Long Chim Is Coming, Sydney's New Bangkok-Style Thai Restaurant

Longrain and Spice I Am, you'd better look out. Chef and Thai food expert David Thompson is officially making a return to Sydney, where he'll be opening another branch of Long Chim, his fun-loving eatery that has already won over hungry hordes in Perth and Singapore.

Whether you've spent many years living in Bangkok or have simply had a one-night stopover on your way elsewhere, you'll know that eating in Thailand isn't just about what's on your plate. It's also about revelling in — or at least surrendering to — the city's freneticism. There are so many people, so many lights, so many noises and so many smells coming from so many directions. It's hard to take it all in.

And that's a big part of Long Chim's appeal. Its atmosphere is a bit of recreation of Bangkok's streets; an open kitchen sends out all manner of delicious smells, sounds of crashing woks and clattering utensils, and service at lightning speed.

In Sydney, the eatery will be taking over a multi-level, 190-seater space in an old basement underneath Martin Place, which Thompson has developed in collaboration with FJM Property and designer Kelly Ross from The Gentry. You'll have a choice of seating, from communal tables to counter stools to out-of-the-way alcoves, and there'll be original artworks from both Thai and Australian artists.

"At Long Chim we want to capture all the excitement and tastes of the streets of Bangkok," said Thompson, who returns to the Sydney hospo scene after 15 years. "Long Chim is intended to be fun — 'sanuk', as the Thais say — with food and drinks that everyone loves. Our menu will have the dishes that many Thais miss the most when away from home."

Long Chim Sydney plans to open in August this year. It will be located in a basement beneath 10-14 Martin Place, accessible through Angel Place. To keep updated on the restaurant's progress, follow them on Instagram.