Located in the heart of LKF, the seventh floor of California Tower is home to one of the city’s top (m)eateries, Porterhouse. This steakhouse has been on the block for some time, with the kitchen now looked after by Executive Chef Angelo Vecchio.
We entered the dining room feeling an instant sense of sophistication against the backdrop of skyline views. The floor-to-ceiling windows, soft background music and simplistic decor provided just the right amount of chic whilst still allowing for a relaxed vibe. It’s an ideal spot for either a midweek or lazy weekend treat.
Porterhouse’s new Meat Me Tuesday promotion ($528/person) offers great value for money, presenting diners with a buffet consisting of salads, cheeses and breads, a meat carving station that includes four side dishes and dessert. Two-hour free-flow drinks ($128 for mocktails, juices and soft drinks; $288 for house wines, beers and cocktails) can be added.
Whilst perusing the menu and salad bar, a refreshing welcome pineapple aperitif was served along with crudités, a sun-dried tomato dip and an overflowing bread basket. This was a lovely way to open the evening,
To drink, we chose the smooth Cheval des Andes Malbec 2015, laced with silky cherry and coffee notes. This wine was a great companion to our meaty mains.
The buffet showcases an extensive selection of salads. Favourites were the honey-glazed sweet potatoes, which were roasted to perfection, the basil-topped tomatoes drizzled with vinegar and the grilled aubergine, bursting with flavours of the Med.
We would’ve liked to have seen a wider assortment of cheeses to complement all that gorgeous bread.
The carving station features beef, pork, chicken and lamb, all lined up alongside a variety of sauces, mustards and seasonings.
The beef was the star of the show. The tomahawk cut was cooked to a juicy medium rare and was full of flavour despite lacking some seasoning. It paired well with both the velvety Béarnaise sauce and green peppercorn gravy. Tender and effortless to cut through, we made sure we had seconds of this one!
The lamb, albeit a small portion, was well seasoned throughout, releasing subtle flavours of paprika and rosemary. There were a lot more bones to navigate here though.
You can skip the chicken. While crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside, the seasoning was off and it tasted bizarrely sweet.
The sides arrived simultaneously at our table and were of decent portion size. Our favourites were the creamy mashed potato and earthy sautéed mushrooms.
The chips and salad were on the bland side – perhaps adding some shaved Parmesan or truffle would have perked things up a bit.
Dessert was regrettably the biggest let-down of the meal. The lemon sorbet provided a much-needed palate cleanser alongside the passion fruit coulis, however, it could have been served in isolation of the chopped fruit and couscous. We found the textures strange and confusing.
Verdict
Unlike most steakhouses, Porterhouse has a lot more on offer than just meat. It was great to see a selection of well-thought-out additions to pair with the eatery’s signature grills. The choice of meat was impressive, and we enjoyed exploring the different cooking techniques and seasonings for each. I look forward to seeing a twist on the dessert menu, mirroring the concept of choice that we saw throughout the salad bar and mains. Meat Me Tuesday provides a spot of early-week indulgence – definitely a Tuesday treat I’ll return for.
Porterhouse is hosting a five-course four-hands dinner menu ($880/person; includes wine pairings and complimentary cocktail reception with free-flow Hennessy Sunset cocktails and canapés) on Thursday, 9 November 2019, with Chef Vecchio cooking alongside Olé Executive Chef Jesus Pascual to craft an innovative Spanish-inspired menu.
7/F, California Tower, 30–32 D’Aguilar Street, LKF, Central, 2522 6366, book online
This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.
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