~BETELNUT~ served its last fried calamari on Sunday, closing briefly for the renovation into HUTONG, as reported in tablehopper last week (for now, Hutong is slated to open Monday March 11th).
Chef Alex Ong gave tablehopper a peek at a preliminary menu, which includes a variety of raw items like sea bream, radish, mizuna, sea salt, and chile-lemon soy. Small plates include chicken livers with onions and black sauce, and Jalan Alor-style chicken wings (Jalan Alor is the name of a Kuala Lumpur street that turns into an open-air food court at night). Also on the menu is a selection of salads including cress with chicken, spiced pumpkin seeds, crispy chicken “chicharrone,” and serrano-lime dressing, and hot dishes like Ong’s superlative lamb belly with jalapeño vinegar; braised oxtail hot pot with shiitake and beech mushrooms, greens, and a poached egg; hand-cut egg noodles with wild boar, garlic chives, Sichuan pepper; as well as a variety of sides like sugar snap peas, roasted garlic, braised leeks. Yeah, delicious. Dishes will cost $7-$15. Looking forward to trying these out (and more). Stand by for confirmation on the reopening date this weekend!
Oysters with sriracha-lemon ice. Photo courtesy Hutong.
