Long Chim @ Marina Bay Sands, Singapore


Chef David Thompson, an internationally acclaimed chef, restauranteur and cookbook author, has opened Long Chim - his first venture into casual dining at the Marina Bay Sands. An Australian chef who is known for his culinary expertise in Thai cuisine was recently awarded the #7 pot on San Pellegrino's Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2015 and #13 on World's Best Restaurants 2014 for his restaurant - Nahm in Bangkok. 

At Long Chim, Celebrity Chef Thompson transports you to the streets and markets of Bangkok, with added refinement.

Highly recommended, I made a table reservations for 4 pax for lunch. We chose the 3-course lunch menu where each of us chose three dishes (starters, mains and desserts) from a list of menu items. Each person cost SGD40++. You may also opt for a 2-course lunch menu at SGD30++. 

Don't be deceived by this bowl of pale-looking rice noodles. The thin rice noodles with chicken, peanuts, chilli and lime (photo above) was cunning that literally burned your mouth and oesophagus away. This small spoonful of mixed noodles was very spicy. The sauce was mild yet powerful. What I dislike of this bowl of noodles was that the noodles came in a lump that you need to cut into shorter lengths in order to detangle the lumps for easy consumption. (Ala carte price - SGD24)

We ordered four sets of Thai snacks. [Clockwise , starting from top left corner] Crunchy prawns with herbs; Dried prawns with ginger, toasted coconut and betel leaves;  Vegetarian spring rolls; and fish cakes. 
 
The Crunchy prawns with herbs (Ala carte price at SGD15) was a wonderful starter. Everyone was swooned with delight. The prawns were deep fried with aromatic herbs which we believed to be curry leaves. The prawns were crispy and very fragrant. The best was that there was no taste of stale oil in the prawns. Every one of us were enjoying them and we kept eating them until the prawns were all gone. (Food rating: 4/5)

Dried prawns with ginger, toasted coconut and betel leaves (Ala carte price at SGD12) was believed to be a traditional Thai snack that is a prefect pre-meal to whet your appetite. Mieng Kham was the name of the snack in Thai. The betel leaves were largely popular in Thai and Indian cuisines. The betel leaves were described to have a "slight bitter note". Texturally, it was described with a slight chew. When we tried the snack, the taste was very unique. I could taste the spicy ginger slices, fragrant prawns and bitter betel leaves. I could not say that I liked the taste. But it is definitely very unique. (Food rating: 3/5)


Made from real fish meat, the Fish cakes (Ala carte price at SGD16) were a delight. Usually, we had frozen fish cakes served at local Thai restaurants. But at Long Chim, it was made from real fish meat and more importantly, freshly prepared. Dipped the fish cakes into the sweet spicy Thai sauce, the fish cakes were fragrant. Texturally, the cakes were crunchy. The fish cakes are highly recommended, I must say. (Food rating: 4.5/5)

Vegetarian Spring Rolls (Ala carte price at SGD12) was normal, just like any other spring rolls. What was commendable was its crispy skin that were well drained from oil and the beautiful golden brown colour. (Food rating: 3/5)

Braised Beef and Dumplings Noodle Soup (Ala carte price at SGD24) was a high try! The rich and sweet beef broth blew our minds way. The clear strained soup was meticulously prepared with no sign of any residue. There were three kinds of beef in the soup - beef stomach, beef balls and beef slices. The vermicelli was cooked in al dente style. I was surprised how the noodles did not turn to mush in the soup. The entire noodle dish was so heavenly that I yearned to have more. (Food rating: 4.5/5)

Chiang Mai Curry Noodles with Chicken (Ala carte price at SGD25) was another noodle dish that you must definitely try. You may have eaten chicken curry noodles from Hong Lim Complex. How about trying the Chiang Mai Curry Noodles with Chicken for a change. Similar to the local chicken curry noodles, this Thai curry gravy was very rich in coconut milk, spicy and fragrant. The noodles was flat egg noodles or "mee pok" in our local context. Texturally, the noodles were cooked in perfection. The chicken meat were big in portions and they were very tender. Though spicy, the noodle dish was very addictive and fragrant. (Food rating: 5/5)

Sauce, made of onions, cucumber, chillis, peppermint leaves, peanuts in vinegar and sugar sauce.

A commonly served dish in Thailand, Pad Thai is a noodle dish made of stir-fried rice noodles, prawns, peanuts, and bean spouts. Prawns.  Ala carte price at SGD28, we were head over heels in love with the noodles. The sweet, mildly fishy and savoury noodles were firm to the taste, just the way I love it. I suspect that they might be sweet potato noodles that had similar chewy texture. Highly recommended. PS: I was disappointed in myself. I enjoyed the noodles so much that I forgot to take a picture of the dish. (Food rating: 5/5)

Fresh Thai Fruits (Ala carte price at SGD14) - Water Apple, Watermelon, Pineapple and Mango with condiment. 

A common Thai dessert, Mango with Sweet Sticky Rice (Ala carte price at SGD13) was scrumptious. The glutinous rice was savoury and the mango was very sweet. The coconut cream was surprisingly sweet and fragrant that gave this dessert the extra boost. We adored this dessert as it was both savoury and sweet at the same time. It was a delight having this dessert. (Food rating: 4.5/5)

The shaved ice - Black Sticky Rice and Pandanus Noodles (Ala carte price at SGD10) was served with fresh coconut slices, yam slices, corn, pandanus noodles, and attap chee (commonly known as Nipa palm). The sweet dessert was just right for a hot humid summer in Singapore. It cooled us quickly and the sweetness soothed our weary souls. (Food rating: 4/5)

If you dislike the king of fruit - Durian, perhaps you could try the durian ice cream as beginners. The Durian Ice Cream with Sesame Wafer (Ala carte price at SGD15) was a fantastic dessert to be introduced to durian. The smell was less pungent but there was a pleasant pungent taste. Texturally, the durian ice cream seemed to be more like a frozen puree than a watered-down version. As for the sesame wafer, it was heavenly - sweet and extremely fragrant. The sesame seeds boosted the fragrance, making it palatable. (Food rating: 4.5/5)


Ice Thai Milk Tea (SGD8) was not part of the 3-course lunch menu. When you are in a Thai restaurant, it would be great to try their Thai Milk Tea. If you have drank the Singaporean version of Milk Tea, you will notice a distinctive difference between the two. The tea leaves used in the Thai Milk Tea seemed to more fragrant and light. With the peppermint leaves, it gave an uplifting feeling and a cooling sensation. (Food rating: 3.5/5) 


The long passage way with old-fashioned motif tiles made you feel that you were back in the olden days like 1950s.
The interior was beautifully decorated with items you could hardly see today: old cans as cutlery holders, tiffin carriers, etc. The open concept kitchen with the cracking oil sounds made you feel as if you were in the streets of Bangkok, not in a cool and comfortable restaurant in Marina Bay Sands. 

The long passage and high ceiling leading to the dining area gave visitors a sense of grandeur and prestige.

Address: The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, #02-02, Atrium 2, 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018955
Price: $
Rating: 4.5/5
Stuffness Level (How full you are): 4/5

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