Chom Chom

Chom Chom is a microcosm of Hong Kong. Small, cramped, loud, vibrant, an overload to the senses. Incredible smells waft over from the kitchen, ushering you in from the outside. Inside, different nationalities sit and enjoy a melting pot of Vietnamese flavours given a modern twist.

Chom Chom was in fact the first restaurant that I frequented after landing in Hong Kong 5 years ago. Fresh off the boat I was blown away by flavours, some I had never heard of yet alone tasted before. I’ve been back numerous times over the years and have yet to be let down.

The Scot and I went over the weekend and were sadly left some what disappointed. I’m happy to give Chom Chom the benefit of the doubt on this, after all you don’t build such a strong reputation without good reason. Perhaps this disappointment was simply a case of building it up in my head so it was never going to measure up. Maybe it’s because I have such fund memories of previous visits. Maybe I have become muted to the flavours that were once so unknown. I think it were more the later but still it’s a great spot as shown by the fact that the restaurant was jam packed. As it is every time I’ve walked past.

Nestled in Soho corner, look for the crowds of people waiting outside usually with a Saigon beer in hand, sniff for the smells of spices, the intoxicating aroma of Thai basil and vibrant citrus, listen for the hustle and bustle and that’s where you will find Chom Chom.

As the Scot and I were seated on a table overflowing with chopsticks, plates, cups and sriracha we immediately commented that the music wasn’t as loud as we remember for which we were grateful. But then our ears were deafened by the gentlemen and his cronies sat two tables away. Pushing his chair back as far as possible, lounging like a walrus he would let his bellow flow over the rest of the dinners. Common decency man, this is a small place, and intimate setting so don’t be the dick that pushes your chair back as far as possible and guffaws like a mating sea lion.

A couple of things before I get onto the food, the menu is now printed on A4 pages whereas previously it was done on a little notebook. On an already pokey table having a full size menu was more a hinderance. Lastly, if you are going to have specials written on a board that can’t be seen by all the customers make sure the waiting staff read them out. We missed them and would have ordered if we’d been told.

To the food. I was glad to see that there was still some classics on the menu from previous visits. So we duly started with salt and pepper squid with sriracha mayo. Definitely not the frozen rings which haunt so many bars and restaurants. A mixture of slices of squid body and the earth shatteringly crispy tentacles. Cooked at high temperature so the batter breaks on the first bite and the flesh remains moist. Off to a good start. The salt element wasn’t too be found and the visible amounts of pepper tasted of the overly ground pepper you find in cheap truck stops. Maybe that’s how they are served in Vietnam but it was disappointing. The sriracha mayo does what sriracha mayo does. I don’t need to describe it to you, you know what it tastes like.

VFC chicken wings were next to arrive and a very generous portion it was. Actually that comment goes for the food throughout the meal, I’m not going to complain. More deep fried food, what’s not to like, whichever line chef is in charge of that frier is doing a damn good job. Similar story to the squid, crisp on the outside, tender chicken in between. Definite strong garlic coming from these. A great beer snack.

Lemongrass and kafir lime skewers were the best dish for me. The sprinkle of chilli and salt that came with them would have been better served with the squid, but did pair nicely with the Chicken. Seriously, the best thing about Chom Chom is it’s ability to serve crisp food with succulent centres. The skewers were no exception. The Kaffir Lime running through lifted the dish as a whole supported amicably by the calamansi lime.

The two larger plates, the Grilled Tiger Prawns and the Pho Rolls rounded off the evening well. The prawns themselves were first accompanied but the smell of chilli being cooked which in such a confined space, eyes were watering but by Jove did they smell good. They arrived, enormous, plump white flesh and charred heads looking bulbous and mouth watering. They didn’t disappointment, some extra spice wouldn’t have gone amiss, but the heady garlic and butter mixture which the prawns were bathed in added succulence to an already flavoursome prawn.

The Pho roll was the one piece of cooking that certainly couldn’t be called traditional. It tasted like a Pho but wrapped in rice paper rolls. The beef

tender, pungent with the smell of Thai basil, but not heavy in any way. This made for an excellent end to the meal and allowed the chef some freedom of expression.

Worth a revisit.

The Galloping Ginger

Chom Chom

58 Peel Street

https://www.chomchom.com.hk