Making ROOM: Brian McKenna restaurant project nears completion

January 21, 2010 - Room - 2 comments

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After nearly two years of anticipation, it looks like ROOM, the brainchild of former Blu Lobster chef Brian McKenna, is on its way to becoming a reality in the Yin Tai Centre. With the likes of Xiu, China Grill, Aria, and LAN already in the area, and Grill 79 and Atmosphere slated to open in China World Summit Wing, this area of town has an increasing number of high-end eating and drinking options.

ROOM totals ~1200 square meters, with ~800 square meters for customer use, and is shaping up to include a bar, lounge, restaurant, and balcony, along with two private rooms that can each hold about 15 people — hisROOM, with a masculine design, and herROOM, with a feminine one, said Shannon Aitken, head of PR, during a tour today.

Aitken says ROOM will constantly reinvent itself by changing its food and cocktail menus, its resident DJ, and its featured artists every three months. The plan is to have one artist from China, one from the rest of Asia, and one from the rest of the world, with the first trio including artists from Korea and Ireland. Aitken says ROOM will include a permanent mural by Hugo Dalton that will take one month to complete.

PR materials state that the menu will include “a mixture of East and West influences. Believing that ‘fusion is confusion’, we respect the origins of both cultures and go back to the basics of cooking.” Menu items will be in the RMB50 to RMB100 range.

ROOM is slated to open in March. Hours of operation are listed as 11 AM to 2 AM, Sunday to Thursday, and 11 AM to 4 AM, Friday and Saturday.

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