Awana SW3

First, a disclaimer. It is City AM’s (and Harden’s) policy to pay for review meals. But the meal on the basis of which this review is written was buckshee. Not that we didn’t try to pay – twice – just that they would not be paid. We didn’t ask why, but we did have an inkling, as out-of-the-blue the Executive Chef had just happened to swing by at our table to explain what the place was all about. From said visitation, though, we did learn that the aim is Malaysian street-meets-Chelsea chic.

Malaysian restaurants are still comparatively rare in London, with no real stand-out (unless you include the fusion wizardry of SE1’s Champor-Champor). This newcomer is conceived as something of a ‘shop window’ for the country, and the décor has all been imported (plus the staff uniforms and even the knives and forks). Given all this authenticity, we found the styling of the former Zen Chelsea site rather on the tame side. Perhaps Malaysia’s like that, or perhaps the requirements of Chelsea chic got in the way of something more exuberant. Or maybe it’s just the proprietor’s ‘DNA’ showing through.

More than is sometimes recognised, restaurateurs have indelible strengths and weaknesses which tend to show through in all their various enterprises. Eddie Lim’s other restaurant, Mango Tree, has established itself as a good-but-pricey (Thai) spot, at its weakest on the atmosphere front. On all fronts, this newcomer looks set to be a repeat performance. Our opening week dishes were good to variable – not surprising, as we were told on the highest authority that the kitchen was still settling in. Wouldn’t it in such circumstances be a good idea to have started off with a half-price offer? It was, however, no reason to give the food away.