Red Lantern | Hutong

Meet the Team: Head Sommelier Francisco Nevot

We took a few moments to catch up with Head Sommelier Francisco Nevot on why he loves working in hospitality and his wine tips for all our guests in Hutong.

What inspired you to work in the industry?

It’s always been in my family. My aunt had a hotel in Spain where I grew up which had a lovely restaurant. I helped out when I was younger and worked there in the summers when I was at university.

How did you become a sommelier?

I started my career as a commis waiter at Galvin. I met a Spanish sommelier there who introduced me to the world of wine. He spent a lot of time with me, teaching me and letting me taste a lot of new wines I was not familiar with. I decided I wanted to be a sommelier and studied for my WSET courses. When I qualified I moved to Bluebird as a commis sommelier, I got promoted to sommelier quite quickly and really enjoyed my time there. I really developed when I worked at China Tang, there was an amazing sommelier team and my passion for wine just grew. Read more +

The Glass Magazine review our Mid-Autumn Festival menu

As Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls this Sunday 27th September, approaches, we were honoured to see our special celebration menu and Chinese drinks pairing reviewed in the warmest possible terms by prestigious cultural title The Glass Magazine.
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Delights of our Mid-Autumn Festival menu revealed…

Our special menu celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival will be available at dinner from next Monday 7th September and we are excited to bring you details of the delights we have in store!
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Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival

Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important Chinese festivals, falling on the fifteenth day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar during a full moon. Celebrating the legend of Chang’e, the moon goddess, and Houyi, the archer and falling this year on Sunday 27th September, Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for gathering, thanksgiving and praying.

To mark the festival, throughout the month of September a special celebration menu created by head chef Bing Luo will be available every day at dinner. Designed for sharing in the spirit of the festival, the menu starts with two cold appetisers, Braised cuttlefish salad with Sichuan pepper and Wilted spinach with ginger sauce and toasted sesame, pictured here.
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Time Out honour us in their 100 Best Restaurants

We were delighted to learn this week that we had been included in Time Out magazine’s list of The 100 Best Restaurants In London! With so many wonderful restaurants in the capital, to be chosen as one of the best by London’s definitive guide is truly an honour.
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Kung Po-style lobster – a classic dish revived

A dish sure to become as talked about as our famous Roasted Peking duck and signature Red Lantern soft-shell crab is chef Bing Luo‘s spectacular new Kung Po-style whole lobster with Sichuan pepper, diced onion and cashew nuts. A classic of Sichuanese cuisine, Kung Po is more usually made with chicken or sometimes with prawns – a dish also available on our a la carte menu – but it is rare indeed for it be made with lobster.
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New ‘Chilli Connoisseur’ Menu

On Monday 3rd November we are introducing a new Chilli Connoisseur menu, designed to delight diners who appreciate the varied, complex and nuanced use of chilli in northern Chinese cuisine. Each dish of the five-course menu features different varieties and preparations of chilli, showcasing the different styles and levels of heat given by fresh, dried and powdered chillis as well as chilli oils and pastes.
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Explore northern Chinese cuisine with Hutong’s Signature Menu

With such a wide array of tempting dishes on our menu, it can be difficult to choose what to enjoy at Hutong. To order the spicier, fiery dishes of Sichuan such as our Red Lantern soft-shell crab with dried chilli, or the more aromatic, tangy dishes of Shandong, like Boneless Dover sole in coriander-vinegar sauce?

Allow us to suggest the perfect solution – our Signature Menu, which for £68 per person presents eight of our most popular dishes, representing the many exciting facets of our cuisine, together with a selection of desserts.
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