Beijing Nightlife Reviews: ROOMbeijing

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ROOMbeijing

This May 2010, Brian McKenna opens his first restaurant in Asia, ROOMbeijing, an international restaurant, bar and lounge. Located in the glamorous Yintai Centre in the heart of the city's CBD, ROOMbeijing redefines what it means to eat out.

ROOMbeijing is a culinary experience that aims to excite both local and foreign diners, and through McKenna's culinary skills, the menu explores new ways to balance East and West. Dishes on the menu include a roast rack of lamb with a mini "Irish stew" and sweet breads; Brian McKenna's 42-ingredient salad, topped with a slowly cooked egg; Sweet and sour pig cheeks with rice noodles; and, for something sweet, the ROOM Coffee with fill-your-own-doughnuts; and the Hard-boiled lemongrass panna cotta with mango cream and French toast.

Those familiar with McKenna's cuisine will be pleased to see his playfulness again having fun throughout the menu, however, they may be surprised by the level of casualness. ROOMbeijing is not a fine-dining establishment. The food is designed to be relaxed, easygoing and something to rely on for both everyday and special occasions. And despite the glamorous location, set on the third floor of PARK LIFE at the foot of the Park Hyatt Beijing, ROOMbeijing aims to provide the best value for money possible. All dishes come in small, medium and large sizes, and are priced at RMB 50, RMB 80 and RMB 100 respectively. A range of specials will also be available every night, priced individually according to market prices.

"The idea behind the small, medium and large portion sizes," says McKenna, "is to allow guests to eat exactly how they like to eat - if they want to come in for a beer and a piece of steak, then they can do that. If they want to order a wide range of small dishes and eat Chinese family style, they can. And if they want to eat Western style, with an appetiser, a large main and a dessert, they can do that, too."

Eating at ROOMbeijing, however, is about more than just eating. It's about involving all the senses. DJs will create unobtrusive ambience throughout dinner time and then, in the later hours, they'll move the lounge into the spotlight; mixologists will shake up both novel and classic cocktails and pour everything from house wines through to cream-of-the-crop Grand Cru wines; and Chinese and international artists will bedeck the space with contemporary art. ROOMbeijing even has its own unique air fragrance, created exclusively by Jean Zimmermann.

Across every aspect, ROOMbeijing will be in constant evolution. The menu, the artists, the cocktails and the resident DJs will all change every three months to keep things fresh and exciting. Even Hugo Dalton's artwork, "Portrait of Beijing", which the London artist hand painted around the restaurant's walls, has been designed to move and be refreshed when needed.

ROOMbeijing is likely to attract a youthful, aspiring crowd, however, McKenna is not setting any boundaries. "We want to broaden the market, not narrow it. I believe you can have all different kinds of people in the same place - bankers, models, travellers, mums and dads - this really makes for a great atmosphere. To do this successfully, we needed to create a space that's flexible enough to adapt to individual needs and tastes. That's why we've called it ROOM - because ultimately it is a room and we want to make it whatever you want it to be."

THE BASIC BITS

Seating capacity: Approximately 150 for dining with standard seating arrangement right through to 300-400 for cocktail parties and special events.

Other events: ROOMbeijing Intimate Sessions (international guest DJ events, starting with Bob Sinclar, 27 May; Supperclub Amsterdam,
11/12 June; Dimitri from Paris, 14 July; High on Heels, 13 August), cooking classes, cocktail classes, wine dinners, fashion dinners

VIP rooms: two themed rooms - herROOM and hisROOM

Operating hours: 11am Sun-Thur: 11am-2am (kitchen last orders
12 midnight) Fri-Sat: 11am-4am (kitchen last orders 2am)

ROOMbeijing
301-302 3F Park Life Beijing, Yingtai Centre No. 2
No 2 Jianguomenwai Avenue, Chaoyang, Beijing, China
100022
Tel: (86 10) 8517 2033
中国北京市朝阳区建国门外大街2号 北京银泰中心三层301-302 邮编
www.room-beijing.com

Subway: Line 1 and Line 10, Guomao subway station, Exit C or D (internal).
Bus: 28, 57, 214, 348, 421, 627, 683, 686, 707, 801, 974, 976 6.

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