Hutong, Hong Kong
Hutong HK and Hutong at the Shard
both pride themselves on serving Northern Chinese cuisine ‘against a backdrop
of stunning views’. Hong Kong skyline is maybe my favourite skyline in the
world because not only does it has some beautiful skyscrapers which make it
interesting and unique, from the right place, you also have the backdrop of the
mountains which for me, makes it unlike anywhere else I have been before. So
good food with stunning views is already a win for me.
The Hutong in Hong Kong is based
is TST and is right on the waterfront a short walk from the historic Star
Ferry. If you are visiting Hong Kong for the first time, I would really
recommend travelling to TST in this manner as it is an experience in itself. The
ferry has a history which dates back to around 1880 when it was first used as a
commuter system and it doesn’t appear much has changed since then. It is also a
really cost-effective way to travel and sightsee at the same time.
Once you have made your way to
One Peking, which is the building in which Hutong is based, its up to the 28th
floor to access the restaurant. From the moment you walk in, it feels like you
have been transported to another world.
When you enter the lobby, you are
greeted by a beautiful tree with red letters. The colour red is seen to be a
symbol of energy, happiness and good luck and sending red envelopes is a way to
send good wishes and luck to people. So this is a really beautiful sign as you
walk through the doors.
From here, there are a number of
private dining areas for larger parties or business meetings and a number of
smaller tables for more ‘casual’ dining. We were lucky enough to visit
mid-week, so we were able to pick a table next to the window so we could enjoy
the incredible views while eating.
We opted for the ‘Lao Beifang’
menu which is their lunch menu. This is $198HKD (which is around £20) per
person and is available from 12.30 – 2.30pm on weekdays. The only bit of
confusion we had when ordering was that the menu states that you select 3
appetisers, 2 mains and then ether rice or noodles so we assumed that we could
pick these per person, however, you must select these as a group and are given
larger portions for the table. Not an issue for us as we all have similar
taste, but still worth mentioning.
As a group, we decided on Steamed
siu mai with scallop, Steamed Matsutake mushroom Bao, Shrimp, kimchi &
mozzarella spring roll, Wok-fried duck with rice cracker, Black truffle beef
tenderloin with Yunnan mushrooms with rice.
Steamed siu mai with scallop & Steamed Matsutake mushroom Bao
Where to start with the
description of the food? Everything was unbelievable. My personal favourite was
the Wok-fried duck with rice cracker. I think the main reason was I didn’t
really know what to expect with this dish and how it would work flavour wise
with the rice cracker. But the cracker provided a perfect little plate for my
food and the crunchiness with the rice flavours of the duck where pure bliss.
Wok-fried duck with rice cracker
Since my trip to Hong Kong I have
also developed a real love for Bao. For another who hasn’t hear of or tried a
Bao, they are a soft, fluffy steamed bun that are filled, generally with a meat-based
filling (there will be another blog up looking specifically at Bao’s soon, so keen
an eye out for that one if you want to know more about them!). The Bao at Hutong
was no exception to this new found love.
The services was very quick, although, as I mentioned above, we ate midweek so it wasn't very busy. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at Hutong. They also do a Sunday brunch which is on my list of things to do and I ideally would like to try the Hutong in London to compare and see if they are similar. I thought the quality of the food was worth far more than $198HKD and I would have happily paid more. The view is defiantly an added perk and I should imagine this really makes a big difference when dining at night, but during the day, it did add too much to the experience and I think for me, this may have been because there are so many restaurants in Hong Kong that have the amazing views. Like I say, it would be interesting to try to London Hutong! Maybe a visit required for when I am next there.
Black truffle beef tenderloin with Yunnan mushrooms
The services was very quick, although, as I mentioned above, we ate midweek so it wasn't very busy. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at Hutong. They also do a Sunday brunch which is on my list of things to do and I ideally would like to try the Hutong in London to compare and see if they are similar. I thought the quality of the food was worth far more than $198HKD and I would have happily paid more. The view is defiantly an added perk and I should imagine this really makes a big difference when dining at night, but during the day, it did add too much to the experience and I think for me, this may have been because there are so many restaurants in Hong Kong that have the amazing views. Like I say, it would be interesting to try to London Hutong! Maybe a visit required for when I am next there.
All pictures taken & owned by SistersDineOut
