As some might have already known, celebrity chefs do not usually do the cooking in their own restaurants. They usually engage an executive chef to helm the kitchen. It’s rare to see celebrity chefs in person, let alone cooking away in the kitchen. I should really thank my lucky stars then, for I not only got to see celebrity chef David Thompson in his restaurant Long Chim, I also had the honour of eating a dish cooked by the man himself and have him join my table.
Internationally acclaimed Chef David Thompson was recently in Singapore for Epicurean Market, and took the chance to host a small group of media at Long Chim. The Bangkok-based chef spends more of his time at Nahm, which was recently awarded the seventh spot on San Pellegrino’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2015 and 13th on World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014. (When Nahm was in London, it was the first Thai restaurant to receive the coveted Michelin star.)
Long Chim (which means “Try this” in Thai) is Chef Thompson’s first venture into casual dining, and serves Thai street food, unlike Nahm. Despite Long Chim’s status as a celebrity restaurant, you won’t find any pompous food with inflated prices here. What I got was rustic, unpretentious cuisine. The Thai street food here is “faithful to what you would find in Bangkok”, according to Chef Thompson.
It was with this knowledge that I concluded why the dishes here taste different from those I have sampled at other Thai restaurants in Singapore. Take for instance, the Pad Thai (S$30). Long Chim’s take on this Thai classic was more sour than other Pad Thai I have tasted. Most likely attributed to a generous dosage of tamarind, the sourness added an extra zing to the dish.
I don’t profess to be an expert on Thai street food to know if Long Chim’s Pad Thai is really true to the original. But I definitely believe Chef Thompson for what he said since he has lived in Thailand for a third of his life. And, he certainly wasn’t lying when he added that the dishes are not adapted to suit the Singaporean palate.
Pad Thai
Bold flavours feature strongly in the dishes at Long Chim. The Aromatic Beef Skewers (S$16) are seasoned with turmeric, cumin and coriander. I like the intense seasoning came through with every bite of the tender beef chunks I had. Another favourite of mine was the Green Curry of Beef and Chillies (S$28). It was unlike the more “liquid” versions commonly found. The green curry had a lot more texture, reminiscent of beef rendang gravy to me.
Aromatic Beef Skewers
Other noteworthy dishes we tried include Cured Pork with Ginger (S$17), Grilled Eggplant Salad with Steamed Egg (S$24), Tom Yam Fish (S$24), Stir-fried Vegetables with Oyster Sauce (S$16), and Dried Prawns with Ginger, Toasted Coconut and Betel Leaves (S$13).
Stir-fried Vegetables with Oyster Sauce
Tom Yum Fish
Grilled Eggplant Salad with Steamed Egg
Dried Prawns with Ginger, Toasted Coconut and Betel Leaves
I would strongly recommend Prin’s Noodles with Sriracha, Pork and Prawns (S$28). Many people have a love affair with sriracha, but I chose to eat the noodles without the chilli sauce. The dish was savoury and sour, but not as sour as the Pad Thai. The sinfully fatty pork slices were utterly tender. The noodles were fried well; I could taste the alluring smokey wok hei flavour. Oh, in case you are wondering who Prin is, he is the head chef at Nahm.
Prin’s Noodles with Sriracha, Pork and Prawns
The highlight of the night was undisputedly the dish that Chef Thompson personally whipped up for us – the Red Prawn Curry (S$31). It was quite a sight watching how effortlessly he cooked this dish in the kitchen. Sweet, spicy, savoury and sour – Chef Thompson married all these flavours impeccably in this one dish. I typically do not like spicy dishes because the chilli would numb my taste buds, but for the Red Prawn Curry, the spiciness was balanced well. I was still able to taste the sweetness of the prawns.
Red Prawn Curry
Chef David Thompson cooks the Red Prawn Curry in the kitchen of Long Chim.
For desserts, durian lovers would find absolute delight in the Durian Ice Cream with Sesame Wafer (S$15). I am not sure if it’s a good or bad thing that the ice cream did not taste of ice cream but pure durian. It was akin to eating just the fruit itself.
Durian Ice Cream with Sesame Wafer
The Mango with Sweet Sticky Rice (S$14) would be a safer bet for those who dread the King of Fruits. While not particularly outstanding, it was an overall decent dessert choice in my opinion.
Mango with Sweet Sticky Rice
If you plan to give Long Chim a try, I would urge you to manage your expectations. To reiterate what Chef Thompson said, the food here are not adapted to the local palate. One thing for sure though, you will get authentic Thai food at Long Chim – with prices that do not break the bank.
Long Chim
10 Bayfront Avenue,
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands,
#02-02, Atrium 2,
Singapore 018955
Tel: +65 6688 7299
Email: [email protected]
Opening hours: Daily 6 pm to 10 pm
