Gallery: Nat Thaipun Takeover at Boon Choou

Nat Thaipun wants you to know that Thai cooking can be easy.

Fresh off the launch of her book Thai: Anywhere and Everywhere – a bestseller packed with approachable Thai recipes built for all occasions – she doubled down on the message at her December 10 pop-up event with Broadsheet Access.

In conversation with Broadsheet’s Melbourne food and drink editor Audrey Payne, Thaipun told guests at the sold-out event that people often think Thai cooking needs to be really involved and traditional. But she encouraged the crowd to be a bit loose with it and play with using local ingredients.

Thaipun also revealed Jamie Oliver was the person who pushed her to write the cookbook (after a stint working under the celeb chef in London) and talked extensively about championing kangaroo meat in her work.

The evening started with drinks at new upstairs bar Joop Joop before heading downstairs to Boon Choou proper – a recent addition to Melbourne’s Thai food scene from three alums of beloved Sydney institution Chat Thai.

Attendees got to taste a bunch of dishes inspired by Thaipun’s book, including a stand-out kangaroo larb tartare (and watermelon larb tartare for plant-based diners), plus wagyu beef skewers and freshly shucked oysters with tom kha sauce, finger lime and makrut lime oil. Then it was onto dessert, when the khao niew ma muang (mango sticky rice) with coconut sorbet and macadamia crumb provided a big wow moment for guests.

If you missed out, don’t worry. Broadsheet Access hosts exclusive restaurant previews like this whenever there’s a hot new venue opening in Melbourne or Sydney (or a great new cookbook on the shelves).

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