MD's review of Hakkasan

If your visiting Hakkasan anytime soon then do one thing – catch up with your fellow diner/s beforehand as once you enter the basement restaurant you'll be too busy people watching and being generally astounded to speak to them until the bill arrives. Entering Hakkasan is like entering a secret uber world, with the backstage buzz of a fashion show together with the ambience of a sleek and very exclusive members club. You want to be here and you love every minute, particularly the minutes that fly by as you read the ample menu.

I was glad to see that style (fantastic though it is) is not above substance here and there were a few dilemmas on choosing the right dish and sides, but nothing the friendly and knowledgable waiting staff can't help you out with. On the advice of a friend I went with the infamous silver cod with champagne and honey – what a delight. Interestingly unlike most hyped restautrants at Hakkasan portion size does not have an inverse relationship to price and the cod came as two generous fillets. Vegetarian options were also aplenty with carefully prepared mock chicken dishes.

My only regret is not trying the desserts, but between a pre dinner visit to the Sanderson's Long bar for a few glasses of celebratory champagne, the plentiful dim sum platter and the melt in my mouth cod, I'd have been akin to a certain pink farmyard animal if I'd have attempted anymore. Great for dates to impress or inversely bored couples! And one to keep visiting…

p.s. Has anyone else noticed that Mint Leaf, which opened some time after Hakkasan, has co-incidentally very similar interiors?