Thailand's flavors range from south to north: In the south, chili, tamarind, ginger, and shrimp paste give seafood dishes their distinctive taste, while in the north, chicken and pork curries are enhanced with spices like galangal and turmeric. And in between, Bangkok's street food captivates with its own unique character – a wide array of flavors and a vibrant nightlife. Did you know you can experience all of this in Sydney, too?

While Sydney (and most of Australia) has enjoyed an abundance of Thai restaurants for many years, there has recently been a demand for more authentic Thai food as more Australians discover the true taste of Thailand on their travels there.

Several Thai pioneers have responded to this rising demand in recent years. Restaurants like Spice I Am, Chat Thai, and @Bangkok have ignited a love for authentic Thai cuisine and attracted a new generation of food lovers.

In recognition of this demand, the Thai Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), in cooperation with the import company Asian Inspirations, has launched an accreditation system for Australian Thai restaurants: Thai Select.

The award is divided into two categories: Thai ready meals/ready-to-cook products and Thai restaurants.

"It's not just a meal; it's a journey into Thai culture."

Thai Select restaurants serve authentic Thai dishes prepared with Thai products according to traditional recipes. The service in restaurants with the Thai Select Award is of a high standard, and the ambiance, complete with the famous Thai smile, will transport you directly to Thailand. Further information, including a directory of Thai Select restaurants, can be found here.

Caysorn: Southern Thai cuisine

Our journey into Thai culture begins in Phuket and takes us to the Caysorn Thai Restaurant in Sydney's Haymarket district. Caysorn is the brainchild of owner Chalio, who hails from the southern Thai region of Phatthalung, known for its spicy cuisine. Chalio emigrated to Australia in 1973 and, after several years working in prestigious Sydney restaurants, opened one of the city's first Thai restaurants in the 1980s. After winning a small business award in 1990, Chalio fulfilled a dream: to open a restaurant serving dishes from his home province.

Our tasting plates begin with Gai Yang Kaow Lae, named after the traditional painted fishing boats in southern Thailand, similar to satay but sweeter and stickier, melt-in-your-mouth BBQ pork cheek and Kao Yum, an aromatic herb salad.

Our main course consists of three curries: fish kidney soup, crab and coconut curry, and tamarind soup, served with kanom jeen noodles. Thai milk tea is served alongside, followed by sweet cassava braised in coconut for dessert.

Address: 06/8 Quay Street, Prince Centre Building, Level 1, Haymarket NSW 2000. Open 7 days a week: 11:00–21:30. http://www.caysorn.com.au/

Show Neua: Northern Thai Street Food

From Phuket, our culinary journey takes us north to the pedestrian zones of Chiang Mai. After a few hundred meters, we reach the Show Neua restaurant, not far from the Capital Theatre on George Street. The restaurant is the result of a collaboration between an architect, a professional chef, and two other young talents, each with over ten years of experience in the restaurant industry.

This tiny restaurant is beautifully designed and instantly transports you to the atmosphere of northern Thailand. A team of friendly, smiling Thai staff escorts us to our seats, where we can enjoy a colorful and aromatic selection of tasting platters served on a "khantoke," a pedestal tray traditionally used by the Lanna people of northern Thailand.

Our tasting platters include two different curry dishes: Khao Soi Chicken and Kanom Jeen Nam Ngeow. Khao Soi Chicken is a northern Thai variation of laksa; a coconut and turmeric curry served with flat egg noodles and garnished with pickled vegetables and crispy fried noodles. Kanom Jeen Nam Ngeow is based on a dish from the Tai Yai people of Myanmar and the Chinese province of Yunnan. It has a slightly more acidic flavor and is served with rice noodles.

In addition to these main courses, there was crispy pork crackling, tasting portions of a few types of Larb in the North Korean style, and Sai Ua, arguably the tastiest pork sausage in the world, seasoned with garlic, kaffir lime, lemongrass, chili, and coriander.

Address: Shop 2A/710 George St, Haymarket NSW 2000. Open 7 days a week from 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM. http://fb.me/showneuathai

@Bangkok Thai Restaurant

Having enjoyed the spicy southern dishes of Phuket and the charms of Chiang Mai's pedestrian zones, we now travel to Bangkok to explore the street food and vibrant nightlife of Yaowarat and Khao San Road, or rather, the @Bangkok Thai Restaurant at Capitol Square on George Street.

@Bangkok is open seven days a week until the early hours of the morning (until 5 am on weekends) and serves authentic Bangkok street food, cocktails in buckets and live music.

Our four-course menu includes a selection of breakfast dishes, noodles, trendy dinners, and our "Never Sleep Set," served with a bucket boost. For breakfast, we offer Moo Ping, grilled pork on skewers, served with sticky rice and Tom Loerd Moo (pig's blood soup). Lunch consists of what is arguably Bangkok's most popular noodle dish: Thai Boat Noodles. Our "Trendy Dinner" includes corn salad, grilled pork neck, crying tiger, and Sai Ua.

The Bangkok Never Sleep Set includes a deliciously fragrant and tasty Yum Pla Foo, a hot and sour crispy fish salad with julienned apples and coriander, fried chicken wings and Tom Sap (spicy pork rib soup), all washed down with a Bucket Boost cocktail mix of Midori and vodka.

Address: Capitol Square Building, 730–742 George Street, NSW 2000. Monday to Thursday 11:00 AM–1:00 AM, Friday and Saturday 11:00 AM–4:00 AM, Sunday 11:00 AM–2:00 AM. https://www.facebook.com/atbangkok.syd

Cooking class with master chef Sujet Saenkham at Spice I Am.

Having now explored Thailand from south to north with our taste buds, our tour through Thai Town ends with a master chef finale: a cooking class with Sujet Saenkham, co-owner and head chef of Spice I Am.

It is no wonder that Sujet is a shining star in the Thai Select community, as his award-winning restaurant Spice I Am has been named the "best Thai restaurant outside of Thailand" by numerous restaurant critics, and every day of the week a queue of guests waits outside the restaurant to be served.

"I cook every dish with heart. My reward is the smile on their faces. That's what makes me smile."

While we learn about the dishes we'll be preparing today, we're served delicious southern Thai betel leaf fritters before tackling northern Thai-style Khao Soi chicken with egg noodles. This is followed by southern Thai-style fish curry with a hot and sour broth and brown rice. As we cook, Sujet shares stories, explains the origin of each Thai dish, and does his best to encourage us to add just the right amount of salt and palm sugar to achieve the perfect umami flavor.

Before we leave the house, we're served a slice of riceberry coconut pudding with a sweet red bean topping. Delicious.

Address: 90 Wentworth Ave, Surry Hills NSW 2010. Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays). Lunch: 11:30 am to 3:00 pm, Dinner: 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm. https://www.spiceiam.com/