When it comes to Kingston venues, Portia’s Place is renowned for its fast and cheerful service and outstanding cuisine. In particular, the award-winning Chinese restaurant is popular throughout Parliament House, with politicians forming a large portion of the venue’s customer base.
Portia’s Place is the perfect blend of excited chatter and sizzling hot pots, as delicious aromas waft from the kitchen. In July, new management took over the restaurant, but the chefs, the high standard or cuisine and the general ambience have remained the same.
Visiting for dinner one evening, my friends and I were keen to check out After reading the lengthy menu, we selected two entrees, the Har Gow, and the ever-popular crispy Curry Puffs.
The Har Gow, steamed shrimp dumplings, are served with a delicious house made sauce, which we’re told is made with a special secret ingredient.
The new owners have opted to keep the popular menu the same, having just added a few additional dishes. For mains, we chose to try the three of the new additions: the Wasabi King Island Steak, Sizzling Seafood with Peach Sauce and the Three-cup chicken hot pot.
The Wasabi King Island Steak was delicious chunks of steak and mushrooms in a sauce. If you prefer your dishes less spicy, don’t let the inclusion of Wasabi turn you off. Only a touch is used in the sauce, giving just enough flavour.
The three-cup chicken hot pot was pieces of crispy chicken, fried chicken with chunks of capsicum and a strong ginger sauce with a touch of chilli.
The Sizzling Seafood with Peach Sauce is a selection of fresh scallops and prawns, deep fried and beautifully presented on a bed of snow peas. We’re told that a touch of peach wine sauce is used in cooking the seafood, whereas fresh peach is used to make sauce. This delicious and citrusy dish especially is perfect for the Summer months.
Between the three of us, we are absolutely full by the end of sampling all of the dishes, and struggle to finish them off. When we can’t possibly eat any more, we’re given piping hot towels with lemon essence.
While Portia’s Place is most popular for dinner, the venue is also open at lunch time, and their special lunch banquet is an easy way to get a group together, with banquets starting from $18.80 per person.
And with Parliament sittings finished for the year, now is the time to try the infamous Portia’s Place in a politician-free environment.
Portia’s Place are currently offering a takeaway early bird discount between 5 – 7 pm.
