The Astronomer, June, and I had a terrific dinner at Chim! a few Fridays ago. We took advantage of the mild summer weather and strolled to the restaurant, arriving properly hungry, on the verge of hangry.

We opted to dine al fresco because June adores fresh air. The view of the parking lot wasn’t remarkable, but a content baby makes for a peaceful meal.

The restaurant is currently offering complimentary fish balls, one skewer per person, on Friday and Saturday nights. They were a pleasant surprise to receive and a big hit with June (minus the spicy sauce).

One of our favorite street foods from our Thailand travels was roti, an impossibly flaky and rich flat bread served with condensed milk and bananas.

We couldn’t resist ordering it when we spied it on the menu. Here, the “Roti Dip” ($3.95) was served in savory fashion with a Panang curry “dipping” sauce. The bread’s texture was solid and brought back some sweet street food memories.

We ordered the “Wonton Soup” ($4.95) for June. She loved the chicken-stuffed parcels, as well as the wilted spinach in the broth.

I was quite pleased with my selection as well: “Grilled Beef with Sticky Rice” ($8.95). The beef, dressed in a chili-lime marinade with roasted rice, onions, basil, mint, and cilantro, was super-flavorful.

The sticky rice served alongside was the ideal accompaniment to soak up the beef’s pitch-perfect sauce.

The Astronomer was pleased enough with his “Red Curry” ($8.95) with tofu, bamboo shoots, bell pepper, and Thai basil, but he experienced a bit of order envy since my dish was so excellent. It happens…

Dinner at Chim! was an all around success with the entire family. We appreciated the bold flavors and close-to-home location. This spot is definitely going in the rotation!

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Chim!
910 East Union Street
Pasadena, CA 91106
Phone: 626-796-3636

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