NEW Restaurant Review: Henry's at the Waterfront Resort in HB

So dinner at the beach is always special, but dinner at the beach with a view, and an amazing meal, is an event.  

I'm happy to advise all you beach view lovers that the *NEW* Henry's Ocean View Dining at the Waterfront Resort Beach Hotel in Huntington Beach is now open!  Trust me, you're not going to want to miss this fabulous new option for waterfront dining in Orange County.

For those not aware, the Waterfront Beach Resort Hotel (formerly the Huntington Beach Hilton) has recently undergone a three year renovation, and has also rebranded and redone their dining concepts. 

The former Shades space has been transformed into a beautiful new oceanfront dining experience.  Even with the stunning location across from the sparkling Pacific Ocean, Henry's offers so much more than just a gorgeous view.  

Chef Kenny Siegler's inspired intention to highlight fresh local ingredients along with purveying some of the best meats and pork from the most highly regarded farms in the country shines through with every bite. All you have to do is look at the menu to see prime ingredients featured throughout including Mangalitsa Pork and A5 Japanese Myazaki Tenderloin.  Ingredients you don't see in many places in Southern California, and even less in Orange County. 

When I visited, we left ourselves in the hands of the Chef, and asked him to select his favorite items for us to try. The first dish delivered to the table was the Santa Barbara Prawns. They come out served with a crunchy celery pico and a poured at the table, carrot consomme. Yes, we did have to ask our awesome waiter, Jeff instructions on how to eat them as these beautiful prawns were the size of our hands. With a quick twist, these shells released the most sweet and tender shrimp meat, basted with butter and dripping with the carrot consomme. They were pure heaven and reminiscent of sweet Maine lobster meat. 

One of my most favorite dishes was a unique pasta that the Chef learned how to make in Italy, and to which he gave his own California twist. Buttery soft and tender, the Testaroli Pasta is served with a yummy cream of kale sauce, alpage sbrinz cheese and blistered cherry tomatoes. Pure heaven in a bowl...

We were also beyond thrilled to try the rare Mangalista Pork, a rarity on OC menus. 
If you've ever experienced this ancient Hungarian pork that's making a resurgence in the fine dining world, then you know it’s the Kobe beef of pork. Basically, it's marbled to melt in your mouth deliciousness and I must admit it lived up to the hype and did not disappoint! This is a MUST order if you visit.


Along with the pork, we also had a couple interesting sides including the Buttermilk Polenta and the Spring Carrots. The Buttermilk Polenta comes out creamy and cooked perfectly. We later learned that it's actually made with buttermilk resulting from the in-house butter churning. I love the whole use concept they're employing by using every part of the butter making, and it made for some incredibly delicious polenta. 

No matter how full you are after your fabulous meal at Henry's be sure to indulge in dessert, as it's well worth saving some room! 

Desserts I was fortunate to try first-hand include the light and flavorful Pomegranate Mousse with chocolate crumble and blood orange sabayon, and the decadent Milk Chocolate Mousse that sits atop an ameratti hazelnut cake and stuffed with a rich creamy caramel filling. 

Dinner at Henry's is an experience, and one I won't soon forget. I was beyond impressed with this new elegant dining option in Huntington Beach. There has clearly been extensive thought put into everything from the modern decor, the impeccable yet friendly service, and the choice of the highest quality ingredients in every dish. 

If Chef Siegler's current seasonal menu is any indication, I expect Henry's will quickly become one of Orange County's select destination dining locations. 

Henry's is found inside The Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel, and is located on Pacific Coast Highway in beautiful Huntington Beach, California. 

Location: 21100 Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach. For reservations, call 714/845-8000 or on Open Table. 

More information, including the current menu, can be found on the restaurant's website: 

https://www.waterfrontresort.com/dining/henrys-restaurant

Don't forget to tell them OCFoodieGirl sent you! ;)