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2013-12-10
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I was lucky enough to try this new place by serial restaurateur/entrepreneur Harlan Goldstein, who made his reputation in the Hong Kong culinary world through his namesake branded restaurants; this time he’s restyling and recreating the previous The Strip House into a much less flamboyant comfort food restaurant, aptly named, Harlan Goldstein’s Comfort.The interior is an elegant step down from the racy photos and red lip shaped urinals of The Strip House, maybe that’s also why last time I went i
The interior is an elegant step down from the racy photos and red lip shaped urinals of The Strip House, maybe that’s also why last time I went it was fully booked – all guys . But now with its wooden floor panels and cozy ambience it feels a lot like a nice family hangout you can take your in-laws to. What’s not changed though is the friendly humor of the famed American chef, which was on prominent display on opening night – Harlan himself was welcoming guests in a T-shirt that read “My Tai Tai s curry ROCKS”, an actual item from the menu; and was jovially recommending his other creations as well.
We started with the Crispy Falafel, Garlic Sesame Sauce ($85); it was soft and mushy and regrettably lacked the crispiness the name promised, quite disappointing for the start, but fortunately for us, things got better. (Digressing a bit: for good falafel in Hong Kong, I would recommend Habibi Cafe or even Ebeneezer’s, both good quality for money.)
Next was the Japanese Wagyu Beef Croquettes ($108), a generous portion of meaty minced beef deep fried into four crunchy meatballs. For something that could have easily been oily and thick, it was very well executed. The beef was lightly seasoned, retaining the meaty juices and flavors you would find in a good ribeye steak; and the texture of the minced meat was lean yet tender and moist, quite a pleasant surprise for Wagyu beef. One of my favorite dishes here. Yum!
Moving to the mains, we had the Slow-Cooked Beef Cheek, Mash Potatoes & Home Style Gravy ($248). The portion was appetizer sized but was very tender and succulent and had a wonderful smoky fragrance on the crisp edges of the charred fat strips aligning the meat. The mash and gravy offered little surprise, but was it comfort food? Definitely!
The Crab Meat Crusted Salmon Steak, Asparagus, Lobster Cajun Sauce ($188) was a confusion of flavors - each well done in its own right but did not converge well as a whole. I found the spiciness in the crab meat overpowering, and while the sauce, reminiscent of a smokier lobster bisque, went well with the crab, it felt quite disjointed from the salmon. I still prefer my salmon complemented with lighter sauces and flavors.
Dessert was the Old School Apple Crumble, Caramel, Vanilla Ice Cream ($66). Served in a metal pot, the aroma of caramel, cinnamon and vanilla, combined with a truly crunchy golden crumb topping was enough to make me fall in love with this classic again. This is definitely the ultimate comfort food and a classic that ‘you don’t mess with’. I just couldn’t stop munching on the crunchy bits!
Last up was the Harlan G’s Nitrogen Dessert ($98), which was not the same as the nitrogen ice cream from Lab Made that we were expecting. It was a quirky combination of honey, chocolate coated popcorn candy, and frozen pellets of ice cream in the flavor of Hong Kong style milk tea. The liquid nitrogen was added at the table, which added to the somewhat magical experience. Also when eating it, we were spewing smoke out of our mouths and noses, it was a strangely fun experience and will bring a big smile to your face =) At least we couldn’t stop laughing about it!::||Good for||::
As I mentioned earlier, bringing your inlaws! And also for all those everyday occasions when you just want simple flavours and a cozy place for late dinners with friends or family.
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