Hutong opened last fall in the former home of Plaka. Fitting that in a small space, the restaurant features a small, but excellent, menu.
Let’s start with the namesake. The Hutong beef noodle soup ($16) sports some incredibly tender and delicious beef shank. I like the broth–not weak, but not overpowering, either. You get some crunchy contrast with the julienned carrots, chopped bok choy and daikon radish, but I didn’t think they added anything to the already excellent bowl. You also can get a spicy version of the beef noodle soup.
The dan dan noodles ($14) are tasty. The dish has a medium heat, primarily in the spiced ground beef, and you get plenty of it. The peanut-y noodles have a greasiness (in a good way) to them, and in this case, I liked the addition of sauteed bok choy.
Onto the small plates. I thought the chicken skewers ($7 for three) were wonderful, as they were juicy, and well-seasoned with a slight char taste. I also liked the fried dumplings ($8 for six). You get a good mix of pork and chicken inside, without too many veggies.
The scallion pancakes ($4) were the thinnest I’ve ever had. That made them extra crispy and delicious, though you don’t get any of the requisite doughy chew that you would get from a thicker version. The accompanying Hoison-like sauce was incredible–I even dipped my chicken in it, even though it didn’t need it.
Hutong serves dinner every day and lunch on weekdays.
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See more photos in our Hutong Flickr album.
