Hunan

 Small plates tasting menu the Chinese way

Bamboo chicken soup

Despite Hunan having been around in London since 1982, I never managed to pay a visit which is such a crime. The small family-run restaurant near Sloane Square is not your typical Chinese restaurant. It doesn't have a menu, you let the chef know what you like and dislike, and then you would be offered a blind tasting menu of around 12 to 18 dishes depending if it is a lunch or dinner setting. This, of course, is great for people who really understand Chinese food or are open to trying something new. The food offering, while it does contain some Cantonese elements, it has a wide range of other regional essences, and the chef has a habit of adding chili.

Steamed wild seabass

Stir fry beef sirloin

Steamed scallop

I sampled 20 dishes in total, it was a long tasting feast for sure. I enjoyed the chicken bamboo soup, it had a lovely depth of chicken umami essence and had such a comforting feel about it. The beef ribeye dish was stir-fried with ginger and spring onions, which was a very classic Cantonese approach. I could tell the beef was sourced from a good quality supplier, very tender and rich in aromatic taste. The one dish that sadly failed was a cockle dish poached in rice wine, the cockle wasn't clean properly as it still had so much sand so it was rather unpleasant. It would have been a great dish as I did enjoy the clean seafood and sweet aftertaste from the rice wine.

Black cod in wine vinegar

Pig intestines

Crispy duck

I can't believe I was given 15 small plates of dishes, before moving on to two main courses and side dishes, followed by 2 desserts. As far as Chinese cuisine, I can't recall I had such a long tasting menu. The risk of such a long menu runs the risk of some average dishes in between and that was the case from my visit. But I also got the chance to try some rarer and unusual dishes that are not easy to come by in typical London Chinese restaurants such as pig gut and frog legs. Hunan also uses more premium ingredients than most so is for sure a great restaurant to check for keen Chinse cuisine seekers.

Food 3/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£60

51 Pimlico Rd, London SW1W 8NE

https://www.hunanlondon.com/