Restaurant profile: Gin Long Canteen

Originally written for Uber Eats

Spot the iridescent ‘Now Chopping’ neon signage and you’ve found Gin Long Canteen. Situated on North Adelaide’s O’Connell Street, the Southeast Asian eatery has stamped a well deserved name for itself as the cool kid on the block with its distinctively charismatic approach.

Serving up an array of Malay, Thai and Vietnamese inspired eats, Gin Long Canteen is difficult to define, ridiculously easy to enjoy and an ongoing hit with the locals. With something for everyone and an electric atmosphere to boot, enthusiastic crowds flock to the restaurant day and night.

There’s no stock-standard customer service here, walk through the canteen doors and be greeted with a smile by one of Gin Long’s friendly staff. Genuine team morale is evident from the get-go and you’ll never catch anyone donning a uniform, just a playfully themed dress code each night.

Enthusiastic service is mirrored throughout Gin Long Canteen in its fit-out. With bench seating designed for optimal flow and the bustling kitchen in full view, the canteen strikes the perfect balance of laid-back and lively atmospheres.

Complemented by refreshingly simple gestures, such as the large dollar sign signalling where to pay, the canteen maintains an irresistibly cheeky essence. Experts in poking fun at themselves, slurp on the house ‘Shilaz’ and ‘Liesling’ as Gin Long effortlessly toes the line of the endearing gimmick.

Plastered across the window, Gin Long Canteen firmly sticks to its motto ‘eat big live life’. Serving up a menu carefully curated with group eating in mind, the restaurant’s enticing offerings encourage guests to eat large and live larger.

The Pomegranate Chicken, chargrilled to tender perfection, embodies the refreshing essence of Gin Long Canteen. Stacked high with a pile of decadently juicy chicken strips, sweet tamarind, fresh pomegranate and coriander, the dish offers a delicate hint of spice that will see any eye grow much larger than its respective stomach.

Get messy with it. The Gin Long Canteen menu is designed for sharing, so don’t be afraid to tuck in with your hands, and be sure to nab one of the complimentary guava lollies on your way out.