If eating out were like competitive sport, then it is certainly a statement of intent on the part of Long Chim to locate itself almost next door to Speedboat Bar. The latter is fronted by chef Luke Farrell and backed by the increasingly ubiquitous (and highly successful) JKS team. However, in the Long Chim corner stands David Thompson, a chef who has probably done more for Thai food in the UK than any other. While a city like London clearly does have room for both venues, diners only have so many pounds in their wallets and finite free evenings. Were it a direct competition, this reviewer knows where he would prefer to spend his money.
The thinking behind Long Chim (the concept was first rolled out in Australia) can be found in its rough translation from Thai into English. The term means ‘come try.’ Visit much of Bangkok and people may utter it at the start of their meals. Transposed to London, the idea is to showcase the passion and enthusiasm that the Thais bring to their meals, an experience that embraces all the senses. Thompson certainly is a man well-placed to interpret this, having travelled to Thailand for almost 40 years and won various garlands (including Michelin stars) along the way.
So far, so good. However, our group of four struggled fully to grasp the vibe at Long Chim. The opening was perhaps a sign of things to come. Gaining entry to the venue is complex, via a separate venue (Hovarda) next door. The welcome from the front of house was far from effusive. Next came further disappointment. One of our party was vegetarian and had been enticed to visit Long Chim in the knowledge that when the booking was made, a dedicated vegan menu was shown on its website (dairy rarely features in Thai food, so vegan can be considered almost the same as vego here). When we asked our server about this menu, we were told that the overall menu composition had been ‘revised.’ Read this as meaning that options for non-carnivores had been deprioritised. A round of drinks took the edge off things, although the one beer that accompanied three other cocktails took a long time to arrive.
While we perused the menu, we were kindly presented with a plate of ‘long chim’ rolls. These were arguably the dining highlight, and something genuinely novel, at least for Londoners. Although ungainly in appearance, they are filled with tangy mustard greens and paired with a smoky, spicy chilli dip. Once happily polished off we moved on to a selection of starters and mains, albeit with our vegetarian comrade in mind. Full marks to the team for presentation. Each dish arrived on its own unique piece of crockery, presumably partly with the Insta crowd in mind. Aesthetics, of course, only take you so far. In the final assessment, each of the four members of our group independently concluded that the food tasted good, but not great. Put another way, there was no ‘wow’ moment or plate that made us reassess our views on Thai food. Duck mussaman curry was a stand-out while tiger prawns also received praise.
As time went on, the vibe changed too. The music got louder and the lighting darker, even at 9pm on a weekday. We wondered for a moment if Long Chim were a pseudo nightclub where non Gen-Zers might not be totally welcome. When the bill came (admittedly with two bottles of wine consumed), it certainly felt as if we had maybe spent time in such a late-night venue. Don’t pay too much attention to the bill, and things can add up quickly. It was less a question of feeling short-changed – since our quartet made our own fun – and perhaps more one of where we would prefer to spend our money. Speedboat is almost next door. Just saying…