(Access via Angel Place)
http://www.longchimsydney.com
https://www.instagram.com/long.chim
Street food at a fine dining price
Finally open for lunches I was keen to check out Long Chim. Dining solo meant a one dish wonder was on the cards so a pad thai usually fits the bill. At $34 this would have to be one of the most expensive pad thai dishes in Sydney so expectations were very high. Pad Thai with prawns, peanuts and bean sprouts ($34) came with four medium sized prawns that were not deveined which is a bit disappointing to see. I think such a price tag deserves at least 6 larger king sized prawns that should also be deveined. I thought visually showcasing the prawns better in the dish presentation would probably be a good idea since you're paying such fine dining prices as well. It's a pretty tasty dish with some housemade condiments served in little jars that you can add for extra flavour. There was sliced starfruit and banana blossom in the mix. The starfruit helped refresh the palate and the banana blossom added some extra texture although was quite tasteless on its own. Plenty of peanuts, maybe too many I think left in the bowl by the end of the dish.
I guess the rent in the CBD is very high and this is a very large restaurant with a nice fit out. Service was good and friendly. Would I order again. Probably not at that price unless sharing it as part of a banquet with friends although those four prawns won't go far. Still keen to try other dishes which sound very interesting and the chef's reputation for thai food is supposed to be legendary. I noticed there was a set menu for $45 per person and you get to try six dishes including a dessert which sounds like much better value. I'm assuming there's a minimum number of people required otherwise I'd be wanting to try this. Or do I try their prawn and fish dumpling laksa at $34 a pop as well. So many tempting choices that come at a price. Toilets are unisex complete with moving lights over the sink. Urinals for the guys are contained within their own cubicle which makes them nice and private. Mirror balls spotted in the backend dining area for a bit of fun. Credit card payments will add a further 1.5% which is added to the bill automatically for your convenience.
