I've been to The Sugar Club for dinner a couple of times and thoroughly enjoyed it. The fusion food is probably as good as you'll get and the menu is always a talking point, as everyone tries to work out what galangal, ikan bilis, hijiki, kalamansi and feijoa are, and how Alphonso mango, Tahitian vanilla, Szechwan aubergine and Leon chorizo differ from the "ordinary" varieties. Check out their website first, which has a glossary of unfamiliar terms (though this takes the fun out of testing the waiting staff on their knowledge of the ingredients - which, incidentally, is very good).

I actually think the food tries to be too complicated, almost gimicky, by incorporating so many exotic ingredients and putting them together in eclectic combinations. It verges on arduous attempting to imagine how dishes will materialise. Grilled squid with pickled cherry tomatoes sounds good, but what if you don't like the guindilla chillies it comes with? Just how strong is the ginger-yuzu dressing on the sea bream shashimi? You're taking a punt on almost anything you order, as there is at least one unusual ingredient in every dish.

But once you've made your choice, just sit back and relish the experience. I had a starter of seared scallops with chilli jam, two of the biggest I have ever seen, caramel brown on the outside, still a wobbly rare in the centre. The chilli jam lacked the kick I had envisaged, but over-strong flavours would have detracted from the natural sweetness of the seafood. Spicy kangaroo salad with mint, peanuts and lime-chilli dressing was another combination that worked a treat, the Asian flavours a perfect complement to the meat.

The starters (£5 - £14) were very good, but in some respects a bit less exotic in reality than they sounded on the menu. Main courses, however, are a real example of how explosive fusion food can be (£14 - £23). I recommend the fish dishes, such as pan-roast sea bass on harusame noodles and Jerusalem artichokes with spicy harissa broth and hijiki. The meshing of Japanese (harusame, hijiki), Middle Eastern / North African (harissa) and European (artichoke) sounded like fusion overload but, somehow, the whole was greater than the sum of the parts. Other main courses include Roast New Zealand venison loin steak on sweet roast potato and wilted spinach with braised beetroot, or Trelough duck breast on wok-fried pear, bok choy and spring onion with tamarind water and caramelised cashew nuts.

There is plenty on the wine list to go with the food, though it can be difficult to decide which flavours to try to match the wine to. As expected, there is a wide selection from the New World, but the top price wines are still sourced from established vineyards in Europe (Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Chateau Latour).

Fortunately, portions are perfectly sized to leave room for dessert, as they are definitely worth sampling (£5 - £7.50). I shared a yuzu and poppy seed meringue with blood orange, roast plum and vanilla whipped cream on one of my visits. I'm not a big fan of meringue, but ended up eating more than my fair share of the surprisingly harmonious mixture of textures (crunchy on the outside, slightly chewy on the inside, creamy in the middle) and flavours (tartness from the fruit, sweetness from the meringue).

The restaurant itself has a great atmosphere, with quality people-watching opportunities at the bar. The downstairs dining room is more sedate, the minimalist décor and dimmed lights creating a stylish but relaxed feel. We finished with coffee and, since at no point were we pressured to leave, we stayed until closing time.

- Tracy Yam, 1/2004