Yesterday I rang in the year of the rabbit at Hunan with friend and consummate foodie Dino. We have incredibly similar taste in food, so when he raved about this place, I knew I would be in for a treat. We sat in the front room, a lovely little space bathed in diffused sunlight, and for the next two and a half hours, plates with small, colorful portions of food were delivered to our table in a steady stream. There is no proper menu at Hunan, so you just inform the server of the level of spice you can handle and if you have an dietary restrictions and the food starts coming. Among the dishes were a few Chinese New Year specialties like a lettuce roll and special dumplings. With the exception of a particularly bland lamb dish, the food was excellent. And at Hunan, they saved the best for last. Our final dishes were pork belly buns and a whole lobster with crispy noodles. This last dish diverged a bit from the previous tapas-sized portions, but it was the ideal finger-licking finale to an outstanding meal. You can check out the photos on flickr or in the slide show above.

Hunan
51 Pimlico Road, London SW1W 8NE
Open: 12.30-2pm, 6.30-11pm Mon-Sat
Reservations: 020 7730 5712