This lively Thai restaurant on the Yarra Promenade has all the heat and hustle of a street canteen in Bangkok. And with David Thompson (Nahm, Bangkok) at the helm, a man who understands Thai food better than any other Australian chef, you’re assured of an authentic, uncompromising experience.

Open your Long Chim account with seriously good snacks, such as little cornets of betel leaf plump with dried prawns, ginger and coconut; grilled pork skewers, sticky and hot; and fish cakes splashed with cucumber relish. Then move onto ‘Jack’s Omelette’, which wears the best sriracha sauce this side of Chiang Mai; a deliciously murky red curry of roast duck, Thai basil, apple and eggplant; and crinkly, crunchy soft shell crab hot-wokked with chilli black pepper and coriander.

Long Chim’s offer is backed with swift, knowledgeable service and a fun fitout. With lots of nooks and crannies, this high-ceilinged space decked with streamers is just made for partying. Things are even more festive on the terrace. Out there, with a Singha beer in one hand and a chicken satay in the other, it’s quite possible to imagine you’re in another world.

Must eat dish: Soft shell crab, chilli, black pepper and coriander