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David Thompson jokes that the opening of his Long Chim restaurant in coming weeks marks the return of "Sydney's prodigal son".

"The truth is airlines are more like home to me these days," says Thompson amid the buzz and hustle of a departure lounge in Asia, en-route to Australia.

The Sydney chef has spent the past decade-and-a-half opening restaurants from London to Bangkok, where Nahm routinely makes world's best restaurant lists. He has certainly picked prized turf for Long Chim, nestled in Angel Place, in a precinct of restaurants that includes Mercado and China Lane.

Thompson tried to deny he was interested in the site when Good Food broke news of the deal last year, but he says the rise and rise of "Sydney's alleyways" since his move offshore proved irresistible.

Despite his reputation at the upper end of dining at Sydney's Darley Street Thai in the 1990s, Long Chim champions Thai street food.

"I don't have an inner accountant in me, but we've learnt a lot doing it [Long Chim] in Perth after Singapore.

"That understanding of how hard it is with staff and wages. But at the end of the day it's about the food. And while a lot of the menu is international, we have a few tricks up our sleeve for Sydney," he says.

Long Chim Sydney opens August 29. Open evenings only to start with, from 5.30pm to midnight.

Book at longchimsydney.com; walk-ins welcomed too.

10 Martin Place (entry via Angel Place), city.