Deftly manipulating a muted palette of blacks and greys, art director and former Wallpaper* stylist Despina Curtis has conjured another one of the elegant, minimal interiors for which she is becoming known. Quietly dramatic, were it not for the lush, wraparound olive green velvet banquette and Chinoiserie-lite hand-printed wallpaper, the black wood panelling, sculptural tables and chairs might not look out of place in deepest Helsinki.
This understated sophistication sets the scene for Izlinda Baharom’s menu of delicate Malaysian favourites, taught to her by her grandmother. As befits a country home to many cultures, this means a mixture of traditional Sichuan, Singaporean, Indian and ethnic Malay dishes like fried boneless chicken, crispy cereal king prawns, roti canai with chicken curry and rendang beef. Zheng gives particular emphasis on Chinese-Malay specialities like stir-fried Char Keuy Teow noodles and its selection of new and old world wines, chosen by Baharom’s husband and general manager Adam Abdallah, a graduate of Taipei’s Michelin-starred Din Tai Fung, is perfectly paired.
The Chelsea premises marks the couple’s first foray into the capital but devotees will be relieved that the menu, honed since 2014 at their Oxford restaurant remains faithful (minus the dim sum), to the original.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
4 Sydney Street
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Own an early John Lautner, perched in LA’s Echo Park hillsThe restored and updated Jules Salkin Residence by John Lautner is a unique piece of Californian design heritage, an early private house by the Frank Lloyd Wright acolyte that points to his future iconic status
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20 things that positively delighted us in and around Design Miami this yearFrom covetable 20th-century masterpieces to a tower made from ceramic pickles, these were the works that stood out amid the blur of Art Week
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Montcalm Mayfair opens a new chapter for a once-overlooked London hotelA thoughtful reinvention brings craftsmanship, character and an unexpected sense of warmth to a London hotel that was never previously on the radar
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Montcalm Mayfair opens a new chapter for a once-overlooked London hotel
A thoughtful reinvention brings craftsmanship, character and an unexpected sense of warmth to a London hotel that was never previously on the radar
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Poon’s returns in majestic form at Somerset HouseHome-style Chinese cooking refined through generations of the Poon family craft
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One of London’s favourite coffee shops just opened in Harvey NicholsKuro Coffee’s latest outpost brings its Japanese-inspired design to the London department store
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At this charming bolthole in The Cotswolds, doing nothing is an art formLeave your mobile on ‘do not disturb’, switch off and slow down at this 16th-century manor-turned-hotel
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Lee Broom reimagines the Christmas tree at Mandarin Oriental MayfairThe London hotel unveils an inventive take on the festive tradition – with absolutely no needles
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Cinema’s tastiest moments to be celebrated by Mubi in an all-day festival‘Let’s Eat! A Film Feast’ spotlights the sensory power of food on film with a day of screenings, talks and culinary delights in London
