Champor Champor

ilovelucy

Simply divine 30th September 2009

1 found this helpful

Had dinner last night at Champor Champor and it was so good I can't wait to go back again. I had read up about this Malaysian-fusion restaurant beforehand and as the reviews were outstanding, I couldn't wait to try it.

We had our table booked for 6.45pm and although it was quiet at first, it was full and buzzing by the end of the evening, an impressive feat since the restaurant being in its quiet and desolate location surely does not get much passing trade. The restaurant is indeed beautiful - plenty of asian artifacts adorn the mustard coloured walls and complimented by gentle asian music - it certainly felt like a million miles away from London Bridge.

We were not let down by the food. Every course was magnificent, ingredients were fresh and the flavours worked together wonderfully but were distinct in their own right. But the mains dishes were the stars of the evening. I had the Negeri Sembilan spicy king prawns, turmeric and bird eye chilli curry; julienned Asian herbs; lemon rice whilst my friend chose the Pan fried red snapper fillet; Penang prawn laksa bisque; soba noodles. My prawn curry was probably the best curry i've tasted ever followed closely by my friend's curry. The prawns were fresh, massive and juicy and the curry combined with the asian herbs was ever so moreish. My friends noodles were much more spicy - the prawn bisque had such depth of flavour and the snapper was cooked perfectly. I was really disappointed when we finished the mains but thankfully we still had the dessert to go. I had the guava and sichuan pepper parfait with the passion fruit coulis. This dessert was genius - the sichuan pepper slightly offset the sweetness of the guava and with the tartness of the passion fruit.
the flavours constrasted beautifully.

I would definitely reccommend it for a romantic evening to impress the other half. The waiters were helpful yet not intrusive and i liked the fact that water was provided and so were the little amuse bouche and home made banana bread which were complimentary. Three courses for £31 does not break the bank and all in all it sums up one of the best meals i've had in a long time. I can't wait to come back to taste the other dishes.

Bowgreave

Can't understand the fuss 31st December 2008

0 found this helpful

We started badly, in that they messed up our booking, but things didn't improve. The food was eclectic but that doesn't stand up on its own and needs to be properly cooked and presented as well. When told that the (sent back) cold rice served with the Beef Rendang was supposed to be served at room temperature and it was returned accordingly, eclectic turned to bizarre.
It gets such good reviews and we normally agree with most of those we read so perhaps we caught them on a bad night (it was early Saturday) but it missed every mark and felt like a complete waste of money.

expired2008

Yum yum yum! 4th September 2008

0 found this helpful

I really wasn't sure what to expect when i went to champor champor. I’ve been to a few asian restaurants before and have always left thinking the food was over spiced and over priced. When we arrived here, we were greeted at the door by a friendly and polite waiter who took us to our seats. The décor of the venue is as you’d expect of a thai / asian / Chinese but the smells were delicious and I soon wanted to get ordering! They have a HUGE range of food so be prepared to spend some time looking! The food itself is delicious and I’d thoroughly recommend them

Cedric

A brilliant pearl, hidden in an ugly area 8th July 2008

3 found this helpful

This is definitely one of the best Asian restaurants that I have had the opportunity to eat at in London. The tiny front window with its low-key style could easily turn you down, but as soon as you enter the space, you are blown away: fragrances, carved-wood decorations, hanging masks, smiles on the staff faces... Simply great.

The food was also great, with an extensive selections of SE Asia specialities of different degree of spiciness, for all tastes: I opted for some Chicken serunding and plum tomato paneer and Thai basil salad as a starter, followed up by beef rendang with yellow rice and pineapple pajeri. And the desert? Fresh papaya cubes covered in a mango lassi and a scoop of lemongrass sorbet.

everything beautifully presented with a strong attention paid to details. The waiters are very helpful and do not hesitate to guide your choices, or to introduce the dishes with detailed descriptions.

The main drawback of this restaurant is its location... But that could reveal to be an advantage to protect it. Located a few minutes walk from London Bridge it is in a boring, lifeless area. For the better because it is quite small and require to book in advance to ensure a seat.

marys

Exotic Thai 19th June 2007

4 found this helpful

Champor-Champor was reviewed as the best Thai in London so I had to stop by-you need a reservation as its quite small. The decor is lovely and exotic and the food is really good and different. I had the frog legs for appetizer and they were lovely in a kind of teriaki sauce. I also tried the kangaroo, as I never had it before. It came in a sort of Pad Thai way in a bowl with vegetables and noodles. I have had pad thai in many restaurant and this was the most unusual and tasted great.
It is dimly lit and somewhat romantic. All the details of place setting and atmosphere are very cool.