Hakkasan Restaurant
Grilled Pork Ribs with Sweet Plum and Chinese Clove
Crispy Duck Salad with Pomelo, Pomegranate, Pine Nut and Lotus Root
Jewel of Jalisco – Avion 44 Extra Anejo Tequila, Fino Sherry, Contratto Bianco, Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur, Oaxacan Old Fashioned Syrup, Elderflower, Grapefruit Bitters
Píng Jìng – Haku Vodka, Campari, Vanilla Liqueur, Chamomile Tea, Blood Orange, Lemon, Yuzu Soda
Hakka Steamed Dim Sum Platter with Har Gau, Scallop Shumai, Chinese Chive Dumpling, Prawn and Chicken with Pak Choi Dumpling
Chicken and Salted Fish Fried Rice
Stir-fry Black Pepper Beef Ribeye with Merlot, Onions, Garlic, Rice Noodles
Roasted Chilean Seabass with Honey
Stir-fry French Beans, Lilly Bulb, Preserved Olive, Dry Chilis
The Vanishing Lady – Fortaleza Reposado, Habanero and Pink Peppercorn-infused Yellow Chartreuse, Watermelon, Ginger, Agave
Fallen Sovereign – Granny Smith Apple, Lemon, Cinnamon, Ginger
Peking Duck with Pancakes, Cucumbers, Ginger, Scallions and Hoisin Sauce
Sinful Chocolate – Raspberry Chocolate Marquise, Timut Raspberry Sorbet, Chocolate Decadence Cake, Timut La Esmeralda Crémeux
Macarons – Dark Chocolate, Passion Fruit Milk Chocolate, Lychee, Raspberry
When Hakkasan Nightclub opened at MGM Grand in April of 2013 it was difficult to not be impressed, the massive façade and reported cost of $100 million dollars making global headlines while the Restaurant off of which it was based gathered favorable reviews despite, at least size-wise, seeming like an afterthought.
Flashing forward nearly six years, a meal during Golden Week 2014 having previously shown Chef Ho Chee Boon’s “Chinoise chic” Fare competently executed by Las Vegas’ staff, it was in continuation of Chinese New Year that seats were again taken in the labyrinth-like Restaurant, a special menu only briefly perused before instead opting for some of Hakkasan’s more storied plates.
Undoubtedly one of Sin City’s most influential brands, humble beginnings in 2001 at Hanway Place in London a distant memory after partnering with Angel Management Group and subsequently purchasing Light Group as well as Brian Malarkey’s Herringbone and Searsucker, guests entering Hakkasan are immediately greeted at a long stand lined with young women, the smell of flowers in the air while music plays subtly overhead.
Stylish but not stuffy, the compress and expand from MGM to the dining room drawing attention to high ceilings over dark wood and marble, it was in a section currently empty that a banquette set for two was found, the choice of bottled versus tap Water immediately requested as two menus each for Food and Beverage were laid down on the table.
Remembered as feeling rushed last time, little changed in terms of service over the intervening years even though the Restaurant was less than 25% full, it was less than three-minutes later than inquiry was made as to whether Cocktails had been selected, the list of twenty not even half-navigated but two selected after a few more minutes including the holiday Píng Jìng with Vanilla playing off Citrus plus a Vodka base while the $28 Jewel of Jalisco dazzled with a facet-cut Ice Cube at the center of Tequila, Elderflower and bold herbal flavors.
Ordering three Appetizers simultaneous with Drinks, both sticky Pork Ribs and Ho Chee Boon’s legendary Duck Salad arriving before the aforementioned Beverages, it was after photos that a server mixed and plated Confit, Fruit and Greens, each bite entirely different from that prior but all delicious while Dim Sum arriving later was better than the American average but thicker skinned and less flavorful than what is offered at recent openings such as Mott32 and China Tang in MGM’s District.
Moving on to Entrees and Sides, pre-requesting a Peking Duck with the reservation apparently completely overlooked and a paltry piece of Skin and Meat somehow intended to compensate nearly forty minutes later, guests seeking a true Hakkasan classic shouldn’t think twice before requesting roasted Sea Bass painted with Honey atop a bed of Bok Choy, the sweetness complimentary rather than overwhelming while stir-fried Beef was equally well matched to Wine, Onions and Garlic plus a Rice Noodle nest to be broken up for added texture.
Impressing further with sides, the subtle saltiness of dried Fish paired well to Chicken and Rice just as preserved Olives help highlight fried Beans, it was while waiting for Duck that two additional Drinks were sipped, The Vanishing Lady bringing heat but reigning it in with Watermelon and Ginger while a Mocktail titled Fallen Sovereign reminisced of Apple Cider without being too sweet thanks to a liberal squeeze of Lemon.
Rounding out a short two-hours with Dessert, Coffee never offered by a server who virtually disappeared after his boss acknowledged the Duck issue, those seeking traditional Cantonese sweets are better off taking the party elsewhere, the finale at Hakkasan almost exclusively French dating back to when Monica Delgadillo was in charge and highlighted by Parisian quality Macarons plus a variety of deconstructed creations such as “Sinful Chocolate” which tastes a lot like Black Forest Cake despite using Raspberries instead of Cherries.
THREE AND A HALF STARS: Magnificent in magnitude, with soaring ceilings above dark woods, a meal at Hakkasan always feels like an event, but given the fact that service has twice proven sub-par it is hard to really sit back and enjoy the experience even though both Food and Beverage are executed on a level that justifies the price.
RECOMMENDED: Píng Jìng, Crispy Duck Salad, Chicken and Salted Fish Fried Rice, Roasted Chilean Seabass with Honey, Macarons.
AVOID: Expectations of traditional Cantonese Cuisine must be left at the door.
TIP: “Our dress code is smart casual. No sportswear, swimwear, or sandals are permitted. Shorts are suitable during summer months as long as they are worn smartly with shoes and a collared shirt. Please do not wear hats inside Hakkasan.”
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
www.hakkasan.com/locations/hakkasan-las-vegas
