Brett McGregor to open new Thai restaurant in Auckland

Kiwi Masterchef Brett McGregor says Thai chefs are thinking outside the box in their use of New Zealand produce. His new Auckland restaurant will do the same with Thai staples. PHOTO/LINCOLN TAN

Brett McGregor, who won Masterchef NZ with a Thai creation, has plans to start a restaurant in Auckland which will offer a fresh take on Thai cuisine.

The Kiwi Masterchef is in Thailand in search of culinary inspiration and says Thai cuisine is not being presented well in New Zealand, and is so much more than just pad thai and green curry.

"Thai is one of the most aromatic, exciting cuisines in the world, yet in New Zealand many restaurants are simply just catering to the broad palate and sticking to a safe menu," McGregor said.

"It's quite unfortunate that for most Kiwis, Thai food is just pad thai, green curry and maybe tom yum."

McGregor believes it is time Thai restaurants took the cuisine to the next level by combining New Zealand produce with Thai cooking styles.

New Zealand Thai Society president Songvut Manoonpong, who owns Mai Thai, one of Auckland's oldest Thai eateries, said most Thai restaurants competed on who could deliver the "best taste" and don't deviate from a safe menu.

Thai cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines in the world and its dishes consistently make it to CNN Travel's list of the "World's 50 Most Delicious Foods".

However, dishes on the list, like nam tok mu, a spicy grilled pork herb salad that is on the menu of many restaurants around the world, can be hard to find in Auckland.

Mu kratha, a Thai dining concept that resembles a combination of a Korean barbecue and Chinese hot pot, has spread into Asia - but is not available in New Zealand.

In a country where fresh mussels are widely available, the popular hoy tod - a fritter piled with mussels and bean sprouts - is offered by very few Auckland restaurants.

Damrong Puttan, a Thai television host, believes using New Zealand produce could be the secret to taking the cuisine to new heights.

"New Zealand has the best and freshest beef and lamb, and even the mussel is bigger and more superior, so I think the secret is when we combine the two, we can make magic."