The Wine Tipster had a stunning tasting at Hakkasan the other day in Hanway Street, W1 ahead of a food, wine and water matching sommelier tasting for S.Pellegrino the following week. The service, dishes and wines were of the highest standard, as one would expect from this highly respected group – there is the Mayfair Hakkasan, with other sites in the USA, Middle East and India.  The staff were helpful, courteous and great at explaining all the dishes from the Dim Sum and a la carte menus. I was looking to start with milder, less intense dishes and the Dim Sum Har gau Prawn Dumplings (pictured right) by the Dim Sum Scallop shumai with tobiko caviar were a great way to kick off. I was keen to have a vegetarian dish, with the recommended Dim Sum Three Style Mushroom cheung fun (pictured below) hitting the spot, followed by a delicate Fried home made pumpkin tofu from the a la carte menu. The popular Pippa Duck and the Stir-fry black pepper rib-eye beef with Merlot dishes from the al a carte menu were faultless and beautifully presented like all the courses. For dessert, I couldn’t make up my mind, so I went for the delicate Honey Roast Peach with almond financier, toasted almonds and vanilla ice cream beautifully matched with port and the recommended Hazelnut Jivara Bomb with dark chocolate sauce, which was nicely balanced and a real treat with Gonzalez Byass’ excellent Pedro Ximenez Noe Sherry.

Book yourself into Hakkasan for lunch or dinner and have an experience to remember.

Hakkasan, Hanway Street, W1, Tel: 0207 – 927 – 7000 or Hakkasan, Bruton Street, Mayfair, W1 Tel: 0207 – 907 -1888.   www. hakkasan.com