I've got a complaint to make, and I want to make it against myself.

I want to look myself dead in the eyes and ask 'WHY HAS IT TAKEN YOU THIS LONG TO HAVE DINNER AT HAKKASAN?'. I'll then hug myself, acknowledge that good to things come to those who wait and move along, while others too move along... as far away as they can.

I've got good reason to be frustrated myself, especially now that I've dined at Hakkasan. Easily one of the best restaurant experiences I've had in years, I want to detail exactly why Hakkasan had me at hello, can I take your order? 

Low lighting and ambient tones fill the labyrinth that is Hakkasan. 

What hits me right away about Hakkasan Mayfair is the general layout of the restaurant. Doing away with the Scandi-chic (or the powder pink) that has most London restaurants wrapped around its little finger, Hakkasan has adopted the dark, the slinky and the broody in a labyrinth-esque basement space that is, admittedly, a little tricky to work around. While putting our maze-escaping skills to the test, Hakkasan has clearly designed a restaurant that is perfect for the locking of eyes across tables, and they know it; it's couples city on the night: population us. 

Cantonese to their core, Hakkasan Mayfair don't shy away from a big menu like most refined restaurants do, instead embracing the fact that a wealth of options is often what diners enjoy about Chinese cuisine. Whittling it down to dim sum before a main, we practically threw ourselves at the vegetarian platter boasting gong choi and lily bulb, cordyceps flower shui mai, Chinese chive jade dumplings and soy crumble bean curd. People that enjoy dim sum know it's just as much about the texture as it is the elements inside, and Hakkasan nailed both. Gemstone in colour with a sticky yet pert exterior that perfectly balanced with the ingredients, I have no doubt that Hakkasan get praise for these dumplings daily.

I can only continue to spill out further praise for the mains as my roaster silver cod was not only a humbling tribute to all things elegant (it's swimming in Champagne and honey for christ's sake), but the stir-fry four style vegetable in Szechuan sauce was a triumph of yam bean, asparagus and shimeji mushroom that had just the perfect level of sourness when paired with a fluffy, spring onion egg fried rice.

Hakkasan's dim sum selection is renowned in London. 

Dessert at Hakkasan is more dramatic an affair. Opting for the Jivara Bomb (one of Hakkasan's most norotious desserts) alongside the Yuzu Tart, we were welcomed with more extravagantly prepared plates than that of dinner. While the Jivara Bomb was a rice crispie sphere, melted with the addition of warm milk chocolate yet lacking the sweetness I expected, the Yuzu Tart was high on the acidity scale with the addition of yuzu ice cream, balanced only by a scattering of burnt meringue. 

The DesignMyNight Digest

There's nothing more rewarding than finding a restaurant that knows exactly what it is; and while I think there are a few blips in the dessert department, Hakkasan gave us an experience we'll never forget, alongside a bamboo steamer of dim sum that i'll be seeing in my dreams for weeks to come.