Yim Yim (sometimes also spelled Jim Jim) has been around for some 80 years. Today, it is a venerable institution in Yaowarat’s rich dining scene, which is to say it’s some of the best Chinese food you’ll get in Bangkok. The decrepit décor, despite kitsch touches, is messy and almost gloomy with its low ceiling and small, dark windows. Boxes of supplies for the kitchen and the owners’ personal junk occupy much of the dining room. That leaves only a half-dozen big round tables for guests. Here, you’ll see politicians and police generals dining with their gig and big Chinese families who have been eating here for four generations—just like the proprietors. That’s why we love going for lunch on a Sunday; the portly grandfather (the son of Yim Yim’s founder) will take your order while his children and grandchildren eat at a big round table nearby. His rambling might not be particularly helpful, and the servers are not even meant to be spoken to, but he’s too friendly and cute for us to hold it against him. Despite the usual shark fin soup, abalone and other Chinese favorites, we recommend Yim Yim’s ham with goat skin. It’s served with canned asparagus and a rather off-putting Chinese mayonnaise dressing with crunchy sugar. But the meat itself, with that thin layer of goat’s skin, once plunged into the accompanying rice vinegar, is a pure delight—robust, meaty, but lean. The goat skin is flavorful without being smelly, thanks to very careful washing. Yim Yim is also famous for its chicken soup, a wonderfully flavorful broth—just don’t be shocked if a foot or head sticks out of your bowl. Have it with khao op nam liep; the baked rice with Chinese olives is fragrant and moist without being oily. But the greatest catch, literally, is the raw fish. Sliced thinly and sprinkled with sesame seed, it’s eaten with an addictive peanut sauce, a dollop of plum sauce and crispy, fresh condiments and vegetables . The best ingredients and impeccably traditional execution make Yim Yim a superbly reliable kitchen. Let’s hope the next generation keep it that way. No corkage charge.
