Inspired by Koh Samui; Long Chim’s Lone Traveller Series continues
Photography: Shot by Thom
Long Chim, State buildings, Barrack St &, St Georges Terrace, Perth
Wouldn’t it be nice to go to Koh Samui right now? Well, the team at Long Chim over in Perth are all about Thai flavours and bar manager Eoin Kenny reached out to us with some cracking and innovative cocktails from their new menu. “As you may know, Long Chim created the Lone Traveller cocktail series in 2018 with the menu representing a series of places in Thailand and the drinks being influenced by the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of the island,” said Kenny. “This started in Bangkok and the menu was a massive success and a labor of love for all involved.”
The second volume’s time has now arrived and they are focused on the playful island of Koh Samui and in particular tropical plants and tropical fruits.
“We cleared out our Tuck Shop and transformed it into a Koh Samui beach bar with sand, palms, music and lighting, the guests receive boarding passes and we blindfold our guests to take them on a short ‘plane ride’ in the hotel’s Lexus to complete their short trip to Koh Samui.” – Eoin Kenny, Bar Manager at Long Chim Perth
“To launch this menu, and as people cannot travel at all still outside of Australia, we created the Lone Traveller immersive dining experience, where we took a selection of the drinks and paired them to the amazing authentic Thai food created by our brilliant chef David Thompson,” says Kenny, adding, “the drinks were designed to offer contrast and compliments to the various dishes. We cleared out our Tuck Shop and transformed it into a Koh Samui beach bar with sand, palms, music and lighting, the guests receive boarding passes and we blindfold our guests to take them on a short ‘plane ride’ in the hotel’s Lexus to complete their short trip to Koh Samui.”
Thanks to such amazing feedback the team have continued this experience and they transform the tuck shop once a month. “We originally had planned to take this menu on a bit of a road trip around Australia, but with the way things have continued this will have to wait for a little while longer, but we are ever so happy and proud of these amazing drinks and story we would love to share it with everyone,” says Kenny.
So these drinks are on the innovative side of the spectrum. “The drinks are challenging, and boundary pushing, using the ingredients in different ways to create those memories of tropical plants and fruit,” Kenny says. “Lychee is elevated way above how we have known it in the past, and Durian is confronting to most but the reaction has been outstanding from all.”
Cocktail Spotlight:
1: Lychee 40ml Republic of Fremantle Aromatic Gin 10ml Kaffir Lime leaf Fino Sherry 5ml Blackberry distillate 30ml Lychee Cordial* Soda Water Garnish - Spent Blackberry paint Glass - Highball Ice - Arctic Fox spear *Lychee Cordial 1000ml Clarified fresh Lychee Juice 1kg sugar 50g citric acid 25g malic acid 5g salt Gently blend together all ingredients over a mild heat
2: Coconut 50ml Coconut Oil Flor de Cana 4yr Old* 10ml Coconut husk Vermouth* 10ml Fino Sherry 2 Dashes Orange Bitters Coconut oil washed Flor de Cana 4yr Old 700ml Flor de Cana 4yr Old 250g Coconut Oil Mix together and vac seal. 1hr in 60 degree sous vide Freeze over night Strain through coffee filter Coconut Contratto Bianco 1000ml Contratto Bianco 250g fresh coconut flesh Half coconut husk Mix together and vac seal. 4hr in 60 degree sous vide Strain through coffee filter
3: Durian 50ml Flor de Cana 4yr Old 10ml Rum Bar White Overproof Rum 20ml Contratto Bianco 20ml Cold Pressed Pineapple Juice 20ml Smoked & Charred Pineapple Oleo 20ml Citric Acid solution 60ml Full Cream Milk 2 dashes of orange blossom water Glass - Rocks Ice - Arctic Fox large rock Garnish - Banana leaf circle Durian Milk Punch Recipe Add all ingredients into large Cambro except Full Cream Milk Gently warm milk on stove top Slowly add cocktail to warm milk stirring gently the entire time Cover and let sit for 24hrs Pass mixture through coffee filter Pass mixture again through strained milk curds
4: Hibiscus 40ml Arette Blanco 10ml Contratto Aperitivo 30ml Hibiscus & Mung Bean Syrup * 15ml Egg white Glass - Nick & Nora Garnish - Spent Hibiscus & Torch Ginger sherbet Hibiscus & Mung Bean Syrup 1 Litre Hot water 50g Hibiscus 10g Mung Bean 1kg Sugar Add ingredients and let sit for 30 minutes, strain Add sugar whilst still warm and dissolve
5: Coffee 40ml Alvear Fino 10ml Green Walnut Liqueur 100ml Thai Coffee Soda Carbonated Glass - Highball Ice - Arctic Fox Ice Spear Garnish - Coffee Bean Coffee Cordial 700ml water 100g coffee bean 100g sugar 4.5g citric acid Combine all ingredients into vac bag Let sit for 48hrs at room temp Strain