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北京金融街威斯汀大酒店PREGO餐厅 PREGO The Westin Beijing Financial Stree
(2008-01-31 16:25:41)
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http://www.grandhotels.com.cn/eWebEditor_V280_Free_sp1/UploadFile/2008131155337420.jpgPREGO
北京金融街威斯汀大酒店PREGO餐厅
PREGOThe Westin Beijing Financial
Street
English Version: Randy Lee
Svendsen Chinese Version: Wendy
Photos: The Westin Beijing
Financial Street
亲爱的主编：
幸福的
干杯！
献上我最好的祝福
Dear Cherry,
After reading a lot about PREGO
in the popular ratings by GRAND HOTELS MAGAZINE readers, I decided
to visit this 5 star establishment while on a recent business trip
to Beijing. Located on the first floor of the Westin Beijing
Financial Street, PREGO is not far from the hotel lobby and just to
the left of a large casual buffet style restaurant called SENSES.
Upon entering PREGO through the big open central entrance way, I
immediately felt the comfort of its open modern Italian design. The
floor is polished medium dark hardwood and in the center of the
entrance area is a three tiered table with an assortment of Italian
brandies and liqueurs in attractive bottles. Never having seen this
kind of display in a restaurant entrance area, it is a unique
center piece that definitely catches the eye. To the right are some
tables and the large bar area and wine cellar, straight ahead is
the open air kitchen with a curved bar seating area with 12 seats
around the kitchen, and to the left is an open dining room with
several tables. I was seated in the left dining room and as I was
escorted to my table I noticed the transition of the flooring from
hardwood to small 2 inch square tiles in a pattern of 4 beige
colored to 1 brown, which gave the room a soft and light effect.
Upon reaching my table I requested the wine list and menus while
Adam made a good martini for me which I enjoyed while I observed
the restaurant design and reviewed the documentation. From my
dining area to the kitchen and beyond to the bar area the entire
restaurant is big and open, with glass walls separating PREGO from
SENSES, and windows looking out on the exterior open courtyard,
giving the feeling of openness and comfort. This is accentuated by
the rest of the interior design. Seating is very nice and modern.
Tables are made of medium natural colored wood. Chairs are
upholstered in a taupe colored velvet with wooden legs and trim
around the back. Looking at the open kitchen area ahead of me,
diners can sit at one of the 12 seats at the bar around the kitchen
and watch the chef in action. Behind this bar there is a big round
column in the kitchen, covered in 4 inch multi-colored tiles, which
contains an open oven perfect for cooking pizza. On the modern
styled tables are Italian stainless steel flatware by Pinti, which
have a good feel and heft. Wine glasses are by Stolzle Lansitz and
have a nice matching shape, the smaller for white wines and the
larger for red. All of this gives this beautiful restaurant a
casual and comfortable feeling you will want to return
to.
I had a nice conversation about
the restaurant design with Aidan Chung, the assistant manager, who
is a very nice guy. I love the design of the wine lists and menus.
The wine list is silver colored and unique in its trapezoidal shape
and the modern PREGO bright multi-colored logo on the outer cover.
The pages inside are brightly colored in blues, oranges, reds, and
yellows fading and changing as you go. There is a special promotion
menu which is the same shape, but it has no cover and is an open
page with black borders and a yellow insert containing the
promotional menu options. The regular menu is black, inside and
out. Spread out on the table together, these wine lists and menus
have a great look, with many shapes and colors to tantilize the
eyes. The wine list begins with the “Wines of the World,
Sommelier’s Selection by Starwood”, available at any Starwood
property in China, although I have been to some other Starwood
properties and not seen this option. This was followed by the
regular drink list and wines by the glass, and finally, the
complete wine list. I enjoyed a glass of Veuve Clicquot Non-Vintage
Yellow Label Brut Champagne while I was making my wine and dinner
selections, and the individual ice bucket that was placed on the
table for my San Pellegrino sparkling water was a nice touch. In
addition to the normal cocktails included in the drink list, there
are aperitifs and 4 “Forgeries”, which are alchohol free drinks.
The wines by the glass are next, with two sparkling wines, the
Veuve Clicquot Champagne from France and an Italian Prosecco Brut.
Also available are 11 whites and 13 reds which gives the diner a
nice multi-national spread of wines to choose from if they do not
want to buy a bottle. In the main wine list I was happy to see a
new brand of Chinese wines called “Vintage”. As stated in the
promotional material, “Vintage Wines are crafted in China’s
Western province of Xinjiang with grapes grown and harvested in
China. Nestled in the foothills of the Tian San Mountains on the
same latitude as Bordeaux, the vineyards enjoy spectacular growing
conditions.” “From China with Pride” is
written on the top of the beautiful labels. These wines are
distributed by Chine Wine Platform, LTD. Available are Vintage
Classic Art Series Chardonnay 2005 and Vintage Classic Art Series
Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, both designed to be “easy drinking and
refreshing to match and enhance the multi-layers of the different
tastes and flavors of the Chinese cuisine”.
“China has a long tradition of grape winemaking
beginning with Emperor Wu Di in 138 BC.” I am
doing my best to discover all good wines made in China. Instead of
going through the rest of the wine list, let me describe the wine
cellar instead. I had the pleasure of accepting a private tour by
Aidan. At the far right end of the restaurant, just past the
beautiful bar, is a large, all glass wine cellar that extends from
floor to ceiling. It holds 280 wines, 25% of which are Italian, in
a fully temperature controlled environment and fully viewable to
the restaurant visitors. Nestled inside the wine cellar is the
private dining room called Bianco. Surrounded by wine beautifully
displayed around you a dinner party can be planned at one of two
private tables, one seating 10 and the other seating 12. Upgraded
tableware in Bianco includes Alessi charger, napkin rings, and ash
trays; pepper grinders and parmesan graders of sterling silver;
chinaware is Figgjo from Norway; and wine glasses are by Eisch from
Germany. These glasses are “breathable”. Specially designed,
these glasses can do in 5 minutes what a decanter can do in a half
hour. I can’t wait to try those some day.
And now for dinner. I decided
to start with the promotion menu, titled “It’s all about
Mushrooms”. There are 8 choices of mushroom specials, including 4
appetizers, 2 pasta dishes, and 2 main courses. Although all
options looked good, the most interesting was a main course called
“Grilled Wagyu Beef Striploin with Grilled Portabello and Sautéed
Asparagras”, offered at 345 RMB. For my appetizer, I had the Mixed
Sautéed Mushrooms with Fresh Herbs, Garlic, Shallots, and Olive
Oil, which was excellent at only 88 RMB. Leaving the promotion
menu, the main menu was extensive. From the 10 appetizers/starters
available, most less than 100 RMB, I chose the Warm Lobster Salad
with Black Taggiasche Olives, Capers, and Pinenuts, offered at 178
RMB. Served on a white rectangle plate in an artistic arrangement,
it was cool and refreshing when mixed with the olive oil and
balsamic vinegar decorations on the plate. I decided to try the
Vintage Chardonnay as an accompaniment to my appetizer and salad.
Light, almost delicate, it retains the complexity of taste I
recognize from a light white Burgandy from France. Also available
on the menu are 4 soups at around 50 RMB and 3 risotto under 100
RMB. With pasta, you can either select one of 7 sauces over your
choice of pasta style, or choose from 6 specials, all made from
home made pasta. Most pasta dishes are under 100 RMB. Next
available are 4 seafood offerings under 200 RMB. Similarly priced,
from the rotisserie is Crispy Baby Pork or Split Roasted Chicken,
followed by 5 nice meat preparations, including Rack of Lamb, Veal
Shank, Beef Tenderloin, Veal Chop, and Duck Breast. From the grill
you can get Lamb Chops, Sirloin of Australian Wagyu Beef, Jumbo
Shrimps, Beef Rib Eye, Whole Boston Lobster, Boston Lobster and
Beef Tenderloin, all mostly under 300 RMB, with the exception of
the lobster dishes. All grilled items are accompanied by your
choices of a starch, a sauce, and a salad or vegetable. Also
offered on the menu are 7 pizza preparations, generally under 100
RMB. Finally, if you still have room, there are 8
desserts.
For my main course, I chose the
Cep Crusted Rack of Lamb with Truffle Potato and Eggplant Compote.
Two thick chops cooked perfectly to my medium preference, it was
tender and flavorful. This rack of lamb was truly memorable. I
really enjoyed it with its normal sauce. Then I experimented with
some special mint sauce provided on the side. Tangy and powerful,
it really “lit up” the natural elegance of this lamb preparation.
Also deserving special comment is the Truffle Potato. A baked
square, it almost looked like a 3 inch square of lasagna. A strong
salty taste clearly distinguished it from lasagna, and filled a
previously empty flavor category for me, strong enough to stand up
to the lamb, but not overpower it on the plate. It was delicious
and I had to eat all of it. Throughout this main course I enjoyed
the Vintage Cabernet Sauvignon, which turned out to be a good food
wine, not too strong for the flavors created in this wonderful
dish. Having no room left for dessert, I had my usual Irish Coffee,
nicely prepared by Adam.
Throughout the evening I
enjoyed the excellent services and entertainment of the all Chinese
wait staff. They are appropriately named for the Italian restaurant
they serve: Adam, Luisa, Jiph, De Bello, and DaVinci. I truly look
forward to seeing them all again soon.
I hope Westin Beijing Financial
Street and PREGO join our GRAND HOTELS Reader’s Club soon. I am
confident of the success of this restaurant and its appeal to our
readers. I know I will return many times.
With Happiness,
CHEERS!!
My Best as Always,
Randy
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