Overview
Longrain and Spice I Am, you'd better look out. Chef and Thai food expert David Thompson is making a return to Sydney, opening a new branch of his Long Chim restaurant (which already operates in Perth and Singapore) in the CBD. After announcing that the restaurant would be opening in Angel Place back in May (and since announcing he'll be taking Long Chim to Melbourne too), we now have an official opening date: Monday, August 29. And boy are we excited.
First of all, the restaurant's going to be pretty huge. Spread across two levels in old storerooms underneath Martin Place, it will have a large open-plan kitchen, a cocktail bar and room for 190 diners. 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. Its atmosphere is set to be a bit of recreation of Bangkok's streets, with all manner of delicious smells, sounds of crashing woks and clattering utensils, and service at lightning speed.
The menu will focus on street food (ah, that old chestnut), including crunchy prawn cakes, beef skewers, massaman curry and deep-fried squid. We're also happy to hear that cocktails will be a focus and banana roti will make it onto the dessert menu.
"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 will open for dinner on Monday, August 29. It will be located in a basement beneath 14 Martin Place, accessible through Angel Place. For more info, visit longchimsydney.com.
By Jasmine Crittenden and Lauren Vadnjal.