Long Chim – Restaurant Review

At first, it appears, that David Thompson is mellowing.

In 2016, when the renowned Australian chef opened Long Chim in Sydney’s Angel Place, he made headlines for his fiercely spicy Thai dishes that left the diners red-faced, sweat dripping down their foreheads.

Three years on, his new banquet menu seems tame in comparison. Sydney rock oysters are doused in sriracha and chive cakes are spiked with chillies, and while both are downright delicious, they are nowhere as savagely hot as his entrées past.

Indeed, for a brief moment, it seems Thompson has softened. But then the main courses arrive, which promptly put that theory to rest. Herb-smothered whitebait is anything but docile, while chicken salad gets a serious kick from chilli jam. Even the side of cashews that’s supposed to pacify the taste buds bursts with heat you’re more accustomed to encounter on the street-side stalls of Bangkok.

Keep that glass of chilled Western Australian rosé on hand – you’re going to need it.

The staff’s warm service and the restaurant’s eclectic fit-out – vibrant art, exposed beams and jade-green banquets – also have a transportive effect. But really it is the heat that really takes you to Bangkok here. 

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