LumDimSummary: Playboy Party @ ROOMbeijing
Posted: July 15th, 2010 | Author: LumDimSum | Filed under: A Day In My Life, Bars & Nightlife | Tags: DJ Event, LumDimSum Photo Gallery, LumDimSummary, ROOMbeijing | 2 Comments »Superstar Guest DJ Dimitri from Paris
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Lots of Bunnies
= A Packed House With Way Too Many Sweaty People
*Note to self: Come earlier to check out ROOMbeijing‘s dinner –> party transition.
ROOMbeijing definitely felt more like a lounge/club than a restaurant/lounge.
See for yourself.
I am Chinese and live in Beijing but, thanks to my foodie sugar daddy, for the past seven years, I have been exposed to many wonderful restaurants and I must say Room is by far my favorite. Price wise, Room is a steal for Chinese food lovers. With 300 kuai two people can have a very decent meal.
My husband and I shared Brian Mckenna’s whole roasted baby chicken. The tenderness of the chicken with Indonisian spices and the aroma of the sticky rice were perfectly blended. The portion was so generous that we couldn’t finish it– a shame.
I tried their pot roasted black cod fish. I never had black cod in Beijing and it was super fresh and tasty. To my surprise, Mckenna put curry in it. Oui, c’est bon. We Chinese love curry but can’t get good ones in China.
My husband and I shared numerous medium-sized courses, they were Caesar salad, steak tartare, Mediterranean fish soup, seared veal breast, chicken-liver parfait and pressed terrine of duck. Of course they have other salads and Mckenna’s 42-ingredient salad pleases my eyes the most.
Room has a wide selection of hams including pate negra,regarded by many as the best ham in the world and their own house cured ham. Also they make their own handmade pasta among which pasta with seafood is my favorite. For dessert we had their beautiful fruit tree, Ti-Room-isu (a smart name) and creamy citrusmeringue. Of course we tried Brian Mckenna’s Irish coffee and some other liquor. It is such a pleasure to try different dishes at Room.
While enjoying the delicious food and drinks, I spared some time for pictures taking. All the glassware was imported from italy and personally chosen by Mckenna. What amazed me the most was Room’s silverware holder also designed by Brian. On one side it holds a pair of chopsticks, a knife, a fork and a spoon. It was the first time i had ever seen a holder which holds both Chinese and Western silverware. When our desserts arrived, the waitress simply turned that holder over and there is another set for a spoon and a fork. Cool.
My husband hates pictures so he didn’t take any photo of me there at Room. Next time I need to treat a friend there so she can take some pictures of me. Room is not just a restaurant, it is also an art gallery.
What makes Room completely different from most top-class restaurants in Beijing is that Mckenna’s team treats everyone equally. Whenever I am there, I feel that I am treated like a queen ( am I imagining so? hehe). The waitors and waitresses are knowledgeable, friendly and humorous. When a waitor realized that my sister was in love with their halibut and very curious with the spices they put, that waitor gave us the recipe right before we left Room. What a surprise!
Room ranks with the other great restaurants I love. They are:
In New York there are few: Jean Georges, Bouley, Daniel, Peter Luger, Lamarca pasta and Thomas Keller’s Per Se.
In San Francisco there is Gary Danko.
In Paris there are L’Avant comptoir,Le Relais Louis XIII and L’Ambroisie.
In Bangkok there is La Beaulieu.
A friend of my husband is coming to Beijing and asks for our restauraunt suggestions. We only recommend two places: Made in China for Peking duck and Room for everything which will surprise you.
On the back of the chef’s apron, it says “creating food with atmosphere”. To me, Room is paradise for food. To my husband who barely likes Beijing, Room makes Beijing liveable.
By the way, if you want to see top moviestars, singlers, etc. you go there to check sometimes. Room has events very often. On my first night at Room, Jaycee Chan ( Jackie Chan’s son) was there. I live from away from Guomao so I left early, without seeing Jaycee Chan but his bodyguard already showed up.
I agree – Made in China has the best Peking duck! Thank you for taking the time to post such a thorough comment, I will definitely have to make time to visit ROOMbeijing for dinner in the near future. Cheers, LumDimSum 🙂