Hakkasan Restaurant Review, London, UK

Reviewer: Foodnut.com Hakkasan 8 Hanway Place London, W1T 1HD, UK, CA 020 7927 7000 020 7907 1889 (Fax)

Hakkasan is a Trendy, Modern Chinese restaurant by famed London restauranteur Alan Yau. (Cha Cha Moon, Yauatcha) He also co-founded Wagamama. It was opened in 2001 and was sold in 2008 to the Abu Dhabi investment arm. Hakkasan also has locations in Istanbul and Miami Beach. This location is about two blocks from the British Museum, making it a great choice for Lunch. Mr Yau’s goal was to create a Chinese Nobu with almost paradoxical Modern Authenticity. Sounds almost like Asian Fusion. 13% service charge. Hakkasan received one Michelin star in 2009.

Decor, Vibe – Fancy car parked outside? Check. Walk down the stairs to a very stylish and hip restaurant with the lights low, lots of dark woods, accent lighting all over, music thumping. This has to be one of the most stylish Chinese restaurants we have ever been to. The cool sexy design applies the bathrooms, if you can find them. About 50% full at lunch. Folks of all ages and races, some tourists, several big parties.

Menu Pictures (Click to zoom into any picture)

Website Menu

Picks:

Vegetable e-mein (£8.90) was a very good noodle dish. The dish was not greasy and the egg noodles were firm yet tender. More variety in vegetables would have been nice.

Char Sui Bun (3.90) had three smaller sized buns, hot out of the steamer. The pork filling was spot on.

Har Gow (4.90) were top notch. Three big and tasty shrimp dumplings with a nice thin wrapper.

Seabass Mooli Roll (6.50) looks weird and was a very heavy dish. It was salty but good. We needed to eat this with rice to distribute the flavor.

Roast Duck with Chinese herbs (21) was definitely fusiony. We worried the dong mai herbs might overpower the dish, but its flavor was mild. Pretty high on the quantity and very nice duck juices. Make sure you order some rice.

OK:

Gai Lan (9.50) was fresh and blanched to doneness, but was smothered in too much strong oyster sauce.

Pans:

Hakkasan had slow initial service that improved over the meal. The food was expensive but pretty typical for a fancy restaurant like this. The excellent food quality surprised us. Older traditionalists will probably want to eat at a hole in the wall in Chinatown, but we’ll take this place. It successfully blends classic Chinese food with a modern environment.  We have no problems recommending this place and would come back again. Dinner here would be pretty sublime. We wish a place like this would open in California! Tube: Tottenham Court Road

Also at:
Yauatcha
15 Broadwick St
London, Soho
020 7494 8880

Fontainebleau Resort
Miami Beach
4441 Collins Ave
Miami Beach, FL 33140
786-276-1388

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