Menu Reveal: Chin Chin Brings All-Time Classic Dishes to the Melbourne Cup Carnival

“Melbourne does two things incredibly well: hospitality and sport,” says Benjamin Cooper, executive chef of Chin Chin. “Those big sporting events and food are just a match made in heaven.”

In our city, food and sport don’t get much bigger than longstanding Thai restaurant Chin Chin and the highlight of spring racing, the Melbourne Cup Carnival. This year, the two are combining for a heavenly collaboration, with Chin Chin setting up trackside on the Flemington Front Lawn for the carnival, which runs from October 31 until November 7. 

Chin Chin is no stranger to the racing scene – it has become a popular haunt for jockeys post-Carnival (“They work so hard to get down to race weight, I think it’s nice to be able to eat afterwards,” Cooper says), but this year the focus is very much on racegoers. Much like the race that stops the nation, Chin Chin’s Flemington pop-up squeezes plenty of action into a relatively short window. For anyone who has dined on Chin Chin’s Feed Me menu before, expect many of the same classic dishes – except served in 60 minutes and with an up-close view of the racing.

“It’s basically a reinterpretation of the classic Feed Me at Chin Chin, broken down into three courses,” says Cooper. “You’ve got a selection of entrees, so kingfish sashimi …  dumplings, which are always delicious, and beef martabak spring rolls.”

From there, the menu flows into dishes like chargrilled lemongrass and turmeric chicken with papaya salad and Chin Chin’s beef rendang, which Cooper describes as “a crowd-pleaser with all the flavour and depth and complexity of a curry without being too in-your-face”.

To finish, Cooper is wheeling out an ice-cream sandwich – but he’s keeping mum on the other details. “There’s got to be some surprises left for the day,” he says. 

A dietary-requirement-friendly version of the menu will also be available, which gives Cooper the chance to be a little creative with those Chin Chin classics – like figuring out a vegan-friendly version of that kingfish sashimi.

“The honeydew sashimi came about on our 10th birthday,” Cooper says. “It had taken me a long time to work out how to get a dish that allowed non-fish-eating people to try the sashimi.”

The vegetarian yellow curry, too, stacks up as a worthy alternative to the beef rendang. “Sometimes as a curry fan, you could overlook the vegetarian curry, but it is so delicious, and the veggies in there – the grilled zucchini and the squash – and the tofu are fantastic.”

Chin Chin – along with Lucas Collective siblings Yakimono and Society – is an extra reason to head along to the Melbourne Cup Carnival this year, but Cooper is clear that it’s all in service of the big day itself.

“It’s one of the biggest sporting events on the entire calendar,” he says. “It’s a fun place for people-watching and crowd-watching and following the horses – you’re going to have a good time. We bring the party, the Melbourne Cup Carnival brings the party, and it’s going to be a wonderful few days.”

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Victoria Racing Club. The Melbourne Cup Carnival is on from 31 October to 7 November. Find out more and book your tickets here.