Chin Chin: Asian, CBD Melbourne (25 May 2012)

125 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000 

http://www.chinchinrestaurant.com.au

Melbourne's chinny chin chin

“At Chin Chin it's all about sharing & enjoying the experience, while having fun tasting lots of different dishes from the exotic & varied flavours of our menu.”

Arriving to a dinner queue at 5.49 pm reminds me of my visit to Mamasita. Their popularity is quickly evident and thankfully my experience was worth the wait. The Coriander ($15) and Chilli infused vodka ($15) cocktails hit the spot for a refreshing start. I enjoyed the flavours of the Kingfish sashimi with lime, chilli, cocounut & Thai basil ($18) and Omelette of Coffin Bay oyster with chilli & garlic sauce ($15) with plump oysters providing a pop of texture and flavour. The Chin Chin pork 'roll ups' red braised suckling pig with pancakes, slaw & Asian herbs ($18) was enjoyable but I probably wouldn't order again as I felt other dishes would probably be more interesting. The Crispy barramundi and green apple salad with caramelised pork, chilli & lemongrass ($26) was OK but having two proteins in the dish seemed to be one too many for my palate to appreciate together. 

'Son in Law' eggs with chilli jam ($8) were good although you don't get to enjoy the burst of goey egg in your mouth when they're already served cut in half. Dry red curry of soft shell crab with snakebeans, thai basil & kaffir lime leaf ($31 compliments of chef) had lots of tasty sauce but consequently dulls the prized crispness of the soft shell crab batter. For dessert Palm sugar ice cream sundae with salted honeycomb & a lime syrup ($14) was a good combo of flavours to satisfy but a bit awkward to eat with the large spoon provided. I felt it would have also worked as a deconstructed dish in a bowl or plate. Service was down-to-earth and pretty efficient. I enjoyed the buzzing atmosphere and decor and sitting at the kitchen counter was a great way to see some cooking theatre to pass the time while waiting for dishes. You'll need to get there ridiculously early to try and avoid the queue.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Down-to-earth and pretty efficient service, Interesting decor and buzzing atmosphere, Fresh ingredients and tempting menu

CONS: No bookings policy unless you have a large group, Very popular so expect long queues

MUST TRY: Kingfish sashimi, Omelette of Coffin Bay oyster
VERDICT: The wait lining up was worth the experience although I'd definitely try and arrive earlier to avoid a long queue. Overall enjoyable dishes that tempt me to return to try more.

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Coriander cocktail: cucumber, bombay gin, green chartreuse, lime, palm sugar ($15); Chilli infused vodka cocktail: frangelico, fresh pressed lime, cinammon syrup ($15)

Kingfish sashimi with lime, chilli, cocounut & Thai basil ($18)
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Omelette of Coffin Bay oyster with chilli & garlic sauce ($15)
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Chin Chin pork 'roll ups' red braised suckling pig with pancakes, slaw & Asian herbs ($18)

Crispy barramundi and green apple salad with caramelised pork, chilli & lemongrass ($26)

'Son in Law' eggs with chilli jam ($8) — they were good but unfortunately when served cut in half the egg loses it's goey contents before you eat them
WORTH TRYNG :-)

Dry red curry of soft shell crab with snakebeans, thai basil & kaffir lime leaf ($31 compliments of chef) — had lots of sauce and flavour but you then lose the crispness of the crab

I requested some lettuce leaves to try it as a san choy bow — seemed to work OK

Palm sugar ice cream sundae with salted honeycomb & a lime syrup ($14) — nice flavours but a little awkward to eat with large spoon

$129 for two

Menu

Cocktail menu

Eating at the kitchen counter is a great way to watch the kitchen theatre

The lineup already at 5.49 pm — this place is as popular as Mamasita

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