Hotel — Gastrology

Location: 111 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9659 1592
Link: www.stamford.com.au/spm/restaurant--bar/harrys-restaurant
Cuisine: Asian, Modern Australian, European

Stamford Plaza Melbourne has launched a new tapas-style menu, aptly named “The Stamford Sharing Platter Menu”. Full of bite sized treats, the menu showcases a variety of cuisines from around the globe.

Designed by Executive Chef, Ketan Seth, the menu at Harry’s is a tempting mix that’s easy to share with a crowd. Seth’s career with some of the world’s most renowned hotels including The Langham Melbourne, Crown Melbourne and Dubai’s Raffles hotels and The Atlantis translates into a menu which reflects an eclectic mix of European and Asian influences.

Left: Arancini - shiitake mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms

Right: Schezuan crusted salt & pepper squid - coriander, mizuna, chilli

We enjoyed glasses of Pinot Noir (kindly recommended by our lovely waitress) over a selection of tapas.

Curry Puffs - golden puff pastry wrapped around vegetables, chicken and curry sauce from an old secret recipe

The famous Stamford Curry Puffs lived up to their hype. The pastries were baked to perfection, providing a nice crisp bite. The filling was most appealing, boasting the customary punchy flavours exhibited by South East Asian curries. This was the most authentic rendition of the Malaysian/Singaporean curry puff we have tasted in Melbourne.

Left: Seared baby snapper - buttered beans with hazelnut, fig and fennel

Right: Truffle mash

Shiraz braised beef cheeks - lemon scented spinach & confit cherry tomato

Another stand out dish was the decadent Shiraz Braised Beef Cheeks with lemon scented spinach. Comfort food at its best, the beef cheek was very tender and fell away easily with the weight of the fork. Coated with the rich braising sauce, it was delicious. The accompanying spinach was well-seasoned and had the perfect hint of lemon. This dish went very well with the truffle mash which was beautifully creamy.

A duo of desserts concluded our evening.

Saffron apple slice - Salted caramel centre on a hazelnut sable

The saffron apple slice was delightful. The salted caramel centre was rich, smooth and well balanced.

Lemon cheesecake - Madeira stewed strawberries

The rich and creamy cheesecake was perfectly counterbalanced by the tart strawberry components.

Harry’s new menu offers an abundance of choice from international cuisines so patrons are treated to a varied and multi-dimensional culinary experience. Incredibly versatile, it makes Harry’s the perfect spot for everything from a quick snack, a long period of grazing with friends to a hangout place for after-work drinks and nibbles with colleagues.