A new stylish restaurant for Valentine’s treat

Posted on February 11, 2017 in Dine

Fine dining in Penang Island is nothing short of an extraordinary experience especially when good food seems to be everywhere. Regardless, Hardwicke House stands out as one of the finest venues in the heritage city of George Town here.

Situated at the annex of Vouk Hotel Suites, Hardwicke House is an elaborately ornate heritage building with stylish fine decor. Its classical ambience of the British colonial era makes dining in simply memorable.

Chef Teoh from Hardwicke House prepares a delectable set menu that includes a five-element gastronomy, with a touch of Penang’s local and finest ingredients. Where2 recently reviewed the restaurant during a food-tasting session. Read on!

Three appetisers, Amuse Bouche, Yellow & Green and The Garden graced in, and each is very well contrasted with one another. Amuse Bouche is a shrimp cocktail with a hint of avocado pulp and thousand island dressing, Yellow & Green is a simple salad with pickled root, smoked cashews and turmeric lime dressing while The Garden consists of caramelised onion, shitake and stout veloute.

All three main dishes, that includes Ocean Fresh, Charred and Field of Green, tasted equally good and it is difficult to determine which one is best.

Ocean Fresh is seared Barramundi, spiced baby potatoes, broccoli floret and razzo clam. The exquisitely rich and flavourful cream sauce for the razzo clam blends in perfectly with the Barramundi, highlighting the freshness of the fish.

Charred is starred by maple glazed duck breast with an assortment of spice, chargrilled texture quinoa, barley and purple cabbage. The succulent flesh of the duck oozes with taste with every bite and it is complemented very well with the chargrilled quinoa and barley.

Field of Green is presented as a truffled sirloin steak with nangka seed puree served with cumin roast potato. This dish will leave you wanting more as the steak is seared to perfection with roast potatoes to enhance the ensemble.

All good things must come to an end, and for dessert, Sweet Memory was served. It has a thin slice of a rich Trio Chocolate cake, coffee ice cream and a cream puff.

Complementing the meal with a glass of wine may be the best decision ever as the restaurant offers an extensive wine list – and if you are at a loss on what to choose from, there is a sommelier at hand to help you make the best choice.

Whatever your choose, Hardwicke House promises to deliver a delicious dinner and a memorable fine dining experience.

Valentine’s Treat
By Tharanie Rajendran

Wine and romance are inseparable; that makes you pour your heart into it, quite literally. But choosing a wine for the romantic evening can be a difficult task to do.

Hardwicke’s signature cake and pana cotta

You may pick the most expensive bottle on the shelf but it could possibly be a let down.

Here at Hardwicke House, the well-trained sommeliers will take a step-by-step guide to get you the best wine for you and your loved one.

The wine cellar of Hardwicke House

Shaun Louis, the F&B Manager of Hardwicke House shares that wines selected for special occasions have to match with the specific flavour and aroma of the cuisine served.

The Chianti Classico from Villa Cafaggio is a smooth and medium-bodied wine from Tuscany in Italy. The aroma of dried flowers, raspberries and sweet spices will entice your appetite during the romantic dinner.

The Fillet of Grouper and its wasabi crushed new potatoes will further be elevated its fragrance and taste with the Chianti Classico while the medium-bodied flavour will not overpower the taste of the oven-roasted Spatchcock.

For the heavier taste of Black Angus Tenderloin of Beef, the Italian Sangiovese grapes will be of a great match. This wine from Sangiovese will be a good choice of wine to pair with the Valentine’s Day Set Dinner, as it is a good pairing for the menu of the evening. The palate of black cherry, plum, tea leaves and savoury spice will complement the main course, whether you are a seafood, poultry or meat lover.