Eat Drink Hong Kong

I don’t often eat steaks at restaurants, its the kind of thing I cook at home along with home made English style chips and a glass of fine beer. But when the pangs hit not even a hike across Tsim Sha Tsui at six-thirty in the evening is enough to deter.

Now when I was a young lad BLT stood for bacon, lettuce and tomato. The three would usually be found between two slices of crusty bread and would be enjoyed with a piping hot mug of tea.

In Ocean Terminal BLT stands for Bistro Laurent Tourondel which is the latest establishment to be opened by celebrity chef Laurent Tourondel. It’s also the first one to be opened outside the US. And it was here that my feet were taking me.

It is a modern cosmopolitan place with stunning views across the harbour if you’re lucky enough to be there when there isn’t a cruise ship in. The staff are friendly and efficient and soon led me to a table with an impressive view of the Silver Whisper cruise ship. Can’t have everything I thought and buried my nose in the menu.

Naturally there’s a full range of steak options with Australian and Wagyu beef. There are also some intriguing seafood possibilities and the Alaskan cod was very tempting. But it was steak that had brought me here and I was steak that I was going to have.

The top end of the menu was a bit beyond my budget but the 10oz Australian filet ($268) looked good but before that I ordered Spicy Rock Prawns with Blue Cheese Dressing ($138)to get things started.

While I was waiting for these the waiter delivered what he called “bread” but according to a little label on the side of the plate it is called a popover. Most British people however would know it as Yorkshire pudding. And a very good one and huge too, with cheese added during the baking.

Before long the prawns arrived. They were succulent and tasty. I wouldn’t have been unhappy had been a little spicier but not everyone would agree with that.

To go with the steak I’d ordered Potato Gratin ($58). “It’s very rich,” confided the waiter, “this one is for cheese lovers”.

The steak was all I could have hoped for. Cooked medium rare, it was lean and juicy. It wasn’t long before I found myself mopping the plate with the last of my popover.

Admittedly I couldn’t cook a steak that well at home and I was really glad that I had stopped by. My only complaint is about the range of beers that that they serve. And it’s not only BLT that are guilty. Given the range of excellent Belgian and British beers that are now available in Hong Kong it’s disappointing that so few restaurants offer them. A quality beer can complement a steak as well as a fine wine.

For dessert I opted for Lemon Meringue Pie with Lemon Sorbet ($80). The lemon meringue itself was fairly ordinary but the sorbet was wonderfully sharp and tangy. I rounded off with a coffee and took the ferry back across the harbour. It is indeed a spectacular view.