Hakkasan Shows its Beverly Hills Face, Opening Mid-Sept

Grid View

Here's a peek into Hakkasan, the high-end Chinese restaurant setting up inside Beverly Hills' MGM Building. Peeking past white lattice, one can see that most of the inside has been built out and is awaiting finishing touches. The bar hasn't been filled with bottles and the tables aren't set for service, which means that staff training must be in session. With dark black-and-blue hues, a strong Shanghai Chinois aesthetic, the 10,000 square foot space is reminiscent of the chain's outlet in Las Vegas.

Chef Ho Chee Boon, who's received a Michelin star in New York, plans to serve Crispy Duck Salad and Roasted Silver Cod, in addition to a number of Beverly Hills exclusive dishes. There's a lunch menu that will run until 3 p.m., a surefire hit with the expense-account crowd. There's even a weekend brunch, serving up to two dozen types of dim sum, something that's sorely lacking on the Westside. The dining area will seat about 132 diners, surrounded by intricately carved "sheens" providing privacy.

At the 66-foot bar, which is front and center with high visibility from the street, Armando Conway of La Descarga is working on a bespoke program featuring high-volume Asian-inspired intoxicants. It's sure to be the hottest place to drink in the Golden Triangle when it opens in mid-September, with hours from 12 to 3 p.m. for lunch and beginning at 5:30 p.m. for dinner.
·All Hakksan Coverage [~ELA~]