Never Chim, never know at this new all-day dining space, which doubles up as a gallery.
An art-inspired social diner, Chim Chim doubles as a gallery
The newest design-centric all-day dining and art centre, Chim Chim is on the ground floor of Siam@ Siam Design Hotel, giving a blend of laid-back, tropical vibe and an artist loft. Chim Chim offers wood-fired oven pizzas, freshly-roasted coffee, comfort food like burgers, sandwiches, pastas and creative beverages. Its name refers to the Thai word chim, which means to taste. Its artsy vibe is a nod to the artsy-area they are in (BACC is nearby). All the furniture and design is custom made, with prints from Jim Thompson.
The menu is a melangé of things that can be eaten at any time of the day. Open from 8.30am for the early birds, the all-day breakfast menu is served until 4pm. Begin the day with a sizeable Breakfast burrito (B330), which has free-range scrambled eggs, Sloane’s fennel sausage, American Cheddar, jalapeños, avocado and fresh tomato salsa in a homemade tortilla. If you’ve had a big night out and need something to soak up the goodness the morning after, try the Hangover brekkie (B350). A decent fry-up must have black pudding and Chim Chim’s does, along with free-range eggs (cooked to your preference), bacon, sausage, sautéed mushrooms, tomato, baked beans, tater tots and grilled sourdough toast.
Brunch is always high on my agenda any day of the week and Chim Chim is where it’s found. For those who need a fresher start to the day, the Hoki poke salad (B390) is a good choice. Fresh tuna poke with mango, ponzusoy vinaigrette and locally-sourced seasonal ice plant. The highlight is the crunch that the ice plant lends.
If you’re an avo-a-day-keeps-the-pain-away kinda person, there are two dishes to choose from: Avo & lox bagel (B370) or Smashed avocado & feta toast (B350). The former has smashed avocado, poached free-range egg, homemade lox (cured salmon), dill and caper cream cheese on a homemade bagel. The latter comes with a poached egg on sourdough. For a sweet start to the day, try the Fully loaded French toast (B270), which is a shokupan (Japanese milk bread) milky toast with cream, maple syrup and seasonal fruit.
Pasta dishes are made with either freshly homemade pasta or artisan dried pasta like penne, linguine or bucatini. The Vongole (B430) is linguine with Asari clams, garlic and parsley. The Crab & pesto (B460) isn’t all tossed together as one would expect. A serving of bucatini comes with pesto and a generous helping of blue swimmer crab meat sitting pretty atop. The Spaghetti & meatballs (B450) stars juicy Wagyu beef and the Beef shank (B400) has fresh reginette with beef shank ragu and freshly grated Parmesan.
The dough for Chim Chim’s pizzas are fermented for 48 hours and then thrown into a piping hot wood-fired oven, which has its own prominent space in the restaurant. The result is an airy crust with a subtle sourdough flavour and just the right amount of crunch, pop and stretch. Toppings are a mix of classics and modern from Jamon Iberico & tomatoes (10in. B270, 14in. B360) to Gravlax & cream (10in. B260, 14in. B350).
If you fancy a sandwich, try the Chicken & cranberry sando (B320), which is filled with chicken breast, sour cream dill mayo, onion and cranberry sauce on homemade sourdough. Imagine leftover Thanksgiving dinner in a sandwich the next day. The Chim Chim zing zing chicken burger (B310) is brined battered chicken, tomato and homemade tangy slaw on a homemade bun, served with sweet potato fries, for a healthy touch.
Drinks show off the best in Thai produce, whether it’s coffee from Roots, forest tea from Monsoon Tea or nutrient-packed smoothies. Coffee is available as classic espresso or pour-over, featuring Roots’ single-origin beans sourced from independent farmers in Huay Nam Khun and Pang Khon villages in Chiang Rai, as well as a seasonally rotating option. There is a full range of nitro coffees (try the Nitro charged ginger lemonade (B140)), as well as a selection of house-made kombucha. You’re sure never to go parched at Chim Chim.
Chim Chim also offers delivery via Line @ chimchimbangkok and FoodPanda, Grabfood and Lineman.