Delish Eats: Carver, Contemporary Cooking and Charcoal-Grilled Steaks

Restaurant story: Carver sets out to redefine the meaning of culinary excellence, showcasing an impressive array of the world’s finest cattle with its expertly prepared steaks and prime meat cuts. Set against a contemporary background in the heart of Causeway Bay’s Crowne Plaza, the convivial atmosphere is primed with each stroke of the steak knife, carving out unforgettable memories.

What’s the vibe and venue like: Upon arriving at the restaurant, we were immediately greeted with a magnificent dry-aging cabinet, akin to a glowing vault. Within its confines, the marbled jewels of beef beckoned us forward to marvel at the many hues of red that we were about to indulge in. Bathed in a sleek and modern atmosphere, the restaurant’s light oak, white marble, and vibrant upholstery creates a lively interplay of lights casting a glow throughout the dining hall.

How much does it cost: Shared between two, the set dinner menu comes out to HK$598 per person, totalling a respectable HK$1,196, excluding a 10% service charge.

What is the menu about: The dinner tasting menu comes as a minimum order of two people, designed to create an intimate dining experience for smaller groups. The set offers a range of appetisers, four main courses, and three dessert options, with wine pairings to boot. With lots to “ooh and ahh” at, the menu becomes the centrepiece of conversation, guiding the night with act after act.

What did we order: Heirloom Tomato and Boccocini Cheese Salad, Deep-Fried Soft Shell Shrimp, 45-Days Dry-Aged Bone-in Short Loin USDA Prime (700g), MoMo (Poached White Pear, Vanilla Mascarpone Tart), and Pear (Goat Cheese Cake).

Heirloom Tomato and Bocconcini Cheese Salad: Brightly assorted tomatoes punctuated with adorable little white Bocconcini balls glisten like a handful of colourful gems. Topped with microherbs, dotted sourdough chips, and drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar, the taut skin of the tomatoes breaks away with each bite – with each mouthful providing a different salty, sweet symphony.

Deep-Fried Soft Shell Shrimp: The “surf” to our surf’n’turf dinner came in the form of the deep-fried soft-shell shrimp, tossed in Cajun spices and complemented by the refreshing lemon and lime dressing. The sweet shrimp meat, firm to the bite, paired excellently with the subtle bitterness of the kale and red coral salad.

45-Days Dry-Aged Bone-in, Short Loin, USDA Prime: Our breath was taken away and immediately given back to us tenfold, filling up our nostrils with the mouthwatering aroma of a gorgeously seared crust. The whopping 700g Dry Aged Bone-in Short Loin was as much a feast for our eyes as it was for our stomachs, rich in flavour and transforming in taste with your choice of mustard, gravy, or garlic confit. The steak cuts smoothly with two light-handed swipes of the knife – before we knew it, the steak had disappeared.

MoMo: Carver’s desserts were a welcome surprise, with the many colourful elements of the dessert painting an alluring picture. Sweet peach jellies in cubes and freeze-dried raspberries mark the plates’ diametre, with a delicate mascarpone tart topped with a poached white peach coalescing into a subtly sweet and tangy mouthful.

Pear: Fusing the bittered caramelised pear with a tangy goat’s cheesecake, the floor of the dessert is painted with a salty caramel hazelnut cream, tying these bright and contrasting flavours together. The caramelised pear balances the earthy flavours of the otherwise creamier counterparts.

What we liked: Almost three weeks have passed since I first laid eyes on Carver’s 45-day Dry-Aged Bone-In Steak, and I still can’t shake its image from the back of my eyelids when I drift off to sleep.

For its price point, you would be almost foolish to pass this up. I would gladly come back for this toothsome steak and try out some of the other meat-centric menu items such as the A4 Striploin, and the 20-Day House Dry-Aged U.S. Striploin with Coffee Grounds.

What we didn’t like: If I were to find gripes with Carver’s tasting menu, it would be that there was less variety of meats to choose from. While everything we had enjoyed easily met our expectations, I feel as though some dishes (Deep-Fried Soft Shell Shrimp and the MoMo dessert) were less cohesive than the other items on the menu. The many ingredients of these dishes, while delicious, didn’t seem to come together as a whole as much as I would’ve liked.

What you should order: 45-Day Dry-Aged Bone-In Strip Loin, Heirloom Tomato and Boccocini Cheese Salad, and Pear Dessert.

Location: Carver, 1/F, Crowne Plaza Hong Kong Causeway Bay, 8 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Contact details: Book here, +852 5978 5971

This food review is based on a complimentary media tasting provided by Carver in exchange for a truthful review and no compensation. The opinions expressed within represent the views of the author.

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