Michelin Chef David Thompson's New Chinatown Diner
Chop Chop Cook Shop in Bangkok, Thailand
Located on Yaowarat Road in Bangkok's Chinatown, Chop Chop Cook Shop is a new restaurant by Australian chef David Thompson, who is famous for Nahm, the world's first Thai restaurant to win a Michelin star. Chop Chop Cook Shop is a casual Chinese-style diner located in a former goldsmith's shop that serves classic Chinese dishes inspired by Hainanese and Teochew cuisine.
We sat down at a table near the window where we could look out and see the bustle of Yaowarat Road.
Built in a super cool Art Deco building (appropriately named "Goldsmith") in what was once a Chinese-style goldsmith's shop like many that still dot the lanes of Chinatown, the restaurant's decor pays homage to the building's history by displaying vault keys and golden necklaces and bracelets on the walls.
 |
| Chop Chop Cook Shop, a Chinese diner by Michelin Chef David Thompson in Bangkok's Chinatown |
The restaurant has an open kitchen, and you can watch Chef David Thompson and his staff preparing each meal individually. The attention to detail and the obvious care put into every dish makes dining at Chop Chop Cook Shop a pretty special experience.
We started out by ordering spring rolls (95 baht each or 3 for 260 baht). Deep fried, piping hot, and stuffed full of delicious aromatics like garlic chives, water chestnuts, and soy, the spring rolls are definitely a step up over most spring rolls I've had. They are served in a dipping sauce made from dark soy sauce, herbs, and chilies for a mildly spicy, sweet and savory flavor.
I'm a massive fan of roast duck. I've had a lot of it, and I have high standards. I can honestly say that this was quite probably the best roast duck that I've ever had. The meat was soft and melt-in-your-mouth juicy, while the roasted and barbecued skin remained thin and crispy.
 |
| Chinese-Thai fried spring rolls |
Our second course was a clay bot of jap chai, a Chinese-Thai soup made from braised greens, radish, mushroom, and lots of healthy herbs (200 baht). Although this dish is traditionally served with stewed pork belly, the savory veggie soup served at Chop Chop Cook Shop is vegetarian.
 | |
|
That's not to say that this is a vegetarian restaurant, though. Far from it! Taking inspiration from Bangkok's "cook shops", old-school, often family run Chinese shophouse restaurants serving affordable home-style dishes, Chop Chop Cook Shop's specialty is its meats: particularly its roast duck (320 baht).
 |
| roasted duck with ginger in Bangkok, Thailand |
I'm a massive fan of roast duck. I've had a lot of it, and I have high standards. I can honestly say that this was quite probably the best roast duck that I've ever had. The meat was soft and melt-in-your-mouth juicy, while the roasted and barbecued skin remained thin and crispy.
The generous portion of duck meat was served with a side of stewed Chinese kale and roasted peanuts and thick-cut slices of fresh ginger, both of which complement the duck. The savory vegetables and sweet-spicy ginger add complexity when alternated with bites of rich, fatty duck meat.
The duck is served with a "special sauce", a secret house blend featuring dark soy sauce, sesame seeds, and sliced chili. The sauce added a nice extra taste to the duck, but the meat was so delicious on its own that it really didn't need it!
 |
| delicious roast duck at Chop Chop Cook Shop in Bangkok's Chinatown |
Finally, we ordered the duck fried rice (350 baht). The Chinese fried rice was stuffed full of giant pieces of juicy and succulent roast duck meat. The smoky fried rice was wok-fried, topped with slices of chives, and served Thai-style with sliced lime, fresh cucumber, and sliced ginger.
This was one of the best meals that I've had in a long time! If it sounds like I'm raving about Chop Chop Cook Shop, it's because I was genuinely blown away by the delicious food, intimate dining experience, and incredible prices. I'll definitely be back here again to try more items off of the menu. I was too full for dessert this time, but I won't be leaving next time without trying the restaurant's famous ginger milk curd.
 |
| duck fried rice at Chop Chop Cook Shop |
More of Bangkok's best duck
Menu
The menu is small, which I think is a good indicator that the food is going to be excellent. Restaurants that focus on just a few dishes often excel at perfecting them, delivering high-quality food rather than spreading their efforts too thin, and the food at Chop Chop Cook Shop is no exception. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu!
Prices are extremely reasonable for a restaurant of Chop Chop Cook Shop's renown and are on par with other upscale local restaurants. A meal for two, which included several dishes to share, cost us around 1,400 baht (around $40 USD), and when factoring in the high-quality ingredients, dining experience, and dishes lovingly prepared by a Michelin chef, you get an incredible bang for your baht.
 |
| Chop Chop Cook Shop menu and prices - Bangkok, Thailand (Chinatown) |
Location
Chop Chop Cook Shop is located on the ground floor of a beautiful old Art Deco building at 328 Yaowarat Rd, Chakkrawat, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100. The restaurant's decor is inspired by Hong Kong's cha chaan teng cafes and American diners, along with nods to its past as a goldsmith's shop.
The restaurant is open from noon until 10pm every day except Monday. We arrived right as they were opening their doors for the day, and it was already starting to get a bit busy. I recommend making a reservation, which you can do on the restaurant's website: https://goldsmithbkk.com/chop-chop-cook-shop.
 |
| inside Bangkok Chinatown's famous Chop Chop Cook Shop restaurant |
Comments
Post a Comment