THE BEGINNING – A SEASONED SECOND ROUND
They say a steakhouse is a steakhouse – you provide a quality cut of meat and a chef who knows how to season and grill it and you’re golden. I’ve eaten at a number of steakhouses from low to high-end, but one of my favourites would have to be pinpointed here. Not only for the menu of food, but the warm-welcoming service. Primarily in Hong Kong, we tend to forget that great service is an essential part of that dining experience.
A much-needed escape curated by Black Sheep Restaurant, Buenos Aires Polo Club is easy to locate at the core of LKF. Being no stranger to the group’s success in launching their distinctive eateries with exceptional quality in Hong Kong and remaining open; I’m scarcely surprised this place is constantly teeming with young and old alike sharing a great meal with an even greater selection of wine.
If you are unfamiliar with South American wines, they have a similar consistency and flavour to Californian and Spanish reds –young, silky whether it’s medium or a nice full-bodied and priced moderately for us who still need to eat after ordering a bottle. I prefer a full-bodied red with little to no tannins, as I dislike the bitter aftertaste and the slight hangover headache you can get. Do not be shy and ask the Sommelier, who was more than happy to recommend his favourites to us.
This was not our first time for the wine or to dine.
We had come back with gusto and a grumbling stomach along with Jamie and his family – seasoned and ready to order.
THE FOOD
Burrata
Garlic | Chives | Tomato | Gaucho Bread
Always start(er) with the best. No arguments amongst any six of us… slicing into its creamy centre that burrata folded and spilled out over the tomatoes. If you have never tried burrata, imagine its mozzarella sister but infinitely softer. Signs of a good burrata are the soft outer flesh and thick creamy centre. A mild petite parcel of velvety goodness. The tomatoes were glazed with the distinct sweetness of olive oil and seasoned with salt and garlic. No one could ask for a better combination. Thank you Jamie’s mum for a brilliant beginning to a meal.
Chicken Liver Pate
Crispy Chicken Skin | Caramelised Shallots
I apologise in advance for the lack of photographic evidence here, as the camera was put away to enjoy this portion of the evening. And on top of that, I haven’t had good pate in so very long. Normally, pate can be overpowering when traditionally using goose liver. It can be overly rich – and sickening should you want more than just seconds. This chicken liver pate was silk, creamy and without that overpowering gamey flavour or dense texture comparative to its goose counterpart. Though Jamie’s grandparents had been the ones to order this as their starter, we unashamedly polished off more than half of it.
Grilled Bone Marrow
Oxtail Malbec Jam
Sometimes the photo just does it. Not surprisingly bone marrow is 96% fat, but healthy and good fats helping us build immunity, aid in digestion and rebuild the body overall. Should the health benefits not tempt you in having a bite, I hope this photo does. The marrow melts in your mouth paired with the sweet and savoury umami flavour from the red wine reduction in the jam and the oxtail jus. The jam by itself was a culinary experience to savour.
24oz. Bone-in Ribeye
30oz. T-Bone
Rare. It is a cardinal sin to go over a medium. Personal rule is to never order anything beyond a medium-rare. Overcooked, tasteless and stringy meat is not something I enjoy chewing into – what is the point when I cannot even savour the jus? The great thing about ordering the steak here is selecting your very own steak knife. Regulars are able to store their own steak knives here at the restaurant, and quite an array they do boast. You almost get a sense as a hunter having worked for that char-grilled tender steak and cutting into it with your hunting knife. The knives are considerably large, I might add. The meat was grilled spectacularly – though a word of caution – traditionally South Americans tend to season their meat quite thoroughly, meaning they are heavy-handed with the salt and may be one of many reasons why the red wine went down so delightfully quickly for all of us. Delicious, but no additional seasoning is required.
Coming to the fragment of the evening after a fair amount of wine, a greater amount of laughter and hungrily eyeing up the dessert menu at the time – I cannot for the life of me remember what this dessert was. The homemade ice cream was just the right amount of sweet with what I can only recollect as toasted hazelnuts or almonds rolled on the outside, paired with fresh strawberries. Simple, light and sinful.
A much-needed thank you to Jamie and his family for treating us all to so much glorious red wine, I passed out by 11pm that evening, with Marty, the best dachshund to have ever existed, licking my face feverently. There’s definitely a video of it but only a special few get a peek.
THE ENDING – THIRDS ANYONE? ALSO OPEN FOR WEEKEND BRUNCH!
Nathalie’s Rating: 4.7/5
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