Chinese restaurants have tended to conform to a stereotype: steamy-windowed hotpot franchises, revivalist Hong Kong cafés and Sichuan joints abound. But the London Chinese food offering seems to be diversifying with a richer, more varied and culturally-faithful landscape – think little regional super-specialist restaurants drawing attention to diversity of Chinese cuisine and regional traditions – like Silk Road for Xinjiang and Master Wei for Shaanxi. Hainan House is doing so for Hainan: born out of a craving for the flavours of home, Sunny Wu set up this restaurant as a way to showcase the Southern Chinese cooking that she grew up eating.
Set in a tiny Upper Street townhouse, it is a 12-or-so table, L-shaped space simplly put together in pine wood and tones of olive green. Like the general approach here, it’s soothing and understated. The service is also as kind and light touch, although a little slow at times.
Hainan House is London’s (and possibly the UK’s) only restaurant championing the food of this island, which should be celebrated and appreciated more widely. From the Small Plates, my companion and I shared the Tofu Puffs & King Oyster Mushroom Stir Fry (£7.50). This was an indelicate riot: giant, spongy tofu squares paired with delicate oyster mushrooms, both anointed with the spicy Yellow Chilli Sauce. Incredibly vibrant.
For mains, I went for Vegetable Curry Stew (£16). Served in a steaming hot Vegetable Claypot, this is flavoursome yet light. Sitting in the light curry broth are silky aubergines, more of the wonderful tofu puffs, green beans & cabbages. Simmered in fragrant spices, it’s refreshing – not what you’d expect from a curry and closer to Vietnamese cooking for me. Alongisde was Fermented Mushroom Rice which is a first: sticky mounds of fermented, fungi-studded grains,
The flavours are both mellow and highly unexpected; there is a persistent, twanging bass note of deep, fermented funk. Aromatics play a big part here and, while a bit more oomph could be added to some dishes, the array of house-made sauces make up for it. The yellow chilli is punchy, the garlic ginger an addictive Carmex competitor, and the garlic-laden chilli oil chuggable. Little things like this matter, and it’s no surprise that Hainan House embraces that. From its reasonable pricing to its willingness to swim against the tide of Chinese restaurant orthodoxy, Wu’s passion project is enormously likeable.
Hanian House, 88 Upper St, London N1 0NP
Website: https://www.hainanhouse.co.uk/
Rating: ****
Yumtini 