DOUBLE FIFTH FESTIVAL AT HUTONG

The Double Fifth festival takes place on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in the Chinese calendar. Hutong on level 33 of The Shard is celebrating this year with a new menu from Sunday 28th May to Sunday 4th June.

The festival tradition dates back to the death of the patriotic Chinese poet, Chu Yuan, in 278 BC. To this day, Dragon Boat races are held on Double Fifth in a symbolic attempt to rescue Chu Yuan. According to legend, villagers took their boats out into the river, desperate to save him, and tragically unable to, threw rice dumplings into the water both as an offering to his spirit and to distract the fish away from him.

 

 

The festival tradition dates back to the death of the patriotic Chinese poet, Chu Yuan, in 278 BC. To this day, Dragon Boat races are held on Double Fifth in a symbolic attempt to rescue Chu Yuan. According to legend, villagers took their boats out into the river, desperate to save him, and tragically unable to, threw rice dumplings into the water both as an offering to his spirit and to distract the fish away from him.

To mark the festival, Hutong’s Head Chef, Fei Wang has created a special menu using his selection of five Chinese spices; clove, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom and fennel, which were transported for many years through Asia’s Silk Road, otherwise known as The Spice Route.

The five spices can be experienced throughout the menu, including the aromatic Clove pickled string beans and Wok tossed cuttlefish in peppers with a kick of chilli and hint of liquorice from star anise. Enjoy the warmth and spice of sweet cinnamon in the Crispy beef tenderloin with bell peppers and try Hutong’s Wok-fried lotus roots in Lao Gan Ma sauce with fragrant cardamom.

See the full menu here.

 

 

The Double Fifth menu is available from 28th May to 4th June for lunch or dinner at £65 per person. To book a table visit the Hutong website, call 020 3011 1257 or email [email protected].