A great bar and a Michelin star

In case you don’t know I’m talking about Hakkasan. Alan Yau’s soho flagship restaurant. Yes the same one of Wagamama, Busaba Eathai, Princi, and other projects. The place has one Michelin star, two locations in London, both with a Michelin star each, and 8 more across USA, Middle East and India.

The place

We got a bit early on purpose to get a cocktail from the amazing bar. Nice atmosphere, dark colours, and great music. One of my friends commented that the music was like being in Fabric.

The bar

Cocktail time

For starters I share with Marisol the Jasmine tea smoked organic pork ribs, and the dim sum platter. The pork ribs were amazing, just like butter they melted in your mouth. The dim sum selection was extremely good, one of the best I’ve had in London, my favourites the scallops shumai and the har gau.

Dim sum platter 

Ribs

I had also the chance to try the salt and pepper squid and it was superb, it is the best one I have had, the batter was perfect, it was puffy, the squid perfectly cooked, and great seasoning.

Squid

For main the black truffle roast duck with tea plant. Amazing, best dish of the night. The duck was tender, and the touch with the earthiness flavour of the truffle a great combination.

Duck time

Stir fry pork belly in salted fish sauce, what can I say you know I love pork belly. It was great, nice spicy punch, and excellent combination of the fish sauce with the tender belly.

Pork belly

I was also able to try the chicken satay, amazing, perfectly executed, nice sweetness and great balance with the peanut flavour.

Chicken satay

For desert we shared the Jivara hazelnut bomb. Quite clever execution, a hazelnut ice cream trapped inside a rice crispy coat and all that swamp in hot chocolate. Nice flavour, and good way to end a perfect diner.

Jivara Bomb

Great cocktails, outstanding food, and amazing service, the least you can expect in a Michelin starred restaurant.

Every time I go to a Chinese place I have flash backs of the Seinfeld episode “The Chinese Restaurant”

George: She called. He yelled Cartwright. I missed her

Jerry: Who's Cartwright?

George: I'm Cartwright!

Jerry: You're not Cartwright

George: Of course I'm not Cartwright!

Hakkasan
T: 020 7927 7000
Chinese Cuisine
Approx damage: £60pp
Area: Fitzrovia
Borough: Camden
Twitter: Hakkasan

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In the Name of Bread just in Soho

The other day I met with my dear friend Sarah for tea after work on a Monday. After spending an hour talking about our lives at the Wolseley we decided to go grab a bite nearby. The options were a burger or a pizza surprisingly isn’t it? Anyway, Sarah recommended going to Princi in Soho.

Busy Communal Dinning Table

I have never been in the place and I was a little surprise by the concept, Italian fast food bakery style, you arrive to the place, look for a sit or actually fight for it because the place is packed, and then proceed to the counter to choose what to eat. You can find a good selection of fresh bread, pizzas, focaccias, salads, pasta, pastry and desserts like a traditional tiramisu. Moreover, during lunchtime, you can order your ad hoc pizza for takeaway.

The Bar and the Water Touch in the Decor 

Counting out time 

Pizza hopefully not from Poppie?

The concept was borne in Milan by artisan baker Rocco Princi, simply a trendy/stylish bakery always open to taste Mediterranean specialties. Apparently, Giorgio Armani designed the staff uniforms, and definitely, it has a trendy architectural style. Five locations four in Milan and one in the British Capital thanks to Alan Yau, yes the chef/restaurateur behind Wagamama, Busaba Ethai, Hakkasan, and Cha Cha Moon between other ventures, now he joined forces with Rocco to bring this communal seating Italian fast bakery concept to London.

A bit of everything

I decided to try a little bit of everything, so I got a slide of salami pizza, a chicken and avocado salad, and the rustici one with ham and the other ricotta and spinach, they reminded me back home when I had pastelitos for breakfast.

Rustici

Poppie is a little Sloppy

As an odd revelation I got dessert, I couldn’t resist the look of the tiramisu and profiteroles in the counter.

Sweet Child O' Mine

My Sweet Home Alabama selection

Good flavours, fast service for a fast pace Capital, convenient location, and modest prices. Definitely an option for our hectic life here in London, probably not the best choice for Italians who prefer to enjoy their meals and get a more relax atmosphere.

In my humble point of view I would have prefer the rustici to be hot just taken from the oven, as I remember having those back home. The pizza was nice, tagglio style just like Rome, the salad not the best I have had even though the combination just felt right, finally the profiteroles were a little bit dry and the tiramisu was great, not the best one in London but a quite decent one. Definitely, Italian flavours in a fast food concept that can compromise the traditional north Italian cuisine, but the success of the place indicates otherwise.

Italy reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Maestro”.

Maestro: And then about four years ago I was on holiday in Tuscany.

Elaine: Uh ha.

Maestro: And I fell in love with this house.

Waiter: Are you ready to order?

Elaine: Oh God. What are you getting Bob?

Maestro: Good question. We'll need a few minutes. You know, I'm sorry but, I didn't mention it earlier but actually I preferred to be called Maestro.

Elaine: Excuse me?

Maestro: Well, you know I am a conductor.

Elaine: Yeah, so?

Maestro: Oh I suppose it's O.K. for Leonard Burnstein to be called Maestro because he conducted the New York Philharmonic. So he gets to be called Maestro and I don't.

Elaine: Well, I mean don't you think that he was probably called Maestro while he was conducting, not in social situations. I mean his friends probably just called him Lenny.

Maestro: I happen to know for a fact, that he was called Maestro in social situations. I once saw him at a bar and someone came up to him and said "Hello Maestro, how about a beer". O.K. So that's a fact.

Elaine: Maestro huh? O.K.