Chin Chin’s $275 first birthday dinner with the awesome David Thompson was worth it

Richard Cornish talks to David Thompson. Ben Shewry sits at the bar.

I had to think long and hard about attending this dinner. But the fooderati came and ate. $275 for a Thai meal. That’s 13 courses cooked by David Thompson and pretty much unlimited booze.

I’ve never spent so much on what is a function meal but I’m glad I did sitting on the corner of the bar seeing David sweating over the woks and pestle and mortar rejecting dishes that weren’t good enough.

Usually when you stuff 150 or so people in to a restaurant for a guest chef experience it isn’t quite up to what you’d expect. Here it was totally amazing with, for my western palate, a perfect balance of flavours (although some people were blown away by the chilli).

I made me think of critic Stephen Downes review years ago where he gave David Thompson 20/20 for the perfect meal. It was one of the best meals I’ve eaten for years and I seem to have lost my critical facility.

Sadly it will be a long time until David will be back in Melbourne. But you can always try Nahm in Bangkok.