Hakkasan is one of my favourite Chinese restaurant in the city. Though it is actually classic cantonese cuisine with Chinese touches. The food is far from typical and the taste far from forgettable. Needless to say the foodie in my loves the place. I went there recently for a Femina Believe workshop. The food that was served was so delectable that the tastes still reside in my palette and have urged me to review the restaurant here.
Ambience and setting: The set up is a formal dining table with dim lighting and clearly for fine dining. The restaurant was designed by Paris based designers Gilles & Bossier. Long blue glass and stainless steel bar along with an open kitchen give the place an international feel.
Location and pricing: Located on the Waterfield road in Bandra, this restaurant is a must do for all Chinese and asian food lovers. So you might say Chinese? There are so many good chinese places around, then why Hakkasan? You must go through the post, pictures and see my happy smile to understand that this place is not a regular joint, it’s premium and the food is so amazing. It’s not easy on the pocket though. A meal for two would cost anywhere between 3000-4500 depending on your order. They also have a four course signature menu four lunch menu available from Monday to Sunday, 12 pm-4 pm, at Rs 1200 ++ per person.
Food and taste: I was treated to a three course meal here. The first course was appetisers with Pan fried Chicken Satay buns, Carrot cake, Black fungus dumpling, Crystal dumpling, Pak choi dumpling. Since I don’t eat prawns I did not taste Prawn and chive dumplings. What I also loved was the presentation. The dumplings came in multicolours and looked like a flower basket. So appealing to the eye. The chicken satay bun was mild in it’s flavours but casted an everlasting spell on my palette. The stir fry lotus fruit vegetable, Edamame rice and the curry were all very well balanced in flavours and the aroma and complimented each other. Just the way I prefer my food to be, not too oily, not too spicy and not too overpowering. The other highlight for the day for me was learning to eat with chopsticks, something that I have struggled with over the years. I am embedding a short video here of my quest with the chopsticks.
Beautifully presented dumpling basket
Soft and juicy carrot cake. Not a sweet one though!
Stir Fry spicy lotus fruit
Spicy Edamame fried rice
Mix vegetable in Asam sauce
A treat with three types of dessert !
Finally, we were served the dessert, of which Jivira Bombe was the most interesting and probably the best of the lot. It was a mousse with biscuit cake base and rice puffs sprinkled on the top. The other two were Chocolate mouse and a tangy ice cream. I loved the combo of all three, satisfying different parts of my palette.
Service: The waiters were courteous and paid heed to all our demands. They changed cutlery when requested and also changed out plates after each meal.
Points to note: They can cater to Jain dietary needs and if you have an allergy, the chef can customise a dish to suit you. Reservation in advance is highly recommended as this is one of the most sought after places.
My Take: The place is not so easy on the pocket, but the food is totally worth it. After all it’s all about the taste :)!
