The stately foyer of Ch’an Town beckons us past an imperial red throne towards a wall of shelved oddities – Jiangxi tea oil, crooked fungi, canisters of tea leaves and organic eggs. All at once, we’re back in 20th-century Guangdong, surveying the exotic culinary repertoire that explorer Joseph Needham would have witnessed in his travels.
Available by reservation for private parties only, the restaurant is a satellite shop of Jiangxi Qianxin Agricultural Company – a massive 100,000-acre farm in southern Jiangxi that hosts flocks of free-range chickens, tea fields and bamboo forests.With all the makings of a museum, the spacious hall encircles a pair of elevated rosewood chairs valued at more than 1 million yuan. Vases of violet orchids accent a dark interior, lit only by windows on the far side of a glass-encased kitchen.
“They designed it all wrong,” Patrick Lai, manager of two months, repeats as he leads us past the front hall. Framed awards scatter a table at the head of the room – records of Lai’s prowess in international hotel management. Whispers of perfection rise from the floorboards.
As we maneuver behind a folding screen brushed with dainty cranes, an immaculate dining area shifts into focus. Crystal glasses, branded china and titanium flatware adorn each place setting. The quality alone, says Lai, warrants the steep rate of at least RMB300 per person for a minimum party of 10 per booking. He would prefer to know his guests, since, understandably, every piece of furniture in the shop costs as much as an apartment in the heart of Zhujiang.
Chefs are well versed in Chinese, French and Italian fusion, pumping out exclusive recipes and presentations that are rarely repeated more than once. There is no menu; guests are asked to request a type of cuisine upon reservation. Only the finest natural oils and sauces are wielded in the cooking process – MSG, chicken powder and manmade additives are forbidden.
In the past, Ch’an Town has prepared pre-wrapped Beijing duck, stuffed soft-shelled crab with iced greens and rosemary kung fu chicken. Soups are brewed with water tapped from bamboo stalks. Steamed eggs and chicken from the farm find their way into every meal, while fine teas await guests after dessert. Imported wines, starting at RMB288 per bottle, promise the night won’t remain as rigid as the decor.
Outside, lush grass leads to a curtained patio, where Lai offers barbecued burgers, steaks and grilled vegetables once cooler weather arrives.
On our way out, we snap a final photo of the courtyard. “The design is all wrong,” Lai chirps again. But it looks pretty flawless to us.
Price: Minimum RMB300/pax, 10-person booking
Who’s going: Lai’s inner circles, consuls general
Good for: Exclusive events, impressive dinner parties
// For address, see listing.
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