Revisit | Chin Chin

You can read about my first visit to Chin Chin here :)

I was lucky enough to revisit Chin Chin for an early dinner before a gig in the city. My foodie partners had already scored a table pretty easily since it was pretty early, but when I arrived, I had to struggle a bit with the waitress at the door to get her to help me find our table. She was a little bit rude to me initially, but I spotted the lovely E and his brother and sister seated right by the bustling kitchen, so I was allowed to go through. From that point the service was as friendly and prompt as I remember it being on my previous visit.

Everyone was pretty hungry so we set our sights upon the menus to make our selection. Since reading Peach Water's review where she ordered the crushed ice drink, I was pretty keen to order that same drink. That day, the fruits in it were melon, mint and orange I think. I was surprised by the colour, but this drink was a very refreshing friend as our dinner progressed. The flavours were quite subtle and fresh, and the flavour of the combination of the melon, mint and coconut was great.

Crushed Coconut Ice w Melon, Mint, Orange & Vodka - $12.00

For food, we ordered the Pork Satay skewers, a Massaman curry, the Crispy Skinned Duck, and my favourite from my last visit, the Pad Seuw noodles.

The Pork Satay was served with pieces of fresh cucumber and pineapple, crushed peanuts and a 'Three Flavour sauce'. While I found the pork to be almost a little tough, I really enjoyed the taste of the sauce with all of the elements of the dish. I tasted some with cucumber, some with pineapple and some with the pork. I guessed that two of the three flavours in the sauce may have been kaffir lime and maaaybe pineapple since there were some pieces of the fruit in the bottom of the little dish.

Pork Satay - $23.00

The Massaman curry really surprised me - it was so tasty. It had a real earthy flavour. The sauce had that lovely coconut creaminess to it, and the braised beef chunks were so tender and had soaked in all of the goodness and was a delight to eat. As you can imagine, the crispy shallots and peanuts that were sprinkled over the top of the dish were also delicious. However, after a little while the sauce because just that tiny bit too rich, so I definitely recommend sharing this dish.

Massaman Curry of Coconut - $25.00

The Crispy Skinned Duck looked so pretty. The bright, fresh colours of the salad reminded me just why I loved Chin Chin so much - they are never shy with fresh herbs and zingy flavour. The salad was a pickled cucumber and ginger salad, and it was served with some sesame salt for sprinkling and some fresh lemon for extra zing. The duck... was amazing. It was so tender and juicy, and the skin was indeed very crispy. E and I discussed the duck very seriously while chomping away and we both agreed that it was more tender and flavoursome than the duck at MaBrown, even though both were served in different styles. I found that the sesame salt was not really necessary, but I did enjoy a nice sprinkling of it over the salad since it was there. The salad was good - it was so fresh, and the zingy flavours from the pickled cucumber was a good mix with the duck.

Crispy Skinned Duck - $33.00

Last but definitely not least, the Pad Seuw noodles, with braised wagyu, was just as fantastic as  I remember. This dish is a real winner. All of the ingredients are so fresh, and the sweet flavour of the meat and shallots is absolutely morish. The rice noodles, which are my favourite kind of noodles, are just so good - they had soaked up some of the delicious sweet goodness, and I was so happy that this dish was still so delicious and satisfying. YUM!

Pad Seuw - $24.00

The staff at Chin Chin are so friendly, helpful, efficient, and know the menu really well - all factors which are important to me. I was surprised on my way out to not have been sent away with at least a smile or thank you from the staff that were looking after the door, but nevertheless Chin Chin remains a delicious Melburnian food institution, and in my opinion is not overpriced, for the level of flavours, food and hospitality they produce.