The restaurant, in muted tones of grey and black, was a sanctuary from the chaos outside where drills pounded the pavement. Cars honked irritably, and the heat was like a blanket thrown over everything. Settling into a soft-cushioned chair was just what my jangling nerves needed. I had taken refuge in the only outlet of Hakkasan in Bandra, Mumbai’s queen of suburbs, the sole branch in India, of an institution originally from London.

Executive head chef Tong CheeHwee has steered it since its inception. Under his guidance, the brand has won Michelin stars for its modern approach to traditional Cantonese recipes. The branch is one of the 12 across the world, scattered across North America, UAE, Europe and Asia. Chef Ho Chee Boon, Michelin-starred chef with over 24 years of experience, heads it and ensures the spirit of Hakkasan is inviolate.

Choosing the set menu seems to be the done thing, though a la carte options are available. We run our eyes down the set menu, and the soup we choose, (the other is a clear soup) is made of prawns, scallops, shimeji, black fungus with a garnish of wolfberry, and is heavy with a rich, yellow stock. It is both pleasing to the eye and the palate, if a trifle heavy for the start of a meal.

It takes me a minute to absorb the next dish in its entirety: the crispy duck salad, before I decide to take the plunge. The unfamiliar meat turns beautifully on the tongue; and the pomelo, pine nuts, and shallots, add the right balance. The surprising bursts of pomegranate seeds add the piquant sweetness. The sauce is hoisin; and cress adds roughage and value. Worthy signature dish indeed.

The starters follow in quick succession. The Chilean sea bass dumpling, that is wonderfully light on the stomach, has spring onion, lotus root, water chestnut added to the fish, and is garnished with cured egg yolks. But the favourite among vegetarians is the carrot cake, a deep-fried temptation which presents a tower of carrot and radish reconstructed into cubes dressed in fried garlic that can tip the calorie scale wickedly. Of course this was wolfed down. Why, oh why, is it so easy to sin!

The inscrutably named har gau proved to be a gentle blend of water chestnut with prawn. A dim sum to ease the conscience.

I opted for the pulled hakka noodles and they come sprinkled with black fungus. The accompanying signature dish, spicy prawn, is dressed in a soupy sauce, reminiscent of sambar.

Curry leaves perhaps add the Indian touch to a dish which claims provenance in Assam.

Weighed down now by the tasting, the dessert menu beckons nevertheless. The recommended dish is a choice between a chocolate and raspberry sphere (my vote) and the chef’s favourite, the coconut and sago semifreddo which anyway comes along uninvited. Both prove to be a part of the must-not-miss list. The chocolate shell with a raspberry mousse filling and a light almond sponge comes with a liquid chocolate sauce to drown it in... worthy of an hour of hill climbing, and the sago concoction proves to be nothing like the sago payasam I was subjected to as a child, but a dexterous mix of coconut mousse, coconut crumble, sea salt, chocolate spray, served with a coconut sorbet. The sago is perhaps a binder, and discreetly kept out of sight.

Suffice now to say that this richly satisfying meal was enough to see me through till breakfast the next day.

Is it value for money? If ₹3,000 can treat you to a meal, that satiates as many senses, then sure. Besides, I saved on dinner as well. Hakkasan addresses the gap in the market for modern Cantonese fare, when it is satiated by generic pan-Asian places. So, if you are looking to indulge, and are on this side of the world, go for it!

Sathya Saran is a journalist and editor based in Mumbai

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