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Oriental Bangkok reveals new-look restaurant

The Oriental, Bangkok’s China House restaurant has been re-designed and revived into an avant-garde eatery inspired by the
vibrant 1930’s Shanghai Art Deco period, and aims to serve classic yet
contemporary cuisine in a refined atmosphere. The renovations which took place over the course of four months were
overseen by the renowned Neri and Hu Design and Research Office (NHDRO),
a multi-disclipinary design practice based in Shanghai, China.

The existing two-storey, colonial building, home to The China House
since 1990, has been completely transformed internally into an elegant
dining venue, with period furniture upholstered with horse hair and
cowhide reminiscent of the opulence of 1930s Shanghai.  The classic
Chinese design with a contemporary twist has been enhanced by subtle
lighting and cutting edge colour and style.

Meticulously selected artwork depicting life during the Art Deco period,
elegant calligraphy with Tang poems describing the significance of fine
dining, and black and white photos of the details of Shanghai’s famous
Bund, tastefully dominate the main dining room on the ground floor all
as well as the private dining rooms on the second floor.  The private
rooms are decorated in red and yellow with custom designed carpets that
feature Chinese court scenes. 
   
Appointed as consultant chef to The China House kitchen, is the talented
Jereme Leung, who is the founding chef of the much lauded Whampoa Club.
This stunning Art-Deco style, cutting-edge modern Shanghainese
restaurant is located in the Three on the Bund complex in Shanghai.  One
of Jereme Leung’s brightest protégés, Chef Kong Khai Meng, who has
extensive experience in both Hong Kong and Shanghai, will head the
culinary team as resident chef of the restaurant.

Chef Kong has been well trained in all aspects of Chinese cooking, and
his menu features a combination of classic Cantonese cuisine presented
in an innovative fresh manner. Signature items, apart from the daily dim
sum selection prepared from the external show kitchen, and live fish and
seafood from the restaurant’s tanks, include “Peking Duck”, “Slow Cooked
Shark’s Fin in Golden Broth”, “Slow Cooked Abalone”, “Pan Seared Beef
Tenderloin”, “Stir Fried Rice Vermicelli Hokkien Style”, and “Wasabi
Prawns”, to name but a few.

The entry to The China House is filled with 100 overhead red lanterns,
which lead diners to The Red Chamber, a spectacular, two-storey space
surrounded by screens and columns clad in high gloss Macassar Ebony.
Small private booths with “opium bed” inspired banquettes, are
surrounded with rich silk curtains, reminiscent of grand ballrooms
during the convivial 1930s Art Deco period.  This area is decorated with
furniture period pieces that have been re-upholstered with exquisite
cowhide, rich velvet and horse hair. Depictions of Chinese literature on
the ceiling complete the picture of pure splendour.

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Next to the Chamber is the free standing Blue Bar, with blue lacquer
door panels with mirror insets - an ideal area for intimate before or
after dinner drinks. With the addition of the Bar area, The China House
can now be transformed into an exciting, after-dinner private event
venue with state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems. 

Leading to the second floor is a Grand Stairway surrounded with red
lacquered panels with mirror insets and solid balustrades and silkscreen
images of court ladies facing the inner courtyard. 

Yet another new focal feature is a copper and bronze Tea Apothecary,
which is located in the main dining room area on the ground floor, and
adds an alluring dynamic to the restaurant with its traditional showcase
of the finest tea collection by Mariage Freres from Paris. 
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