David K.
Yelp
Chin Chin is the trendy restaurant to come for Thai-inspired dishes. The atmosphere is loud and lively, the service is amazing, the flavors are on point, and from my impression, the specialty here is meat! Most of the dishes on the large menu feature some sort of protein, from the appetizers and stir-fries to the curries. There's a whole BBQ section, and even most of the salads come with meat! Chin Chin doesn't take reservations and the restaurant can definitely see lines--but the food (somehow) comes out lighting fast from the kitchen, so tables can turn over quickly!
On my visit for dinner, we started with the barramundi and crispy pork salad with green apple and peanuts. The dish consisted mainly of fried chunks of fish and pork in a tangy, salty, fish sauce-based dressing. The fish was tender and the pork was meaty--the green apple matchsticks and mint leaves made for such a refreshing pairing! We also had a side of stir-fried green beans with shredded coconut and a unique cashew sambal--nutty, spicy, salty, and delicious!
But the dish that surprised me most was the Southern Thai curry with braised goat. I had expected this dish to be a rather soupy curry, but instead, it was just a huge pile of shredded goat meat in a thick, flavorful curry paste with peanuts and a sprig of mint on top. Uniquely, the thick, spicy curry came with a dab of minted yogurt on the side, which definitely wasn't authentic, but an extremely creative "fusion" condiment to lighten up the dish. On the side, we ordered a bowl of coconut rice, which had so much coconut milk that the grains of rice turned out to be soggy!
For its creative takes on Thai flavors and great value, Chin Chin was one of my favorite restaurants during my visit to Melbourne. I'd definitely recommend a visit--you may never see Thai food the same way again!