Chinese restaurant set high above London towards the top of The Shard building, fit for those wanting to be a part of glamour and glitz or needing to impress - pleasing food but heavily overpriced based on the location
Hutong is a Chinese restaurant in The Shard’s expanding collection of restaurants on its 33rd floor. I have visited here at night (see review of Jan 14) and it is interesting seeing it in daylight as the visit this time round seemed to show a tired looking restaurant which the romantic feel in the evening and night time surely hides quite well. For example, creased and food-stained paper menus are not what I would feel befitting of a restaurant of this kind and cost, but the table was pleasantly pleased with the food again which had commendable duck and fried noodles, some very good dim sum and sweet and sour cod fillets which were very nice, but just far too overpriced for the portion size at £36 (cod is also a cheaper fish relatively, fillet or no fillet). It still obviously has utterly stunning views which, if you get a window table (not guaranteed), you can really enjoy the vantage point – and this may have something to do with its continued success no doubt.
Food Grade: 67%
Set high above London on the 33rd floor of the Shard building, there is no doubt that this is a very nice option to doing something different for your Chinese meal of the week if you are partial to trying something different. There is a superb open bar on the floor beneath Hutong which also has a restaurant and there are also several other eateries on these two levels. However, the more popular these become with time, as they now are, I would recommend booking well in advance.
The food here was good which I was pleased to see. The supporting soy and hoi sin sauces were actually very good as was the shredded beef dish – good quality and succulant as well as being light on the crispyness without the gelatenous and squidgy exterior that so many poor Chinese restaurants produce (some even in China Town). However, as pleasant as this food was, it was a real turn off to have this simple shredded beef priced at £19. Only a year ago, I now see from their website that it is now £26 (as at Feb 15) and that has an ouch factor which is rare. It was therefore confirmed – the prices you are paying here are not for the quality of the food but purely for where you are having it and I would therefore say, do it just to experience once for something nice, but then on principle alone avoid paying this amount thereafter. One can, for this price actually gain two dishes at 1 Michelin starred level at Hakkasan for example to put in to perspective.
A nice meal here, with a superb view, but far too expensive for the only ‘good’ quality to make me have any burning desire to return immediately.
Food Grade: 67%
My hobby-turned-passion began to evolve during my assignments to London where I was fortunate enough to be able to explore all the Michelin starred restaurants in my spare time and as a result, I gradually built up a catalogue of all these venues.
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