First let's talk about the good.
Somebody either got really lucky or there was a lot of thought that went into this space. All of the lighting in the public spaces was toned down in the 2700 Kelvin range (Warm). It appeared to be a combination of dimmed incandescent Edison Bulbs and a few LED's but not the harsh white kind. Equally impressive was the bank of large monitor speakers going down the entire side wall of the restaurant and the additional speakers mounted on the columns on the opposite side of the space. I almost think they had an Acoustical Engineer and a Lighting Engineer on this project which is unheard of. Most restauranteurs are simply too arrogant to ask for that kind of help. So, even though the space was packed with people, the noise levels were surprisingly bearable and you could actually hear the music over the hundreds of conversations. Add to that the soothing effect of the warm light and it almost helped with what is wrong with this restaurant.
Hmmm, where do I start? First, they need to ditch the attitude. From the snooty guy who took our name and informed us it would be 90 minutes before we could get seated to the arrogant bartender(s) that simply cannot accept that their drinks are sadly weak. I've lost count of how many high flying restaurants like Chin Chin ended up empty and bankrupt because they stopped listening. I don't see a single response from the Owners on any of these reviews so I'm guessing the arrogance starts at the top.
I hate to break it to the countless people that have waited hours to eat here but some of the wait time is contrived. We were told 90 minutes and after an hour we checked in and were told it would be 30 minutes more. They are literally counting it down to the minute. After 90 minutes we went back upstairs and noted there were several empty chairs at the Bar. We asked and were given some shuck and jive story about waiting for people to come back; frankly it didn't make any sense but we did get seated immediately. There were large tables downstairs that also sat empty for periods of time. Yes, they do a brisk business here but the pace is artificially slowed down, seats are left empty even when there is a huge line, and what better way to get people to spend a few extra hundred dollars downstairs in the Bar on watery drinks and appetisers?
So we finally got seated and politely asked if they could recommend something on the menu Without hesitation were were offered the "Feed Me" meal which is a sampling of, I believe, 6 of their most popular dishes. At $69.00/person this is a multiple of what you need to spend on a meal so, again, their system is set up to empty the wallet.
Then my second encounter with a Bartender.
I know that Australia has some "Odd" laws regarding hard alcohol. They pour a thimble full of alcohol so a double is a minimum amount you would use for a normal drink. I've read the reviews where people are gushing about the drinks at Chin Chin. Yawn, I guess mixology is new to these parts. They threw in some mint or basil, simple syrup and some spices, completely forgot the alcohol, shook it up with ice and had the gall to charge $20.00 for it. I patiently explained to our Bartender that we liked drinks where alcohol was actually part of the flavour, not just some annoying additive. She launched into some story about how she had bartended in San Francisco one night and gotten almost $2,000 in tips, far more than any other server, but had served far less alcohol. And she was proud of this? If she worked for me she would be looking for a job. CHEATING PEOPLE ON THEIR DRINKS IS NOT A GOOD THING. Please, all employees of Chin Chin, read that before you go to work every night. Back home a restaurant or bar that consistently does this ends up closed. I ended up with some sugary, limey, minty, nasty and ridiculously small drink served in what looked like a child's glass and I honestly think the server thought I would like it. Bleh. If a bartender does not understand that the flavour and character of the alcohol is an integral part of the drink they need to go back to school. And when I asked for Sumbuca after the meal I got serious attitude I guess because they are supposedly a "Thai Fusion" restaurant. She dug up a watery substitute but frankly was a bitch about it. Lady, you are serving Cocktails without the Cock. Get over it.
Overall, NOT worth the wait or the money. Edible food, crappy drinks, attitude and a wait? No, not for me. read more