Sky high dining with a view - A review of Hutong at The Shard

19 January 2018

It's no secret that I love oriental food - combine that with delicious cocktails and the most amazing views of London and it'll come as no surprise that Hutong at The Shard has now become one of my new favourite restaurants:

Having heard so many good things about Hutong at The Shard I was really excited to experience the food and atmosphere for myself. Upon arriving we were seated right next to the window giving us the most beautiful views of The City and St Paul's.

Water was soon poured and we were left to peruse the extensive food and drink menu, all whilst admiring the beautiful views and feeling grateful that we had the day off to enjoy London in the sunshine.

As we were celebrating my birthday we decided to start with a round of cocktails. Unfortunately I didn't write down the names but both were absolutely delicious, refreshing and sweet but still with a good kick of alcohol and I loved the additional touch of the mini ice cream cone on my drink.

As it was our first time at Hutong we weren't sure what to have so we decided to try the Experince lunch menu which turned out to be a really good introduction to the restaurant and the Northern Chinese style of food from head chef Fei Wang.

To start there are a selection of dumplings elegantly presented and served traditional style in a wooden steamer. We were both really impressed with these - it's easy to go wrong with dim sum but these were cooked to perfection with just enough bite to the skin and filled with the most delicious meat and vegetables inside. The Xo sauce crystal dumplings and rose champagne shrimp dumplings were particular highlights which really stood out.

Before main course there's a palette cleanser of classic poached monkfish in lamb broth. This was light and refreshing but at the same time packed with flavour and umami richness. I was so pleased to see it served traditional style with a light stock base and it really reminded me of my mum's home cooking - the ultimate compliment to the restaurant.

Time for another round of cocktails and again you could tell a lot of care and attention had gone into the choice of ingredients and they both turned out to the the perfect accompaniment to our main course.

Mains were a delicious mix of sauteed cuttlefish with gong vegetable, enoki mushroom and sichuan chilli, crispy beef tenderloin, bell peppers, dried garlic and black bean and wok fried pak choi with garlic sauce, served with a generous portion of chef's picked vegetable fried rice. Like with the previous courses we were so impressed with the complex layers of flavour. Each dish was so authentic and with a mixture of crispy meat, soft fish and light vegetables it was nicely balanced too.

Despite the luxurious location Hutong at The Shard had a really nice relaxed vibe, and with dark wooden decor and hanging lanterns it wasn't hard to imagine we were somewhere far more exotic than London. Staff are attentive but happy to leave you to talk too and we were able to enjoy a leisurely long lunch without feeling rushed or in the way.

Finally to end there's a mango pudding with fruit salsa. I'd describe this as similar to a set custard or panna cotta - creamy and smooth with a delicious burst of mango flavour running throughout. After the intense flavours of the main course this was the perfect dessert and a lovely end to the meal.

Overall we were both so impressed with Hutong at The Shard. There's a great selection of cocktails to choose from, the food is authentic and delicious and you really can't go wrong with the beautiful view. A great restaurant to visit for any special occasion and we'll no doubt be back to try more of the menu before too long!

Have you ever been to Hutong at The Shard? What are your favourite restaurants in London?

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