Chin Chin opened in 2011 and almost immediately became one of the most popular restaurants in Melbourne, with queues stretching down Flinders Lane most evenings. The formula is Southeast Asian-influenced food — Thai, Malay, and Indonesian flavours — in a loud, high-ceilinged industrial room. The menu is designed for sharing: order four or five dishes between two people and work through them with good beers or cocktails.
No reservations are taken for groups under ten. You queue or you go to the basement bar Go Go Bar and wait for a text when your table is ready. The wait is usually 30 to 60 minutes on a Friday or Saturday evening — worth it, but plan accordingly. The fried cauliflower, the kingfish sashimi, and any of the curries are reliable choices. It is louder than you might expect.