Awana - The Malaysian
restaurant in Chelsea
Awana
85 Sloane Avenue
London SW3
Tel: 020 7584 8880
I have always loved
Malaysian food ever since I went
there on a backpacking trip some
twenty years ago. When cooked well
it has to be one of the most exciting
styles around. An exotic blend
of three different cultures, Indian,
Chinese and Malay has resulted
in the creation of dishes that
are as inspiring and diverse as
its population.
The first thing I noticed as I sat down for lunch at Awana (a Malaysian restaurant
in Chelsea) was the size of our table for two. It was not only large but also
it was comfortable which made for a good first impression. Indeed, it soon
became apparent that Awana was the sort of establishment that one could not
fail to be impressed by. Once inside the décor is an inviting combination
of teak wood, leather banquettes, low level lighting and dark fabrics. The
set menu ‘a Malaysian journey’ is priced at £45.00 and as
the name suggests is a taste of some of the many dishes influenced by the variety
of cultures. If you have vegetarians in your party there is an alternative
version of the same menu priced at £40.00. To drink we tried a bottle
of the house white; Australian Mango Bay Semillon Chardonnay 2006, (£19.00)
which was a clean, crisp and flinty pairing that was all too easy to quaff
back.
The set menu was
a progression of several dishes.
We began with a corn fed chicken
skewer served with a luscious peanut
dipping sauce. With this came a
wonderfully soft and warm roti
bread and curry sauce. Here we
immediately tasted the influences
of both Malay and Indian flavours
on one plate, the delight being
how well they merged together.
To follow was a wonderfully fresh
pomelo (an Asian fruit) salad,
infused with green mango, tiger
prawns, and chillies which was
an overall taste sensation. After
the salad came baked lamb ribs
with a sticky sauce along with
a light and subtly flavoured thin
prawn and chicken wonton broth.
A slow cooked beef curry (that
had some four hours cooking) with
coconut milk and blended herbs
was rich and succulent, and came
served together with some spicy
tofu and fragrant rice.
We finished each
with a trio of three puddings which
was included in the set menu. A
creamy and luscious coconut ice
cream, a chilli and lemongrass
sorbet with a punchy kick and a
fabulously exotic banana cheesecake.
If you so wish it is possible to
match the above menu with a range
of suggested wines by the glass
which makes for an interesting
further foray into the wine list.
Eight dishes would
appear to be quite a feast. However
we departed feeling full of vitality
and not in the least bit soporific,
the overall feeling was we had
indulged albeit healthily. Our
journey had proved highly enjoyable
and the very attentive and professional
staff added to the experience considerably. ‘Awana’ means ‘in
the clouds’ which is rather
how we felt. With its varying menu
and welcoming atmosphere it makes
it suitable for many occasions:
a business lunch, dinner with friends
or an express budget bite on the
hop.
Louise Elgin. January
2009
‘ Lunch Express’
2 courses @ £12.50 with a glass of wine
3 course @ 15.00 with a glass of wine
Tasting menu lunch £10.00
‘ A Malaysian Journey’ menu £45.00 / £40 vegetarian option
House wine £19.00 a bottle
