Hakkasan
My family dined at Hakkasan for Father's day and I hope that our experience will be helpful.
The restaurant has been much discussed, mostly negatively, with regard to decor, food and pricing. The restaurant needs an awning or sign. The door to the restaurant is difficult to find and other than secret societies and private glee clubs, restaurants shouldn't make it difficult for patrons to find the entrance.
The restaurant is capacious, maybe overly so, there's a lot of wasted space and the cavernous dark hallway makes it feel more like a nightclub than a restaurant. Overall I didn't have issues with the Chinese by way of Blade Runner interiors but the music is overly loud, thumping, distracting and completely inappropriate for an upscale dining experience.
Service was in the vein of upscale casual restaurants, friendly and solicitous, think Union Square Cafe or Mas Farmhouse. Professional but still rough around the edges and the ignorance of Chinese cuisine is disheartening. Not that waiters should be experts on the cuisines they are serving but for an upscale restaurant, I expect more training. There were lovely thoughtful touches, the waiter having overheard we were celebrating a family event, wrote congratulations on the dessert and all the staff wished my father a happy father's day as we were leaving.
As for the food. I will refrain from going on a diatribe but I will disagree strongly with Pete Wells and Adam Platt, both of whom call their professionalism into question with their jarringly inaccurate reviews in contrast with my experience. First, my experience, dishes ordered may vary greatly from theirs and perhaps there is inconsistency of preparation. That being said, the food at Hakkasan ranged from good to exceptional.
Highlights included the pipa duck. As a duck lover this dish is non pareil, text book perfection of moist duck elegantly presented with exacting cuts of rectangular medallions. The skin is crisp and refined, the meat is tender counterpoint with clear, rich duck flavor, lacking the gaminess I find objectionable in ducks that are mass farmed. The saucing is judicious and if served with steamed mantou, it would set a high standard for Peking duck iterations in NYC. I have had duck in many restaurants, many highly esteemed Western restaurants, and the flabby skin always disappoints. Even when I ask, if the skin is crisp and am invariably informed yes, it never is. The skin at Hakkasan is perfection and it puts other restaurants to shame.
The chilean sea bass with Chinese honey was another standout. The fish is cooked firm but tender with skill to avoid the overly soft preparations at other establishments. The miso cod at Nobu, for all its fame, was not prepared as skillfully as this honey fish at Hakkasan. The fish is laquered with a wafer thin crust of honey that is indescribably complex, herbaceous and floral. The flavor is not immediately enticing, it's challenging to the palate and satisfies like a piece of fine chocolate. The dish is topped with battered crisp mushrooms and offers a pleasing parallel texture structure of crisp and soft.
We ordered the vegetarian dim sum platter and the steamed (meat) dim sum platter. The vegetable dim sum platter has vibrant contrasts of textures, crisp, crunchy with soft, rich. Herbs are used generously and pungently. The skin of the crystal dumpling is beautifully translucent. The skill in the preparation of the dim sum is by far among the best of the East and West coast. It puts Koi Palace to shame. Is it the best dim sum I've ever had? No, but certainly respectable and in NY, only rivaled by Chinatown Brasserie.
As a side note, the chili dipping sauce is searingly spicy, thankfully so.
The stir fry pepper beef was well prepared, the protein was of unquestionable quality, lacking gristle and uniformly tender. The sear was exceptional, the high heat wok sear that is undefinable but whispers of how it was prepared. Overall the dish was well received but acknowledged as unexceptionally creative, nor was the quality of the ingredients as elevated above the competition, such as the duck. Good steak is not hard to find.
The three style mushroom was a gorgeous array of fresh, plump, firm mushrooms complimented by a rich sauce and the luxurious fat of macadamian nuts.
The Hakka noodle is a master class in stir-frying, the noodles also had that breath of wok sear, but was censured for being delicately portioned.
No one wanted to pay for rice.
The desserts were excellent. The pastry chef should be proud as clearly the skill demonstrated shows pride in execution and technique.
The apple tarte tatin is head and shoulders above Artisanal and gives Balthazar a run for its money.
The chocolate "bar" is vastly superior to the version at Eleven Madison Park in flavor, texture and presentation with elegant gold ombre and rich pure flavor complimented by the sensation of the accompanying "snow"
The desserts would acquit themselves admirably in 3-4 star kitchens across the city, regardless of cuisine.
Total bill, including tax and tip was $288 for 5 adults.
While Hakkasan is undoubtedly an expensive restaurant and my members of my party experienced sticker shock, after all was said and done, Hakkasan was no where near the most expensive restaurant we've dined at in NYC. Not even the most expensive Chinese restaurant. My family has dined at EMP, Daniel, Bouley, Le Bernadin, Del Posto, etc. etc. Hakkasan was less expensive than all of the above. Full disclosure, the portions at Hakkasan are delicate, but not excessively so. Shared plates compare to the portions of tasting menus and there are few upscale restaurants where we truly leave full. BUT there is a definite perception of Hakkasan being expensive, because the entrees are higher in price than your typical Chinese restaurant in NY. What Hakkasan attempts is the super luxury category of EMPs, Bouley's etc. There is no direct comparison to other Chinese restaurants. No other Chinese restaurant in NYC aspires to be on that level.
In my opinion, Hakkasan has been judged unfairly, partially, and ignorantly by both people who have dined at the restaurant and worse by those who haven't. The skill level at Hakkasan puts it squarely at the top of the Chinese restaurant scene in New York. Comparison to current food media darlings Mission Chinese and Red Farm are as laughable as comparing Per Se to Balthazar. I enjoy both, and welcome the broadening tapestry of Chinese food in NYC but the difference in skill is palpable. The quality of ingredients at Hakkasan is unquestionable. The price is high, but unless ordering the "treasures" dishes with caviar, abalone, etc. not more so than other comparable restaurants. And most surprisingly, the desserts are better than restaurants that are FAMOUS for their pastry chefs. To award Hakkasan one star out of four or no stars a la Platt is ignorant and ridiculous. Negative hype has overwhelmed this restaurant and is revolting in character. The food is expensive, no doubt, and so is rent in NYC, especially for a restaurant of its size, near Times Square. However, this restaurant is no more Ruby Foo than Marea is Olive Garden. While it misses the mark on ambiance and hits off notes with service, it has been overly penalized and excoriated for not being perfect, probably in part because it serves high end Chinese cuisine.
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I have never been to Hakkasan. Shortly after it got slammed my most of the major critics in NYC, I spoke to a famous Asian chef-restaurateur who was very upset about the treatment Hakkasan had received.
He raved, particularly, about two dishes. One was the duck. The other, and this he talked about at great length, was the fried rice, which he said was the best he had ever had in North America (he has traveled extensively in the Far East). He laughed about often ordering the most expensive and the least expensive dish on the menu. Have any Chowhounds tried the "plain" fried rice?
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re: Dave Feldman
I haven't tried the fried rice but I've tried the fried noodle and understand why it would be appreciated. There is a subtle, smokey caramelized flavor that is characteristic of high heat wok frying. A light and deft touch is used to blast the food with searing heat.
I don't think critics will ever apologize for their lemming like bashing of Hakkasan, has there ever been a critic to backtrack or admit fault in a review...
I'm just glad I tried it despite the "death watch" and horrid reviews, because despite not being a perfect restaurant, the food is better at Hakkasan than, for example, Cafe Boulud, Nobu and Craft, three three star restaurants with stellar Zagat ratings. It will be interesting to see how Hakkasan's Zagat's ratings play out.
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re: Lau
I haven't tried enough of the dishes to give a full rundown, budget constraints :)
I really love the Chilean sea bass with honey. The honey has a very complex flavor and it changes on your palate.
The Peking duck is stellar and I started ordering it as soon as there was an option w/o caviar.
The spicy prawn is succulent and tender and the spices are aromatic.
The dim sum is a must. I prefer the steamed platter but their fried pumpkin puff is addictive and deliciously crisp.
Every dish I've had, has been good to excellent.
PS - The no photography rule was eliminated soon after opening. I was walking around the restaurant photographing my parents being goofy as well as the food. Every time I've eaten there I've photographed my food. And I've had doggy bags on more than one occasion. They were kind enough to wrap up macarons we hadn't finished as well as food.
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re: Lau
One of my faves from London and just had in Miami again is the tofu claypot with aubergine and mushrooms. The tofu is absolutely divine, nice and creamy interior with the deep fried skin on it, braised with the aubergine, not too mushy and the nice firmness of the mushrooms. Drooling just thinking about it. I could just eat that and a bowl of rice to sop up the juices. Yummo!
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nice review, i somehow never saw this before...this place is very high on my list of places to try
as has been discussed ad nauseum it would be nice for NY to have an upscale chinese restaurant similar to hong kong (or any major chinese city for that matter), which is something most people in the US are completely unfamiliar with
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re: Lau
kosmose7
Jan 30, 2013 01:15 PM
> it would be nice for NY to have an upscale chinese restaurant similar to hong kong
+ 1!!!!!
I LOVE upscale Chinese cuisine!
It is so subtle and healthy, and at the same time it reflects seasonality (just like Japanese kaiseki), but somehow I can not find any in New York.... (weep)-
re: kosmose7
agreed, my own view is that upscale chinese in particular upscale cantonese is at least on par with (or better than) any other of the world's heralded high end cuisine (japanese, french, italian, whatever). i'm clearly biased b/c i prefer asian food generally much more than western food, but it's def one of my favorite foods along with japanese (chinese and japanese are my favorite foods)
it's sort of unfortunate that in the US i think b/c of what is offered here there is this idea that chinese food is tasty food, but its just very cheap food, which is a total fallacy
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re: kosmose7
u also reminded me that im not sure why i havent reviewed a bunch of high end places in HK, probably the highest end places ive reviewed in HK are The Manor and Fu Sing, which are sort of high end but not really
im going to make that a point next time I go back to HK to do that
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I've been to Hakkasan multiple times now and my assessment is still that same, that Ruth Reichl, Adam Platt and Pete Wells were biased in their reviews and could not be more inaccurate in their assessments. Is there any other Michelin starred restaurant that received a goose egg from Platt?
The food at Hakkasan was actually better, pre-Michelin star, when the restaurant was empty. My recent meals have all been in a packed restaurant. There has also been a dramatic increase in Chinese clientele.
The music has been toned down, volume lowered. Thankfully. It's now possible to have a conversation without straining over loud techno music.
The dim sum is still stellar, the gorgeous texture of their skin and the skill in preparation is evident.
Prices have been reduced since my first visit on items, for example, their phenomenal Pipa duck and Peking duck. Now prices are less expensive than the duck at Wing Lei, LV and Shang Palace, Paris while being on the same level of execution, if not a touch better.
Their yuzu and cassis macarons are top notch.
The san bei ji is an interesting contemporary take on a classic dish, the chicken is prepared with traditional Chinese velveting but they include chili peppers to give it a lingering heat. Possibly the softest, most luscious chicken you could have in san bei ji.
Waitstaff is now more knowledgeable about the food but that's improved from a baseline of zero. Service is still not a strength, not because of attitude or unfriendliness, but the service is disorganized. (E.g. not knowing if drinks or food had been delivered).
All in all, I'm very happy that Hakkasan is thriving. Especially with the closure of Chinatown Brasserie and Red Farm being no replacement, since high-end dim sum and Peking duck were my staples at CB. Hakkasan is even better, while CB's entrees were hit and miss, Hakkasan's entrees are uniformly better and worthy of its Michelin star.
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re: ellenost
https://mobile.twitter.com/HakkasanNY/status/292376293394227200
http://foodstowiez.blogspot.com/2012/..."Pi Pa Duck derives its name from the Chinese musical instrument, the Pipa - a pear-shaped traditional Chinese guitar with 4-5 strings and a crooked neck. The duck is usually spread out like the Pipa, air dried, seasoned with the chef's secret recipe and deep fried."
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re: ellenost
kathryn explained it, its kind of interesting that they have that dish bc its not very common especially in the US.
i wrote about new kim tuong in chinatown, which serves it although from what people are writing im sure its much better here
https://www.lauhound.com/2011/02/new-...
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I found out yesterday why the desserts at Hakkasan are so good. The executive pastry chef is the talented Rory Macdonald, the former executive pastry chef of Tocqueville where I had the pleasure of having his wonderful desserts. Now I know why the chocolate bar at Hakkasan was more beautiful and well executed than the one I had at EMP.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/din...
Dimsum mention in the NYT. Still think Hakkasan should be 3 stars based on their system.....
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re: Pookipichu
Bob Martinez
Oct 23, 2012 03:41 PM
Out of 1,150 words in that article exactly 44 were devoted to Hakkasan.
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The original London Hakkasan, which I last visited in January, served the best dim sum my group had ever had. It is just phenomenal. I went to the Miami Beach one a month later, and we were all disappointed, we would never recommend it nor return. I'll be in NYC next week and, though it's midtown location makes me suspicious, I'm really hoping it's closer to the London experience than Miami's. Any comments?
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re: Pookipichu
Only went to Red Farm 1 time but many times at Chinatown Brasserie. Glad to know that you and Cherry V liked Chinatown Brasserie. When I was at Red Farm, I thought my Dim Sum were cute and good tasting but the Long Life Noodle with Crab was extremely salty. I couldn't even finish it. Also I hated the communal table! I am anti social and thats a death sentence for me automatically!!
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re: DagnyTaggart
Cheeryvisage
Oct 17, 2012 07:16 AM
Yes, Hakkasan currently serves the best dim sum in New York City.
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huiray
Oct 5, 2012 06:57 AM
OK, some juicy bits for both sides - Andy Roddick's [ETA: Oops, it's Andy MURRAY] bill at Hakkasan. (He reportedly had only a $6 lemon soda)
http://eater.com/archives/2012/09/12/heres-tennis-star-andy-murrays-6500-hakkasan-bill.php[For convenience here's a relevant link: http://www.hakkasan.com/newyork/menus...]
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Tripeler
Oct 3, 2012 07:27 AM
This is a tiny point, but the name Hakkasan reminds me too much of a good brand of Sake from Niigata, Japan, called Hakkaisan.
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re: Tripeler
Cheeryvisage
Oct 3, 2012 07:43 AM
I think the name is derived from "Hakka" (which refers to the Hakka people) and "san", the Japanese suffix for mister. :)
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re: Cheeryvisage
klyeoh
Oct 4, 2012 09:22 AM
You're right, Cheeryvisage - when Hakkasan's founder, Alan Yau, visited Singapore a few years ago, he told the Straits Times food columnist during an interview that he playfully combined the word "Hakka" (he was of Hakka descent) and the Japanese honorific "-san" (because he admired Japanese designs - think Wagamama, his first restaurant) to beget the name of his London restaurant.
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re: Tripeler
Silverjay
Oct 3, 2012 07:54 AM
LOL, I thought the exact same thing when I first learned about it. I've also heard people pronounce it without the chiisai tsu ( はっか) so it sounds like "haka-san", like "graveyard keeper" (墓さん) or (はかさん) in Japanese. I don't even know if that is a word though. Lol.
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Cheeryvisage
Oct 3, 2012 06:42 AM
I'm very happy to see Hakkasan NY receiving a Michelin Star.
I have since returned to Hakkasan for dinner and have had the Pipa Duck twice. Pookipichu, you're absolutely right that this dish is phenomenal. Had the restaurant added pancakes, scallion, and cucumber as accompaniments to the dish, this would have become my favorite peking duck in the city. Standalone, I still consider the Pipa Duck dish to be one of my, if not the number one, favorite duck preparations in recent memory.
I also agree with you that the desserts at Hakkasan are very strong.
I will be trying that fish dish next. Thanks again for your report. Hakkasan remains one of the top choices on my regular restaurant rotation for lunch, brunch, AND dinner!
In terms of price point, now that I've eaten at Hakkasan numerous times, I'd say expect to pay around $50-60 per person before drinks, tax, and tip. Again, this is not out of line for NYC dining for this caliber of food. The lunch prix fixe, however, is a bargain at $29 for 3 courses which includes rice and a side of delicious bok choy.
Photos of the restaurant dishes from my meals, for anyone interested: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheeryvi...
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re: Cheeryvisage
huiray
Oct 3, 2012 07:09 AM
Looks good.
Just a by-the-way throwaway comment - one might joke that they are superstitious. :-) Siu mai - and har gow, at least in HK - are traditionally served in fours, not threes (there's a running semi-joke on the China & SE Asia board about the number of pieces served at dim sum places depending on where it is - see, e.g. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/822517 where it started). But, as you know, "four" is a close homonym for "death"/"dying" in Chinese/Cantonese. Hakkasan appears to be one of those places that serves their dim sum in threes, except for those combination baskets. :-)
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re: huiray
Cheeryvisage
Oct 3, 2012 07:12 AM
Haha, that's very interesting. I also like to avoid serving 4 of anything myself, though I have no qualms about flipping the fish in a fish dish. :P
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re: Cheeryvisage
Bob Martinez
Oct 3, 2012 07:21 AM
Serious question - Do you think that a restaurant of Hakkasan's ambition and price range was aiming for a single star?
I think they dreamed of 3 but would have been happy with 2. I'll bet they're disappointed with 1.
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re: Bob Martinez
Cheeryvisage
Oct 3, 2012 07:27 AM
Let me put it this way.
Two of my favorite restaurants in the city, The Modern and Jungsik, have 1 Michelin star. I don't think Hakkasan needs to feel disappointed when it shares the same rank as The Modern and Jungsik.
However, Cafe China and Lan Sheng on the other hand... I think the Michelin made a mistake giving them a star. While I like both, I don't think those two belong on the Michelin star list at all. But that's another discussion altogether.
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re: Cheeryvisage
Bob Martinez
Oct 3, 2012 07:45 AM
At Hakkasan's price point I think they were hoping for more than a single star. Just my opinion of course.
I've thought Lan Sheng deserved a star for the last 3 years. I don’t do “Bests” but if someone put a gun to my head I’d name this the best Sichuan restaurant in the city. I've already linked to the extensive LS thread.
I agree with you about Cafe China. Wells got it wrong when he gave it 2 stars. Michelin would have been justified adding it to the Bib Gourmande list but it certainly doesn't deserve a star.
There's a randomness with how Michelin rates Asian restaurants. Over the years they've gotten a little better but it's still bumpy.
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re: Bob Martinez
Cheeryvisage
Oct 3, 2012 07:51 AM
I thought the original London location of Hakkasan holds one Michelin star? Wouldn't it be kind of crazy for them to expect their New York location to get more than one?
In terms of price points, yes, there are a few extraordinary price outliers on their menu. I think people got too hung up over those dishes that were probably meant to attract a certain clientele that wanted to impress and show off in the most extravagant fashion possible. Given what I know about a lot of the ultra rich Asians, I think those outliers are intended to attract them. But 90% of the menu is not out of line and like I said, it comes to around $50-60 per person food only (unless you have a big appetite I guess). This is not an unreasonable price for dinner in New York City.
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re: FattyDumplin
Cheeryvisage
Oct 3, 2012 11:03 AM
A typical dinner for two I'd have at Hakkasan is something like:
Hakka Steamed Dim Sum Platter - $24
Pipa Duck - $32
Chilean Sea Bass with Chinese Honey - $37
Rice - $3.50
Dessert - $15 (sometimes I skip and just get another savory)Total: $111.50
Just to give you an idea. :)
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re: Bob Martinez
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re: Cheeryvisage
Bob Martinez
Oct 3, 2012 01:57 PM
Sorry to hear that. I've got some friends who suffer from the same malady.
I think the point needs to be made, though, that couples who have a couple of glasses of wine will wind up spending at least $50 more. (The lowest price per glass is $10 but many are much higher.)
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re: Bob Martinez
With all due respect, the same could be said of any high end restaurant. I was at Craft and paid $8 for a non-alcoholic juice (I don't drink alcohol). The bill was over $100 per person based on app. entree and dessert with 1 non-alcoholic drink each. Much more than per person cost at Hakkasan when I ate there, yet I don't hear people moaning about how "Craft is so expensive for American food".....
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re: Cheeryvisage
The problem is that the Michelin stars in NYC are all screwed up.
In European cities, one-stars still tend to be among the most expensive restaurants in town. They're the equivalent of the lower New York Times three-stars (and maybe the very very best New York Times two-stars). Michelin two-stars are the equivalent of the upper New York Times three-stars. Michelin three-stars are the equivalent of New York Times four-stars.
So by the traditional European standards, one Michelin star would be a realistic ambition for Hakkasan -- just what the London original got.
It's only cuz the NYC Michelin ratings are so screwy that you'd think Hakkasan wanted more.
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re: Cheeryvisage
I'm glad you enjoyed the duck, I think it's pretty phenomenal. I think it's clear by now that Pete Wells and other critics were unfair in their reviews of Hakkasan, overly critical of price and food. Not that that will convince any of the critics or make them eat crow, but for the people who enjoy high end Chinese, we'll continue to enjoy Hakkasan.
It still amazes me how so much focus was put on Hakkasan's price when every time I dine at a non-Chinese, high end restaurant, the meals invariably wind up costing more or the same. I ate at Seasonal, and while everything was quite delicious, the streudel was only good compared to the excellent apple tarte tatin at Hakkasan and the ingredients inexpensive relative to price. $29 for a very thinly pounded veal cutlet, nearly the same price as an immaculately prepared pipa duck. Don't even get me started on the chicken at Nomad..... not that it's not good, but let's be fair across cuisines if we're going to talk about restaurant pricing.
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re: Pookipichu
Hey, Pookipichu, I am interested in trying out Hakkasan with my dining buddy before I move to the midwest next month. Can you let me know how the service is there? After reading your comments, I am very curious to try the food. But I want to know if they rush you through your meal because I like to take my time to order the food and enjoy a nice conversation. Since its not a low price meal, I want to make sure my experience is pleasant. Thanks in advance.
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re: bearmi
Hi Bearmi, my experience with service is that they are friendly, solicitous, not overly formal and not all that knowledgeable about Chinese cuisine. You will most definitely not feel rushed as the restaurant will probably be nearly empty (unfairly so or otherwise). The music however can be a bit loud and the choice of music... is questionable. But I think overall, conversation can be had and they will not rush you out.
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re: Pookipichu
Thank you! I hate being rushed to order and rushed to finish my meal so that's a consideration for me (need to have my stress level capped!). Sounds like the Pipa Duck is a good dish to order, in addition to their dim sums. I will try my best to check out Hakkasan before I move! Thanks again!
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re: bearmi
Alright, I want to write a quick summary. My dining buddy and I ordered dim sum platter and vegetarian dim sum platter, both very good. The dumplings were above average in size compared to Chinatown Brasserie and Red Farm. The only dimsum I didn't like that much was the vegrtarian lotus roll. It was a little too big and bland for me! We also ordered spicy seafood fried rice. Surprisingly, it had curry flavor (with shrimp and scallops and some okra) and I thought it was interesting but just ok (rice was a bit firm. It almost tasted like a Biriyani without raisins!). The Hakka stir fried noodle was delicious with good smoky wok flavor. And the black pepper beef too (I think it was rib eye and the texture was very tender with all the fat and cartilage trimmed) In addition to that, we got Pipa Duck, which was nice and crispy as many of you have mentioned. Lastly, and my least favorite, we ordered a Hakka treasure in black bean sauce. I was getting very full by then so I only ate the stuffed eggplant and the stuffed pepper (it was a red hot Jalapeno!!) But not the tofu. Filling was the same for all three, which was chopped shrimp. Anyway, overall we liked the food and we will consider going back again. Total for 2 people including 2 beers and 1 Hakkasan cocktail was $225 + tip.
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Miss Needle
Sep 17, 2012 11:41 AM
I had a wonderful meal here recently. Ordered
steamed dim sum platter -- really well executed; thin skins; served piping hot
foie gras shrimp toast -- probably the dud of the bunch; the shrimp toast was well done but the foie gras didn't add anything to the taste; wouldn't order it again
pipa duck -- probably the stunner of the evening; price of it also went down from $39 to $32
honey lacquered sablefish -- delicious; a bit on the sweet side; huge portion
Hakka noodle -- really nice wok hay; wish I had a wok burner at home
stir-fry of mushrooms, macadamia nuts, gai lan, lily bulbs, water chestnut -- crunchy, rich and light
Strawberry and champagne -- panna cotta with strawberries, rhubarb sorbet, champagne foam -- I could eat this again and again; on par with desserts from the Bar Room at the Modern (one of my favorite places for dessert)The music was a bit odd for this type of restaurant. The restaurant is emptier earlier during the night but filled up after 8P. There were more servers than patrons at one point -- which probably led to about 8 different people refilling our wine glasses. I stopped drinking after 1/4 glass -- I had to tell 8 different people that I didn't want any more wine. Service is well intentioned and friendly. I didn't ask many questions so I can't say as to whether the staff really knows their stuff.
Perhaps people wouldn't balk at the prices so much if Hakkasan had some sort of tasting menu of composed plates. I know this isn't the way Chinese people generally eat, but many people expect composed plates at "fancy" restaurants. However I wonder if execution would suffer with those types of composed plates as many wok-fried items taste best as soon as it is prepared.
I enjoyed my dinner and look forward to trying it for dim sum one of these days. I just hope it will still be there!
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What did your party have to drink? It cost us for 2 at least 250.00. I don't know how it could cost 188.90 for 5.
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re: Pookipichu
Well, it is cocktail hour and my husband and I are enjoying a glass of wine on our lovely deck in Tuxedo Park.
We are starting our dinner with home made gazpacho and our entree is Cornish hen marinated and grilled on the BBQ.
Looking forward to our dinner Saturday evening at Hakkasan and enjoying a bottle of Conundrum wine.....YUMMO...;-)1
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Cheeryvisage
Jul 27, 2012 04:53 AM
I was looking into making a dinner reservation at Hakkasan and stumbled upon their Facebook. Looks like they're participating in Restaurant Week for lunch and dinner. For some reason, they're not listed on the official RW website.
Menu here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/hakkas...
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re: Cheeryvisage
kosmose7
Aug 15, 2012 03:36 PM
Yes! One of the best deals for RW. :)
----------------------------------------------< Lunch > $24.07
* You have a choice of appetizer:
1) steamed dimsum
2) fried dimsum
3) green salad with asparagus* choice of entree:
1) stir fry black pepper rib-eye beef with merlot
2) spicy prawn with lily bulb with almond
3) steamed red snapper with chili sauce
4) french beans with minced pork and preserved olive leaf
5) four style vegetable stir fry in sweet szechuan sauce* dessert: macarons
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< Dinner > $35
* choice of appetizer:
1) steamed dimsum
2) fried dimsum
3) stir fry mushroom lettuce wrap
4) salt and pepper squid* choice of entree:
1) spicy prawn with lily bulb with almond
2) sanpei chicken claypot with thai sweet basil
3) stir fry beef tenderloin in sha cha sauce with ginger and chinese celery
4) sweet and sour pork tenderloin with pomegranate
5) szechuan mabo tofu with minced beef
6) stir fry sugar snap, cloud ear and water chestnut
7) three style mushroom stir fry with macadamia nut gai lan and waterchestnut* choice of dessert:
1) peanut butter parfait, raspberry jelly, banana & passion fruit sorbet
2) apple tation. green apple sorbet
3) dark chocolate ganache, chocolate dacquoise, white tea & cherry sorbet
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Thank goodness they relaxed the no photos rule. But when I went to the one in London, they had the no doggy bag rule too. Do you know if they've relaxed that one as well?
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re: bdachow
Cheeryvisage
Jul 20, 2012 01:06 PM
I don't think the no doggy bag rule ever existed for Hakkasan NY.
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Cheeryvisage
Jul 20, 2012 08:27 AM
Had another great brunch at Hakkasan recently. The Prawn and Pak Choi Dumpling was supremely delicious.
They seemed to have relaxed the "no photo" rule. Pictures of the meal below:
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Yes, thanks for your balanced and thoughtful review. Funny that we rarely the terms "overpriced French" or "overpriced Italian" food. It's what I call culinary racism.
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re: huiray
scoopG
Jul 9, 2012 07:05 AM
I don't think that seven year old chestnut is valid today. Ruth Reichl is yet another Eurocentric gastronomer who does not understand fine Chinese dining. According to the 2010 Census data, the Asian population in NYC grew by 32% since the 2000 Census and Asians are now close to 13% of the NYC population. Seven neighborhoods here are now majority Asian, compared to only two in 2000.
According to the Central Bank of China, since 1990 over 18,000 elite level party cadres and government officials have managed to purloin $120 billion out of the country - that's an average of $7 million per filcher. These are modest estimates and do not include the wealthy rank and file regular Zhous. Bo Guagua needs someplace to mad chill.
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re: scoopG
huiray
Jul 9, 2012 07:39 AM
Maybe not as widely applicable now but I suspect the effects and mindset still linger in the larger populace.
Do you have data showing how much of that money flowed into NYC rather than to Vancouver/GTO/SGV etc - insofar as North America is concerned? What is the economic and professional level of the people recently flowing into NYC (rather than NJ or CT) who are raising the Chinese population in NYC, d'you or anyone else here know?
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re: huiray
scoopG
Jul 10, 2012 06:11 AM
NYC figures are from the Asian American Federation here out of NY. I'd have to dig to see what they have culled from the 2010 Census figures regarding the west coast. Also it is worth noting that the Central Bank of China figures did not include the amount of money that has left China from the wealthier emigrants who have departed.
It has been established by scholars like Peter Kwong, Dusanka Miscevic (Hunter College) and Min Zhou (UCLA) that the well-heeled Chinese immigrants flock to the American ethnoburbs while the indigent ones head to the urban Chinatowns.
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Cheeryvisage
Jul 5, 2012 10:01 AM
Thank you for your most excellent review!
I've been enjoying Hakkasan's wonderful dim sum at brunch and now that Chinatown Brasserie has closed, it is the only dim sum place I visit. I've been holding back from going to Hakkasan for dinner due to the mixed reviews. But your review (along with ScoopG's in the other thread) has assured me that I should give them a try at dinner time.
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re: Cheeryvisage
The loss of Chinatown Brasserie is devastating. It was my favorite dim sum restaurant in NYC and Red Farm does not compare in my opinion. I will miss their taro swans, char siu bao, Peking duck, lotus wrapped sticky rice and suckling pig.
PS - I have little doubt that Hakkasan, despite its high quality of food, will close, when I dined there, the restaurant was practically empty except for a handful of tables of overtly wealthy individuals. We were the only table of ordinary income people celebrating an occasion, which I remember reading in an article, is actually the lifeblood of most high end restaurants. For every Saudi prince dining at EMP, there are hundreds of ordinary people who have saved up for a special night out. As large as the space is, the restaurant must be bleeding money every day. So enjoy the restaurant while we still have it.
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re: Silverjay
Cheeryvisage
Jul 5, 2012 10:46 AM
The dim sum items mostly range from $8 to $15+, with the majority priced at $10. Each dim sum item comes with 3 pieces.
I always order their steamed items. The only dim sum dish there I don't recommend is the Shanghai Siuw Long Buns (aka soup dumplings). You can get better versions in Chinatown.
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re: Silverjay
The dim sum prices are towards the middle of the long list.
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re: scoopG
Cheeryvisage
Jul 5, 2012 01:58 PM
I know, right?! I'm glad Pookipichu started a new thread. The other one was getting unwieldy.
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re: Cheeryvisage
kosmose7
Jul 5, 2012 10:46 PM
Like I said previously, I fully enjoyed Hakkasan both for lunch (dim sum, thanks to your information!) and dinner. :)
As you said, it is the only dim sum place that I go to as well, now that Chinatown Brasserie is closed.
I trust Wells and Platt more when they discuss western cuisine, but definitely not when they talk about Asian foods.
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re: kosmose7
The level of discourse on Chinese food is low at best (not directed at you Kosmose7 but generally speaking). Especially in New York. I went to Hakkasan, with trepidation due to the highly negative reviews. But almost every higher priced Chinese restaurant in New York has had scathing reviews from chowhounders, from Shun Lee, Mr. K, Chinatown Brasserie, etc.
If the successful, elegant and very expensive Wing Lei was transplanted to New York, I have no doubt, it also would also receive negative reviews.
Hakkasan is not faultless but perhaps there is more fault in the people reviewing than the restaurant. From pricing, to execution of food, there is such contradiction of measure. It's ok to serve $14 bread pudding (stale bread and milk) at Blue Ribbon or $14 for mashed avocadoes at Rosa Mexicano, or $20 for risotto (rice and cheese) at Babbo, $7 for a little bit of uni at 15 East, $13 for pancakes at Clinton St. (flour and milk) any organ meat dish at any expensive French restaurant... these restaurants are packed with people clamoring to pay.
Could Hakkasan be less expensive? Sure. If the space was more modest, even halved it would still be large, but overhead would be much lower. The restaurant is a miscalculation of market and it would have been better served by creating a more intimate space that highlights the food like Annisa. Then the restaurant would feel less empty, creating more buzz, or at least reducing the feeling of desolation. But even with the current pricing scheme (barring the absurd treasures) it is not more expensive than other fine restaurants and the skill level at Hakkasan, from my sampling of dishes, is very high. The degree of skill required to stir fry properly or prepare duck vastly exceeds that of mashing avocados or cooking pasta al dente.
I appreciate quality of ingredients and skill of preparation, regardless of cuisine. I've paid through the teeth for pizza at DiFara's or risotto at EMP, even though sometimes such things are not a good value, I take into consideration, the cost of running a business, marketing, rents, ingredients, skill, etc. Obviously others do as well.. just not so much when the cuisine is Chinese food.
It seems any Chinese restaurant that doesn't have razor thin margins has terrible food? Huge markups are acceptable for any other cuisine? Do you cook? Do you know how much it costs to make pancakes? I will not see eye to eye with some of the commenters on Hakkasan because the dissonance and hypocrisy is outrageous. It's perfectly reasonable not to dislike Hakkasan or feel it personally is not a good value proposition but such opinions should be taken in context when value and quality are not calculated in the same fashion as non-Chinese restaurants. Meaning if you are paying $29 with rhapsody for rigatoni at Marea.. whatever.
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re: Pookipichu
kosmose7
Jul 6, 2012 07:36 PM
Yeah, I know what you mean. As a Korean who have lived in Hong Kong for ten years, I really miss fine dining Chinese cuisine and fine dining Japanese, which don't seem to be popular in New York. Even Kyo Ya, which is so much praised here, is not quite in the same league as those fine dining Japanese restaurants found in Seoul, Singapore, or Hong Kong, not to mention Tokyo.
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re: Pookipichu
I totally agree., we love Hakkasan . When in Miami, we done there at least 3 times in the 2months we are there. It is my granddaughters favorite restaurant in Miami Beachsince it's opening I'm New York, we have been there once for dinner and once for a dim sum brunch with our 3 granddaughters. We are going back for dinner this Saturday evening and we are looking forward to the experience.
The dim sum is un-rivaled, delicate and so flavorful .
Yes it is true, the prices are high and at those prices the portions should be larger.
Our worst objection is the ultra loud disco thumping . Cannot call it music. We have asked them to turn it down. I have heard many people with the same complaint.
We have even mentioned it on open table.
At the Sunday brunch, they play a very soothing background music. Sort of like massage music.
I do hope they survive....
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re: Pookipichu
not magically bad, just in line with all the other bad reports: super-high prices in a Vegasy atmosphere, w/ servers who don't know anything about the food and food that's, to quote Pete Wells, as "interesting as a box of paper clips"...my review is on the older thread...
I'm glad you enjoyed your dinner there, but your positive review of the place is an extreme outlier: while others have praised the dimsum brunch, the reviews of dinner there have been overwhelmingly negative...as evidenced by the older, more complete thread...
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re: Simon
I listen with respect to people's opinions and I mean no disrespect to one of the reviewers in the previous thread, but for instance, he/she commented on disliking the stewed nature of a dish that is by nature stewed. That's like commenting how awful the coq au vin is at Daniel because it has a wine-like flavor. I especially take issue with the absurd hyperbole of Adam Platt's review and my estimation of him with regard to Chinese cuisine is less than negligible. It is not about Hakkasan being perfect, nor is it my favorite restaurant, it's about assessing the restaurant fairly.
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re: Pookipichu
i didn't find any hyperbole in Platt's review: i thought his "Ruby Foo's for rich people" line as well as his descriptions of very bland mediocre food to be entirely fair and accurate...and i've eaten high-end Chinese food in HK, Shanghai (where i lived), Vancouver, and elsewhere...
the fact that chowhounds are even bothering to discuss the pros/cons of this chain restaurant is, if anything, overly generous to the restaurant...
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re: newportt2004
I think the main problem is that some people have decided they don't like Hakkasan before they've been to it. Makes it ever so easy to not like it after they've been as well.
Adam Platt's review was ridiculous. Hakkasan is a serious restaurant and no more like Ruby Foo's than EMP is like Serendipity.
But I don't expect people to be impartial when it comes to expensive Chinese restaurants. The very same people who will over pay for food with any number of other cuisines.
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re: Pookipichu
So by saying "makes it ever so easy to not like it after they've been as well", you're saying the chowhounds who hated this restaurant can't judge a restaurant themselves...that if they disagree with you that they must be joining a bandwagon and not have any ability to judge a place impartially...
That's very insulting to the board...as well as, imo, a bit implausible, given that every major critic like Wells and Platt and Reichl has commented on how bad a restaurant it is -- and most of those media reviews came out after many chowhounds like myself had "taken one for the team"...
I'm done with this thread: because i fear it will detract from the original, very thorough 250+ comment thread which describes the many cons (clueless service, tiny portions, Vegas-like atmosphere, uninteresting food) and occassional pros (a tasty dimsum brunch) in detail...
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re: Simon
Perhaps insulting but also perhaps nonetheless true..... I can point out inconsistencies and partiality, I too am tired though, minds are made up.
You can retreat to a thread that coexists peacefully and reinforces your viewpoint. I do not need a sounding board or echo chamber to see the hypocrisy of various critics and posters.
How Hill Country can get two stars while Hakkasan gets one or the Dutch receives 2 stars while Hakkasan receives none.... Hakkasan expensive? Chicken parm at OLIVE GARDEN in Times Square is over $20. A small bowl of sugar snap peas cost $14 at Union Square Cafe, a banana split is $22 at Serendipity, I could go on and on. The worst value, tiniest portions I've ever experienced was at Fatty Cue, where a tiny cup of CUCUMBERS with some sesame oil was $5, two small lamb ribs for $12, oh but no NYTimes mention of price or portion size there...
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Wow. This review has me salivating... Pipa duck is as fav of mine and it's rare to find a good rendition.
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re: FattyDumplin
The duck is truly exceptional, be aware it is not a whole duck. But at $39 it was the same price or LESS expensive and similar in protein quantity than the duck I had at Mas Farmhouse or Daniel just to name a few, furthermore, the skin of the duck at Mas and Daniel was so far inferior I would have gladly paid more for the pipa duck at Hakkasan. I will try to post pictures tonight.
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re: Pookipichu
Wow. I usually do sushi meals now when I go back to NYC because it's so lacking in hte Bay Area, but I just may have to try Hakkasan. Especially since you said this puts Koi Palace to shame, given my love for that place. If you like crisp skin, I have to say that hte Koi Palace roast sucking pig is a brilliant version.
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re: FattyDumplin
Koi Palace is my go to place in the Bay Area with good reason and I don't want to give the opinion that Hakkasan's dim sum is universally amazing. There are things that Koi does just as well but it's the overall level of execution that feel is higher and barring the music, I like the space at Hakkasan better. I agree with Cheeryvisage that the soup dumplings are nothing to wax poetic about. There were also dim sum at Chinatown Brasserie that were more visually stunning and creative. Hakkasan's strong point is the quality of the ingredients and a general high level of skill in preparation.
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