We’ve finally made it over to Long Chim Sydney, tucked away in the basement between Pitt Street and Angel Place with a bright flashing neon sign on the Pitt Street side beckoning diners in. It was bustling on the night we dined, which helped with its eclectic upmarket Thai eatery vibe.
We had been warned about the fiery heat in most of David Thompson’s menu here, so we tried to order a variety of items that would (hopefully) give us a variety of spiciness to give our tastebuds a break between chilli hits. We started off with the Cured Pork Ribs which had been marinated in an interesting sauce that blended sour and savoury, with pops of garlic and coriander. These were a tasty way to kick off the meal although they weren’t the easiest morsels to eat, as they were quite chewy.
Cured Pork Ribs, $20
Next up was the Duck Larp salad, which was the first of the spicy dishes, featuring grilled chillies and an appetising lime dressing drizzled onto the mint leaves and red onions. The dish came with roasted rice on top and crunchy duck skin bits scattered throughout for an extra flavour hit. The heat sneaks up on you with this dish though, so we could only have a mouthful at a time.
Duck Larp, $24
The Dry Red Curry of Chicken showcased a delicious medley of flavours including kaffir lime and basil as well as peanuts and ginger, all reduced down into more of a paste consistency which was great with steamed jasmine rice. Again, there was a subtle heat to this which built up with every mouthful and meant that we had to alternate bites of this with one of the less spicy dishes.
Dry Red Curry of Chicken, $32
My favourite dish of the night was actually the Baked Prawns with Glass Noodles which coincidentally was off Long Chim’s “favourites” section of the menu. It is easy to see why its a crowd pleaser, with a very tasty peppery sauce infused into the generous amount of glass noodles and the big juicy baked prawns – with the added bonus that it is not spicy. Conceptually, the dish is similar to a popular Chinese style baked prawn dish with noodles, but the subtle citrus rind flavour blended into the sauce gives it a distinctive Thai flair which sets it apart.
Baked Prawns with Glass Noodles, $34
The fieriness of a lot of the dishes in the Long Chim menu means that diners who can’t handle that much heat will need to pick their dishes carefully, and should try to mix up a couple of the spicier dishes with the less spicy ones as the ones with heat are still delicious (even if they are challenging for the tastebuds!) The premium pricing at Long Chim reflects the upmarket decor and star power behind the scenes, and it is worth the splurge if you’re looking for something a bit more adventurous than the usual Thai fare.
Long Chim
Corner of Pitt Street and Angel Place (Lower level with entrance in Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000)
Phone: (02) 9223 7999
