Having stayed at The Langham for more than a few times, we had never tried Duke’s. Passing it every time we go to T’ang Court and being only able to glimpse briefly at the darkened interior, we finally decided to have dinner there before heading back to Hong Kong.
The menu is not vast, but is separated into two separate books. One lists a nice selection of tapas for appetisers, while the other sets out the more substantial items of steaks and seafood.
We were feeling pretty hungry, so we ordered a variety of tapas to keep our stomachs happy while waiting for our main course. The portions were surprisingly generous, four to five pieces depending on the dish.
Cute loaves of rosemary infused brioche were placed before us soon after ordering. Very fragrant, pillowy soft, but unfortunately they were barely warm, with the base actually being cold.
The crispy calamari caught my eye, arriving as five rolls of neatly scored squid, they were lightly fried with barely a hint of greasiness. Nice, especially with the accompanying creamy tartare sauce.
Seared scallops with pineapple held hints of Thai flavours. Just a little overcooked, but the heat from the spices and sweetness from the paper-thin slice of pineapple helped to whet the appetite.
The crab cakes were presented in a different manner to what we were expecting. Rather than uneven mounds of crab meat, they were cubes of minced crab meat again with a touch of Thai spices. Quite similar to Thai fish cakes actually with a bouncy texture.
Prawns in olive oil were really fresh, medium-sized with a firm texture that crunched on the first bite. They were chilled with a light tang from the lemon juice mixed with the olive oil.
And then it was prime rib time~ well for me. Australian beef, slow roasted for six hours this is Duke’s signature item. When asked how I preferred my prime rib, the server does mention the chefs roast it to a standard medium (x5) which was perfect for me. If however it arrives too pink for you, they are more than happy to cook it more well done. The meat had a nice chew to it, with just enough edges of fat to intensify the flavour. I would have enjoyed this even more if the accompanying gravy was more savoury though. Still good though. If I was not so interested in the side of roast potato and vegetables I would have most likely finished the entire portion.
Since I chose the prime rib, Mr. C chose to have the Australian beef tenderloin. Charred nicely, it had a solid beefy flavour and was actually more tender than the prime rib, but I still preferred my choice more.
So the saying is true, it never hurts to try something new and I am really glad we tried Duke’s this time~
Just Something About Me 