Alan Yau was born in Sha Tau Kok in Hong Kong in 1962, but moved to King’s Lynn, Norfolk, at the age of 12 with his family, barely able to speak a word of English. Today Alan Yau is a famous restaurateur based in London and his initial success in the United Kingdom was his nationwide Wagamama food chain. Alan Yau was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2006 for his services to the restaurant industry. The restaurateur’s Chinese restaurants in London, Hakkasan and Yauatcha are both top rated eating venues. Both restaurants were sold in 2008 to Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. An ambitious global expansion was carried through so today you can have Chinese cuisine at two Hakkasans in London, Hakkasan Miami, Hakkasan Abu Dhabi, Hakkasan Mumbai and there will be Hakkasan restaurants in New York, Shanghai, Paris, Las Vegas and Los Angeles as well.

There are two Hakkasan restaurants in London, one in Mayfair and one at Hanway Place. The menus differ a bit and the prices are approximately the same even if the ambience at Hanway Place is more exclusive inside. From the outside it mostly looks like a dark alley, not too inviting. This review is only about the Hakkasan Hanway Place that is the original restaurant in the chain that opened 2001.

The restaurant is designed by the recognised designer Christian Liaigre and the cool interiors can be found at all the Hakkasan restaurants around the globe. We recommend you to sit down at the 16 metres bar for some of the delicious cuisine that is based on Cantonese, but with new innovations and inspirations added for the perfect contemporary Chinese. The Ling Ling dining area is the spot for some marathon dim sum and a perfect place for good views of the stylish restaurant including its open kitchen.

Executive Head Chef for the Hakkasan Group Globally Tong Chee Hwee has been with the restaurant since its opening and still cooks his signature Peking duck with 30 grams of Royal Beluga caviar and baby cucumber in addition to all other dishes, like the advance order special “Monk jumps over the wall” that is a double-boiled soup with abalone, fish maw, dried scallop, sea cucumber and dried shiitake. The grilled Wagyu beef tastes perfect with enoki mushroom and soya and the sha cha seafood toban with silver cod, scallop, prawn, squid, chow chow and edamame is fantastic.

Hakkasan Hanway Place is one of the very best Chinese cuisine alternatives in London and undoubtedly in Europe as well so a perfect way of spending an evening.

Images courtesy of Hakkasan

Written by John