Public holidays that fall on a weekend and then have an extra day on the Monday can sometimes be a blessing. New Years day Monday (as I will call it) found us heading in to the city to browse the shops for any bargains in the sales. After a few fruitless looks we decided we really needed to recharge the batteries and have something to eat. Surprisingly all the restaurants and the food court in Westfield Sydney (for the old timers – Centrepoint) were open. An unsuccessful attempt to go to Becasse found us heading to Simon Goh’s latest offering Chinta Ria-Mood For Love.

The exterior of Chinta Ria - Mood For Love

Chinta Ria Mood for Love has now been open for a couple of months and follows the opening of Simon’s other Westfield offering of Sassy’s Red (see earlier post) down on level 4. While Sassy’s red might be like your favourite aunt, Mood For Love is where she may have been taken by her current flame for a long, lingering lunch or dinner.

Chinta Ria Mood for Love is a hidden jewel in the massive Westfield complex. With a facade that is reminiscent of time worn buildings in a Malaysian kampong (village) and an exotic, sensual and seductive, yet comforting interior with lots of old world charm. Simon’s inspiration for Chinta Ria-Mood For Love is the Wong Kar Wai film, “In The Mood For Love” (2000), rated by Margaret Pomeranz as one of the top ten movies from the past 25 years.

Playing continuously on one wall is a short film commissioned by Simon to help young (or not so young) romantics get in the mood. Amongst the decadent decor are items from Simon’s own personal collection, such as the “Nipple”hung above the bar.

Apart from the main room, Simon has also included a private curtained area for small groups or for those couples after a little more privacy for their dining experience. Silken cushions line the banquettes, rich wooden tables dot the room and dim lighting accented with candles help to set the mood. Red and green candles are on each table, a sort of traffic light to indicate the level of intimacy required by the diners. Choosing red is the equivalent of ‘Do Not Disturb’ allowing for more discreet attention from the wait staff.

Interior Shot

The menu is delightfully presented in a brown manila envelope and after taking it out it is in the form a film script. ‘Scenes’, represent each of the courses. There is cute whimsical turn with dishes being given names and characters. We decided to make it easier on ourselves (so much to choose from and not being too familiar with Malaysian food) and and opted for the set lunch menu with a bottle of Margan Semillon. Below is a copy of the tasting menu which we had.

Tasting Menu

We only managed to get a few shots of what we ate as it was so delicious we forgot to take photos.

The mains:

Selection of mains

Dessert plate:

Dessert tasting plate

Simon has another hit on his hands with Chinta Ria – Mood For Love. Such a shame I will be working on Valentines Day as this would have been a great place to spend the evening with Rene.

Keep an eye out for live music nights as Simon is passionate about jazz and blues.

So, if you are feeling a bit peckish while shopping in Westfield Sydney, this is a great place to rest your shopping bags and enjoy a great meal, or take your special person for a romantic dinner and opt for the red candle.

Thanks for dropping by!!