Hunan (Chinese) – London, England (8.5/10)
Jun 8th, 2009 by admin
Background:
For about the last two years, ever since she discovered it, my London-based Taiwanese friend has been trying to persuade me to eat at Hunan. I knew very little about it until I finally decided to go with her and her partner. It’s a Taiwanese family-run restaurant, located near Sloane Square, and has been around since 1982. And although it’s called Hunan (a province well known for its spicy cuisine), the dishes are mostly ‘heavily influenced by the food of Taiwan’, to quote its website.
First impressions:
There are two distinct sections of the restaurant, a small area by the large windows towards the front, which is bright and perfect for photography, and the larger area towards the back, which is darker. There is also a private dining area upstairs for larger groups. The decor is distinctly ‘Chelsea’, tastefully done up in varying tones of beige. The clientele were generally older and a few were clearly regulars, while the service was friendly and polite.
Menu:
Hunan famously has no menu, so it was a strange sensation not to have anything to pore over or worry about ordering the ‘right’ dishes. All you have to do is tell Michael the manager or his father Chef Peng what you can’t eat and how spicy you like your food, then choose the wine (or ask Michael to help as you won’t know what kind of food will be arriving on your table), sit back and relax.
So this is what we ended up with. And we didn’t get the minced meat on a lettuce leaf which every other table seemed to get, while they missed out on our shui jian bao, crab noodle soup and pigs’ ears and tongues! There were 15 mini courses in total, 16 if I include the extra portion of shui jian bao.
- signature broth of minced pork, Chinese mushroom & ginger - served in a bamboo cup, this was a deliciously light and fragrant broth with a topping of minced pork that broke apart into the broth when dug into
- shui jian bao – extremely light and fluffy small buns filled with pork that are special in their preparation, as they have to be steamed then fried in water (something like that!), so that the base is crispy. Chef Peng said they’re hard to make. Served with a light vinegar dipping sauce
- morning glory (tung choi or oong choi) with clams – a classic Taiwanese dish, with the chopped fresh chillies giving it a little kick. Lovely and simple
- salted pork – this came in thinnish slices, with more chopped fresh chillies. I have to say, I can’t eat very hot food, but the dishes left a pleasant tingle in the mouth, rather than overwhelming the taste buds
- braised duck with fresh bamboo shoots – I don’t think I’ve ever had fresh bamboo shoots in London, so this was a treat and even more exciting than the accompanying pieces of duck, which were tender and succulent
- pork – I wonder if this was the famous double-cooked pork? However it was prepared, it was lovely, with a crispy outer coating
- stuffed prawns – fresh crunchy prawns rolled around what appeared to be either tofu or fish mixed with a vegetable. The filling was so finely minced, it was hard to identify
- pigs’ ears and tongues – I surprised myself by loving this dish. Until a few months ago, I was a reluctant consumer of offal and animal parts. But I’ve recently eaten marrow, cheeks and tripe and enjoyed them all. So when these little sliced gems came along, served cold and thinly sliced with a light sesame-based sauce, I tucked in. One of the highlights of the evening (first photo of the post)
- spinach rolls – these came in a sweet tomato- based chilli sauce and were crispy on the outside
- chicken and glutinous rice rolls – another of my favourites of the evening, because I love glutinous rice
- cod fish rolls – I asked several times what these were, and I think it was cod fish, but I’m not convinced. I suppose once in a while I just have to enjoy what I’m eating without needing to know so much…
- crispy frogs legs – another signature dish of the restaurant, and another of my favourites. Frog tastes very similar to chicken, but the meat is more delicate
- bitter melon stuffed with chicken – I love bitter melon and the flavours contrasted really nicely in this dish. Each piece was served with half a prawn on top
- fried baby squid – if you like squid, you’ll love baby squid! That’s all I can say about this…
- shui jian bao – the extra portion arrived, with six smaller ones this time
- crab noodle soup – the star dish, which arrived in a gigantic pot and could have served six people. A whole king crab, chopped into pieces, was served in a broth (with coriander and lemongrass) with noodles. The crab had been fried beforehand, so was full of flavour. By this point, we were struggling and had to turn down pudding. I took the rest of the crab noodles home to have for breakfast the next morning!
The verdict:
Customers do seem to be treated differently in terms of the types of dishes served, and I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to try some of the things that we were offered, had I not been with my Taiwanese friend. Chef Peng came up to ask if we wanted more shui jian bao, then offered us the incredible crab noodle soup. One small criticism is that the dishes were presented with the minimum of descriptions. With no menu, I wanted to know exactly what I was eating and how the dish was prepared, so informing me that a dish was ‘pork’ or ‘chicken’ didn’t satisfy me, although most customers were more than happy to just eat what they were given. However, a couple of the servers didn’t speak much English, so I suppose it is understandable. And trying to work out what we were eating was an enjoyable part of the experience of eating at Hunan!
I like to think that with no menu, the ingredients used on any one day at Hunan are fresher and of a better quality than in a restaurant which has to be ready to prepare any dish on their menu (and throw away unused food). Based upon one visit, I would say that Hunan is a wonderful place to try some unusual dishes you wouldn’t find in other Chinese restaurants in London. The concept of not having a menu appealed to me as well. It was thrilling not knowing what was going to arrive next, or how many courses there would be. For 15 courses, wine and service, £55 per person was pretty reasonable, particularly given the quality (and quantity) of food consumed. I’ll certainly return soon to be surprised again…
NB As there were no vegetarians amongst us, I can’t say what the kitchen could offer vegetarians, but I’d be keen to turn up with the vegetarian husband on the next occasion and set Chef Peng a challenge!
Click here to see the entire set of photos taken at Hunan.
10 – Perfection, 9.5 – Sensational, 9 – Outstanding, 8.5 – Superb,
8 – Excellent, 7.5 – Very Good, 7 - Good, 6.5 - Above Average, 6 – Average
All the London restaurant reviews on World Foodie Guide
Contact details:
Hunan
51 Pimlico Road
London SW1 8NE
Tel: 020 7730 5712
www.hunanlondon.com
Helen Yuet Ling Pang @ World Foodie Guide
Commenting as requested… I’ve heard (though I don’t have any links to hand, so please don’t just take my word for it) that Hunan cope with vegetarians and even vegans just fine. They even got a nomination from the Vegetarian Society, though it was a while back in 2003.
Great review, as always. I particularly like your reference to your mixed feelings about not knowing the details of some of the dishes you ate – that’s something I’ve wondered about when considering Hunan myself.
I’ve held off visiting as I’d got the impression the food was hot but then a friend went, on my recommendation (I told him I’d read good reviews from food bloggers but not been myself) he was asked whether they wanted the food hot, mild… he said HOT but what they were served really wasn’t hot at all.
Can one tell them a budget limit at the start, do you think, or would that be crass?
Kake – thanks for this. As I said, I’ll test their vegetarian dishes using the husband next time. We always have problems eating in Chinese restaurants and he is so bored of tofu, mushrooms and stir-fried vegetables. He had so much more choice in Beijing and HK last October….
Kavey – you can specify the spiciness of the food. To be honest, my friend eats very spicy food, but the dishes we were given were just right (and I don’t eat very spicy, but then it’s all relative isn’t it?). To put it in a better way, I experienced a slight tingling sensation rather than gasping and reaching for a drink. Re cost, I don’t think you can do that. I’m sure everyone pays the same fixed cost. As I didn’t get to see the bill (only caught a glimpse of the total) because my friends paid, I can’t tell you what it was exactly. But Lizzie paid about £50 per head including wine, and our bill worked out at £55 per head including wine.
Helen Yuet Ling
This does look magnificent but it depresses me that I will not be able to enjoy it unless I find a Taiwanese friend because I will get minced meat on a lettuce leaf instead of all the exciting things! I would really like to try fresh bamboo shoots too. I thought the top photo was pig’s ears when I first saw it. Lizzie and I had a terrible experience with them at the Lithuanian restaurant, mostly because the only bits they gave us was the bit with of cartilage – those look totally different. I really wanted to like them!
wow…sounds great..i’m of taiwanese-hunanese ethnicity background too so this restaurant’s cuisine seems to fit with my palate..must try it sometime if i ever visit london:-)
Great review.
I have been coming here since the 1980″s and recommend many visits as the Peng’s have a huge range of dishes. When a customer and the owners develop a relationship you will find that you can discuss what they may have thats special that day and request specific dishes to end your meal this could be Lobster , Crab , Giant Soup Dishes or amazing slow cooked shoulder of pork for example.
I particularly like the crab noodle soup ,spinach rolls and frogs legs that you mention.
Oh and by the way the minced meat (chicken) that you wrap in lettuce is actually very good indeed. It contains chilli , corriander , garlic and ginger and certainly gets your taste buds going after the minced pork soup.
I would say that in 90% of the meals I have enjoyed there more often that not no noodles or rice are served and if so right at the very end with one of the special finale dishes. I understand that in certain parts of China(Not Canton) and Taiwan this is fairly typical for those who obviously can afford not to have a “filler” in their meal – rice is offered if you are still hungry at the end of a meal. Anyway that probably explains why I once had an 11 hour meal at Hunan where lunch blended in to dinner and even after 40+ dishes felt light as a daisy
Michael like his father is a Chef in his own right and has actually won a number of competitions over the years in London against both London and China based chefs.
I just read the post, but it was the pictures that blew me away. They were beautiful. (I saw you were looking into a new camera, did you get it, and were these pics taken with it?) The unique dishes sounded wonderful and a great way to expand into a new variety of dishes. I agree with you, regarding the menu – its fine not to have it, but provide me something to study the ingredients and cooking preparation. To me, that’s half the fun of eating out.
I love the idea of no menu as I think that it would really encourage trying new dishes although I agree it could be a bit disconcerting not knowing what is what.
The dishes look fantastic ! The food seems quite diverse too – the crab noodle soup could be Vietnamese and the shui jian bao look Shanghainese. One dish that is from Hunan are the frog’s legs as I tried these in a Hunanese restaurant in Beijing years ago.
Tough question but which one out of Hunan and Ba Shan would you choose for dinner ?
I like the idea of no menu! It’s so nice there is so much good food in London, even Taiwanese!!! I wish I could move back here, haha! Did you go there for dinner, seems a lot of food you have tried there : ) I am drooling!
Helen – you would have approved of these pigs’ ears, so delicate and crunchy! You know me, I’m not that keen on animal parts and innards, but I loved this.
chinesechic – this restaurant is designed for you, how perfect!
Gastro1 – thanks so much for your insight into Hunan, as a regular and loyal customer! I look forward to many more meals there now that I’ve also become a fan…
OysterCulture – no, these photos were taken with the old camera. There won’t be any photos from the new camera for a few weeks yet! I really enjoyed the excitement of not knowing what was going to come next, but as I wrote, a little more description would have been perfect.
Gourmet Chick – glad you agree! It’s only a tiny point, but I did find myself needing to know everything.
Sung – not a tough question at all, because my answer would be that you must go to both at some point! But I would choose Hunan for dinner and Ba Shan for lunch (you’d need to order loads to be truly full, I think, given my own experience).
Janet – yes, it was dinner. And I hope one of many more!
Helen Yuet Ling
A menu-less restaurant? A very daring concept: eating is such an intimate experience that it takes quite a leap of faith to consume something made by a stranger (at least for the first-time visitor) without any idea of what’s to come. The closest I ever came to this was at a sushi bar where the itamae decided which sashimi and sushi to prepare for me. That Hunan has been in business for so long is good reassurance, though! As far as customers being differentiated based on what they’re served, I can see how it might encourage repeated returns to develop a relationship with the chef and see what delicious food might result!
Speaking of which, these dishes look fantastic, especially the pigs’ ears and tongues. I’m all about the offal!
Tangled Noodle – I like the concept now (though I was slightly apprehensive beforehand). But I do trust the friends I was with, who are also dedicated foodies. And I look forward to going back next time when there will be different things to try!
Helen Yuet Ling
Gosh this looks like quite a treat, everything looks pretty tasty and Im quite intrigued by the cod fish rolls thingie.
Frog legs are hard to find so I will have to give this a try sometime soon.
Another one on my to-eat list
Was also going to add the no-menu concept really reminds me of home. I remember eating at restaurants when I was a kid with my family and my dad never looks at any menu, he usually asks the waiter what’s fresh on the day, monosyllabic too:
“Soup.”
“Meat”
“Fish”
“rice”
“noodle”
“tea”
Oh that sounds and looks amazing – did Michael come with a list of questions or did you have to go primed with the things that you don’t like?
kang – I think Y might like this, or at least be able to tell which are Taiwanese classics etc. I love the way your dad orders! We should try that in a London restaurant one day and see what the reaction is…
Jo (Laquet) – because my friend eats there so regularly, she just said to bring it on! I’m not sure how it normally works, but I think if you mention your dislikes (and hot you like your food), then you should be fine.
Helen Yuet Ling
I really liked Hunan when I visited, although I did get crispy duck and pancakes towards the end, which I suspect was a mere filler. Crab noodle soup would have been much more welcome.
This is my first visit to your blog, and it’s fantastic! I am now planning to hunt down Hunan’s on my next London trip.
The pricing seems a little odd, but a nice concept.
I also love your photo’s you’ve captured the essence of each dish alongside wonderful descriptions.
Thanks!
Lizzie – I wonder what I’d get next time if I didn’t go with the same friends?! Planning to take the vegetarian husband and see if Chef Peng can cope with 15 courses of it…
Rachel – hello & thank you! I’ll check the bill next time to see what the per person charge is. It’s a great way to try many small dishes in one go. In any other restaurant, four or so dishes would be more than enough for three people to share.
Helen Yuet Ling
I’ve eaten there twice. Both times I’ve been blown away by the food, and best of all, each time every single dish has been different. I’ve been lucky enough to eat at some very good places with ethnic chinese friends in Hong Kong, and for my money, Hunan is right up with the best, but with better wines. To give an example of the wine list. The Gruner Veltliner ( from Austria) is an amazingly food friendly grape and perfect for Chinese food. How many times have you even seen ONE of them in a restaurant? The Hunan has two.
admin Reply:
July 14th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Great to meet another fan of Hunan. I really was pleasantly surprised by my first visit, and look forward to returning regularly!
I finally got round to trying Hunan and it was a good night out ! Unfortunately, we didn’t get anything as special as the crab noodle soup but there were some real gems (and one shocker) amongst the 16 courses ! Interestingly enough there were 6 dishes in common between our order and yours. I’ve just posted my review if you’d like to compare.
Mr Noodles – shame, the crab noodle soup was impressive! Sorry to read about your shocker. I do think you kind of have to be a regular to get the better dishes, but then I’ve only been once. Can’t wait to go back again and see what I get served!
Helen Yuet Ling