Hakkasan (London, UK)

Hakkasan Mayfair
17 Bruton St
London, UK W1J 6QB
Dining date: 11/8/21

Hakkasan began in London and expanded rapidly worldwide in the 2010s, but has contracted in recent years. Only two US locations remain (Las Vegas and Miami) with recent openings concentrated on the Middle East and Turkey. Hakkasan’s Mayfair location is one of two locations to currently hold a Michelin star (they’re both in London), and I’ve been a fan of the restaurant since first trying it in Las Vegas.

The restaurant serves a ‘Taste of Hakkasan’ menu for £39 (~$50) until 630pm which includes an appetizer, main, side, dessert and a cocktail. Given the restaurant is on the higher end price-wise, it’s great value for anyone willing to dine earlier. Given it was our first evening in London after a long flight and we were staying at a hotel in Mayfair, Hakkasan was a perfect fit for an earlier dinner.

We opted for the ‘Taste of Hakkasan’ menu, supplementing it with the crispy duck salad off the a la carte menu.

Classic steamed dim sum scallop and prawn shui mai, wild mushroom with beet, har gau

Classic baked dim sum Abalone and chicken parcel; Szechuan style lamb puff; Crispy lobster and cheese

Crispy duck salad with pomelo, pine nut and shallot

Sea bass in sanpei sauce

Stir-fry black pepper rib eye beef with Merlot

Sauteed asparagus

Jivara bomb Hazelnut praline, milk chocolate, rice crispies

The food at Hakkasan was on point. While I would’ve loved to have had some other favorites like the truffled duck, we just couldn’t fit all that food in. The crispy duck salad reminded us why its a favorite with its myriad textures and contrasting rich, fried duck chunks and bright citrus and greens. The crispy sea bass was another strong dish, both slightly sweet and savory with a light batter, while the black pepper ribeye was tender and full of flavor. I don’t know that I’d return to this specific location given so many other options in London, but I am still a fan of the restaurant chain and would not hesitate to visit one in another city.