HUO

HUO is a brand new Chelsea restaurant from the team behind Notting Hill hotspot, ULI. Much like ULI, it offers delicious Asian food and cocktails in a cool, contemporary space. The restaurant can be found on Park Walk, a pretty Chelsea side street, just off the busy Fulham Road.

In the warmer months, you can make the most of the lovely location with pavement dining under striped awnings, with heaters and cosy blankets on each chair. Inside, bleached timber and driftwood colours create an effortlessly stylish backdrop, accessorised with fresh plants and oversized lampshades. The restaurant is the perfect combination of light and airy, and warm and inviting - perfect for an intimate dinner for two or dining with friends.

The menu has a great selection of Asian dishes, created using traditional Chinese, Thai, Malay and Singaporean methods. There is a choice of snacks and small bites, as well as soups, dim sum, duck pancakes and a range of main dishes. We could happily have ordered everything on the menu, but after some soul-searching, we settled on some seaweed to start, with crispy calamari and the most delicious prawn dim sum.

We then moved on to duck which was perfectly crispy and served with pancakes, scallions, cucumber and duck sauce. A quarter was plenty for two but there is also the option of a half or whole duck for larger groups or if you want to have it as your main course. Talking of mains, we opted for the crispy shredded chilli beef and the crisp-fried cod fillet with black bean. Both were tasty, fresh and came in very generous portions.

The bar stocks all the spirits you would expect, as well as some Japanese whiskeys, vodkas and craft beers. You can choose from a small selection of Asian inspired cocktails on the menu too, and the team are also happy to create something off-menu.

Overall, we loved our visit to HUO. The service could’ve been a tad faster at times but as they were so new on our visit, this could be put down to teething problems. If you’re looking for quality Asian food in this pretty pocket of London, you’ll love HUO.

From the team behind much-loved Notting Hill restaurant Uli, comes Huo, a pan-Asian restaurant found on Chelsea’s Park Walk.

The dining room at Huo has been designed by Jonathan Clark Architects, foregoing the minimalist, clinical aesthetic favoured by many Asian restaurants in favour of a beachy, easygoing feel. In fact, the restaurant’s interiors are largely inspired by the area’s pet name of ‘Chelsea Beach’ (supposedly acquired because of the nearby tanning salons and wealth of alfresco terraces).

While you won’t find sand covered floors or parasols above tables, you can expect to be embraced by calming driftwood colours, a white timber raft ceiling and portraits of beachy scenes lining the walls. The serene atmosphere is further enforced by an abundance of natural light flooding in through the restaurant’s windows, as well as tropical plants which are dotted throughout the space. There are a few tables available on the streetside terrace too, should the weather be playing ball.

Huo’s menu travels far and wide, encompassing an array of dishes cherry-picked from around China and Southeast Asia, including dishes from Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The menu is divided up between snacks, small plates and main dishes, as well as seasonal specials which change each week. Drinks meanwhile, take in international wines, house cocktails and sake, alongside specialty teas for teetotallers.

Begin with the likes of edamame with rock salt, vegetable spring rolls and chicken gyoza. Next up, choose between main courses such as pan-fried teriyaki black cod with asparagus or crispy shredded chilli beef. Lively curries are also on the menu, while all dishes can be paired with rice dishes including egg-fried and Singaporean style.

To finish up, indulge with desserts such as toffee banana fritters or a selection of mochi, before heading to the standalone bar for post-prandial cocktails and bar snacks.