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Haozhan
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Haozhan brought a flash of glamour to Chinatown, with its modern decor and its fusion cuisine inspired by Hakkasan . On our early visits we were impressed by the skills of the chefs and the fresh, clean-cut cooking. A year or so later, standards seem to have slipped. On our most recent visit the chilli quail, which we remembered as thrilling, seemed soggy and over-sweet, and the glamorous house-special doufu (actually tofu made into a kind of custard with eggs) was disappointing, let down by the accompanying scallops that lacked flavour and tenderness. We enjoyed a nicely assembled sichuan hot-and-sour soup, thick with slivered beancurd, cloud-ear fungus, chicken and bamboo shoot. Less exciting (though still quite good) was the taiwanese san pei chicken, stir-fried with sweet basil, chilli and spring onion. Next time we’ll be more adventurous and try the Marmite prawns – an extraordinary idea. The restaurant itself is sleek and black, with coloured panels on the walls. Waiting staff seem friendlier than most in Chinatown. We hope the kitchen can recover the verve it displayed in the months after opening.
Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009
Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.
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Details
- 8 Gerrard Street, Chinatown, W1D 5PJ
- Area: Chinatown
- Tel: 020 7434 3838
- www.haozhan.co.uk
- Category: Chinese
- Travel: Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus tube
- Times: Meals served noon-11.30pm Mon-Thur; noon-midnight Fri, Sat; noon-10.30pm Sun
- Price: Main courses £6-£38. Set lunch (Mon-Fri) £8 2 courses £10 3 courses
- Credit cards: AmEx, MC, V
- Services:
- Child facilities: Babies and children welcome: high chairs
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petey_
A genuine honest man. 34 and was career focused for a long time, now wanting to settle down. Nice looking and a great body I like different sports...
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this is a very awful place. the service was poor, the food was bad and the bill is expensive.
Having read both the Time Out review and the comments from Sharmy Blows I didn't know quite what to expect when we went to Haozhan last night, but can report that we had a fantastic time. The waiter was brilliant, and was more than happy to adjust some of the dishes to accommodate my vegetarian tastes. I had noodles with spicy chillies, aubergine and tofu without the pork and a really good vegetable side-dish similar to pak choi (which they'd sold out of). My partner had the Prawns with chilli and plain rice, which he said was great. We arrived at 10.00 and whilst it was busy there were still a few tables available, and we were made to feel very welcome. The only downside was the wine - a Chilean Chardonnay that wasn't off but simply wasn't very good. It came in a very oddly shaped bottle, so we should've known better. Next time (and I hope that's soon) I think we'll order a bottle of the red....
Great food. Try the Mongolian Beef. I've eaten here half a dozen times and not been disappointed.
Myself and 2 friends turned up at Haozhan on a Friday night, without a booking. The restaurant was full so we asked them when a table would be available. We were told to come back in 30 minutes and our name was put down for a table.
30 minutes later we came back. No table was available, but we were told the wait would only be a couple of minutes. About 30 minutes later we were still standing in the restaurant and waiting (yeah I know we were mugs!) and we asked again when a table would be free. We were told 2 minutes (again).
A table for 5 eventually became free and we moved towards it, hoping to be seated. We were told we could sit and wait there for a table to come available but we couldn't eat there and we had to wait indefinitely for a smaller table to become free.
By that time we'd had enough and left. It was obvious that they wanted to keep that table free for a larger party who could spend more than us. The waiter was rude and dismissive of us and I would not recommend the service and organisation capabilities here to anyone. Unfortunately I cannot comment on the food as we did not get that far!