Among the side streets of the bustling streets of Central London on a typical rainy Sunday in London lies a hidden gem with a glittering red sign emblazing the word ‘Hakkasan.’ A michelin star restaurant created by Syra Khan and Alan Yau, founder of Wagamama and Yauatcha. As you enter the door and you’re greeted with the sweet scent of incense, which is a warm welcome as you enter down the stairs of Hakkasan which feels like you just abandoned London and entered a vintage but modern Chinese restaurant on it’s home continent… or the set of a John Woo film.
The first thing you notice is the elegance of Hakkasan, which is unexpected for a restaurant on Hanway Place just off Tottenham Court Road, which I’ve always had admiration and been intrigued by anything from the continents of East Asia. After you’ve admired the beauty of Christian Liagre’s design of Hakkasan, what smacks you next in the face is the diversity of the staff members and how you are treated as if you’re a celebrity. This to me was an unforgettable experience especially for my first food review, which I hadn’t even sat down or even looked at the menu yet.
I was escorted to my seat, which was cosy and perfect to me, because it gave me a view of the kitchen. Don’t ask me why but if I can’t see the kitchen I find it unnerving, it’s a pet peeve for me not being able to see the kitchen in an environment serving you food. I embraced the moment as I took in the beauty of the place and for a rainy Sunday the floor was vibrantly brimming with life. Broken out of my trance with water on ice being brought to me, without even asking. Only to notice that I had one of the highest paid actors sitting behind me before the smooth red menu was brought before me and the concept of Dim Sum Sunday explained to me by the lovely gentleman serving me called Pratesh.
Dim Sum Signature Sunday’s is a warming special 6 course meal for 2 people including dessert and two of Hakkasan’s classy cocktails as well three glasses of Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV Champagne. Which for £58 quid a pop is literally a steal and one of the best I’ve seen especially for such a fine dining experience, or to impress your other half.
The first dish brought out being the crispy duck salad, when arrived the presentation was immaculate, as if the dish was sacred and not meant to be devoured. But falling to temptation, I managed to tackle the beauty of this dish. This starter was light and refreshing for the course that remained ahead. The flavours were delicate and sweet along with its pine nuts and shallot enhanced the flavours as they tangoed on the tips of the taste buds of your tongue. My only issue was the duck wasn’t crispy but if the duck was too crispy, it would have taken away the moisture, which made the duck succulent with every mouth-watering bite.
The next two courses consist of a variety of eight different beautiful hor d’oeuvres bought out on two different platters. One of them is steam with the other being fried and baked, which can be brought out separately or together. Which is a great option because you can enjoy bother delicious platters while conversing and enjoying your company along with the diverse flavours presented before you.
The platters of these two unique and well-presented platters and come out different for your eyes to gaze upon before you savour them bit by bit, piece by piece. The hor d’oeuvres are brought out accompanied by three sauces being soy sauce, sweet chilli and chilli oil, which each piece complimented each sauce, no matter what way you decided to devour it, except for one, which was the Celery Prawn Dumpling which out of the eight, was the stranger in a strange land. But it was a different flavour from the rest, because it had an after taste.
Arriving on the table with due short notice came the starter which was Salt and Pepper Squid, which was pretty much, what it was in the title, out of all the dishes this is the only one that didn’t feel or seem to have anything special about it unlike everything else.
Then came the dish I had been anticipating, Grilled Chilean Sea Bass glazed with honey with egg fried rice and vegetables, which was absolutely divine and beautifully presented for the two of you to help yourself to the large portions of your main courses. Everything tasted fresh the rice was al dente and steaming when it arrived on the table, the vegetables were perfect with the flavours of juices they were cooked in drizzled over the vegetables. While the sea bass shimmered with its sweet aroma as it glistened with it’s honey glaze. It truly felt like a criminal offence to demolish such a beautifully presented dish, but the crime was well worth it at that and mouth-wateringly delicious.
Now unbeknownst to me, came a surprise, dessert is also on the menu in the Dim-Sum Sunday meal deal with the addition of an after-dinner cocktail. While the dessert menu is fairly limited but the offers upon the menu are fantastic and even better it comes with recommendations on which after dinner cocktail would best suit and accompany your dessert. Being a bit adventurous I mixed and matched it up with an Apple Tarte with an apple sauce, blackberries and a dollop of ice cream, which the French originated dessert seemed perfect for the typical British day of rain. Although I wanted to remain in the atmosphere of East Asia, therefore I went with a Fitzrova Plum cocktail, which even though not in Hakkasan’s recommendations, was literally a tantalising duo that was out of this world, this combination went together literally like Laurel & Hardy.
that is literally impeccable, they take pride in what they do and attentive to every detail of their surroundings. Such attention given that your glass is refilled without even requesting. This is a Michelin star restaurant with bargain prices, for their quality of food and a place you go to feel like you’re a celebrity or you’re on top of the world, so to quote James Cagney.
But in closing I don’t think I could have put it in finer words than one of the member of management.
“We don’t need to promote ourself, our greatest promotion is word of mouth and that always has been the best way to promote… All these people are here because of someone telling them
