Sanlitun’s skyline has been forever
changed by the arrival of the
InterContinental. The technicolour
display blazes indifferently into
the night’s reverie, a beacon of the
continuing gentrification of the area
– and the rising price point for a good
time in general. Everything about the
InterCon seems like it was designed
with high-class partying in mind,
from the marble decor to the crimson
fedoras worn by uniformed staff.
The playfully opulent design of
this steakhouse moderne combines
elements of commercial pop art
and trinkets from a gentleman of
leisure’s world travels – the thick
buckles and studded suitcases pair
nicely with tones of brushed bronze
patina and the smell of real leather.
It smacks in part of Parkview Green’s
high-design boutique property,
Hotel Eclat. A waitress approaches,
drinks are ordered and the menu
is cracked.
You can tell a lot about a
restaurant by the first few menu
items. At Char you get a 180g
Blackmore fillet mignon with half a
grilled lobster, foie gras and shaved
truffles – all of which are mindbendingly
excellent – clocking in
at a cool 2,188RMB. That’s right,
Char is not for the faint of heart of
light of wallet.
We regain our composure over
an assortment of freshly shucked
oysters (335RMB), briny and
delicious in their cool baths of
rich ocean liquor; fat Kumamotos
and meaty Tia Maraas are a
welcome surprise. Next a slightly
flat, monotone, lobster bisque
(138RMB) cries out for a splash of
vermouth or sherry to wake it up,
but dies a quiet lonely heat death,
without enough sea flavour to stand
up to the raw shellfish. A Caesar
salad (128RMB) does a better
job, with a delicious sous-vide egg
supplying richness that the dressing
lacks and crispy wisps of fried ham
doing the rest.
For any steakhouse the main
event is the meat, and Char does
flaunt some impressive offerings.
The famous Australian-raised wagyu from producer David
Blackmore (1,288RMB per 180g)
is exquisitely rich, with ripples of
flavour-laden beef fat across the
palate. We find the Jack’s Creek
grain-fed ribeye (438RMB per
250g) to be a more toothsome, if
comparably flavourful, alternative.
Pair it with a glass of Tempranillo
Rioja (218RMB).
Vegetarian options exist but
seeking them would raise more
questions than it would answer –
Char is for carnal indulgences of the
highest order. We end the meal with a trio of pineapple ravioli,
a tart finish with a zippy lime mousse
that helps cut some of the residual
fat from the palate. For high-fashion
beefy indulgence in the centre of
the city, look no further than Char.
Just be sure to bring that platinum
credit card.
By Nick Gollner
