Occasionally-fiery Hutong Opens in Dubai

Fresh from London, New York and Hong Kong, the award-winning restaurant Hutong brings occasionally fiery Northern Chinese cuisine to DIFC in Dubai

The contemporary Northern Chinese restaurant and bar Hutong is now open on the ground floor of Gate Building 6, DIFC. With award-winning locations in London, New York, Miami, and in its home Hong Kong, Hutong brings a fresh take on Chinese cuisine with its occasionally fiery Northern Chinese dishes, dim sum and cocktails. The new restaurant features a bespoke interior design inspired by the heritage of the Silk Road where Arabic and Chinese influences merge.

Hutong’s Dubai menu incorporates signature dishes from London and New York as well as new dishes created exclusively for the Dubai restaurant. The signature Red Lantern is served to the table in a traditional Chinese wood basket overflowing with red Sichuan dried chilies. Crispy pieces of soft-shell crab nestle between them, infused with spices and lip-numbing chili essence. Hutong’s Roasted Peking Duck with Pancakes is delicately carved at the table. The whole duck is carefully prepared for 24 hours using a traditional recipe said to have been developed over one hundred years ago for the Emperor, making the duck skin crispy on the outside while the meat remains moist, tender and flavourful. Hutong’s dim sum, recently praised by The New York Times, is also main feature, with the famous Dim Sum Platter served at lunch and at dinner.

Amongst the dishes specially created for the Dubai restaurant is Suen Cai Yu – a Seabass and pickled cabbage crispy dumpling, and Hamour Fillet, locally sourced and served in a chilli broth. For dessert, a playful take on the traditional Chinese favourite, Bao and Soy Milk – a white chocolate covered, sesame and caramel mousse resembles a “bao” and is served on top of a praline sesame crunch. Sprinkled with lime zest to resemble scallions, the “bao” is complemented by a perfect scoop of house-made soy milk ice cream served in a marble and glass “cone.”

A centerpiece of the Hutong experience is the bar. Hutong’s intriguing cocktail list complements its cuisine by incorporating Chinese spices and herbs. The list features complex and elevated libations, such as signature cocktail, Comfortably Numb, mixed with vanilla spirit, lychee liqueur, Sichuan pepper honey and ruby red grapefruit. Dried Sichuan peppers coat the rim of the glass, creating a slight tingling sensation upon sipping. Hutong’s extensive grape and bubbly list offers options from around the globe, selected to pair perfectly with the restaurant’s cuisine.

“We are delighted to welcome Dubai to the Hutong family – with sister restaurants in London, New York, Miami and Hong Kong. At Hutong, we are passionate about our contemporary Northern Chinese cuisine – occasionally fiery with spices and Sichuan peppers, but always robust reflecting the character of its northern home. Perhaps it’s this passion that got us ranked among the top five restaurants in New York by the New York Times. We are excited to share the passion with Dubai!” says David Yeo, founder of Aqua Restaurant Group.

Hutong takes its name from the narrow streets and back alleys of old Beijing (Peking as it was called then). The hutongs were bustling with all forms of the city’s life. Peking sat at the end of the famous Silk Road along which in the Qing Dynasty a rich variety of produce and goods travelled between China and the Middle East and Europe. The design inspiration of Hutong in Dubai is drawn from the part of the Silk Road around Xinjiang in the west of China and Kyrgyzstan, meeting point and a melting pot for Arabic and Chinese cultures. The design, conceptualised by David Yeo and brought to life by London based Fabled Studio, brings together strong Arabic elements with Chinese elements. Dubai residents will feel very at home in the room but will be surprised by some of the unusual Chinese features.

A distinctive component of the design is the handcrafted sandstone wall, inspired by the towering Emin Minaret from Urumqi in Xinjiang. Beautiful geometric patterns carved into the warm sandstone are dramatically highlighted with shafts of lights thrown across the surface. Upon arrival, guests also remark the intricate design of the towering 30 foot high wooden screens surrounding the dining area, which have been hand carved in China and shaped in Arabic design, with delicate Chinese carvings on the interior representing clouds. Another unique element and focal point is the iconic and traditional Wishing Tree positioned in the centre of the restaurant, a striking element that is featured in both Hutong restaurants in London and Hong Kong. Guests are invited to make a wish on a red Lai See card and place it on the tree, with tradition suggesting the higher the wish is placed on the tree, the more likely it is to come true. With each layer of the space a story unfolds; from the deep burgundy red representing luck and dashes of jade in the private dining rooms representing harmony, to the Lotus bulb shaped lamps, Hutong creates a seamless design in a dramatic yet inviting setting.

The restaurant is situated on the ground floor of Gate Building 6 in DIFC with majestic towering ceilings and a mezzanine. There are 88 seats in the main dining area, a distinct bar with 9 seats and 2 private dining rooms with a total of 24 seats. Outside is an expansive and discrete terrace.