BOON = FLAVOR
Boon Sauce is a small batch chili oil made in Los Angeles by Chef Max Boonthanakit. It launched as a hobby and became a cult favorite. It has been featured in Food & Wine, The New Yorker, the Los Angeles Times, and Buzzfeed's Worth It. It is sold direct to consumer at boonsauce.com and at more than 30 independent retailers across California.
Who made it
Max Boonthanakit is the Executive Chef of Camphor, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Los Angeles. With a Thai-Chinese background and a culinary career built around French technique and Southeast Asian flavor, Max approaches food with a precision that shows up in everything he makes — including Boon Sauce.
He grew up eating chili oil the way most people grow up eating ketchup. It was always on the table, it went on everything, and the version at the grocery store was never quite right. When he started making his own, the goal was not to replicate what already existed but to make something with more flavor.
Max was recognized by Eater as one of its Young Guns, a distinction given to the most exciting culinary talents in the country. Boon Sauce is a direct extension of his culinary philosophy: build complexity from simple ingredients, prioritize depth over heat, and never settle for bland.
Max has been recognized by Eater as one of its Young Guns, a distinction given to the most exciting culinary talents in the country. Boon Sauce is a direct extension of his culinary philosophy: build complexity from simple ingredients, prioritize depth over heat, and never settle for bland.
What it is
Boon Sauce is a slow-cooked chili oil. The base is canola oil, infused with a blend of chilies, anchovies, shallots, garlic, fennel, and Sichuan peppercorn. The anchovies dissolve into the oil and give it a savory, umami-rich depth that most chili oils do not have. The Sichuan peppercorn adds a gentle tingle. The heat is present but balanced — enough to notice, not enough to overwhelm.
The product sits between a traditional chili oil and a chili crisp. It is smooth enough to use as a cooking oil and textured enough to use as a finishing condiment. It works on eggs, rice, noodles, pizza, dumplings, avocado toast, grilled meats, roasted vegetables, soups, and marinades.
The product lineup
Boon Sauce Original — 8oz chili oil, spice level 6/10. The flagship product. Made with chilies, anchovies, shallots, garlic, fennel, and Sichuan peppercorn in canola oil. $18.
Xtra Hot Boon Sauce — 8oz chili oil, spice level 9/10. Made with 100% chile de árbol for a sharper, more intense heat. Same savory base as the original, significantly more fire. $18.
Boon Chips — 3oz kettle chips made from thick-cut Kennebec potatoes, dusted with a chili and garlic spice blend derived from the Boon Sauce recipe. $6.
BooN Pop — 4oz spicy chili oil popcorn inspired by Hawaii's Hurricane Popcorn. Each kernel is coated with a sugar glaze, dusted with seaweed and custom seasoning, and finished with Boon Sauce chili oil. Sweet, spicy, salty, and umami. $8.
Where it's made
Every product is made in small batches in Los Angeles, California. Batch sizes are kept intentionally limited to maintain quality and consistency. Each batch of Boon Sauce is numbered.
Where to buy
Boon Sauce ships nationwide at boonsauce.com. Free shipping on orders over $50. The full product lineup is available online including subscriptions for the Original and Xtra Hot sauces.
In California, Boon Sauce is carried at more than 30 independent retailers across Los Angeles, San Diego, the Bay Area, and other locations. A full list of stockists is available at boonsauce.com/stockists.
Wholesale inquiries are handled through Faire. Corporate gifting is available through boonsauce.com/corporate-gifting.
Why it matters
The chili oil category has grown significantly in recent years, driven by brands like Lao Gan Ma, Fly By Jing, and Momofuku. Boon Sauce sits in this category but comes from a different place — a chef's kitchen in Los Angeles, built around Thai-Chinese culinary heritage, with a flavor profile that prioritizes savory complexity over pure heat or crunch.
It is not mass produced. It does not come from a large food company. It is made by one person who grew up eating this way and wanted to share a version that actually reflected that experience.
That is what Boon = Flavor means.
