Hakkasan, Midtown West, NYC – The Restaurant Fairy

Food: ☆☆☆☆

Service: ☆☆☆½

Ambiance: ☆☆☆½

Cost: $$$$

Must try: Dim Sum, pumpkin-duck puffs, Chicken Sanpei

Hakkasan, the famous London based Chinese Restaurant, has opened its doors in Manhattan and might just be my new favorite go to place for upscale Chinese cuisine!

This huge 11,000-square-foot spot is accessed through an unmarked door, which opens into a trendy, Asian accented interior. Hakkasan definitely caters to a more Westernized notion of Chinese food and a hipper clientele.

Be prepared people…… the menu is excessively priced with some offerings like the Peking duck with Kaluga caviar at $295 or the braised Japanese Abalone  With black truffle for upto $888! No matter which way you dice it…you will leave there with a hole in your pocket.

The smart way to experience Hakkasan, if you must, without spending a small fortune, is to go there for lunch where you get “A Taste of Hakkasan”  at $29 for three courses.

So how is the food? I think at Hakkasan, they do certain dishes really well. The dim sum is really outstanding and I really enjoyed the pumpkin-duck puffs. They also have some really superb entrees.

Is Hakkasan worth all the hype? I think that remains to be seen. New York City is a tough market and even with multiple successful locations around the world, to make it here – one needs that perfect “Je ne sais quoin”.

In the meanwhile I definitely think it’s worth a try.

Here is some of what we ate: