HE'S blond, blue-eyed and thoroughly German… but the smells coming from his kitchen are unmistakably Thai. It’s not an association that springs readily to mind but it makes perfect sense to Martin Boetz, 38, who recently launched his cookbook, Modern Thai Food.

“Chili and fish sauce happen to do it for me more than olive oil and balsamic vinegar. For me, the smells of Thai basil, kaffir lime leaves and chili just call to be mixed into a stir-fry of duck and chili jam (sambal).

“I can imagine the finished dish even as I am buying basil at the market. Other people paint or play golf but balancing flavours is my creative pursuit,” says the executive chef of Longrain, a contemporary Thai restaurant and bar in Surry Hills, Sydney, that he co-owns with sommelier Sam Christie. Boetz is also the co-owner of Longrain in Melbourne.

For Boetz, the journey began more than 10 years ago in a Thai restaurant in Sydney’s Kings Cross.

“I had my first taste of betel nut leaves with prawn, pomelo and roasted coconut and I was totally blown away by the range of amazing flavours.”

He and his friend ooh-ed and aah-ed so much that the waiter asked if they would like to meet the chef.

“Of course, we would. And out of the kitchen came David Thompson (who now owns Nahm, a Michelin-star restaurant in London). He was charming and full of information. I knew at that moment that this was where I wanted to work and to learn about Thai cooking... from the master himself,” says Frankfurt-born Boetz whose passion for cooking began when he was an apprentice in a hotel in Queensland.

“Little did I know that Thompson would make me cry and laugh so much... not to mention the torture as he booted me into shape. There were other chefs who tortured me as well. I’m thankful as it has made me who I am today. I’ve joined the ‘torturers club’ myself,” he says, laughing.

Before setting up Longrain in 1999, Boetz managed Sailors Thai, one of Thompson’s restaurants and gained a reputation as a leading talent in Thai cuisine.

His day often starts with a trip to Chinatown. “The smells, the people, the friendliness can be very chaotic in the morning but I love it especially when there are Thai vegetables or fruit to set me thinking about new dishes.”

At Longrain, the fiery cuisine is toned down to suit the Western palette. “As much as I’d love to add more chili, I have to be mindful of my customers,” he says.

As for his cookbook, Boetz says the most difficult part was writing down the recipes.

“I’m terrible at writing things down after or during the making of a dish. As a result, many of my best dishes have never been the same, simply because I’ve forgotten that little pinch or splash of whatever I had in front of me at that time. So, you can imagine what a challenge it is to sit still with pen and paper and computer to write the recipes.”

Cooking Thai food, he says, should be a relaxing and joyful experience and, as with other forms of cooking, there are always ways to fix things that go wrong.

“If something is too hot, add some sugar. If it’s too sour, add some salt, sugar and chili. If it’s too salty, you can either add some lime juice or throw it out and start again.”

Thai food, he points out, must be seasoned generously. “The dish has to be well-seasoned as it will, most likely, be eaten with rice. There’s nothing worse than mixing a dish with rice and finding that the flavours are totally lost,” says Boetz.

“But I cannot emphasise enough on the importance of tasting throughout the process. Always, always taste. You’d be amazed how a dish can evolve by just adding fish sauce, lime juice or sugar.”

What about wine? Christie says that while there are no set rules or traditions for matching wine with Thai food, he has carefully constructed a wine list dominated with whites to complement Boetz’s Thai menu.

“Experiment and see what works for you. As a rule of thumb, it is best to drink unwooded or lightly wooded whites or reds with Thai food. Unwooded white varietals with good acid balance provide the best foil for spicy food,” says the Sydney-born sommelier.

Roses, he adds, marry well with the strong flavours of Asian food while a fruity Pinot Noir is a great match for poultry, especially duck, or lighter meats.

“The important thing is to drink the wine that you enjoy. If you like a dry, red wine, don’t let the fact that you are eating a delicate salad stop you from having it.

“You probably won’t even notice that they don’t go all that well together, especially if the company is good. If wine does not do it for you, then by all means, stick to beer,” he adds.

Communal setting

THREE wooden communal dining tables catch your attention as you step into Longrain restaurant in the artistic design quarter of inner-city Surry Hills, less than 10 minutes from Sydney’s Central Business District.

What’s with the communal table, you wonder. “This is an Asian restaurant, so we decided on an Asian setting that’s a communal table. We want our customers to dine in true Longrain tradition — banquet style. All the main meals are designed to be shared and eaten with rice,” explains Martin Boetz.

Side dishes are essential and Longrain’s signature dish, Eggnet (shrimp, red meat, beansprouts, coriander leaves, mint and crushed peanuts wrapped in ‘nets’ made with egg white) is served with a side dish of Nahm Pla Prik (chili, fish sauce and lime juice).

The industrial features of the 100-year-old converted warehouse co-exist with modern design additions such as a signature wall of woven-wood panelling and a contemporary selection of Australian art and photography.

“This is a heritage building, so we cannot pull it down. We worked around it, putting in all the modern trappings to give it a hip, yet warm atmosphere,” says Boetz.