Chop Chop

The rather agreeable tiger prawn tempura is a much better bet, while the Cantonese roast duck is pleasantly crunchy without being too dry, and is further moistened by a tangy hoi sin sauce on a bed of firm pak choi. Discuss this article

From Time Out Dubai Eating Out 2007

The muted decor in this cool, modern space that occupies a corner of Mall of the Emirates is perfect for a cup of tea and a simple Asian meal. That’s the plan, anyway. But when it comes to the food, Chop Chop doesn’t quite cut it. The menu offers a stir-fry of Chinese, Japanese and Thai influences, and certainly looks good on paper. But the tom yam soup, with coarsely cut shards of stringy ginger and very little flavour, is disappointing.

The rather agreeable tiger prawn tempura is a much better bet, while the Cantonese roast duck is pleasantly crunchy without being too dry, and is further moistened by a tangy hoi sin sauce on a bed of firm pak choi. The egg fried rice, meanwhile, is perky and densely populated by fresh spring onion, with just enough oil to accentuate the flavours, while the chow mein offers a generous portion of tender chicken and prawns with noodles and crispy Chinese vegetables.

The desserts are quite good too – a glutinous but not unpleasant banana rice pudding and three mini cones of ice cream wedged in a sand dune of white sugar. As a handy snack stop on a busy shopping jaunt it hits the mark but, to put it bluntly, the food at Chop Chop is a million miles from cutting-edge.

• Previous reviews
  • 30 March,2009- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 26 March,2008- reviewed by Jeremy Lawrence
  • 02 August,2006- reviewed by Time Out Dubai

Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.