Strip House by Harlan Goldstein – steak done in style

UPDATE: Striphouse is now closed

Even in a foodie city as picky as Hong Kong, you can never really go wrong with a piece of steak. 2012 seemed to be the year of the meat-lover with a mass of steakhouses landing all around town (like Carnevino and Blue Butcher), but the one Sassy never got round to trying was Chef Harlan Goldstein’s Strip House! So to ring in the New Year and hot on the heels of their new Michelin star, Rach and I finally made the trip there.

The interior is classy, cosy and intimate, with low lighting, red and black décor and sleek comfy armchairs designed for lingering over your meal! We loved the Vargas-style pin-up girl illustrations in frames all across the walls of the restaurant (with some even on the ceiling!) and were also especially surprised when Harlan Goldstein himself even stopped by to say hello.

One look at the beautifully arranged salad bar, and Rach and I decided on Strip House’s set lunch. Diners have the option of ordering simply the salad buffet (but who wants that, eh? Boooor-ing!), or the buffet plus either soup or a variety of entrees. Best yet, the set lunch comes with a (mandatory, in our opinion) order of dessert!

Once we ordered our mains, Rach and I jetted off to the organic salad bar. I don’t claim to be an artist, but I tried my best at assembling a pretty fancy plate of Harlan’s best! Rach and I both stacked up on the Parma ham and Parmesan cheese – served on a huge Parmesan wheel, it had a marvellously crumbly texture. The other standout salad bar additions included the baby corn in herbs, roasted veggies and finger-licking-good bacon bits!

Onto the main event – and of course, since it’s the Strip House, let’s talk about steak! The 8oz Wagyu hanger steak came medium rare with fat chips and a wonderfully spicy, tomato sauce. The pairing of the sauce and hint of smokiness from the charcoal grilled steak was fabulous, bringing out the best of the beef, whilst the steak itself was perfectly cooked, tender and incredibly juicy. Full points to our Strip House steak!

Meanwhile the Cajun spiced wild salmon came with a gravy, which didn’t really complement the flavours of the fish. I didn’t taste much of the Cajun spice but the salmon itself was good and meaty, if nothing too special. What did get me excited was the ever-so-creamy Parmesan potato mash that came on the side. I’m not usually a fan of mash, but I couldn’t get enough huge heavenly spoonfuls of this creamy, earthy and luscious one.

Last, but not least, we opted for two scoops of homemade ice cream. The choice of ice cream flavours included peanut butter & jelly, black cherry and other staple flavours, like vanilla. We opted for the Hong Kong Milk Tea, which was exactly that: silky smooth, milky sweet and completely capturing the mellow flavour of this popular Hongkie drink. The other option we tried was the Nutella, which was sinfully rich and delicious! The ice cream was presented on little melon cubes, which didn’t really add much to the flavour, but who can complain when you’ve got your mouth full of gorgeous Nutella ice cream?!

All in all, Strip House is one of the few places in Central where you don’t need to shout over your meal to be heard – it’s great for an intimate meal for two or a business lunch, and would go down a treat if anyone in your office has a special occasion to celebrate. The lunch deal is really reasonable given the classy surroundings and quality ingredients, ranging from $108-348 (the Wagyu hanger steak being the most expensive, but still good value, option) – so stop by soon for an indulgent three-course meal that will fill you up plenty!

Strip House by Harlan Goldstein 5/F, Grand Progress Building, 15-16 Lan Kwai Fong, Central
2521 8638 www.striphousehongkong.com/