The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands saw a refreshed line up of celebrity chef's restaurants with Long Chim by David Thompson as one of the latest additions. The acclaimed chef and restaurateur has brought Namh London a Michelin star before opening Namh Bangkok, getting the top spot in San Pellegrino’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014. With such awards and recognition under his belt, I am excited and glad to know the chef has opened Long Chim in Singapore, serving his renditions of Thai street food.
Thai Milk Tea 2.5/5
I have to say my dinner at Long Chim did not start on the right foot. The rendition of the Thai Milk Tea is kind of acquire. It is not the usual taste we are used to or even familiar with. I would advise to give this a miss.
Green Papaya Salad 4/5
The crunchy Green Papaya Salad comes with a medley of Thai flavours, sweet, sour and spicy all in one plate, showcasing the characteristic of Thai cuisine.
Chiang Mai Chicken Relish with Cabbage 4.2/5
The Chiang Mai Chicken Relish with Cabbage ($14) is a robust play of different textures and flavours in the mouth with the crunchy cabbage giving the richness a refreshing balance.
Beef Skewers 3/5
The Beef Skewers ($16) was marinated in a rich marinade such as cumin, coriander and tumeric. The flavour is quite intense. However I did not quite enjoy the texture, I find it too minced or soft. I still prefer a bit of bite to it.
Green Curry with Wagyu Beef 2.5/5
Another disappointment on the menu is the Green Curry with Wagyu Beef ($22) served with roti. The whole execution was too oily. While the best quality of meat is used, there were only a tiny few pieces of them swimming in the pool of gravy.
Grill Squid Southern Style 4.5/5
Among the dishes I tried at Long Chim, the Grilled Squid in Southern Style ($16) has to be my favourite. Coated with a delectable spicy and coconut cream sauce, coupled with the charred aroma, this is indeed addictive.
Stir Fried Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Pork Belly 4/5
The Stir Fried Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Pork Belly in Oyster Sauce ($22) is probably one of the most value for money dish with its large servicing and huge pieces of sio bak. Except for the fact that the oyster sauce was a bit on the heavy side, this is a homely and comforting dish to go with a bowl of rice.
After trying the food at Long Chim, I did walk away feeling a bit disappointed. There were hits and misses. But the more troubling thought it whether it is worth to pay that sort of price for rendition of Thai street food while there was not really a wow factor.
Long Chim
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
2 Bayfront Avenue
Atrium 2, L2-02
Singapore 018972
Tel: +65 66887299
Website
Nearest MRT: Bayfront (CC Line, DT Line)
Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 1130am - 230pm, 530pm - 12midnight
Fri: 1130am - 230pm, 530pm - 1am
Sat-Sun: 530pm - 1am
Direction:
1) Alight at Bayfront MRT station. Take Exit D. Walk to Hermes at Level 1. Take the lift beside it to level 2. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]
I kinda agree with your views. I had a stint there and had a chat with the Thai head chef. Aside from the fact that most chefs have no experience with Thai cuisine prior, as a Singaporean myself who knows a little bit on Thai dishes, their renditions are those that Chef David likes, but might not be favoured by Singaporeans. The Green Curry for instance, has no sugar added, and the sweetness is from the coconut milk, which splits and thus makes it very oily. This is the Southern version whereas in Singapore, we prefer the Bangkok version that is sweet and fragrant from the palm sugar. Same goes to their Orange Curry. The Bangkok version is rather similar to our Assam fish, and would be more favoured by Singaporeans. In addition, as Thailand is fast moving forward, Chef David, as acclaimed as he is, in my own personal opinion, has not moved as fast, or perhaps he chose to stick to very old, ancient recipes, whereas most of the younger generation of Thais no longer enjoy such ancient recipes. Then again, he has a lot of awards behind him, and that is a different ball game altogether. I believe that instead of toning down and tweaking recipes for locals here, a better option would be to select dishes that we local favour, at the same time preserving the authenticity of flavours.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing and leaving such an insightful comment. I have learnt a lot from you and even understand more about Thai cuisine.
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