Illustration by Fig & Ginger, drawn from the review. The venue's own photo is on its way.
Contemporary Thai in Imbi, Kuala Lumpur
Chim by Chef Noom
Tom Yum With A Pedigree
Chim sits on the second floor of an office tower, and the first thing you should do is forgive it for that. Inside, Chef Noom, who also runs a place in Bangkok, cooks Thai food that stays loyal to tradition and then starts to play. The 2026 Michelin Guide gave it one star, and the dishes are plated with a precision that makes the lift ride feel earned.
The menu is seasonal and built around premium Japanese ingredients alongside local produce and spices, and that mix is where the creativity lives. The dish to ask about is The Lost Recipe, a variation on a 200-year-old tom yum. The guide notes the balance of flavors, which is what a tom yum lives or dies on. Hot, sour, salty, a little sweet. It should feel like an argument that finishes in a draw.
Chim is at the top price tier, so this is a splurge. It suits a date or a celebration, not a quick Tuesday curry. Book ahead, arrive hungry and keep your expectations for the room low and for the kitchen high. Thai cooking in Kuala Lumpur does not often get this much attention, and it earns it.
- Order this
- Seasonal tasting menu, The Lost Recipe tom yum
- The damage
- $$$$
- Go
- A celebration dinner, booked ahead
- Find it
- L2-03, TSLAW Tower, 39 Jalan Kamuning, Imbi, Kuala Lumpur 55100
- Website
- chimdining.com