Istri Sholihah di Dunia dan akhirat: REVIEW: Hakkasan Golden Week at Hakkasan, Hanway Place

To mark Golden Week, Hakkasan Hanway Place and Hakkasan Mayfair in London are showcasing a limited edition signature menu which includes new dishes that cater specifically to the traditional Chinese palate alongside a special cocktail and golden macarons. Sounds fancy right!

Hakkasan Hanway Place is the original Hakkasan that was set up in London in 2001. Going from strength to strength, the new Golden Week signature menu helps to bring together the east and west communities who grace Hakkasan's dining room day after day, year after year. Alongside a Supreme Dim Sum platter, the menu comprises sun-dried anchovy and taro salad in pomegranate dressing, stone bass lion head in Royal Supreme sauce with golden enoki and dried scallop, stir-fry Canadian lobster with dragon well, wok-fry Angus rib eye beef with baby lotus root and mustard seed, stir-fry baby broccoli with morel ginkgo nut and lotus seed and fried rice with diced abalone.

If you thought that was good the meal is ended with an exclusive honeycomb-flavoured golden macaron covered in gold leaf and filled with a honeycomb ganache. Although I couldn't enjoy the macaron, I certainly enjoyed the signature cocktail, Golden Iced Tea, which features Belvedere vodka, Tanqueray No. 10 gin, Tapatio Reposado tequila, Diplomatico Reserva rum, Cointreau, orchid tea syrup, peach bitters and Champagne. Yes, I am very very hung over this morning. Enjoy the review!

Where: Hakkasan, Hanway Place

When: 8:30pm onwards

What we ate:

The Golden Week Signature Menu
Supreme Dim Sum Platter (lychee and lobster dumpling, abalone shumai with caviar, Alaskan king crab dumpling, Dover sole dumpling with black truffle)
Sun-dried anchovy and taro saad
Stone Bass lion head in Royal Supreme sauce
Stir-fried lobster
Wok-fried Angus rib eye beef (I did not eat this dish but Alex did)
Stir-fried baby broccoli
Fried rice with abalone and sea food

What we drank

Two Golden Ice Teas

Sauvignon Blanc white wine

Sparkling water

Starter:

The anchovies are surprisingly delicious and honey sweet. The pomegranate dressing has been reduced so much it becomes a silky soft, sumptuous syrup across the salad. Alone the taro has very little flavour but the dish as a whole expertly combines flavour and textures.
Dim Sum: Firstly the colours of the Supreme Dim Sum platter were absolutely out of this world. How pretty do they look! The lychee and lobster dumpling (pink) took our hearts to most with its gorgeous sweet flavour and fruity finish. Next the Dover sole with black truffle dumpling (orange) had a really notable savoury flavour thanks to the truffle which works surprisingly well with the Dover sole. Finally the Alaskan king crab dumpling (green) was really well blended and walked the line between a strong seafood flavour and savoury notes. Overall, the dim sum platter was pretty incredible.

Mains

I’ve got no idea what Royal Supreme sauce is but it reminded me very strongly of chicken soup! Either way, the richness of the sauce worked beautifully with the soft, mouse-like texture of the stone bass lion head meat. I’ve never eaten head meat before, and although it was very delicious and meatier than I expected, I probably wouldn’t opt for it again. By the way, even though I am vegetarian I chose to eat fish at this meal; otherwise I would have starved to death.
Next the stir-fried lobster; this dish came presented din Hakkasan’s signature rice noodle bowl and was scattered with bright green edamame and crisped kelp. The lobster had an ultra-soft texture and wonderfully sweet flavour. My experience with lobster so far in life has been disappointing; with some places that are famed for their lobster serving up cotton-wool style over-cooked and over-sauced lobster. As I definitely cannot cook lobster myself, it is an utter joy to dine on excellently cooked lobster meat as per the meal at Hakkasan.

The wok-fried Angus rib eye beef came with plump mushrooms which were coated in the rich, sweet sauce which I found very tasty. Alex informs me that the beef was also really well cooked – just medium rare and really juicy despite being fast fried. Th dish was finished with fresh peppercorn berries on the top which was really intriguing and gave the pepper a fruiter note – not something Alex and I have tasted before.
Lastly I found the stir-fried broccoli REALLY tasty! I know its just baby broccoli but it was really very delicious and meant that I really didn’t miss having the meat in my dish. The sauce has sweet and salty notes which created an umami-rich finish. The broccoli was served in a rice paper bowl which brought added crisp texture to the dish.

Dessert

As the signature dessert was a honeycomb macaroon I was kindly brought an apple tarte tartin - but not as we know it. Mine featured 100 layers of finely cut apples in a heart-meltingly good caramel atop a party base. Served with vanilla ice cream and a swish of apple puree, this dessert was a great way to end the meal. Alex had the signature macaron which had a square of honeycomb in the centre surrounded by a delicious honeycomb flavour creme. Crisp in texture and finished with gold leaf, the macaroons were truly indulgent and delicious

Cocktails:

The Golden Iced Tea was a pretty knock-your-socks-off drink rich was tequila without being stomach burning! There was a lovely balance of sweet and floral notes, while the flower and gold detailing made the drink even prettier.