Friday, December 17, 2010

Going for Gold


For those of you who follow me on twitter, you will know that I’ve been spending a lot of time at Gold by Harlan Goldstein lately as the day job is doing the PR for that restaurant. And one of the perks of the job is that I get to take media out to try the food. And when you’re dining at the same restaurant five times a week, it really only is a perk when the food is fantastic so it’s much kudos to Chef Harlan and his team that we’ve managed to have impeccable meals pretty much every time we’ve been there (which is pretty amazing as every restaurant is bound to have teething issues.)


Of course, Gold by Harlan Goldstein is no ordinary restaurant and this is not the PR Geek in me talking, the restaurant opened to a full house on the first night and had everything go smoothly so it really is quite remarkable. Gold by Harlan Goldstein also transforms into a chill out lounge after dinner hours which is quite a nice idea considering it has an awesome terrace. I can go on and on about the design of the restaurant, the private room with its own wine cellar, the HK$2.38 million dollar bottle of wine and the philosophy behind Chef Harlan’s cooking (slow cooking, smoking and the freshest ingredients by the way) but the food is the definite highlight here and so rather than natter on, let’s get to the dishes. I apologise in advance for the photos. It’s awfully hard to whip out the iPhone and take images when the media are raring to try the food so it’s a combination of press shots, some done by Alex (one of the journos at a media tasting) and moi.


Up first, the foie gras with green apple ice and black fig jus. Call me jaded but I’m a little bored of the usual foie gras with the fruits by now. This dish however, with the apple ice, was a nice twist to the usual. The combination of the cold and the hot made the taste pop out quite a bit.


Hokkaido sea scallop carpaccio with slowed cooked Japanese organic egg and white truffle dressing. I didn’t get to try this as I’m allergic but judging from the orgasmic faces that the journalists made while consuming this, I would definitely recommend to those scallop loving folks.


Giant Portobello mushroom with black truffle crust and porchini fondue. If you love mushrooms, look no further than this. It’s like a trio of mushroomy goodness combined to create the ultimate shroom experience.


Crispy oysters with piquillo pepper salsa, creole remoulade and crumbled chorizo. Again, didn’t try it, damn me and my aversion to shell food. However, to quote a journo who is in love with oysters, “it doesn’t get much better than this.”


The pastas I’d say are really Chef Harlan’s forte. His homemade pastas have consistently been the perfect amount of al dente and are chockfull of flavour. There’s the signature wagyu beef cheek ravioli which ShoeGeek and I both fell in love with when we reviewed his former restaurant Tuscany by H and is a must try.


Then the truffle papardella with wild forest mushrooms, black truffle and smoked organic egg is extremely filling but that food coma you get after consuming this dish is well worth it.


The amazing seafood spinobelli pasta with vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, basil, roasted garlic and a touch of chili is great for someone who want something that has that oomph of seafood taste combined with that fresh tomato sensation.


While the US Manila clam linguine has super fat clams (conjuring up the scene in Alice in Wonderland in my head somehow even tho I know those should be oysters right?) and the linguine was simply infused with the taste of clam.


There was one dish that drew a collective gasp from the table every time we order it and that’s the 35oz The Big G wagyu fiorentina served with crispy rocket, rosemary garlic potatoes, white truffle dressing and a touch of aged balsamic. Yes you read it correctly, it’s 35 whopping ounces. That’s over two pounds. Be sure to order this steak medium rare or even rare if you are the type that loves your meat. In fact, if I weren’t hosting media lunches, I would happily take that bone and pick at it for the rest of the afternoon.


The melt in your mouth Scottish salmon does just that. It’s prepared to the perfect temperature which I’m grateful for as overcooked salmon is just gross.


If after all that, you are in the mood for dessert, well there’s a plethora of desserts to choose such as the frozen yoghurt that is touted as healthy, light and golden (which Chef Harlan always gives an ironic chuckle when introducing it) and gives you the option to spike it up with Baileys, Grand Marnier, Kahlua etc.


Other options include the chocolate macaroon which was fairly pleasant and the Berry-berry fantastic cheese cake. ShoeGeek loved the cheese cake as it has an unique mango foam around its edge and the Tahitian vanilla and orange flavoured crème brulee might just be my favourite with its light texture but rich taste.

So yes, after almost a thousand words describing the food that I’ve had in the past week, I shall leave you with this tip. Lunch at Gold by Harlan Goldstein is an absolute steal. Lunch sets are priced at HK$218 + 10% for an appetizer buffet that includes seafood and parma ham, a choice of five mains, dessert and coffee and tea.

Level 2 LKF Tower
33 Wyndham Street
Central
Kong.
+852 2869 9986
dine@gold-dining.com

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2 comments:

  1. Perfect timing - I've been trying to pick a place for lunch on Sunday!

    Tom

    ReplyDelete
  2. Went there 2 weeks ago. Nice ambience and comforting food :)

    ReplyDelete