Hakkasan Comes to New York
World-renowned avant-garde Cantonese restaurant Hakkasan opened its first New City Location (and seventh worldwide) to much fanfare last night. WIth the opening comes the possibility that another few Michelin stars may find their way to the Big Apple. Of Hakkasan’s other holdings, its London Hanway Place has boasted the coveted rating for more than a few years. Meticulously culled hors d’oeuvres created by internationally respected chef Ho Chee Boon as well as by Pasty Chef Rory Macdonald, and delicious cocktails uniquely developed for Hakkasan, greeted the crowd of foodies, fashionistas and designers who happily rubbed elbows together inside the gorgeous labyrinthine confines of the restaurant. The space—a mysterious and dimly lit maze of rooms, nooks and crannies—was conceived by Paris design team Gilles & Boissier who have previously worked on projects for Luis Vuitton, Jean Paul Gaultier and Moncler. The marble was sourced form a single block in a quarry in Carrara, Italy, while the restaurant’s stone Ling Ling screens were produced by Calacutta finished marble slabs and carved by water jet. As if that wasn’t class enough—the staff is appropriately suited up in original uniforms sourced from Diane von Furstenberg and G. Pierce Clothing. The event was topped off by a traditional chinese dragon ceremony to ward new spaces of evil spirits but judging by the smiles on the faces of those with cocktail in hand, they didn’t need a dragon for that job. Both the culinary confections and berth of cocktails matched the decor in every which way, making Hakkasan a welcome new addition to the must-know New York Restaurant scene. Go to hakkasan.com/newyork for more info. (Check out images of the party and of the space as well as the menu after the jump.)