Restaurants

From the moment you enter Champor-Champor, you really want to feel youve discovered a gem. The intimate space is filled with a jumble of conversation pieces sourced from around Asia: a medley that would be kitsch elsewhere, but somehow works here. True to the restaurants name (it means mix and match in Malay), the menu is cheerfully eclectic, offering an intriguing fusion of flavours and cuisines. Curiously, these dont quite include Malaysian. Perhaps the chef from Johor (just north of Singapore) should stick to what he knows best. Salmon roe dumplings made a splash, but came in a watery prawn bisque. Carpaccio of beetroot with chinese pear was a delight in taste and texture, despite lashings of bland pumpkin-seed oil. A palate-cleansing granita of oolong tea and honey served between the starters and mains did the job with subtlety. But the mains were disappointing: roast ostrich fillet was tough and its sweet potato mash more of a mush, while coriander-crusted veal chop was short on flavour, and its peanut sauce was short on, well, peanuts. The meal ended with a whimper a dryish steamed chocolate and cardamom cake.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008