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By many measures, Thai eatery Chin Chin is the most successful restaurant Melbourne has ever seen. It opened in mid-2011, with queues from day one. But unlike most of its peers, that initial hype hasn’t faded. If anything, it’s intensified.

After appearing on Masterchef and a swag of international food blogs, Chin Chin has become as much a tourist destination as a local staple. Unashamed imitations have sprung up in other Australian cities; and owner Chris Lucas has leveraged its reputation to open three more restaurants in Melbourne (Baby , Kong and Hawker Hall) and a Chin Chin in Sydney.

So why is Chin Chin still such a magnet after all these years?

One: the vibe. Chin Chin was one of the first restaurants in the city to purposely cultivate a dim, lively ambience, and the upbeat playlists positively boom from the Urban Intelligence sound system.

Two: Benjamin Cooper. The Lucas Group’s executive chef knows his way around Thai cuisine as well as any Australian chef. Except maybe David Thompson , who he trained under. From pad thai to fiery papaya salad, roti to massaman curry, Chin Chin’s vivid dishes are a testament to Cooper’s ground-up approach. Each week, the kitchen staff hand-picks about 7000 bunches of coriander, Thai basil and Vietnamese mint , rather than accept the bruising, imperfect work of a machine. You can taste the difference.

Three: service is fast and efficient – for drinks especially. The Lucas Group has its own line of Asian-style beers (Shiki) and stocks plenty of others at Chin Chin (and GoGo Bar downstairs). The company’s wine consultant Philip Rich oversees a list of interesting picks from home and abroad; and the cocktails are bar-quality.

Add these three pillars together and you get pure fun. A visit to Chin Chin feels less like a meal and more like a party. And even after all these years, we’re still willing to wait for that.