Greetings Steemit Friends:
The Shard was completed in 2012 and opened in 2013 as the tallest skyscraper in Europe (It is now ranked 4th) but remains the tallest building in EU until the French Hermitage Plaza completes in 2019. Situated in Southwark, the Shard sticks out like a sore thumb on the backdrop of the relatively tame city skyline that is London.
Standing at 309 meters tall with 95 storey's, the Shard is named after it's unique design resembling A Shard of glass
The observation deck is on the 72nd floor and gives some of the best views of London. Sadly, one of the highlights of the London is the Shard itself, and therefore it is a building that you will not be seeing from atop.
Today, i'll be taking everyone to one of the Shard's most distinguished restaurants - Hutong.
Hutong is the second restaurant to open following the outrageously popular restaurant of the same name in Hong Kong.
It features mainly Sichuan and Northern Chinese dishes that have been reworked to suit the palate of the west.
Obviously, one of the most drawing features of Hutong is that is located half way up the Shard and therefore has some stellar views to boot.
I made sure to make a booking plenty of days in advance and at a time before the sunset. This way, I get to see London in day light, as the sun sets, and at night. Perfect!
Let's begin!
The Shard doesn't seem very tall having been to skyscraper heavy cities in Asia like Hong Kong and Shanghai but up close, it is still a neck breaking height. With it's glass exterior, it looks like something from the future.
There are two entrances, one for the Shangri-La hotel, and the other for the restaurants. Hutong is one of three restaurants on offer, the other two being Oblix and Aqua Shard, the latter being owned by the Hong Kong restaurant group called Aqua which also owns Hutong.
Entry to the restaurants require an airport like security check. Although it is inconvenient, it gives a sense of security to the prospective guests.
On the walls leading to the restaurant, we see some artistic maps of London. You can make out the winding river Thames quite easily. The bigger version is very detailed and shows most of central London in very good detail.
Like most skyscrapers, the lift is very fast, within just a few seconds we were up to the 33rd floor. Another two flights of stairs take us up to the Hutong entrance. In the area beneath the stairs, we have the atrium bar which serves cocktails specialising in gin and tea.
At this point, i'm already blown away by the unobstructed views of London.
Right ahead you can see the other famous towers such as the Gherkin and Heron Tower.
Right at the top of the stairs, we have two Chinese Guardian Lions. These are traditionally stood in front of Chinese imperial palaces, temples and homes of the wealthy as a symbol of mythic protection.
Once you walk inside, the Hutong theme becomes apparent and we are presented with wonderful wood work furniture and very intricate lattice work all over.
The bar seems to be prepping for a large serving of wine and champagne.
Even the menu's are placed various wooden storage boxes that look like they have come straight out from a Hutong.
Here are some candles lit on top of some old bells.
The chef behind the window is preparing roast duck and other roast meats. Observing the chef through the windows is quite a popular tradition in Hong Kong and obviously it has made it's way here as well.
The private rooms are not as private as the ones in China in that they are only divided by some hanging beads and a wooden lattice divider.
In our private area, we have a red lantern for lighting. I would have argued that the lighting was inadequate but we have to remember that it is in the style of a Hutong which traditionally would not have had access to electricity or abundance of lighting. Also, I suspect the dim lighting is to draw emphasis to the views outside as the evening goes by.
Hanging on the wall we have some traditional clothes that would have been worn by the more rural inhabitants of the outer Hutong's.
In contrast, the hardwood chairs give a sense of imperial grandeur that instantly remind us of the fact that we're dining in a glitzy high-end restaurant situated in the tallest building in the UK.
On to the food! (Menu first!)
As you can see we have several menu's each with quite interesting designs. I love the little kittens on the main menu. But then i'm a cat person as you know.
Food here is, as expected a little pricey, but given it's location, and unique vantage point in the city, you're not paying just for the food.
As mentioned earlier, the food selection here is quite diverse if a bit conservative. It has remnants of Northern Chinese cuisine interlaced with quite a number of southern Chinese dishes which tend to be more spicy. However, the level of spice will no doubt be toned down to suit the demographic of mostly foreigners.
On to the food!
First up we have Dry fried green beans with minced pork a staple dish from Beijing.
Green Scallion fried rice
Crab meat with tofu. Tofu is always refreshing, but fresh crab meat increases that sense of freshness.
Flat bread cake. This is combined with the dish below..
***Beijing shredded lamb.****
Voila, the flat bread with shredded lamb and some spring onions. I guess you could call this an early Chinese burger.
Sweet and Sour fried fish. A re-imagining of perhaps one of the most popular dishes you'll find in China town restaurants though the tenderness of the fish and it's freshness will keep you coming back for more.
Chopped pepper steamed flounder fish. The fish is really fresh and the seasoning is not too overwhelming. For Chinese diners, they will actually not appreciate the fact that this fish is filleted. For me, I actually like the convenience of not having to worry about bones. Overall a very succulent dish.
Mongolian Roasted Lamb. This is a very popular northern dish that actually perhaps tastes better here in the UK due to the high quality lamb available in the UK. The meat is braised so tastes quite tender, usually I'm not too comfortable with the strong taste of lamb, but this was absolutely fine, in fact, it was delightful!
Beijing Roast Duck. The pride dish of the capital, the roast duck here is most worthy of it's compatriot city back home in Beijing. The chef carefully shaves the crispy succulent skin from the duck used for the wraps, then takes the rest away to prepare the second dish.
Literally Two eats, this is the duck left over from the shaving exercise earlier. It has been diced and then stir fried and served with some raw lettuce as a wrap. There is none wasted!
Mango Pudding. After so many delicious dishes, I couldn't say no to dessert. This is a popular dessert in Hong Kong, sometimes you can find it in bubble tea places. It's very refreshing and actually not too filling at all. I especially liked the sorbet scoop of ice cream served on the side. A perfect wind down to an otherwise very rich meal.
A view of Elephant and Castle.
I managed to catch a shot of the sunset. In the distance, you can make out the BT Tower just by the setting sun. What a beautiful view!
After the sunset, we're treated to a wonderful view of night time London. How many buildings can you recognise?
Since we're so high up, the toilet's need no modesty. The traditional Chinese wood furniture continues in the rest room bolstered by some of the best views you'll ever see inside a rest room.
The red lanterns line the corridor to the toilet's. It feels like a real walk through a Chinese Hutong.
Finally, we have this interesting box. Any ideas what it might be?
It's actually used for the bill!
On my way out of the restaurant, I managed to get a picture with Tower Bridge in the distance. Can you see it?
And that wraps up my visit to Hutong at The Shard London. What an amazing experience it is to eat some of the best authentic Chinese food in one of the most lavishing towers in London. Whether it's the food or the view, or both, I highly recommend making a visit if you're ever in London.
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