One night at Hakkasan

Last night, whilst waiting for the engaging Alain Coumont, owner of Le Pain Quotidien, I got to pull a stool at the bar with Andrea and sample some of their cocktails and chat with the bartenders for the first time. 

Kishor Bajaj and his team have been putting considerable effort recently into their bars including bringing talented expat bartender Nicci Stringfellow to India to raise the bar of the groups restaurants.

The back bar is the same as you'll find in Hakkasan's around the world. The large liquor selection featuring boutique brands only available at a couple of bars in the country is arranged in the signature WaVe form and there are some stand out selections no matter what spirit is your poison.

GEORGIA JULEP

Respect for the big glass cabinet showing off the connoisseurs collection featuring some very special malts such as a 25yo Rosebank and a 1954 Cask Strength Talisker. You won't find these rare beauties anywhere else in the country.

A quick scan of the cocktail list reveals a collection of Asian inspired flavours obviously chosen to match the food that earned the London restaurant its Michelin star. If you love lemongrass, litchie (lychee to those outside India) and kumquats then this is the bar for you.

Andrea settled for the Plum Sour with Johnnie Walker Black Label, Japanese plum wine, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white whilst I went for the Georgia Julep, a tribute to the origins of the Mint Julep, with Jim Beam Black Label, peach liqueur, mint and a bucketful of crushed ice.

PLUM SOUR

Whilst the presentation was up to the mark, sadly the bartenders technique and the basic recipes handed down from London were not. The drinks were overly sweet and my julep had a faint note of cut grass caused by the bartender beating down on the delicate leaves of mint like a Canadian goes at a baby seal.

Unfortunately Hakkasan has slightly missed the mark with the cocktails. Their rigorous attention to maintaining the corporate standards that the London original has set tells me that the concept has a whole needs reworking. These aren't bad cocktails, they just aren't as exciting or delicious as I'd expect from such a highly respected restaurant.