Hanting Cuisine

I heard this was the only Asian Fusion restaurant in the Netherlands to receive a Michelin star, so we came here to celebrate my father in-law’s birthday. The décor and service was very top-​notch, it definitely deserved that star (unlike Koriander in Drachten). The food was definitely an interesting mix of Asian and French cuisines and all the combinations were pleasingly tasty and innovative.
Food: ⁵⁄₅
We took the 5 course chef’s menu and unfortunately I forgot to write down the various dishes. However, everything was fresh, delicious and with many interesting compositions. One thing I really liked was that there was very limited amounts of seasoning and that allowed the freshness of the food’s natural flavors to come out. The highlight of the meal was definitely the bone marrow. It may seem quite intimidating because it is served in the bone, but it was amazingly flavorful and tender.
One thing I liked was that you can do a wine pairing per glass. Which means that you can choose which dishes you wanted a wine to drink with. This also meant that you didn’t have to commit to a whole wine tasting (which is difficult for me because I’m a light weight and can’t drink much).
Service: ⁴⁄₅
The staff was excellent and came around visiting our table, making sure we had enough water, wine and explaining all the dishes. Their wine sommelier is also amazing and recommended good wines that paired well with the dishes. For example, one wine paired with the venison tasted different before and after eating the meat.
Atmosphere: ⁴⁄₅
The décor exudes a luxe atmosphere and the décor is a very pretty understated Asian theme. (No tacky dragons — thank goodness…)
Value: ⁴⁄₅
A 5 course chef’s menu was € 57. It certainly isn’t cheap, but the food was very tasty and well worth the money.

We had the tasting menu and wine. The food was very good — nice presentation, good flavors, and a few surprises. They were confused when I asked for a martini, so I switched to just a whiskey on ice. The seating is a bit tight so the noise level can be a bit high.

This review has been some time coming…
Fusion cuisine in the Netherlands has had its ups and downs throughout the years. In all honesty, fusion of Dutch cuisine with anything else rarely succeeds. Hanting manages to successfully combine French and Chinese cuisine in a way that not only appeals to epicurists and epipurists alike, but has even convinced some of my Dutch friends to drag out their wallets on occasion. For me, that is the true mark of a restaurant in the Netherlands; once you’ve convinced the Dutch that it’s worth spending money on, that is the final seal of approval you need. Well… that and a Michelin star.
The four course tasting menu was the perfect meal for me. It provided me with a perfect view into exactly what this restaurant was capable of. Of course fresh ingrediants are to be expected, but the inventiveness of the presentation and the unique combination of flavors was the eye opener for me. I suggest the four course menu and to allow the staff to pair wines for you; you will not be disappointed. The first course was a razor clam paired with sea foam, the plate decorated with dots of purée of various vegetables, each unique and each intense. The second course was a salmon… what could only be described as a sashimi… but was in reality anything but. It was accompanied by a selection of greens and a very light ginger dressing. The third course, a filet of mackerel prepared in butter and served with carrot, turnip, and potato sliced paper thin and glazed in an herb-​ginger preparation was the perfect third course, followed by the final course, a lamb shank served over perfectly prepared rice with an accompanying trio of chinese vegetables. Combined with the perfect atmosphere and the ever-​attentive staff, one of the most enjoyable meals I’ve had in Den Haag ever.
Perhaps the most surprising thing for me was that no one in The Hague seems to know about Hanting, or of those that know of it, no one has been. It is time for that to change.

It may sound weird to combine French and Chinese kitchen, but I must admit I love the result! I consider this place to be one of the best restaurant of the area (and by that I mean not only the Hague, but also including the surroundings ;-))
So the idea it either to get surprised by the chef, or choose yourself several plates. All small portions, fantastic taste. So anything between 3 to 5 usually. I stick to 4, that’s enough :-) The quality of ingredients is excellent and then the preparation mixes the French quality with some Chinese savours… A must try.
Service is also very good, better than most supposedly fancy places. And they leave you time to eat, they don’t kick you out in 5 minutes :-)

Actually went here on Saturday night with some friends by accident, the place we were going to was fully booked. So glad it was — this place is a real gem.
A Oriental/​French fusion affair done to an exceptional level. Expect to pay around 40 Euro for for courses.
A great wine selection for all budgets and some of the best service you will find in Den Haag.
This is also one of the few places I’ve been to recently where you can have a conversation with those around you without having to shout.
My only gripe, even though it’s a small one was the time between courses. One of our party just had two while the rest of us had four so an extra bottle of wine was required. Not a bad thing unless your tastes are for the more expensive.