Rock you like a Hurricane [Club]

After only just returning from a fantastic weekend in New York, where we dined on an almost sickening amount of delicious eats with our closest friends, I cannot stop thinking about our dinner at Manhattan's The Hurricane Club, 

The Polynesian/Tiki Fusion at Park Avenue & 26th had exactly what we needed for a night out; great atmosphere, a live DJ, dark decor, eclectic selections of food you wouldn't think to make, and most importantly, drinks served in watermelons (and other ridiculous vessels). 

As we were 5, and the menu is catered towards a pseudo "family style" type of meal, we took the opportunity to order copious amounts of food in an effort to entice the palate, and make it worth the exuberant price per dish.

In the Beginning...

King Kamehameh Pupu Platter (for 5)

Peking Duck Tea Sandwiches w/ cucumbers, cilantro & spicy hoisin

The Club’s Coconut Shrimp w/ sriracha aioli

Pb & Guava "J" w/ prosciutto & thai basil

Tuna Tartare Cones w/ yellowfin tuna, yuzu & black sesame

Samoan Deviled Eggs w/crispy taro & basil

Vegetable Spring Rolls - boracay style, roasted sesame

Photo: starchefs.com

This beautifully presented sampler platter of amuse-bouche was a great way to taste new and "abnormal" food pairings. The Pb & Guava J was out of this world. I can't explain, nor replicate the flavors of this croquette like bite of heaven. Don't let the description deter you - I would have consumed 100 given the chance (and my homemade version today was a disgrace, which doesn't alleviate my want for more). The Tuna Tartare Cones were fresh, cold, and packed a sesame punch; a worthy tasting for any sushi nut.  The 

Samoan Deviled Eggs were an odd, but welcome addition to a dinner hour adventure, and added a smooth and creamy contrast to the crunchy and light 

Coconut Shrimp. My feelings on the 

Vegetable Spring Rolls & Peking Duck Tea Sandwiches are...well...empty. A spring roll is a spring roll in my books, no matter how good a chef you are, and my high hopes for the peking duck were quickly shattered after the adorable little sandwiches provided a low impact, and somewhat tasteless outcome upon consumption. 

The Main Event:

Crispy Peking Pig w/ steamed buns, hoisin, cucumber & cilantro

Walnut Tiger Shrimp (a hurricane signature)

Glass Noodle Sirloin Lo Mein w/napa cabbage, bok choy, enoki

Pad Thai Chicken Fried Rice

Steamed Baby Bok Choy

We decided to order 3 mains, and 2 sides from the menu (which we really should have waited to do until we finished the pupu platter...) as our main. The Glass Noodle Sirloin Lo Mein was perfect; clean, tender, light and full of flavour. The Pad Thai Chicken Fried Rice packed a punch, with a hint of fresh chilies and a sweet and sour sauce that was mouth watering. I wasn't overly impressed by the Crispy Peking Pig...it was crispy, yes, but lacked...something. The steam buns and hoison just seemed too ordinary, and would have been better suited to a dim sum lunch, rather than an Entree. I didn't find much to be special with the signature dish of Walnut Tiger Shrimp, which really just tasted like over battered calamari...and the whereabouts of the walnuts? Your guess is as good as mine...I can't actually comment or complain about the Steamed Baby Bok Choy -it's Bok Choy. The peppery cream sauce  that it was served with was a hit though!

The Watermelon 

The Watermelon vodka, fresh lime, mint, rhubarb in a watermelon

Other notable mentions? The dark as night bathrooms have walls covered in well laid out patterns of lacquered bone and made for a popular photo-shoot destination for its patrons (present company excluded).

The Hurricane Club - 360 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010