Occasions by Hakkasan: Exquisite contempory Cantonese dishes for a memorable meal at home
Hakkasan hardly needs an introduction: from its world-class contemporary Cantonese cuisine to its iconic and opulent styling, it continues to deliver rave-worthy dishes that have stood the test of time, proving that glitz and glamour aside, it really is all about the food.
Their Mayfair restaurant in particular has been a roaring success from the start, having been awarded a Michelin star within the first year of opening and earning a dedicated culinary following who unabashedly sing its praises at every opportunity.
So, imagine our delight when we found out that we could recreate a Hakkasan experience at home. Occasions is a beautifully presented restaurant kit for two which includes their signature collection of dishes and even comes complete with a bamboo steamer, Hakkasan’s iconic incense sticks and a link to a Sounds of Hakkasan playlist to give you the full VIP experience. The box also includes simple, straightforward culinary instructions written by executive chef Andrew Yeo.
We started with the Classic Dim Sum Platter which we steamed in the bamboo basket that was provided in the kit. We had four different types of dumpling including king crab and peppercorn; wild mushroom; halibut shui mai with water chestnut and tobiko caviar; and langoustine har gau with Prunier caviar.
For mains, we tried the Grilled Chilean Seabass in Honey, which just needed to be popped in the oven before giving it a final drizzle of honey. This long-standing favourite didn’t disappoint. Granted, I didn’t do any of the hard work or preparation myself, but I was still completely taken aback that something so exquisite actually came out of my oven.
We also sampled the Smoked Beef Ribs with Jasmine Tea, which only took 15 minutes to heat up. I was worried about this drying out in my temperamental cooker but it came out tender, full of flavour and just as I’d expect from a restaurant kitchen.
The Hakka Noodles with shimeji mushrooms, beansprouts and katsuobushi were tossed in a wok with a drizzle of oil and some fierce heat. All the ingredients were super fresh and the noodles were devoured while still piping hot.
The side dish of Stir-fried Baby Broccoli and Preserved Olive provided a beautiful marriage of flavour and texture – so much so that I hesitate to call this a side dish and would class it as one of the main events.
For dessert, we concluded with the Chocolate and Raspberry Soufflé, which were placed in the oven under a watchful eye to see if they would rise. And sure enough, they did. These were then finished off with a golden chocolate ring and a pinch of dried raspberries.
For a memorable evening at home and the next best thing to eating out, Occasions by Hakkasan is the perfect indulgent treat.
Alex Julie Woods
Occasions by Hakkasan is available to order now and features both a signature set menu and a selection menu. For further information or to order, visit their website here.
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