Given my heart condition, I have to go easy on meat. So whenever I get invited to a food tasting, my dining partner - aka hubby - will have to pick the steak option.
"Can't I have something different for once?" he often whined. But he was certainly not complaining when we were trying out Carver's winter menu.
Situated in Crowne Plaza Causeway Bay, the steakhouse is offering three new dining experiences: a two- to four-course lunch (from HK$238), semi-buffet weekend lunch (from HK$358) or a deluxe dinner tasting menu (HK598, two person minimum).
We tried the three-course dinner. Unlike some set dinners which offer only two options, there were four available for the appetizer and main and three for dessert.
For the appetizer, I had the deep-fried soft-shell shrimp served with kale and red coral salad with a lemon and lime dressing to cut though oil while my husband was all praises for the recommended heirloom tomato and bocconcini cheese salad.
Afterwards, he had the steak of course, a melt-in-the-mouth wagyu flank from Australia from Carver's bespoke beef dry-aging cabinet while I opted for the almost meaty Patagonian toothfish, baked in the oven and complemented by a luscious browned butter sauce.
As it was my birthday, the staff very kindly piped "Happy Birthday" on my dessert, Chocolat (dark chocolate marquise topped with chocolate honeycomb and raspberry sorbet), which went well with hubby's Pear (caramelized pear with goat's cheese cake and vanilla ice cream).
Like Carver, dry-aged beef is the specialty of Tango Argentinian Steakhouse, which opened this month in Lan Kwai Fong. Tango's beef comes from the heart of the pampas cattle-raising region in Buenos Aires province; Azul Natural Beef, an award-winning producer with a long tradition of six generations in the meat and cattle-raising industry.
The hormone- and antibiotic-free Aberdeen Angus cattle are raised on quality pasture and strict nutritional programs from breeding to final fattening, resulting in premium and tender beef.
Dry-aged up to 30 days, these cuts are trimmed and placed on a high-temperature grill to be seared, forming a crust around the meat while trapping in natural juices.
The best way to try its offerings is to book a table for lunch. Available Monday to Friday, the lunch set (from HK$208) includes an appetizer, main, side and drink.
In Asia, the Japanese are acknowledged grill masters.
Savvy at Marco Polo Hotel presents an enticing teppan grill menu cooked to perfection. A-la-carte seafood and meat options include fresh live whole Boston lobster, Dalian abalone and Hokkaido sashimi-grade scallop together with Kurobuta pork chop, Miyazakigyu A5 wagyu and M5 Australian wagyu beef sirloin.
A relative newcomer is Kaen Teppanyaki, which opened in May last year. Using the essence of "??" or flame in its concept, the Japanese steakhouse combines teppan and binchotan cooking.
Under the stewardship of chef Yoshiyuki Sato, the restaurant harmonizes traditional and contemporary culinary methods to create dishes spotlighting precision knife work and premium ingredients.
The wagyu it uses is sourced directly from merchants, farmers, and auctions in Japan and is traceable from farm to table. Complementing this, the restaurant procures seasonal seafood and produce, flown in daily from Japan and Europe.
