YAUATCHA
First up, The Hakkasan Group has joined forces with Al Khozama, a leading luxury developer in Saudi, to bring world-class Cantonese fare to Riyadh, with the opening of Yauatcha at Al Faisaliah Mall. Founded in Soho, London, six years ago, Yauatcha now brings its innovative dining experience to the Kingdom, for its first Middle East debut. “Yauatcha isn’t just another Chinese restaurant,” says Grant MacPherson, SVP of restaurants for The Hakkasan Group, “it’s blazing a trail on exemplary cuisine. It really embraces the innovative, forward-thinking aspects of modern Cantonese culture with a fresh and immersive take on fine dining to complement Saudi Arabia’s sophisticated palate.” The unique menu brings authentic-cum-contemporary dim sum, tea, mocktails and European patisseries to the table, alongside the restaurant’s famed crispy duck salad, all served across two floors and set against Yauatcha’s signature starry-sky ceiling.
www.yauatcha.sa
HUTONG
Next up, from its home in Hong Kong and its award-winning location at the iconic Shard in London, comes Michelin-starred Northern Chinese restaurant Hutong, opening in DIFC’s Gate Building 6. The brainchild of acclaimed restaurateur David Yeo, here you’ll find a restaurant, lounge bar, private terrace and two private dining rooms, all featuring décor inspired by the border provinces of the Silk Road, depicted through the intricate detail of the hand-crafted sandstone walls that embody the crossover between the Chinese and Islamic worlds of design.
Food-wise, the menu borrows favourites from Hong Kong and London, including the famous Red Lantern – a crispy soft-shelled crab with dried chilli – and the halibut red star noodles, as well as dishes created exclusively for Dubai.