French Restaurant InfraRouge Revamps Its Menu with a Chinese Twist

After our go-to Sanlitun rooftop at Migas was shut down, we were distraught. After all, what’s better than enjoying a lazy lunch or afternoon tea with your besties in the warm spring sunshine? What venue could possibly have equally chic décor? Where should we go now to people watch (re: gaze at fashionistas taking douyin videos)? Thankfully, InfraRouge is amply filling that void at Taikooli North. What's more: the elegant lounge and restaurant has recently added creative Chiense flourishes to its menu. 

The revamped spring menu goes beyond the traditional French dishes that InfraRouge already had on offer. Their Alsatian snails, madeleine, foie gras, and other dishes now have Chinese touches soy milk, ginger, and Sichuan pepper oil.  

Their new tasting set is RMB 368 for five courses and includes a special cocktail. It begins with a seafood salad (see the main image above) made with endive, boiled octopus, and mussel, all seasoned with ginger and chili powder. The endive was bitter, while the seafood had a umami flavor that balanced the spicy kick. We also enjoyed the asparagus soup, a light and bright veggie option that perfect for springtime. It was rich in flavor and eye catchingly green. The soup was seasoned with black pepper, and its poached egg was so soft that it smoothly synched up with the texture of the soup.

The Napoleon chicken was cooked to perfection. Each bite was tender, juicy, and succulent, and lightly seasoned. The onside roasted dry tomato, fresh basil, rosemary, and roasted potatoes, all gave this stew a suitably rustic touch.

We ended with a refreshing dessert, the “Springtime in St. Tropez.” Its sweet custard was topped with light textured cream, ground nuts, orange peels, thyme tuile (sweet crisp cookie sheet seasoned with thyme), a peppermint leaf, orange blossoms, and a caramelized banana. It all amounted to a sweet, nutty, citrusy, crunchy, and rich treat.

We also noticed that the InfraRouge cart was parked nearby, just in front of the Opposite House. It sells beers, and snacks. Aside from that, the bar on the rooftop is open daily 6pm-2am. As the weather warms that terrace will of course be filled with cocktail hoisting guests enjoying the breeze and InfraRouge's elegant vibes.

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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos courtesy of InfraRouge, Tracy Wang