Of Dragons and Dim Sum

 
She is considered a catering entrepreneur with an unbelievable, incomparable nose for trends and guests. Last November, Rosa María Esteva opened her 13th restaurant, La Xina, once again in Barcelona. On the ground floor of the stylish, luxurious Hotel 1898, in the middle of the city’s Ramblas, Chinese cuisine awaits tourists and a ‘middle-class clientele’ in an avant-garde, casual dining ambience on two levels (200 seats in total). Spacious rooms, high-quality materials, old wood, brass, silk – as always used in a well-proportioned, harmonious way – and, in the centre, on the ceiling of the main room, a gigantic parchment dragon, the key visual of the concept and a symbol of strength and sophistication in Chinese culture. The centrepiece of the formula is the centrally positioned, open kitchen on each level. The concept of ‘mesas compartidas’ (shared tables), which offer seating for up to eight people, is also remarkable. Joan Ferré, the group’s head chef placed the culinary focus of the concept on Dim Sum – steamed or deep-fried pastry pockets with a variety of fillings. They also offer Shanghai, Peking and Sichuan specialities, many of which are steam-cooked. Average bill? Around €25. In the light of economic crisis, their sales target for 2009 is put at €900,000.
 
www.grupotragaluz.com
 

 
| 8 April 2009 |