The bar looking through to the main dining room at Gouqi
What do we need to know about Gouqi?
Let's start with the pronounciation - you need to think goji like the berry which it's actually named after. This is a new central London restaurant with a celebrated Chinese chef behind it that's opened rather under the radar. The chef in question is Tong Chee Hwee who spent 18 years running the Hakkasan group as head chef, opening not only Hakkasan but also Yauatcha and the now-closed HKK.
So it's fair to say that he knows what he's doing in the luxe end of the Chinese restaurant market.
Where is it?
You'll find it on Cockspur Street (Google Maps seems to show the entrance as Cockspur Court but it isn't) - so just off Trafalgar Square and next to The Trafalgar St James Hotel. Charing Cross is the nearest tube station.
Where's a good place to meet for a drink first?
You're not really blessed in this area with decent places to drink, unless you're looking at lobby or rooftop bar, although The Horse and Guardsman on Whitehall is a perfectly serviceable boozer. There is a bar area here at the restaurant that's a pretty good size and the cocktails are worth trying too with an extensive cocktail list split into categories like full-bodied, rich and warming etc.
The Ruishi was a floral take on a martini made with Belvedere Smorogy Forest Vodka, Lychee Wine, Riesling Vermouth and Lychee syrup and adorned with a hibiscus flower (£20).
Where should we sit?
If you want a taste of the action then pick a table looking into the kitchen with its three huge glass windows giving you a good view of what the chefs are up to. Alternatively, there's a curtained snug off the main dining room with three alcoved tables which are fun if you're looking for more of a cosy vibe.
The alcoved tables are great for two to four guests.
What's on the menu?
The real question is which menu, because there are at least four to choose from - a la carte, business lunch, tasting and duck tasting menu, and that's before you get to the vegetarian iterations. The duck and tasting menu say they require 24 hours advance notice, but both were on offer when we tipped up on a Tuesday evening.
The a la carte is, as you might imagine, huge with many dishes either requiring advanced notice (like the Peking Duck with caviar or the Eight Treasure crispy chicken with foie gras). We decided to opt for the eight-course tasting menu at £118, which gave us a good idea of what we might want to come back and try in greater depth.
Botan prawn tartare and octopus with rice wine - A strong start with the prawn tartare being the real hit of the duo.
If a chef like Tong Chee Hwee can't turn out an exemplary roast duck then we're all going to hell in a handcart. Luckily this next dish showed that he's at the top of his game. We also loved the char siu which was stuffed with salted egg yolk before being cooked.
Black truffle roasted duck and honey glazed Iberian char siu with salted egg yolk.
Silver cod is a Hakkasan classic that chef Tong Chee Hwee came up with, so we weren't too surprised to find a version of it on the menu here. It's served with yellow bean sauce and passion fruit.
Abalone, chicken and shrimp fried rice in superior stock
Room for dessert?
There are five desserts on the main a la carte menu, most of which pop up on individual tasting menus too. Ours was a throwback to the days when every London restaurant presented at least one dish to you billowing dry ice.
Dark chocolate with matcha and goji berry.
Overall thoughts:
It's kind of crazy that a restaurant with such a well-known Chinese chef should have opened in London so under the radar - clearly more people need to know about Gouqi. With hindsight, we maybe wouldn't have picked the tasting menu (which was the easy option) as there were plenty of great-sounding dishes on the a la carte we now want to try - and the dim sum also looks very good too. We'll just have to go back for more...
More about Gouqi
Where is it? 25-34 Cockspur St, St. James's, London SW1Y 5BN
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @gouqilondon.
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Qouqi. Prices correct at time of publication.
Subscribe to be the first to get the news from Hot Dinners
