Vegetarian Feast at Hutong, The Shard

I’m having a moment with Asian food.

My palette cravings tend to bounce around countries dependent on the weather- and with this abysmal gale force wind that’s threatening to off-shore my little 5ft 3 [and a crucial half inch] frame to the far coast island of Bora Bora- I find myself craving something spicy! Something to keep me warm in these sub-zero conditions and set my taste buds on fire.

Brrr.

I’d heard about Hutong in The Shard from a few friends who’d eloquently described it as “The best frigging Chinese restaurant with the best frigging views” - so I thought I’d get myself scrubbed up, head down to Hutong [or more aptly- up as it’s on the 33rd floor] and see what all the fuss was about. They were not wrong.

After an aimless totter around London’s most prominent skyline feature- The Shard

We finally came to the revolving door rabbit hole that would lead us to our hunger oasis. Entering The Shard always feels like you’re transported to another country- the staff are extremely friendly and inquisitive which proves for some well needed chatter while you patiently wait for the lift.

As you descend the lift you’re presented with the most stunning panoramic view of London.

With our stomach’s growling as we passed the other tables to our window view seats [surveying the food competition], we took our seats and broke The Hutong Ice with a bottle of full bodied Merlot.

Wine with a view- bliss.

Incessant chattering, one [two] bottles of Merlot, and frequent laps from our waiter later we finally got down to surveying the menu for the all important food ordering.

The Dim Sum Platter- a special hats off to the Crystal Crab Meat Dumpling which was absolutely incredible!

A portion of Vegetable dumplings for my vegetarian counterparts...

Dangerous looking  vegetarian spring rolls...

Deliciously gloopy tofu pieces... [I was being punished for having vegetarian friends.]

And my favourite of them all- Crunchy Lotus Root fried with chilli, green pepper and spicy sauce.

Crispy and Spicy- just the thing to bat away my winter blues.

A few posy pictures later- we retired to the aqua bar located on the floor below to extensively sample the cocktail menu and gaze and gawp at our beautiful city.

Before the glorious rain kicked back in...

Despite the lack of meat on my table [the price I pay for having vegetarian friends], I was seriously impressed by Hutong. The service was speedy, the waiters were extremely polite and the food lived up to the “frigging delicious” label.

However I will most definitely be going back to sample some of the more, ahem, meatier dishes- so watch this space!

Curse me for my vegetarian friends!