MEA July 2017

94 MEA MARKETS / July 2017 , known as the ‘cage’, separated by dark oak latticing, creating intimate dining spaces within the main room while still sharing the mood of the entire dining area. At the heart of the restaurant is the kitchen headed by Michelin-starred Chef Ho Chee Boon and his team of highly skilled wok and dim sum chefs. It is here Hakkasan classics are created such as Stir-fried black pepper rib–eye beef with merlot and roasted silver cod with Champagne and honey. Accompanying the menu is an extensive selection of internationally and locally produced wines and cocktails, carefully curated by the Hakkasan team. Hakkasan Shanghai Housed in the illustrious Bund 18 building, Hakkasan Shanghai is a stunning example of the brand’s striking design, alluring cuisine and exceptional mixology and sommelier skills, set against Shanghai’s most iconic view. Hakkasan Shanghai offers three different dining spaces. The Ling Ling Lounge, which sits in front of Shanghai’s impressive skyline, offers diners a relaxed lounge setting for cocktails or dinner. The main dining area, known as the ‘cage’, is beautifully defined by latticed woodwork that creates an intimate inner dining space. Finally, in deference to Shanghai’s dining culture, there are five luxurious private dining rooms set around the periphery of the restaurant. The menu, devised by Michelin- starred chef Tong Chee Hwee, has a strong Chinese identity which is underpinned by authenticity rather than traditionalism and uses locally sourced ingredients to create Hakkasan’s renowned signature dishes. Dishes such as cod with Champagne and Chinese honey, crispy duck salad and jasmine tea smoked Wagyu tenderloin have been artfully adapted to the palate of the resident clientele. Hakkasan Shanghai is open for dinner every night, offers a late-night dining menu on Friday and Saturday evenings, and a Hakka Bund weekend brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Hakkasan Doha Hakkasan Doha opened its doors in January 2013, the third restaurant in the region following the success of Hakkasan Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Set in the gardens of the St Regis Hotel, the restaurant features two private dining rooms as well as a Ling Ling Lounge. Exclusive services, such as private valet parking, complements the award-winning food, which includes Hakkasan signature dishes as well as those created specifically for the restaurant, including stir-fried duck with wing bean and Shanghai fried lamb tenderloin. An elegant retreat of a restaurant, Hakkasan Doha is open daily for dinner from 6:00pm, from 12 midday until 3:30pm for brunch every Friday and from 1pm until 4pm for lunch every Saturday. Executive Head Chef, Tong Chee Hwee Born in 1963, Tong Chee Hwee started his career at the age of 18 at the Happy Valley Chinese restaurant in Singapore before moving to their Kuala Lumpur restaurant. He then moved back to Singapore to work at the Hotel Carlton. It was in Singapore that he was discovered as he was overseeing the kitchens at the highly regarded Chinese restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton. Tong was persuaded to move to London in 2001 to become Head Chef at the soon-to-be-opened Hakkasan Hanway Place. Within a year of its launch, Hakkasan won its first Michelin star, which it still maintains today. In March 2005, Chef Tong was given another extraordinary accolade at London’s foremost restaurant ceremony, the Tio Pepe ITV Restaurant Awards when he was awarded the ‘London Chef of the Year’. He is the only Chinese chef to have won such an award. Chef Tong’s skill is presenting complex flavoured Chinese dishes with a modern flair and bringing a freshness and vitality to Chinese food. Chef Tong is based at HKK where he and his team develop new dishes inspired by the diversity of Chinese cuisine. His unparalleled skill and artistry is exemplified in his unique creations that tell the story of both traditional and modern China.