Hai House shows off playful side with creative Asian fare
The Peking Duck at Hai House in Palm Beach.
Hai House
An acclaimed Palm Beach chef has turned to Chinese-American cuisine at this new venture on the second floor of the Esplanade in the former Costa Palm Beach.
“Asian cuisine is versatile and playful,” says James Strine, who was executive chef at Clay Conley’s Buccan and Grato restaurants and executive sous chef at Café Boulud. “If there’s a challenge, it’s finding the perfect balance between presenting food people are used to when ordering from their favorite Chinese takeout with putting my own spin on it.”
Strine’s favorite twists are crispy seaweed with baby kale instead of fried cabbage ($10) and the Mongolian beef as a 10 ounce dry-aged New York strip steak ($42).
“We know our customer base and felt it was important to have a hearty steak on the menu,” he says. “My favorite classics would be the chow fun ($15) because you don’t see it everywhere and it’s not an easy one to execute — using fresh noodles is key — and the General Tso’s chicken ($19) because it hits all the notes: sweet, salty and sticky.”
Sweet endings feature sweet potato marshmallow spring roll and green tea tres leches (both $8).
Cocktails include Hai Tea for two served in a teapot with chai tea-infused rum, coconut, orgeat syrup and kaffir lime ($28).
Dinner is served nightly amid Asian accents, a baby grand piano, 93 white porcelain flowers on a gold-painted brick wall and a luxurious private dining room/lounge. A narrow terrace overlooks the courtyard below. Karaoke enlivens Wednesdays, and DJs spin Fridays and Saturdays.
Up next: dim sum Sunday brunch, plus a bowl concept for lunch in the attached space, called TYCA for Thank You, Come Again.
The Muse Rooftop Bar & Lounge
1780 Polk St., Hollywood, 954-500-1780, CircHotel.com/dining .html
After opening last summer with its fine-dining Olivia Restaurant & Bar, the boutique Circ Hotel on Young Circle has launched food this winter at its rooftop alfresco bar on the 12th floor.
“Olivia is known for amazing mozzarella and carpaccios, which is what made us choose to join the concepts by now offering burrata and carpaccios at The Muse with their own touch of flair paired with the influence of Asian