Long Chim, Marina Bay Sands: Australian chef David Thompson opens restaurant in Singapore

"It really fell into our laps," says Thompson. Long Chim (means "come try!") opened a couple of months ago in the mega-casino-meets-luxury-shopping-mall/hotel that is Marina Bay Sands Resort.

While there are more Long Chims planned – for Hong Kong and Australia – the lead-up to getting those Singapore doors open was not without its challenges: giant duck ovens cracking, staffing issues and more. But now the woks are firing and the heat is on, literally, with Thompson's keenly researched suite of authentic Thai street food dishes.

"What I wanted to do at Long Chim was… the right thing," says Thompson. "And that is, real food of its kind. Nahm [his acclaimed Bangkok restaurant] is refined Thai cooking, not of the home. Long Chim is based solidly, loudly and proudly on the streets. And occasionally, the "gutters", he adds, with deadpan Thompson humour.

The Long Chim look is decidedly "street": a long open room, 150 seats, with bar and open kitchen, flames leaping, bare-topped tables, cutlery in cans, and a view to the harbour and quays. The menu (which earned Long Chim an applaudable 15/20 from Good Food critic Terry Durack a few weeks back) runs from wok-charred noodles, feisty grills, zingy stir fries to hot-sour-sweet soups, each with the signature Thompson chilli kick.

While this kind of earthy, laid back eating may seem at odds with its luxe surrounds, Thompson says it's very much in keeping with Singapore tastes. "Singapore has an underbelly," he suggests. "It's a bit of a surprise but it's starting to cast off the shackles of being a very sanitised kind of place."

Heading out on the town with Thompson, a string of examples bears him out.

First, a bright, light modern Singaporean suburban hideaway – Wild Rocket by popular local food personality Willin Low: reminiscent of a Japanese teahouse in style but with Low's own brand of hawker-influenced cooking or "Mod Sin" as he styles it. Low hides unmistakably Singapore-street flavours in deceptively contemporary presentations: such as pomelo salad with prawns and frozen coconut dressing, a take on mee siam, with linguine, and a smooth panna cotta with pandan and gula Melaka (palm sugar).

Then there's Burnt Ends – a fine celebration of the wood-fire art: Perth boy David Pynt fires up his Southern Pride smokers, grill and ovens for everything from great burgers to charred seasonal vegetables and smokey whole fish. The same ethos is reflected at the newer Meat Smith, from the same stable but with more of an American barbecue focus.

We take in 28 Hong Kong Street for serious cocktails. And a memorable shot or two of vintage chartreuse for the road. While Thompson swears he doesn't get out on the town enough – "I'm not allowed out, I've just got to get to work" – he has found time for a couple of hawker food forays, including "the best, plumpest frog legs ever" at G7 Sinma Frog Porridge, famous for its dark soy-braised claypot bullfrogs. You have been warned.

And finally, there's Marina Bay Sands itself. Unmissable, with its three towering high-rise shafts and surfboard-like upper deck, it's primarily a hotel, casino and high-end shopping mall – the list of "shoppes"  flashing luxury brands by the dozen (Celine, Baby Dior, McQueen and more), with a little Zara and Shanghai Tang in between.

But in a nod to the Vegas tradition of luring big food names to feed high-rollers and curious visitors alike, MBS (Singaporeans love acronyms) is home to everyone from Australia's Thompson and Tetsuya Wakuda​ to US stars such as Daniel Boulud​, Mario Batali and Nancy Silverton, and Wolfgang Puck. And more recently, Gordon Ramsay.

"It's surprising what's in this shopping centre," says Thompson. "It drives a lot of good restaurants here." Apart from Wakuda's Waku Ghin – an ode to the finest produce from around the world in intimate, true-teppan style, with extraordinary wines, Thompson's also a fan of Batali and Silverton's Mozza –' "great pizza, casual, easy and delicious", Puck's Cut "really good" and Boulud's DB – "a bit more classic". In my whirlwind visit, I was lucky to try the first three – and rate my dining experience at Waku Ghin as one of my most memorable ever, for the sheer breadth and quality of produce, impeccably cooked and served.

And that, as they say, is just a taste of serious, food-loving Singapore.  Lifting a slogan from Thompson, all we can suggest is, "come try!"

TRIP NOTES 

MORE INFORMATION

longchim.com.sg; marinabaysands.com

GETTING THERE

Several airlines offer flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Singapore, including Singapore Airlines, Virgin, Qantas and code-share partners British Airways, as well as budget-carriers Scoot, Jetstar and AirAsia.

STAYING THERE

Staying at Marina Bay Sands may not be for everyone – those huge towers, multiple floors and bustling lobby breakfast area are overwhelming, to put it mildly. But it's an experience – not least for that pool. And those restaurants. Packages start from S$379 ($371) a night. See marinabaysands.com. 

DINING THERE

Long Chim, Atrium 2, Level 2, The Shoppes, Marina Bay Sands, +65 6688 7299; longchim.com.sg

Wild Rocket, 10A Upper Wilkie Road, +65 6339 9448; wildrocket.com.sg 

Burnt Ends, 20 Teck Lim Road, +65 6224 3933; burntends.com.sg 

Meat Smith, 167 Telok Ayer Street,

28 Hongkong Street, +65 65332001; 28hks.com 

G7 Sinma Frog Porridge, 163 Geylang Road, +65 6743 2203; g7sinma.com 

For Waku Ghin, Osteria Mozza, Cut, DB by Daniel Boulus and all other Marina Bay Sands restaurants, see marinabaysands.com/restaurants.

SEE+DO

 Marina Bay Sands is holding its annual food and wine fair, Epicurean Market, from August 14-16. Thompson and Wakuda will be cooking along with others from the MBS stable. Tickets from S$27 ($26.42). See marinabaysands.com/epicurean-market.