I was clothes shopping the other week for a new favourite t-shirt and, as I'm not Mark Zuckerberg, this can sometimes take a little time. I tend to look for something that fits well, isn't too baggy and nicely straddles the divide between casual wear and semi-formal, so that I can turn up to the beach or the club with my upper body well covered. Nothing to loud and, ideally, something which makes me look like I've been on a 12 week workout plan.
That can't be so difficult, can it?
After many hours of fruitless searching, I proved that that this can be very difficult indeed and so, dressed in my current favourite t-shirt, went for a dinner date at Chachawan, a small, dimy-lit, hipsterised Thai restaurant in Sheung Wan.
I should confess at this stage that this is one of those places that I secretly really wanted to like even before I set foot in the door. Why? Because I need a new favourite restaurant like I need a new t-shirt. I've been wearing the same thing for too long and need to freshen up my game. In theory Chachawan ticks all my boxes: South East Asian? Tick. Promising amounts of grilled meat and fish? Tick. Bar seating for convivial two person dining and the ability to watch the chefs cook when you haven't got anything to talk about? Tick. Not so expensive you have to sell the few possessions you can fit into your shoebox flat to afford dinner? Tick. Takes reservations in advance? PRAISE JESUS! Tick.
The bar seats were cramped and a bit warm, but otherwise just how I like them - close to the action of the kitchen so you can see the dishes as they go out rather than getting that horrible food envy when you realise you have ordered the wrong dish. Table seating is available for those without greedy eyes, but if you love watching the intricate ballet of busy cooks at work, the bar seats are the place for you.
The food, I am reliably informed, is Issan-style, from north-east Thailand, and before you ask, no, I don't know what Issan-style Thai means either, and I haven't bothered to look it up. As far as I am concerned it means "you probably won't get a pad thai or a green curry, but it tastes bloody good", which is obviously a poor, but surprisingly accurate, translation.
Regardless of what you order, what you do get is damn tasty dishes from beginning to end. This is the big flavours of Thailand showcased at their best by people who know what they are doing. Meats like pork jowl and chicken thigh come grilled to perfection with satisfying sweet, salty and spicy dipping sauces alongside. If you're feeling extravagant, the whole salt grilled sea bass is a wonder – brilliantly moist and delicate under its burnt salty skin. The salads and side dishes are inevitably worth a diversion– the smoked and grilled aubergine with soft boiled egg and huge river prawn is a truly masterful dish which will leave you and your dining companions greedily hoping the others are too full to eat the last bite. Everyone seems to love the crab fried rice, but for me this is just "meh", so you'll probably love it like everyone else and decide I don't know what I am talking about.
One downside of sitting at the bar seating is that my current favourite t-shirt smelt like grilled meat for the rest of the evening, but I consider that a small price to pay for such a wonderful meal, and at HK$400ish a head for food and a couple of beers, a relative bargain.
I may not have found a new favourite t-shirt, but I am happy to have found a new favourite restaurant (for now). Chachawan, well done. I shall be seeing you again soon.
PS. For fans of big flavoured South East Asian cooking (like me), I would also highly recommend the relatively newly opened Samsen on Stoneullah Lane in Wanchai. Led by a former David Thompson protégé and Chachawan alumni, this place has taken the same style of cookery as Chachawan and put it in a noodle bar setting. Cracking wok fried noodles, big bowls of deep, rich and tasty soup noodles and a few other flourishes, like oozy deep fried soft boiled egg, make this compact space a decidedly agreeable stop for a quick dinner or lunch. The only problem is that it won't be quick as they don't take reservations, have about 11.5 seats and seem to be happy to let customers linger (great if you're sitting, not so great if you're not). Take my advice, put your name on the list early and head round the corner to the friendly bar at Tai Long Fung for a couple of sharpeners while you wait. I promise it will be worth it.