Chow City

Chow City's well-travelled menu – courtesy of chef Kim Moore – lets you hop from Malaysia to Vietnam to Thailand to Japan, all without forking out on a plane fare. Hungry suits seeking CBD lunches will no doubt drool over the clever takeaway boxes – we’d plump for Thai larb moo: minced pork, lettuce cups, nước chấm, pickles and herbs.

If you’re after something long and lingering, pull up a chair or two and amble slowly through the shared plates. Kingfish ceviche delivers a citrus-and-coconut smack and is presented with panache, topped with pink and purple petals and wafer-thin radish curls. Slow-roasted Kurobuta pork belly comes with a crackling topping as crispy and crunchy as toast; green mango and mint cuts through the fatty richness. It's worth ordering a side of wok-tossed bok choy, served in a mini bath of soy and studded with shards of garlic and ginger, just to detract from the calory count.

The drinks list spans local and imported beers – 2 Brothers 'kung foo' rice lager and Vietnamese 333, for example – but the cocktails are also worth considering. For a hit of tropical sweetness that's as refreshing as a cold shower, try a Perfect Form: white rum, watermelon, kaffir lime leaf and coriander.