A surprise awaits at the Grand Papua Hotel’s 15th floor for those adventurers seeking a divine five-course meal (or a decadent menu from where to choose).

The elegant decor of the Grand Papua Hotel’s 15th floor. Credit: pidgin productions

Dining at quirkily names ‘15th Floor by Chef Krisna’ at the Grand Papua Hotel is like seeing a slow-burn film: your consumption is an experience, pleasantly unfolding piecemeal, at a pace set by practiced hands, so that when your date asks at the end what the best part was, your answer is a dumb, ‘everything’.

From the elegant decor of  marble walls and sleek wingback chairs to the muted lighting, easy-listening jazz and expansive sunset views of downtown Port Moresby through floor-to-ceiling windows, there is everything to love about this restaurant, which transforms from the executive lounge to restaurant at 6pm daily.

And then there’s the main drawcard: the food. Chef Krisna Damarjati, who’s from Indonesia and has almost 20 years’ experience in kitchens in the Middle East and Asia, starts us on his surprise amuse-bouche (French for ‘mouth amuser’), a demitasse cup of vegetable soup layered with truffle foam and olive dust. It’s very light but just enough to whet our appetites.

For wine, we choose an Australian, full-bodied, spicy shiraz from a modest-sized list.

Fresh tuna tartare. Credit: pidgin productions

Entrée is a fresh tuna tartare laced with lemon vinaigrette and crunchy pine nuts, served with a smear of watermelon syrup. The fruit brightens up the fish, delivering a dynamic, summery flavour

Next is the grilled Gulf lobster with a potato mash foundation. The presentation is aesthetic, so it seems a shame to muck up, but the tender flesh is easy to peel from its shell and, coupled with a spoonful of mash and a dash of the cheesy celery cream, the combined taste is thrilling.

Dessert is a Highlander pineapple-infused cheesecake served with berry compote and sprinkled with biscuit crumbs. Airy and smooth, it is just the right amount of sweetness to pair with the richer chocolate truffles and cup of PNG coffee

For 175 kina, the three-hour ‘movie’ is more than good value. Also on the menu, which the chef says changes every month, is an inspired list of dishes like beet insalata, Ramu steak with red-wine sauce, braised pork belly with pumpkin puree and Queen Emma mud cake. ‘We try to make use of local ingredients as much as possible,’ the chef says.

15th Floor by Chef Krisna in brief

Ph: 304 0000

Website: grandpapuahotel.com.pg

When: Open Monday to Sunday 6pm to 10pm

Style: Upscale dining with an influence of local PNG products.

Go-to dishes: Tuna tartare, grilled Gulf lobster, braised pork belly.

BYO No

Prices Four-course meal K155, five-course meal K175.

The review of the Grand Papua Hotel 15th Floor fine dining was first published in the February/March 2022 issue of PNG Now, PNG’s leading lifestyle magazine.