David Thompson is the Australian chef who, improbably, taught the world's most sophisticated food city how to take Thai cuisine seriously. His London restaurant Nahm, which opened in 2001, was the first Thai restaurant to earn a Michelin star. His Bangkok Nahm was twice ranked the best restaurant in Asia. When Thompson chose the State Buildings in Perth — a heritage-listed Edwardian sandstone complex that underwent a $500m restoration to become one of the most important hospitality addresses in Australia — he placed what many consider his most essential city restaurant in Western Australia. Long Chim opened in 2015 and has not dropped a step since.
The concept is Bangkok night market rendered with the technique of a three-decade career. Street food, not fine dining — but executed with the ingredient sourcing, balance, and layering that only a kitchen with real pedigree can produce. The somtum is pounded to order and reaches the kind of fire that reveals the flavour rather than masking it; the chicken curry is built on a coconut cream split and caramelised by hand; the stir-fried pork with crispy pork belly and holy basil is the dish that converts the Thai-hesitant. The menu runs to roughly forty dishes across snacks, salads, curries, stir-fries, grills, and rice and noodle dishes. Order for the table — this is not a two-plates-and-a-side kitchen.
The room itself is one of Perth's great atmospheres. The basement of the State Buildings has been transformed into a 190-seat space of exposed brickwork, low pendant lighting, and a bar that pulls its cocktail inspiration from the Thai herb garden: lemongrass, kaffir lime, tamarind, bird's eye. An open kitchen along the back wall puts the woks and the grilling station on full display; the noise and heat of the line is part of the theatre. Communal tables, counter seating, and intimate booths give the room flexibility — a four-person first date, a ten-person birthday, and a twenty-person team dinner will all fit without feeling compromised. It is the rare fine-restaurant kitchen whose food tastes better the bigger the group.
Cocktails are a genuine draw in their own right — the bar team, under a head bartender who has worked Thompson's venues internationally, builds drinks that reference the traditional Thai flavour palette without descending into gimmickry. The beer list is unusually deep for an Asian restaurant; the wine list favours aromatic whites and gentle reds that survive the chilli onslaught. The atmosphere peaks around 8pm on a Thursday or Friday — loud, hot, convivial, and unambiguously fun. For a team dinner with real personality, this is the Perth move.