Chaar Long in Avenel showcases lesser known dishes from regional Thailand.
Quincy Malesovas
Chaar Long, by husband-and-wife duo John and Yao O’Donoghue, showcases regional Thai dishes for true fans. Lunch can stretch up to three hours, as Yao prepares four to five courses in the open kitchen. It’s all about slow grazing, inspired by her upbringing in the village of Wang Thong in central Thailand.
The $55 set menu changes often and might begin with Yao’s signature vegetable curry puffs. Her larb moo involves roasted pork belly, sliced thin and served on cos or betel leaves with nam jim jaew, a sweet-sour chilli sauce. Som tam (green papaya salad) is laced with green apple, pear, carrot and pork crackling.
The drinks list reflects the couple’s backgrounds, featuring Thai beer alongside wines from local women winemakers Nina Stocker of Brave Goose, Narelle King of Tar & Roses and Sarah Gough of Box Grove.
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