Sydney-based travel blogger Deborah Dickson-Smith didn't have to travel far to enjoy authentic Thai cuisine in Sydney. Sujet Saenkham's Spice I Am restaurants now have five locations in Sydney.

Sujet Saenkham's first restaurant, Spice I Am in Darlinghurst Road, opened in 2004 and remains his "home base", although he now owns five restaurants and divides his time between them.

I'm here for lunch, and Sujet is serving a selection of his favorite dishes. I'm eagerly anticipating each course.

Sujet moved to Australia about 30 years ago and, after 15 years as a flight attendant with Qantas, decided to pursue his passion for good food and use his family's recipes.

Sujet originally comes from the province of Ratchaburi in central Thailand, but has also worked as a chef in Phuket, so his menus are a mixture of recipes mainly from these two regions.

“Each part of Thailand has its own character, and the food in each region reflects a particular way of life.”

When Sujet grew up in Ratchaburi, it was predominantly a rural area. This is where the famous floating markets are located, about a 90-minute drive southwest of Bangkok.

In Sujet's childhood, it was a quiet city. Once an administrative center – the old southern gatehouse of the capital – many of its inhabitants were government employees.

His mother was a great hostess, so dinner parties were a regular occurrence; in fact, most of Sujet's knowledge as a cook came from helping his mother in the kitchen.

The principles by which Sujet runs his growing company today are largely based on the traditions he was taught in his childhood;

"My business is about making people happy, not about making a profit."

His Thai upbringing taught him respect for all living things, appreciation for the products grown on their farms, and a balance in nature and in life.

"Cooking is a social activity, and we all show appreciation, respect and gratitude for the produce harvested and served on our table."

In addition to running five restaurants, Sujet now also manages a farm in Kangaroo Valley, where he cultivates over 400 Tahitian and kaffir lime trees, as well as chili, lemongrass, basil and coriander plants.

Here I finally get to try the sensational Bour Tod. Crispy betel leaves, topped with a Phuket-style fritter made with green shrimp, sweet chili sauce, and ground cashews. The combination of flavors and textures is sensational.

Next, Ho Mok Pla is served, a steamed fish curry Phuket-style, wrapped in banana leaves. It's so light it practically melts in your mouth.

We were then served a crispy coconut salad with spicy shrimp, chicken larb, and Naem Khao Thod, a salad made with Thai pork sausage, cilantro, shallots, mint, chili, and ground peanuts. Chicken larb is already one of my favorite dishes, but I have to honestly say this is the best I've ever eaten.

I'm convinced I absolutely have to try Sujet's special dessert, cheekily named BTS (Better Than Sex). Toasted brioche is served with pandan ice cream, caramel sauce, and toasted sesame seeds. Wow!

The atmosphere at Surry Hills Eating House is quite different. It's a more casual restaurant located upstairs in the Triple Ace Bar – formerly the long-time home of Harry's Singapore Chili Crab.

Drinks are bought at the bar, so we choose a Pinot Gris before we turn our attention to the actual food.

We start with a prawn cake salad, fried prawn fritters served with a mixed green salad and a light chili fish sauce dressing, and the Kuay plee tod; minced pork, spring onions and peanuts, wrapped in rice paper, steamed and served in a light broth.

Our next dish is a Sujet specialty. Mien Ka Na is a sweet and sour salad with flaky pork, finger limes (from Spice I Am Farm), ginger, shallots, and fresh chili. It's served with green Chinese broccoli leaves, which you use to scoop up the spiced pork flakes and eat them in the style of Sang Chow Bow.

Since I'm already so enthusiastic about Sujet's Thai pork sausages, we also opted for Nam Khao Tod. Crispy rice salad with sausage, chili powder, ground peanuts, coriander, shallots, spring onions, and mint leaves.

The conversation with the lovely Sujet made this meal even more unforgettable. I now understand even better the passion with which these dishes were created. But you really just have to try them to understand.

Where…

The restaurant in Darlinghurst (296-300 Victoria Street) offers fine dining and is open for dinner seven days a week and for lunch from Thursday to Sunday. Takeaway and delivery services are also available.

Spice I Am Surry Hills is located at 90 Wentworth Ave and is open for lunch and dinner. You are welcome to bring your own drinks, but reservations are not accepted.

The Surry Hills Eating House in Surry Hills is located on the upper floor at 198-200 Elizabeth Street and is only open for dinner.

House Thai, located at Elizabeth Street 202 in Surry Hills, is open for lunch and dinner and specializes in dishes from the Isaan region in northeastern Thailand.

Spice I Am has recently opened in Balmain, at 237 Darling Street, and is open seven days a week for dinner and from Thursday to Sunday for lunch.

More information: spiceiam.com