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The Hedonist

Chinese New Year @ Hakkasan

January 29, 2017 by Adrian

Hakkasan                         FitzroviaIMG_0165

Hakkasan Hanway Place, 8 Hanway Place, W1T 1HD
http://hakkasan.com/locations/hakkasan-hanway-place/+44 (0)20 7927 7000
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 I hadn’t been to the original Hakkasan in Hanway Place for many years so it was a pleasure to reenter its Christian Liaigre designed dark sexy interior. Who would have guessed in 2001 that this hot new basement Chinese restaurant with its decadent style would develop into a global group. With a Eurodisco soundtrack playing discreetly in the background Fiona and I had come to review their Chinese New Year signature menu (£88 or £108 per person for parties of two or more) which runs until February 11th. It’s difficult for restaurants to maintain their level of quality especially when the ‘concept’ has been spun off internationally so I was fascinated to see if Hakkasan retained its old magic.
IMG_0147We started with a couple of cocktails inspired by the Year of the Rooster. A Waltzing Collins was a blend of that favourite Chinese spirit Baiju, blended with sake, mandarin, lemon, grenadine, cucumber and sparkling wine (£13.50). If you’re a Baiju fan you will love it-if  you’ve never had it you should try it.
 The Waltzing Temple (£8) was a non-alcoholic take on the same dance with a blend of mandarin, lemon, grenadine, cucumber and lemonade. It was a bit too sweet for me.
IMG_0148Then the serious business began. Braised Chilean abalone with wind dried oyster and gold leaf was a fantastic plate of food with rich umami flavours bursting through the unctuous abalone. Delicately flavoured golden fried soft-shell crab sat on an amazing looking nest of shredded egg floss. Post-cocktails we were drinking a lovely German Pinot Noir Jülg 2014 Spätburgunder-light and crisp with cherry notes. I’m starting to drink Pinots quite regularly with the more robust fish and seafood dishes.
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 Stir-fry lobster came in a white pepper sauce, flavoured with hot fragrant Szechuan peppercorns. I’ve had more hardcore versions of this dish before that were simply too hot for me but this was beautifully balanced between the delicacy of the crustacean and the heat.
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 Steamed turbot was served in supreme stock with cloud’s ear and saffron. There was a wonderful  counterpoint of flavours in this dish played out between the saffron, fish and garlic.
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Sautéed duck breast in spicy bean sauce with pickled lotus root was really tender with a spicy kick. Egg fried rice with spring onion was very moreish and a great base for the protein.
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Our stir-fried selection of mushroom in abalone sauce was a mycologist’s wet dream. Rich and savoury I am now a huge fan of abalone sauce.
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 I’m not often excited by desserts in a Chinese restaurant but these were something else. Golden feather ginger pannacotta, mandarin and caramelised white chocolate shell was extraordinary. Cracking through the shell the quivering pannacotta ‘white’ tumbled out followed by the mandarin sauce ‘yolk’. It was a delicious blend of citrus sweetness with the oriental ginger twist.
IMG_0155Deep fried sesame balls were crisp and hot with a liquid interior.
IMG_0156Steamed custard and red bean rice cake came sexily shaped as a fish. I love steamed red bean buns and this was by far the prettiest take on the classic dish that I have ever had.
IMG_0163I was half expecting standards to have slipped at Hakkasan-it’s been around a long time and with the expansion it’s almost counter-intuitive that the food seems better to me than when it opened. But they are obviously trying hard to hang onto to their deserved Michelin star and with the Chinese New Year menu have created a generous offer that is excellent value for the price point given the quality.
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The interior still looks good and despite fierce competition in the pan-Asian market from newcomers such as the ultra-bling Sexy Fish, Hakkasan is still a real contender.

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Hakkasan Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Chai Wu – Review

January 7, 2017 by Adrian

Chai Wu                                  Knightsbridgeimg_9071

Fifth Floor at Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL

020 3819 8888/ chaiwu.co.uk

I reviewed Malaysian restaurateur Eddie Lim’s  Mango Tree Thai restaurant in Victoria a few years ago. Since then he has expanded into Harrods with three outlets, another Mango Tree, the sushi and sashimi bar Pan Chai and Chai Wu, a contemporary Chinese restaurant which I have been invited to review. Executive chef is Australian Ian Pengelly who specialises in pan-Asian food and whose CV includes E&O and Gilgamesh. The interior design of the restaurant is apparently inspired by the five elements in Chinese philosophy; fire, water, wood, earth and metal with a mix of marble, wood and leather creating a comfortable if intimate space. Finding anything in Harrods is a bit of an ordeal but having located Chai Wu a hapless waiter informed me that the loo was a floor down. On my return after a lengthy trek I discovered that the restaurant had its own…

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However a glass of Dom Pérignon 2006 (£34 per glass) went some way to alleviating my annoyance…it’s a rich muscular wine with enough minerality to stop it being too cloying.
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If I see eel on a menu it’s a must-order for me. Grilled barbecued eel with rice (£26) was a perfectly constructed dish. The soft caramelised eel was sweet and richly flavoured on a bed of perfectly cooked rice.
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Deep fried Chilean sea bass with salted egg yolk (£21) was a slightly unexpected dish. The egg yolk was dry, wrapped in slivers of the fish and then deep fried with a crisp batter. I didn’t think I liked it initially but it grew on me…we ate them all up…!
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Mixed seafood grilled platter (£100 per person) was beautifully presented; it consisted of a half lobster, tiger prawn, king scallop and Alaskan king crab legs.
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The scallop was perfectly cooked, seared to within an inch of its life but translucent and juicy within. This plate of food was a fantastic seafood feast-unadulterated luxury.
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Chai Wu fried rice (£22) was a blend of rice, prawns, scallops and fresh veg. It’s probably the best and most expensive fried rice dish I have ever had! It was really a main dish rather than a side-it was full of flavour and a great plate of food.
img_9079
Desserts were a lot of fun. Green tea chocolate fondant (£14) oozed suitably but my favourite was the Chocolate sphere with berries and toffee caramel (£9). Dessert heaven!
img_9082The staff were eager to please and seemed to have an understanding of the food they were serving. Prices at Chai Wu are eye-watering but I guess if you are shopping and eating in Harrods then that shouldn’t be an issue. What the restaurant lacked for me was the glamour and wow factor that you find at Park Chinois, Sexy Fish or even at this price point somewhere like the Ritz. But maybe that’s not the point and the restaurant seems to be doing quite well pulling in well-heeled shoppers of Chinese origin. For those of us without big new money behind us with a little careful ordering you can eat here without breaking the bank. I’ll be back for the eel and seafood rice!

Chai Wu - Harrods Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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