There are a few things that are a bit peculiar about Hakkasan, for one, its location. It's not in a hub, rather, it's amidst industrial Richmond. Another oddity is that the staff were actually friendly and attentive - definitely not a norm for a Chinese restaurant. If you are looking for familiar fare such as orange chicken or bright red sweet and sour pork, this is NOT the place.
For starter we had a curried whelk. What's a whelk, you ask? It's a sea snail (but imagine a regular escargot on steroids). It was chopped and curried and stuffed back in the shell. It is interesting, but nothing to get excited about. It is followed by a seared foie gras salad in a bed of mixed spring greens and strawberries and a bowl of lobster bisque.
Next course is a Smoked Mushroom Beancurd Crepes. This is an interesting dish that I would like to remake at home.
Main entrée for me is a Chilean sea bass, it is cooked perfectly. There isn't any exotic flavouring on this one, it's all about the fresh ingredient and cooking technique. My friend chose the lobster. Also cooked perfectly. Both meals came with a bowl of rice.They will be closing temporarily soon, but I would love to come back to and try their other items.
