Date Night: Penthouse by Harlan Goldstein

If you’ve seen a crazy line snaking around the corner at Soundwill Plaza II Midtown in Causeway Bay, you’ve stumbled upon one of Hong Kong’s newest dining destinations due to the recent arrival of the highly publicised Jamie’s Italian. Well, we decided to skip the massive queues on a recent Saturday and take the lift up to another new arrival this year, which boasts the stamp of Michelin-starred chef Harlan Goldstein, a fresh and flavourful contemporary Western menu, sky-high views and most importantly, no 2-hour wait times!

With a more trendy/casual setting than Harlan Goldstein’s other fine dining establishments in Hong Kong, Penthouse is a cool date spot and perfect place to catch up with your other half over a few glasses of wine and great food. The menu is contemporary featuring fresh, flavourful ingredients, and dishes definitely pack a tasty punch while leaving your wallet intact! We started off with the Spanish Farm-Raised Bluefin Tuna Tartare (main image above), which is crowned by a beautiful, glistening slow-cooked egg. Once cracked, the luscious egg yolk envelops the tuna in a creamy sauce, making for a mouth-watering bite. The tuna tartare was fresh and delivered layers of flavour – altogether a fantastic starter.

This was followed by a loaf of fresh-baked bread, warm and toasty with a side of zesty pesto. I always try to limit myself to one piece of bread so as not to fill up on carbs, but the combination of soft bread slathered with fresh pesto was just too good not to greedily dig in!

I definitely think you eat with your eyes first and foremost, and what I loved about Penthouse was the clean presentation of colours that popped form the plate. While the food was straightforward and non-fussy, the extra care and detail put into plating bore the mark of a Michelin-starred chef. The deviled crab cake was delicious: a meaty mix of fresh crab and veggies in a perfectly seared patty. This was accompanied by a light mango and black bean salsa that gave the dish a tex-mex kick and a few spoonfuls of horseradish cream for a spicy kick.

For our main dish, we sampled the Spanish Pork Ribs Bomba Rice – one of Penthouse’s signature dishes. This was, again, executed with a level of finesse that paid attention to spice, texture, flavour and contrast. The chorizo provided just the right amount of spice to the dish, while the al dente rice had a wonderfully chewy texture that kept you coming back for more. The seared pork ribs on top were tender, with a crunchy, peppery crust. The dish also comes with a side of garlic aioli, but for me the ribs are better off without any sauce!

The lunch service offers a dessert buffet covering the spectrum from creamy to crunchy, sticky sweet to subtly salty and rich chocolate to fruity options. My favourite had to be the mini pecan tarts and the mango mousse, but there are plenty of other options including blueberry cheesecake, cream puffs, tiramisu, jellies and chocolate cakes to suit your fancy.

The set lunch menu is a steal – for $258/person, you get a salad bar buffet, a main course, the dessert buffet and a coffee or tea. You can also try one of the soups as a starter (which I would highly recommend) for an additional charge ($58-88). While not cheap, dinner won’t break the bank either, with starters averaging around $150-$200 and mains running from $250-350. For the high quality of food I would definitely head back, this time to sample some of their hand-crafted pastas, grilled steaks and slow-cooked lamb chops. With the affordable set lunch menu, this is one of those spots that I could see becoming a go-to place if I lived in Causeway Bay, so be sure to check it out if you’re in the neighbourhood – or make a reservation for your next cosy dinner date with the hubby!

Penthouse, 30/F, Soundwill Plaza II Midtown, 1 Tang Lung Street, Hong Kong, 2970 0828

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