Hakkasan

While at Sake No Hana, Jon and I found ourselves saying things like “the food here isn’t as delicious and exciting as it is at Hakkasan.” And then it occurred to me that I hadn’t been back to Hakkasan in well over a year. (My last two meals at Hakkasan were in November and December 2006).

While both those meals were pricey, I remember thinking at the time that if we ordered a little more carefully (i.e., cut back on the cocktails and £35+ main courses), Hakkasan would still be a great-tasting and far more affordable experience.

So last Sunday, Jon and I took my in-town-for-the-week parents to Hakkasan, hoping the food was still as good as we remembered and looking forward to trying the Sunday dim sum menu.

Of course we ordered up a storm – everything from traditional xiao long bao (with a nice, crab-tinted pork filling) to dishes with a twist, like the prawn and gai lan cheung fun pictured above (£4.50). The crunchy gai lan added contrasting texture to the silky, sticky rice noodle, as well as a pretty green color to go with the pink juiciness of the prawn.

Another standout were the scallop shu mai topped with salty roe (£5.20). The scallops were plump and sweet (and oh, how pretty!). I shouldn’t have been surprised that these were so good, considering how much Jon and I love to order them at Yauatcha, Hakksan’s dim sum-only sibling.

Turnip cake was another example of how Hakkasan takes a classic dish and adds just a little something to make it special. The turnip cake was beautifully pan fried so that it had the nice brown crispy bits on the outside, and then it was topped with a layer of delicate, fragrant, crunchy garlic chive blossoms.

Unable to resist ordering main courses as well as dim sum, Jon and I revisited our favorite, the Duke of Berkshire pork belly clay pot (still deliciously salty and tender), and we enjoyed the garlicky sauteed morning glory and tofu-and-mushroom claypot, too. The tofu was so slinky and rich that at first bite, I thought I’d bitten into a layer of pork belly fat. What a nice surprise to figure out that it was, in fact, tofu.

We ordered a few pots of tea, and the best value one, hands down, was the “four seasons oolong,” which had a tangy, leafy scent.

Service was attentive and helpful, recommending the tasty morning glory after apologizing that the restaurant didn’t have the sauteed snow pea leaves we wanted. Tap water was no problem.

Most of the dim sum were £4-6 each, and we stuck with mains that were £10-15, so six dim sum, three mains and tea totaled £85. Not a bad total for four people dining at a very chic restaurant serving high-quality food. Next time, I won’t wait a year to go back.

An's profile      Other reviews by An      Places An likes     

I don't care how expensive this place might seem, the food is so good it is worth it! Love the interior design, my eyes light up when I see the menu and I get excited waiting for my choices to arrive at the table - I just know they'll be fantastic. I've not been disappointed yet.

Jack's profile      Other reviews by Jack      Places Jack likes     

Super-cool designer basement down the end of an unpromising alleyway just north of Oxford Street. The walk down the dark spiral staircase does not prepare you for the carefully lit, artfully architected dining room (with obligatory trendy bar). The lighting is very clever, appearing very dark and private overall but having well directed spot lighting onto each table so you can read the menu. Overall the effect is very romantic. The menu is broad and appealing, with dim sum at lunch excellent, as good as any in London.

Prawn and chive and vegetarian dumplings were served in a bamboo basket. The texture of the dumplings was superb, the contents cooked just fine (5/10). Soft shell crab was remarkably good, the batter without a hint of greasiness, the crab inside delicate. This is as good a soft shell crab as I have had (6/10). Duck spring rolls are also excellent, with very light batter and tender duck (5/10). A main course of Dover sole is costly at £34 but had very nicely cooked fish, served in pieces in a star shape, on a bed of spinach and soy. The spinach was dazzling, right up there with the top French restaurants (spinach was 8/10). Spicy prawns were impeccably cooked, served with a spicy broth that had well controlled chilli flavour that did not overwhelm the prawns. Gai lan with garlic was cooked beautifully (easily 6/10).

Service was slick and the only issue could be with price, especially with drinks. A bottle of beer (500 ml Sapporo Premium) was £9.50 a bottle (retail £1.88), making this the most costly beer I have ever drunk. More than five times shop price is simply unreasonable.

Andy's profile      Other reviews by Andy      Places Andy likes     

I have eaten at Hakkasan on a few occasions now, and it remains one of my favourite eating spots in London. I always feel like it is somewhere special, the fact that it can often be hard to reserve a table adds to the sense of exclusivity, as does the general ambience and the quality of the service.

The restaurant is beautiful, visually spectacular and very sexy, great lighting and great acoustics. It is dark and buzzing with excitement and yet you can still read a menu or gaze into the eyes of the person you are with and hold a conversation without it being a trial. Staff abound, are polite, stylish and knowledgeable – I am sure that pretty much all of London’s camp Chinese populations work there!

The food is fabulous, yes expensive, but so good. I could wax lyrical for ages, but just to highlight my favourites: soft shell crab, light and crispy, melt in the mouth with just the right amount of chilli; ribs, the meat just falls off the bone; rib eye in merlot, soft and sticky and rich with crunchy baby leek; peking duck, so tender with a heat that leaves your lips tingling. Desserts are delicious and very pretty (like everything at this restaurant), can’t remember the name of the one I liked most but it involved bananas and chocolate.

And a words on the drinks. The bar at Hakkasans is a great hangout, good for people watching and delicious cocktails. I always like the bellinis made with fresh fruit, the passion fruit one is good but the strawberry and ginger one is the best, it would be very easy to run up a small fortune on a tab downing these whilst taking in the cool surroundings.

So if you have a special occasion coming up, I recommend you take the plunge and spend an evening in Hakkasan, book a little in advance, make a bit of an effort and enjoy the Michelin starred food in surroundings that make you feel that you have more money that you actually do!

Leandra's profile      Other reviews by Leandra      Places Leandra likes     

Totally lush, extravagant and divine dining experience. Went for lunch with a few friends on a special occasion and it was perfect. The place is hidden away in a basement around the corner from Tottenham Court Road tube; the interior is dark and sleek, with brilliant lighting, and although a bit of a 'posh' place to go, the atmosphere is unpretentious and relaxed. Service top class (our waitress did have a bit of a sour face on, but perhaps she was just having a bad day) and honest - we were told we were ordering 'way too much food' for three people. The menu is proper delicious!! We opted for dim sum, with dishes that ranged from scallops and caviar through to venison and asparagus. And for a Michelin Star dining experience the bill was more than reasonable at about £80 for three people - however this could be down to our abstinence from alcohol. Thoroughly recommend it.

Sian's profile      Other reviews by Sian      Places Sian likes