Having previously visited Hakkasan in Beverley Hills, we were keen to compare it’s offering to that of it’s sister restaurant of the same name, located in Las Vegas. Inside the MGM hotel is where you’ll find Hakkasan, and we certainly suggest you do just that.
The atmosphere upon arrival was just electric - buzzy and full of diners who were clearly enjoying the restaurant’s wares. The service throughout the whole evening, from start to finish, was just faultless. When we arrived, we were shown to our table by a friendly waiter, and settled in to enjoy an aperitif.
We chose to sample a couple of the cocktails from Hakkasan’s wonderful cocktail menu to begin our evening. Up first, we had The Hakka, which was a vodka based blend with sake, coconut, lime, passion fruit, and lychee juices; as well as the Piscolito, which saw chamomile tea infused pisco, blended with vermouth, and again, lime, passion fruit and lychee juice. They were both delicious, so we decided to try a second round…
This time up, we went for the Buddah’s Palm, which incorporated bourbon with velvet falernum, yuku juice, marmalade, black grapes, balsamic vinegar, and mint; and lastly, the Shiso Gimlet - gin, dry curacao, yuzu marmalade, lime, and shisho leaves.
The cocktails flavour combinations were exquisite, and we were impressed with how competently they were made. Clearly, they take their cocktails seriously here, and we were pleased to note the time that had evidently been spent developing them.
Following the cocktails, we ordered a bottle of the 2011 Pinot Noir, “Ceras”, from Antica Terra, Willamette Valley, Oregon, which we enjoyed whilst making our choices from the menu.
“The food was consistently impressive”
To start, we had the crispy duck salad with pomelo, pomegranate, and pine nut, as well as the Hakka fried dim sum platter - which included roasted duck pumpkin puff, XO scallop puff, and crispy prawn dumplings.
For our main courses, we chose the sweet and sour pork with pomegranate, and the stir-fried black pepper beef rib eye with merlot. On the side, we shared the egg and scallion fried rice, as well as the stir-fried asparagus with dried shrimp, and preserved vegetables.
The food was just beautiful - the flavours were very impressive. Particular highlights for us included the dim sum platter (in particular, the XO scallop puff), and the rib eye. The asparagus was also a most welcome addition to the meal. That being said, the food was consistently impressive, and had we not have been satiated by our starters and mains, we would have jumped at dessert.
That, however, gives us an excellent excuse to return, so we are adding Hakkasan, Las Vegas, back onto our must visit list. We would also suggest that you do the same, particularly if you are new to the Hakkasan group, as there’s something very special about these restaurants indeed. It’s a great escape from the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas, combining great cocktails with wonderful food, and excellent service. It truly was a most enjoyable evening.
The Bill: £89 per head
