Hutong Restaurant Moves to a Glamorous New Home with Panoramic Views of Hong Kong
The new Hutong at H Zentre features a stunning new design by Aqua Restaurant Group Founder David Yeo and new dishes of its occasionally fiery Northern Chinese cuisine.
Hutong, one of Hong Kong’s most iconic Chinese restaurants for nearly two decades, moves to a glamorous new home on the 18th floor of the stylish new H Zentre on Middle Road, next to The Peninsula and Sheraton Hotels in Tsim Sha Tsui. The magnificent new restaurant, occupying the penthouse of the building, takes glamorous Chinese destination dining in Hong Kong to a whole new level – with Hutong’s famous Northern Chinese cuisine set against breath-taking views of the Hong Kong harbour and skyline.
Whisked to the penthouse floor, guests step into Hutong’s world of old Peking with intricate handcrafted wood panels and doors, glowing red silk lanterns and the traditional wishing tree. Hutong draws its name from Beijing’s renown but fast disappearing alleys lined with traditional courtyard houses. Guests feel immediately at home and will notice glamorous new details – beautiful hand-carved wood panels bathed in blue and lilac coloured lighting, an infinity wall of glowing Chinese red silk lanterns, and grand handcrafted lanterns with richly coloured ornate silk tassels like those in the Imperial Palace of The Forbidden City. “We wanted to capture a feeling of old Peking and the essence of Hutong which people know and love, but at the same time give it a beautiful fresh makeover with some more contemporary touches,” said David Yeo, founder of Aqua Restaurant Group and designer of Hutong’s new home.
Hutong’s famous occasionally fiery Northern Chinese cuisine also gets a refresh in the new home. Beautifully-presented new dishes and a bigger contemporary dim sum menu available for lunch and dinner join the line-up of old favourites such as Hutong’s ‘Red Lantern’ crispy soft-shell crab, thrice-cooked Crispy de-boned lamb ribs and Flaming Peking duck.
Hutong has delighted gourmets in Hong Kong for the past eighteen years, proving so popular that it has successfully expanded to landmark locations in London, New York, Miami and Dubai, quickly establishing itself as one of the coolest places to dine in those cities. Each Hutong restaurant has its own stunning design with features relevant to its location and each has the same trademark Northern Chinese cuisine blending Hutong signature dishes but with dishes created solely for that location – much like sisters in the same family, they have different looks but share the same DNA.
Design and Ambience
As guests arrive at Hutong’s glamorous new home at H Zentre, they enter the Siheyuan courtyard inspired by the traditional family houses in old Peking’s hutongs. In one corner is the signature wishing tree laden with red “wishing” cards bearing the hand-written wishes of Hutong’s guests – according to tradition the higher you place the wish in the branches, the more likely the wish is to come true. In front is an eye-catching wall of bespoke hand-embroidered red Chinese lanterns, alongside a series of sumptuous private dining rooms with beautiful hand-carved wooden screens. To the right is the new apothecary bar, complete with traditional Chinese medicine drawers. Guests are led through a traditional moon gate to the outdoor Moon Terrace where opium divans offer a laid back vibe amid the stunning panoramic views. To the left, guests make their way along a beautifully-lit alleyway of Chinese wood screens glowing in rich colours and interspersed with striking lanterns. As you emerge from the lantern alley into the dining room, your senses are assaulted by the stunning panoramic views of the magical Hong Kong cityscape rising high above the harbour.
The magnificent main dining room features a long wall of traditional Yunnan tea bricks, which is how tea was historically compressed for transportation. Over at the bar, the ceiling is adorned with a stunning Qing Dynasty antique wood canopy salvaged from a traditional family home in Shaanxi province. Huge ornate embroidered lanterns laden with heavy richly-coloured silk tassels adorn the dining room bar – replicas of the imperial lanterns found in The Forbidden City. An ethereal “bamboo forest” light feature adds an element of mystery to the mood of the main restaurant. All of the Qing dynasty-style furniture, traditional wooden screens, as well as the stone floor tiles with dragon motifs have been carefully handmade for Hutong by artisans in China, helping to preserve these fast-disappearing traditional Chinese crafts.
The Food
Hutong has been much-loved for its Northern Chinese cuisine prepared for today’s palate with less oil and no MSG. Signature dishes include the ‘Red Lantern’ crispy soft-shell crab tossed in a basket of lip-numbing red Sichuan chillies and Sichuan-style lobster wok-tossed with chilli, black beans & dried garlic. The mouth-watering Aromatic Peking duck – prepared to recipes served to the Qing Emperors also still features on Hutong’s menu alongside a line-up of exciting new additions. A showstopper to make its debut at H Zentre is the Double Happiness roasted suckling pig served flaming tableside with a strong rice wine glaze to crisp the skin whilst keeping the pork tender and juicy. It is truly a work of culinary art and showmanship.
Hutong is equally famous for its innovative dim sum offerings now available for both lunch and dinner. Signature dim sums, which have proved popular in the Hutongs of London, New York, Miami and Dubai, include Charcoal yu xiang crispy pork dumplings – bite through the crispy charcoal black mochi exterior to a tender rich and warm filling of pork and fish, served on a glamorous gold-ridged plate. Also on the dim sum menu are Beef brisket xiao long bao and Pan-fried mapo tofu bao.
Other delectable new dishes include Wagyu beef stuffed with marinated purple cabbage and sumptuous Seared scallop Pi Xian spicy soba noodles served with sesame peppercorn sauce. Further favourites are the delightfully delicate Okra wrapped in mushroom lace in spicy chilled broth and an impressive sharing bowl of Mandarin fish in salted egg yolk broth with sizzling red and green pepper oil. For dessert, try Hutong’s unique Oolong ice cream and Homemade tofu panna cotta.
On weekends and public holidays, Hutong’s iconic Feng Wei Brunch features traditional Chinese acts and workshops. Guests can enjoy mesmerising dim sum demonstrations and artistic performances which are suitable for all ages. The sharing-style brunch includes new dishes such as Ma la Sichuan prawn dumpling and Kung po style golden bean curd tossed with cashew nuts and dried chilli. Brunch can be enjoyed with free-flow Veuve Clicquot Champagne, cocktails, sake, wine and beer.
The Apothecary Bar
Hutong’s resident mixologist Ryan Cheung helms the new Chinese apothecary bar overseeing the cocktail programme. Expect cocktails to change with the season, while classics can be enjoyed year round. Sip on the signature Comfortably Numb, made with vanilla vodka, lychee liqueur, Sichuan pepper honey and ruby red grapefruit. Dried Sichuan peppers coat the rim of the glass, creating a lip-tingling sensation on that first taste. For the new home, Ryan is presenting an extensive list of new cocktails, many incorporating Chinese botanicals and herbaceous influences. On the list is the spellbinding Lunar Quest crafted with chilli-infused Plantation 3 Stars rum, turmeric, coconut milk, pineapple and ginger topped with an ethereal scented bubble. Another new favourite is The Fortune Teller, presented in a fascinating sphere is made with botanical camomile-infused Two Moons dry gin, Oriental beauty tea, elderflower liqueur and apple.
Hutong’s new home is open from Thursday November 18th 2021.