Team | 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 +

Recipe: Wilted spinach with Sichuan ginger sauce

Although of course the best way to enjoy our cuisine is by joining us for lunch or dinner in the restaurant, we know that sometimes guests like to try replicating our recipes at home. Many of the techniques used in our Sichuanese and northern Chinese dishes are very specialised, but some are less complicated and to that end chef Bing Luo has kindly shared this recipe for one of our most popular appetisers, Wilted spinach with Sichuan ginger sauce and toasted sesame.

To make the dish at home you will need:

500g Spinach
10ml light soy sauce
5ml sesame oil
3g salt
10ml Chinese black vinegar (available from Chinese supermarkets and some supermarket speciality aisles)
5g sugar
10g fresh ginger blended with water
20ml water
20g fresh ginger, thinly-shredded then deep-fried until golden
5g sesame seeds

Then follow these simple steps: Read more +

Visit us this weekend at Bermondsey Street Festival

We are delighted to announce that we will, for the third year running, have a ‘pop-up’ Hutong presence at the annual Bermondsey Street Festival. Every year since we opened in the area in 2013, we have enjoyed taking part in this wonderful free-to-attend community event.

Taking place this Saturday 19th September, Bermondsey Street Festival is a joyful celebration of the lively and diverse community of residents, businesses, restaurants and artisans which thrives on and around Bermondsey Street, featuring food stalls, craft demonstrations, live music and more.

Come along and see us in Tanner Street Park (just off Bermondsey Street) to try the two dishes we will be serving; Glass noodle salad with your choice of hot and sour or classic dressing (£5) or Braised beef shank with ginger and onion, chilli bean sauce (£7).

We always enjoy meeting our neighbours and guests at the festival, which starts at 11am and continues until early evening – we hope to see you there!

Click here to find Tanner Street Park on Google Maps.

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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Discover guaiwei, Sichuan’s ‘exotic taste’

Since introducing our new set lunch menu, one dish has been causing particular interest – the Guaiwei prawn and cuttlefish in pickled chilli sauce. Exhilaratingly spicy but at the same time rich and sweet, the dish offers diners a rare opportunity to experience guaiwei – the so-called ‘exotic taste’ prized in Sichuan cuisine but virtually unknown outside of it.
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Exciting and innovative new cocktails

Visit the Shanghai Bar and you will find a new cocktail list has been introduced, featuring unique drinks specially created by our bar team the likes of which you will not find anywhere else! To complement chef Bing’s highly-skilled layering of flavours and use of authentic spicing and seasoning in our food, the cocktails are similarly complex and intriguing.
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Bing and Lee presenting Hutong anniversary cup

Congratulations to the Hutong Anniversary Cup winners!

We had a wonderful afternoon on Sunday 28th June at London Regatta Centre, for the 2015 London Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival. Not only were we there to enjoy the many races taking place (which are the traditional commemoration of the death of China’s revered patriot poet Qu Yuan in 278BC) but also to present the Hutong Anniversary Cup, for the second year running.

London Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival this weekend

Today, 26th June, is the second anniversary of our opening and we are celebrating by once again sponsoring a cup at the annual London Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, taking place this Sunday 28th June at the London Regatta Centre.

Forty rowing clubs, corporate and amateur teams will battle it out over the course of the day to win one of four cups, among them the Hutong Anniversary cup which is presented to the team which records the quickest time over the course of the day.

The Dragon Boat racing celebrates the annual Dragon Boat Festival or ‘Double Fifth’, and is a fun filled day for all to experience Chinese culture. The event is free and suitable for all the family so do come along and join us to cheer the teams on. Our general manager Simon, restaurant manager Lee and chef Bing will all be attending to present the cup so do be sure to say ni hao!

The ‘Double Fifth’ taste journey begins…

With the Double Fifth festival only a few weeks away, we are excited to start sharing with you the dishes which will form our special menu – five courses each exploring one of the five tastes.
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