Long Chim by David Thompson, MBS – a Thai affair to remember

Celebrating its 1st anniversary at the end of March 2016, this Thai gastronomical space by Chef David Thompson (famous for his legendary Nahm in Bangkok) has been steadily drawing in the crowd.

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For one, despite its swanky address, it is reasonably priced (by MBS standard) for the quality and ambiance.

Unlike Nahm, Long Chim (which means “come and taste”) is casual and accessible.
Extravagant spices, ingredients and complicated techniques were removed. In its place, Chef David pays homage to street Thai food.


The Interior

I personally love the space.
Mildly dim but airy with undulating ceiling and a lot of wood, it serves to evoke streetside dining in vibrant Bangkok.

My favourite spot would be at the side where one could look out to the river. It is brighter there and open air which is the kind of space I love.
At the bar, a particular Insta-worthy spot was where the tiffin carriers hung!


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THE FOOD


In general the food at Long Chim is intense. And unapologetically too.
Depending on the dish, flavours varies from spicy hot, sour, strong spiced to the most discernible to me, SALTY.


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As starters, we tried their light bites; the popular heavily spiced, tender Wagyu beef skewer with cumin, coriander and turmeric followed by spongy prawn cakes and Thompson’s rendition of the spicy-hot Miang Kham.


Miang Prawn ($14)


I love Miang Kham and popped this one into my mouth without reservation.

Oh my god.
As much as I love the size of the dried shrimp in it and the toasted coconut, it was salty! Still, chew on it and observe the flavours morphing in your mouth.
Most reviews online raved about this as well as the wagyu beef skewers so it could just be me.


Beef Skewers – 4 sticks ($16)


Personally I find the skewers nicely char-grilled but overly heavy on cumin, coriander and turmeric.
Do not dismiss the humble fresh shallots here, for trust me, the shallots helped a lot in making this go down.

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Fish Cake ($17)


I was glad for the prawn fritters that didn’t overpower with neither salt or spice, and went well with the tangy shallot and herb dressing.

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Chives Cake ($15)


This was followed by the humble chives cakes which was pleasant to eat with its nice crisp base. It reminded me of our local “chai kueh” with its chives filling.

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Kanom Jin Noodle ($14)


This was my favourite dish of this meal.
It was delightfully light, flavourful and fresh.
The noodles are made from rice starch and each strand is long, round, thin and elastic with a beautiful white sheen plus a pleasant chewy texture.
It is usually served with curry as a single-plate dish or incorporated into salads or used as substitute for white rice.

The key to this dish is the “freshness” of the ingredients.
Here it was served alongside mash prawn curry and a selection of fresh vegetables, fresh herbs, pickles and a boiled egg.
Mix everything onto the noodles and enjoy!


Minced Beef Chilli Garlic Hot Basil Fried Egg ($26)


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A familiar and well-loved dish of many, this one meal plate was superbly fragrant and generous in portion.
We loved the firm and chewy bite of the good quality rice and the tasty meat cooked with generous amount of herbs.


Braised Pork Hock with Five Spice ($25) & Red Curry Duck ($32)


More rice dishes include these braised pork and the red duck curry.
Go for the Pork Hock if you prefer something light and sweetish and the red curry if you are hankering for rich curry.


ChiangMai Curried Noodle Soup Chicken Egg Noodle ($27)


I remember enjoying this at the side of the highway when I was in Chiangmai.
I was traveling from Pai and we were hungry so we sat in a shack and tucked into hearty, rich bowl of these egg noodles with chicken curry.

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And no, the chicken curry isn’t anything like our local Malaysian chicken curry.
The curry is heavier on the spices and thicker. The noodles is eggy with a good bite.

If I’m seeking a light meal with fresh flavours I’ll go for the Kanon Jin. Otherwise give me a bowl of this luscious noodles anytime!

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Pandaneus Layer Cake & Thai Coffee Ice Cream


Long Chim’s rich, creamy Thai milk tea ice cream is the type that you will dream of whenever you feel yourself heating up; whether from tempers or the weather.
So velvety and rich on the tongue, it will subdue irritation and heat.

The pandaneus layer cake possesses the right chewy texture and amount of coconut milk. A simple kuih done right, albeit consumed in an “atas” environment.

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Conclusion


But that is Long Chim’s aim; a wonderful venue for a business lunch or post-work drinks with crafted cocktails or for a date night that won’t leave your wallet emaciated (well, not a much as its neighbours would).

In other words, Long Chim is a good dining spot in the swanky Marina Bay Sands.

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I pored over the menu during lunch and was rather intrigued by their bespoke Thai inspired cocktails.
I mean, with names like thaisteenie and ‘birds eye, phew‘ and housebrewed Thai ginger beer, wouldn’t you want to be here on a balmy evening?
I know I would!

And for those of you who are curious about Long Chim after this review and would like to have a “trial” of its food, check out the lunch menu as below.
I’ll recommend going for the 3 courses as that would fill a moderate up nicely.

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Long Chim
Level 2 Dining, L02-02 The Shoppes
at Marina Bay Sands Singapore 018955

Tel: +65 66887299
Waze: “Long Chim Marina Bay”.

Operation Hours:
Mon – Sun: Open from Midday til late.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/longchimsingapore

Via Public Transport : Bayfront MRT station (CE1, EXIT B, C, D, E) .

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