At 400, your food's cooked on a lava stone heated to that temperature. and the rest of the place is smokin' hot, too

Behind the splendid Select Citywalk stands an almost invisible Square One mall. Enter, look about, head to the sole concierge you spot somewhere near the elevators. "400?" "Rooftop," he smiles, promising a high. The real deal: close.


'Out'done: The al fresco ambience is soft and sensuous at night, with
red tints and luxe lounges. In the day, it looks bright and cheerful

Paint my platter
The place believes me in graphic gourmet. The Pan Asian menu, for instance, is full of tempting meal shots against names of dishes, and what you see is quite what you get. Ditto with the drinks. We began with a cup of Monkey King jasmine tea. It smells like orchid and tastes mild and refreshing. The name, of course, comes from the trained monkeys that are employed to pick these leaves from river banks. There are nine other varieties on the list, if you'd rather keep away from the beasts.

In soups, the Mongolian hot pot of noodles with chicken and vegetables is a slurpacious original we loved. It's high on herbs, so health'd be happy, too. Team it with Edamameu00a0-- lightly salted, blanched green soybean podsu00a0-- probably the best peanut substitute we've tasted in long. Next on the table was the 400 House special saladu00a0-- a mix of pineapple, mayo, lime leaf, corn, exotic herbs, chillies, lettuce and cherry tomatoes. Too many flavours, too little zing. Some things taste better simpler yet spicy. In skewers, we recommend the Prawns Sambal doused with Asian chilli paste. It's just the way you want it - tough on top, tender inside. And it all rests on a hot lava stone in front of you, par-cooked, if you please to do the honours yourself.u00a0