Hutong Takes Over Former Le Cirque Space

When the iconic Le Cirque closed at the end of 2017, it left in its wake memories of a different, more glamorous New York dining era and a vacant ground-level restaurant space in the horseshoe-shaped One Beacon Court. But that distinctive space has finally found its next tenant: Hutong, an upscale Chinese restaurant. The opening marks the first expansion into the U.S. for the Hong Kong-based Aqua Restaurant Group, which runs dining concepts in London, Hong Kong and Beijing. “New York’s always been a huge dream for us, because if you think about truly global cities, there are really only London, Paris and New York,” says group founder David Yeo. “Yes, Hong Kong is very international, but it’s different from being global.”’ Yeo heeded the call of regulars at the other two Hutong locations (London and Hong Kong), who noted the potential for the concept in New York. “Everybody said to us, ‘we’ve got no shortage of Western cuisines, but something like Hutong, which is pan Northern Chinese, we just don’t have this, and not of this quality,'” says Yeo. While many restaurants start with a chef, Hutong shies away from chasing trends and is focused instead on delivering the concept that has been crafted

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Read More...

from WWDWWD https://ift.tt/2Xyo3rL