Last night, Alex and I were invited to test run the Duck & Champagne Menu at Michelin-starred restaurant HKK. After visiting Hakkasan and Sake no Hana recently, HKK was the last place on my must-visit list of the Hakkasan Group. The exclusive Duck & Champagne menu launched in October and showcases the incredible skill and expertise of the team at HKK. Led by Head Chef Tong Chee Hwee, the Duck & Champagne menu at HKK is a real treat for every diner - Especially priced at just £49 per person!
The menu is only available on Saturday afternoons for lunch (although we were treated to a Monday night supper) and is served alongside a bottle of Louis Roederer Champagne. The menu features a stunning roast cherry wood Peking duck, served three ways throughout the meal. I broke my vegetarian flow just for this meal, and boy it was worth it!
Where
HKK, Bishopsgate
Where
Monday night, from 8pm
What we drank
- Louis Roederer Champagne
- Sparkling water
What we ate
- Blue crab salad
- One whole cherry wood roasted Peking duck: 1st serving with steamed black truffle mantou and Imperial caviar; 2nd serving with sesame pancakes
- Duck and abalone supreme stock with egg fried rice
- Nashi pear and Champagne mousse with cotton candy
Review
- We began the meal with glasses of champagne and a stunning blue crab salad - salad is a bold term for this meal. The dish was placed upon dry ice to keep it extra cold and featured a claw of blue crab in a goji berry dressing plus an Indian leavened bread basket with blue crab, pineapple, dragon fruit and mango.The fruit and crab worked perfectly together and offered a fresh take on this sea food. The leavened bread also offered added texture.
- The duck is then brought to the table for carving. This presentation celebrates the journey of the Peking duck from Silver Hill Farm in Ireland to, well, my plate. The duck is roasted for 48 hours in rare Chinese spices which brings plenty of flavour and a gorgeous contrast of soft flesh and crisp skin. The duck is marinated in a glaze of Chinese five spice, lemongrass, sugar, vinegar and garlic, and is hung to dry for minimum of twenty-four hours at 3°C, before being placed in the custom-made glass-windowed firestone oven for one and a half hours over a cherry wood fire until the meat is succulent and the glossy skin crisp. Yep, that much, seriously.
- The final product is absolutely mind blowing with super-soft, sweet meat contrasting with crisp skin and a high fat content. Although I found the level of fat quite overwhelming, the flavour it produced was outstanding. I loved the combination of the fatty duck with Imperial Caviar and mantou (similar to a bao bun).
- The duck pancakes were an undeniably chic update on the classic duck and pancakes.The stunning hoisin sauce worked beautifully alongside crisp cucumber and spring onion, while the sesame flavour within the pancakes added a savoury touch.
- Finally, the duck and abalone rice was absolutely amazing and remains a strong favourite between Alex and I. A similar dish is served at Hakkasan on special occasions and is something I absolutely love. We quizzed the chef on how it is made which includes organic chicken stock, fresh vegetables, XO sauce and freshly cooked rice. The Duck & Champagne menu adds touches of the duck meat to bring the whole meal together.
- We ended the meal with a beautifully light dish of Nashi pear and Champagne mouse, which despite its loud flavour profiles was extra light and easy to eat. The topping of cotton candy and gold leaf was very crisp which contrasted against the mouse.
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