences together with the incredible local produce of the Bundaberg region and the unique flavours of Australian macadamias. I want to create food that tells a story, brings people together, and leaves every guest with a memorable experience.”
We’re so pleased to have Nik in our kitchen, and even more pleased to share what he’s been working on with you.
Book breakfast or lunch at The Orchard Table
Make a date with a friend, bring the family or put us on the itinerary for your next Bundaberg visit. Nik’s new menu is ready, and we’d love you to join us.
Will it be the lemon myrtle and macadamia salmon, those crisp tempura prawns or a platter for two over breakfast? Book your table and give yourselves something delicious to look forward to.
Find The Orchard Table at Macadamias Australia, 4625 Goodwood Road, Alloway, in the Bundaberg region of Queensland.
