Philip W.
Google
Good. Very good. But not great.
We waited for 15 minutes in line to be seated for our 7:15pm reservation, but weren't too put off - we had no where else to be. The Assistant Manager seated us with many apologies for the delay (she was lovely). "A very busy night" was the excuse. Surprising, given there were plenty of empty tables?!? This seems to be a theme with HTI's higher end restaurants - plenty of staff but patchy or slow service.
The menu was explained well, which is important given their menu approach and pricing. Seeing $80 for a taco entree can be a bit perplexing without context!
We enjoyed an exceptional entree of shellfish baked on lemon leaves, with aioli, seaweed sauce verde, and garlic scroll (no bread for my GF spouse... Not even a frozen roll quickly warmed up). This dish was 9/10. Close to perfect. Exceptionally fresh seafood, cooked expertly - smelt delicious as it came out and tasted great. It still needed a little something fresh to liven it up though.
We kept the seafood theme rolling with main, ordering the Bowen line-caught coral trout. Plating was spectacular, and the crispy skin tasty. We enjoyed the use of the full fish, which meant some tasty cheek. Unfortunately, in their pursuit of plating perfection, they lost the essence of this beautiful fish. Pressed into shape, it didn't retain that succulence and moisture the fish surely would have had but for their fussing. Zucchini side was a delight. The others were fine. 9/10 for appearance. 6/10 for taste. 7/10 overall.
Dessert was a feast for the eyes! Presented well, served home-style, and yummy, but not worth a detour. All good. 7.5/10
Waitstaff were friendly and attentive. Service gets 8/10, the only minor disappointment being the short wait.
Now, the elephant in the room... The price. All up, our bill was similar to Bommie at the Yacht Club and the Beach Club Restaurant. But the way it presents on the menu at CPC is confronting.
$80-90 for most entrees. $140-160 for most mains. They each serve two, so you do have to divide these by 2... And I guess $40 for entrees and $80 for mains isn't outrageous given the location, quality of produce and other cost factors.
But, at that price point, service, style, taste, plating, dietary accomodations... everything... should be perfect. Here, we felt it didn't quite reach those lofty heights.
The other aspect is choice. If you are dining as a couple and have different tastes, perhaps this place isn't for you. Luckily, I'll eat almost anything.
SO, for our money (at that price point), we'd choose elsewhere next time.
It all looks beautiful, great for Instagram, but it didn't meet the moment in the mouth... And for us, that's where it matters.
Definitely worth a visit, but (for us, at least) probably not a return visit.