While there is no denying that petite-portioned fine-dining fare looks great on Instagram, it may not always fill your tummy, heart and soul in the same good-old-fashioned way as does a hearty steak. If it is such a sumptuous fare that you seek, you should – without further ado – head LKF-wards where housed within California Tower is the vibrant steakhouse, Porterhouse.

Upon entering, it’s clear that there is more to Porterhouse than just good steaks though. The spacious interiors flaunt a well-stocked bar with an enviable collection of wines on one side and an open kitchen with a raw seafood counter on another. The restaurant has been adorned with blue and gold accents, with high ceilings and discreet lighting conferring a luxurious ambience to the whole space.

Once we were ushered to our seats, we found that the menu is equally impressive, boasting an expansive seafood platter and a range of appetisers. We decided to start with Caprese of Burrata, made with tomato, crispy sour dough, smoked eggplant puree, stracciatella – a light, tangy, smoky concoction of flavours contrasting with the crispy bread. Ham lovers, meanwhile, shouldn’t miss out on the Premium Trio of Ham, consisting of Parma Ham (aged 24 months), Iberico Bellota (aged 36 months) and Iberico Cecina of Beef (aged 24 months). 

But the true heroes of the menu were the special selection of steaks, said to be the most extensive selection of porterhouse cuts available in Hong Kong. Porterhouse cuts are typically two steaks in one – the marbled striploin and the lean tenderloin – and are meant for sharing. The restaurant offers a wide range of premium beefs in this special cut: Spanish Los Norteños aged over 48 months, Irish John Stone beef aged 24 months, US Creek Stone Prime cut aged 28 months, Poland SOKOLOW signature line aged over 18 months, Italian-Scottish ‘High Quality Food’ beef aged over 24 months and Australian Mayura Wagyu beef aged over 30 months.

It is this latter variety that we decided to try medium-rare and were duly rewarded for our choice by a huge serving platter of juicy, succulent, perfectly marbled meat, the kind that literally melts in the mouth and has you reaching out for seconds. Being chocolate- and grass-fed, the beef was the right balance of sweet and tender, with the beef’s natural flavours standing out but never overpowering the palate.

The best part? If you go on Mondays, till 26 August, you can savour these premium cuts at half the price only during dinner service. But the portions are enormous, almost 1kg of meat to be shared between two, so make sure to build your appetite before the meal.

Those who are small eaters, meanwhile, can try the wide selection of fresh seafood served raw or fired up on the grill as well. Whatever your choice, expect to enjoy nothing less than an evening of fine dining, fine wine and fine service, because finesse seems to be the DNA of Porterhouse.

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay