I can't even tell you how many times I've said "We HAVE to go to Chin Chin". One day however, myself and a friend thought we would go in early and see what it was like. We thought a quarter to six was pretty early- and agreed that surely it wouldn't be busy. WRONG. We arrived to a huge line of city slickers who looked like they had been waiting hours. We were told there would be a three hour wait- so pretty much said you've got to be kidding me and left.
So that was Chin Chin. The end.
Nahhht.
This time I went super early and snagged a table. There was only three other tables full so I was feeling pretty smug slash weird that we were about to eat dinner at 4:30pm.
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| Rookie photographer |
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| Empty tables at 4:30pm |
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| Loner |
When my date arrived, I had practically memorised the menu and knew exactly which cocktail I was starting with.
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| Drinks menu, naughty |
Jasmine green tea infused vodka with elderflower and passionfruit juice...? ($15)
It was so sweet, fruity, and tasted just like a fruit punch. Very very easy to drink. Somehow whenever I see elderflower syrup on the menu, I order it, regardless of the fact I have no idea what it is. It tastes like heavvvvven.
Now it was time for some food! By now it was about 5pm, and funnily enough was already starting to get busy. I was pretty much in charge of the menu due to the fact I could practically recite it.
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| Y u put so many good fings on menu |
I had recommendations from a friend of some of the dishes she loved, as she had been a couple of times (one of those weirdoes that waits 2 hours for a table).
The waitress came over and gave us the low down of the whole "sharing plates" deal. So, we ordered two entrees and two mains to share. I love sharing. The first that came out was the chin chin pork roll ups- which came with red braised suckling pig, pancakes, slaw + asian herbs. We knew we had made the right choice because it seemed everyone around us was ordering it too.
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| Chin chin pork roll ups- red braised suckling pig, pancakes, slaw + asian herbs ($18) |
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| Look how good mine was |
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| Crishpy squid |
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| Massaman curry of coconut, braised hopkins river beef brisket with kipfler potatoes, peanuts & crispy shallots ($25) |
We also ordered the pad thai noodles with king prawn, peanuts, dried shrimp & cucumber ($27).
Sorry chinny chin, but my local thai restaurant does a preeeeety good pad thai- and this being three times the price didn't make it any nicer. The prawns were very fresh though, and tasted like they had literally been caught and cooked. I didn't like the mini dried shrimps either....a bit of a crunchy-salty fishy-surprise in every bite that I didn't particularly need.
We couldn't even finish the curry we were so full. The dishes are quite substantial and the price is pretty decent considering how immaculate the food is.
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| Booked out by 5:30pm...on a tuesday. |
If you are waiting for a table, theres also the option of heading downstairs to the "go go bar", where you can have a drink and get silly before a table becomes available.
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| Downstairs in the go go bar |
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| Tres romantique (don't think thats a real word) |
Chin Chin
125 Flinders Lane, Melbourne CBD
