On the suggestion of a friend, I searched out Hakkasan, an upscale Chinese restaurant with amazing cocktails and equally amazing food. I decided to try their lunch, since the set menu had a good selection of offerings at a mere £29. But of course, I had to start with a cocktail. Pictured are the Chinese Mule, a blend of ginger, coriander, vodka, and sake; and the Pink Mojito, featuring tequila, mint, and cranberry. Both spot on.

For first course, a selection of dim sum dumplings filled with chicken, duck, scallop, and pork, and served with quite the selection of chili sauces. They were perfectly fried and steamed and full of flavor.

The main course was a Chilean sea bass with Chinese honey, which I was afraid would be sweet, but it wasn’t at all. Again, perfectly cooked, so that the fish was easy to pull into bite-size pieces with my chopsticks. By all means get this with the sticky rice!

For dessert, the warm pear and pistachio jalousie, a pastry with pistachio paste on the bottom, soft, warm pears inside, on top of a bit of lemon curd. It was served with the best vanilla ice cream I’ve ever tasted, and garnished with bits of poached pear, pistachio paste, and candied lemon peel.

While it was an expensive lunch, every morsel I tasted was spot on, and the surroundings beautiful, so I feel it was well worth the investment, not to mention a great break from sight seeing.

At Hakkasan, Hanway Place.

Filed under:
Dinner, Lunch, Travels by Courtney