Santa Lucia is the flagship restaurant in the recently open Hotel Panorama in Tsim Sha Tsui, the sister property of Hotel LKF. Heading up the kitchen is Nathan Hogan, who used to be the executive chef at Hotel LKF’s restaurant Azure. I was looking forward to going to Santa Lucia for dinner as I had heard from a foodie, who travels the world to eat, that Hogan’s modern European cuisine was impressive…she was right.

Foodies’ Menu
Located on the 38th floor the first thing you notice when being seated is the fantastic view of the harbour and Hong Kong Island; careful placement of mirrors extends the view. The next thing I noticed was the bright lights above the table, bright enough to work by, which I thought was a tad too bright for dining. The lit candle hardly noticeable. Anyway on to the food…



The menu is one of the most impressive I have seen for a while, every dish sounded delicious and my dining partner and I quickly began to salivate in anticipation. I can guarantee that regardless of your food preferences there will be something that will appeal.

Creative Combinations
From the warm appetisers we selected the House Smoked Sea Scallops & Salmon Tartar with lemon creme fraiche and truffle dressing, and the chef’s recommended Cornmeal Crusted Foie Gras served on a potato rosti with raisin pesto compote and a bouquet of root vegetable chips served in a mini brioche.



The scallops were artfully wrapped with pancetta and had a strong smoky bacon flavour that we found a little too intense. We enjoyed the scallops more when we removed the pancetta. The salmon was tasty and paired well with the zing of the creme fraiche.

The foie gras was the best foie gras I have eaten. The crunchy cornmeal a wonderful contrast to the soft liver center that was full of flavour; it disappeared quickly. The surprise was the pesto compote; it is an inspired creation – the intensity and flavour of pesto with the sweetness of jam. It could lend itself to be paired with a wide range of dishes and we immediately thought it should be bottled and sold. It would fly off the shelves.

Both dishes featured creative plating and a perfect blending of intense and complementary colours, flavours and textural variety.

Intensity Builds
We also shared the Classic Lobster Bisque with cognac and tarragon cream. We ordered it because it is one of those very classic soups and were blown away. It had such a richly intense aroma, lobster flavour and depth of colour we wondered how many lobsters it had taken to make the stock. It was heavenly, with lots of lobster pieces adding textural variety. I would have licked the bowl clean had it been acceptable behaviour. Instead I used some of the bread to enjoy every last trace.

By this point we had realised that one of Hogan’s signatures is creating dishes that have intense, intense flavours.



I almost decided on the Braised Wagyu Beef Cheek Open Face Lasagna (handmade) with julienne summer squash and shaved pecorino cheese for my main, but in the end I went with the Pan-roasted Chilean Sea Bass with crispy potato ravioli, a red wine reduction and a selection of baby spring vegetables. This dish was another winner, the fish was firm with a wonderful flavour that was enhanced by the red wine reduction. The plating had an element of spring about it. The baby vegetables were perfectly cooked and the baby onion served inside the yellow squash was delightful. This was a dish where all the elements tasted great on their own, but when you put them all together it was sublime.

My dining partner was surprised to receive Alaskan King Crab and Cod Fish with braised creamy salsify, parmesan cheese and salad cress, because we thought we had ordered the Pan-fried Soft Shell Crab and King Prawn with sweet pea sauce and vegetable mille-feuille. Not one to make a fuss he didn’t say anything to the staff. He enjoyed the dish, especially the intensity of the crab, but it was not as delicious as my choice, which was perfection.

Berry Heaven
Raspberry Mousse with Fondant Chocolate Cake and Strawberry Napoleon were chosen for dessert.

My dining companion was in strawberry heaven, the triangle-shaped Napoleon served on its end filled with strawberry cream and overflowing with fresh berries. It tasted as good as it looked and he was happy that his choice turned out to be tastier than mine.

The chocolate fondant was toped with the raspberry mousse and capped off with a square shaped box made of puff pastry; it resembled a flower. I loved the mousse, fluffy and packed with berry flavour but I found the fondant to be a little dry. The plating, like all the dishes, was well thought out and designed to impress.



Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the evening and thought the food was sensational. We will definitely be making a return visit.

Ambiance, Service, Wine
The restaurant has an elegant, yet relaxed ambiance. There is plenty of space between tables conveying a sense of privacy and the great view can be enjoyed from most tables. There are large booth style tables for groups and intimate curved booths for romantic occasions. The bar area also takes advantage of the view.

The service is efficient and both the wait staff and sommelier are happy to make recommendations.

A small but well chosen wine list; we enjoyed a bottle Pouilly Fuisse 2006.



Set Dinners
The restaurant also serves a four-course and five-course set dinner for a very reasonable $428 for four courses and $528 for six courses. The menu changes monthly and focuses on seasonal produce. For June the spotlight is on crab and lobster with a mouthwatering selection to choose from. The dishes all have that Hogan creative touch, for example Hot Crab vs Chilled Lobster soup – hot blue crab chowder is complemented by a refreshing cucumber white gazpacho with poached lobster. 

by Vicki Williams
June 2008

Santa Lucia
38/F, Hotel Panorama,
8A Hart Avenue,
Tsim Sha Tsui
3550-0388