New Year Dining

Saturday, January 05th , 2019

Hankies is a peculiarly named Indian restaurant at the Montcalm Hotel that serves romali roti, the very thin Indian bread that is tossed in the air and then folded over and over and cooked on a steel hemisphere. The bread itself was excellent, and most of the dishes were very nice, with just two of the things we tried pulling down the average score.

Hakkasan (pictured) in Hanway Place is the first incarnation of what is now a global restaurant empire. It still looks beautiful, with its clever lighting and slick service from its carefully trained waiters. Dim sum was very good, and today we tried a whole duck served in two stages, as well as assorted other dishes. Hakkasan sails on serenely, as smooth as ever.

Hunan is a long-established Belgravia restaurant that serves a no-choice tasting menu of small plates featuring dishes from Hunan province, along with other influences. I have never quite understood the appeal of Hunan other than its wine list, and periodically resolve to return and try and see what draws customer in. I’m afraid this was another occasion where the food left me cold, with some decent dishes but also several badly overcooked ones. The wine list, by contrast, is a joy, with superb growers, low prices and some bottles with a decent amount of age. I wouldn’t rush back, but you can at least drink well.

I hope that everyone had a good holiday break.