Hong Kong Restaurant Islington: Halal genuine Chinese

Give us the name of a single restaurant in London that serves entirely Halal traditional Cantonese food? Give up?

Hong Kong Restaurant on Upper Street in north London’s Islington is finally here to make amends, with the man behind the venture not just originally from China, but not a Muslim either.

What was his motivation? He believes that while food is known for bringing people together, a particular community should not be excluded from enjoying any cuisine on account of their dietary requirements.

Although pork and alcohol feature heavily in traditional Chinese cuisine, his decision at tweaking traditionalism just enough to serve near-authentic Cantonese food that’s fully Halal is a brave one for two reasons.

Those little touches of the Orient make all the difference…

Firstly, while Hong Kong Restaurant is his first foray into the world of restaurateuring, what makes his bold decision even more admirable, is the backlash he has experienced from some members of his own community.

Having unapologetically displayed a Halal sign on his shop front, he has witnessed diners from that region of the world being put off by the mere fact that his restaurant caters for Muslims.

Nevertheless, while alcohol is served from a small bar therein, there is plenty of room towards the back of the premises, including a raised wooden platform at the far end, with quintessential Oriental decor setting the appropriate ambience, that can seat up to 18.

But that is not all. When it comes to the actual menu itself, then not only is Hong Kong Restaurant’s owner also the head chef, but he’s plied his trade at a number of well-established restaurants across the UK.

With a dearth of Halal-friendly Cantonese restaurants in the capital, and given the exclusive back-story behind this endeavour, our anticipation of the food was only heightened.

1. Vegetarian Spring Rolls (8 pcs), £5.50

As with any Chinese appetisers, Vegetarian Spring Rolls are a default choice. These were presented with three types of dips, including the ubiqutous sweet and sour, and were encased in delicately made, ultra-crunchy pastry.

3. Salt & Pepper Squid, £9.50

Having retained that firm, spongy quality of perfectly adjudged squid, these were coated in a delicate batter of Chinese five spices, with the gentle heat coming from the red chilli, and sweetness from the red onions. Quite delicious.

5. Mango Golden Floss Prawn, £15.99

While you won’t find this innovative Mango Golden Floss Prawn dish at any other Chinese restaurant, since it’s the invention of the owner himself, this actually turned out to be one of the most memorable ones of the review.

Although the combo may appear at odds on paper, it was anything but when taken down in one bite, with the deep fried prawns turning out tender, yet covered in an almost viscous, mellow-sweet mango glaze, with the crispy crunch of the vermicelli noodles offering that textural contrast.

This is definitely worth ordering for the novelty factor alone.

9. Salt & Pepper Smoked Chicken, £9.99

With an almost chewy texture, this Salt & Pepper Smoked Chicken was an incredibly peculiar one. In fact, had we not known, we’d have been hard-pressed to identify it as such.

And yet, we enjoyed it for what it was, with that smoky depth coming through subtly.

Dim sum is typically enjoyed in a family setting, with sharable small plates and small portions allowing diners the luxury of variety. A typical dim sum menu comprises of rice noodle rolls, steamed buns, and dumplings – all filled with a selection of ingredients ranging from meat to seafood and chicken to vegetables.

Treat this occasion as a social gathering, with the right pot of tea an essential key to an authentic experience.

12. Chicken, Prawn & Bean Curd Rolls, £4.80

These Chicken, Prawn & Bean Curd Rolls, we were told, are cooked for 2-3 hours. The end result was a pleasant affair, with saturated wraps presented in a warm, ginger-infused broth that complimented the tender, fragrant filling.

Crab Xiao Long Bao, £5.80

Truth be told, these were unbelievable baos, with the steaming process judged to a tee, and buns that struck that optimal balance between being soft and tender, and delivering on that satisfying chewiness without being claggy or heavy.

The crab interior was succulent and flavourous. We could have devoured a dozen of these and asked for more.

Beef with Ginger & Onion Dumpling, £5.80

The chef again managed to pull off that balancing, with an almost melt-in-the-mouth quality, but without being overly saturated such that the delicate flavours be drowned out.

Here, the strands of ginger on top of the dumplings provided that initial hit and familiar heat, which gave way to the wet and tender beef filling therein. Masterful!

Dim Sum Chicken Dumpling, £5.90

A glistening portion of Dim Sum Chicken Dumplings, with the thin and crispy pastry almost translucent, filled with succulent chicken, and served with a zesty soy sauce. Very well executed.

10. Spicy & Sour Seafood Soup, £6.50

And they certainly had a way with soups too, with all three a prime example of how to balance the sweet with the sour, and the salty with the bitter. A harmony of flavours.

This Spicy & Sour Seafood Soup was superb. Not only did the subtle taste of the sea meander through, but it was dangerously addictive too.

11. Prawn Wonton Soup, £6.80

Precision is the adjective to sum up this Prawn Wonton Soup, with the prawn dumplings being plump, and boasting all the qualities of the dumplings had before.

As for the broth itself, then given its depth and richness, it was evident that this had been prepared with plenty of care and attention. Soothing!

12. Crab & Sweetcorn Soup, £6.80

With the crab having been finely shredded, thereby providing texture, this was driven by a sweet undertone that belied its seeming simplicity, making this Crab & Sweetcorn Soup a pleasurably satisfying one.

25. Sweet & Sour Chicken, £9.80

The classic Sweet & Sour Chicken, with the chewy exterior of the chicken – reminiscent in texture to the Salt & Pepper Smoked Chicken twiglets had above, but with a more rewarding bite – covered in a deliciously viscous glaze that was more sweet than sour.

32. Sauted Sliced Beef – With mixed pepper in chilli sauce, £12.99

When you have the heat of the wok playing its proper role in any dish, you know you’re half way there.

This plate of Sauted Sliced Beef turned out exactly as you’d want it, with beef that managed to retain that necessary chewiness to ensure prolonged enjoyment; and all propelled by the deep smokiness of, what is known as, the ‘wok hei’.

41. Mixed Roast Duck & Soy Chicken, £19.99

We had to collectively suppress our excitement when confronted by this thing of beauty. The glistening bronze sheen of the skin, with that unmistakable aroma of duck, had us giddy with delight even before tucking in.

When we did, this roast, which had been conveniently sliced for consumption, was everything and so much more, with the crispy-cum-crunchy skin being the perfect foil against the relatively moist meat beneath.

The idea of two birds on one plate was a novel one too for us; but ultimately, the depth of flavour assured by the fatty flesh of the duck was always going to trump its land-dwelling counterpart.

Dan Dan Noodles, £11.90

Here we had a bowl that had gone through a thorough 4-5 hour cooking process (mainly included the chicken stock broth) to bring this to fruition.

While Hong Kong Restaurant substitutes the traditional use of pork in a Dan Dan Noodle dish with beef mince, the rest of this comprised of plenty of plump shimeji mushrooms swimming in a rich and buttery broth, with red slices of chilli assuring mellow heat, plenty of spring onions, pak choi, and a generous amount of noodles.

In the end, this was a soothingly satisfying bowl, which was an example of balance and subtlety rather than strength and punchiness.