Introducing: the second stop on the Drake Dining Roadshow, 1940s L.A. Chinatown
The redesigned dining room features all kinds of gleeful appropriations and kitschy Chinatown elements, like this wall of cats. (Image: Gizelle Lau)
Back in June, we told you about the Drake Hotel’ s Dining Roadshow , a series of thematically changing restaurant concepts constructed in the back section of the hotel’s dining room, starting with the Drake Summer School Dining Hall. This stop: 1940s L.A. Chinatown , which opened just in time for TIFF and continues until November 19.
The space has been reimagined as a slightly risqué, kitschy American-Chinese restaurant suffused with Hollywood glam (and the odd dragon dance). While most Toronto restaurant designers these days turn to Smash for their vintage decor, The Drake looks like someone raided Tap Phong for its cheesiest Asian-themed merchandise. One wall now sports a red velvety background and large gold Chinese writing that says “double happiness.” On the back wall, the mirror has been turned into a koi pond, while stencilled birds cut out from just-shy-of-soft-porn photos hang behind lit-up walls (after all, The Drake does have a sex toy menu for hotel guests).
Chef Anthony Rose’ s menu is inspired by the Sunday-night Chinese food of his youth, particularly the old Lychee Garden on Bay or the House of Chan on Eglinton. There are dinner sets for two, four or six ($35–$39 per person) as well as family-style platters for sharing, all served on typical blue Chinese tableware. Dishes are contemporary interpretations of American-Chinese classics like dumplings (created with help form Mother’s Dumplings ) made with short rib and pumpkin ($12). The sesame and ginger cashew chicken ($23) is inspired by a hole-in-the-wall Rose saw on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. There’s also a smiling Buddha lobster cooked in traditional Chinese fashion ($33) and Peking duck confit crêpes with lychee and hoisin barbecue sauce ($26). For vegetarians, there’s a mushroom chow mein ($14).
The drinks list features Tsingtao beer as well as seven Asian-inspired cocktails, including a dragon fruit mojito ($13), the Lotus Blossom ($14) and the Rickety Rickshaw ($14) (an order of the last one is accompanied by a smash of the gong). In a nod to misspent teenage nights on Spadina, ordering “cold tea” will bring beer in a teapot. Even the fortune cookies have a typical Drake Hotel spin. Ours informed us, “You’re going to have a bad hair day.”
91164 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Custom-made fortune cookies Introducing: The Drake Chinatown https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-fortune-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-fortune.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-fortune.jpg 379 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-drake-hotel-l-a-chinatown/slide/drake-china-fortune/ drake-china-fortune 0 0
Custom-made fortune cookies
91170 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Rickety Rickshaw: Skyy vodka, Domaine de Canton, jasmine green tea, lemon juice, ginger lemon grass syrup and grapefruit bitters ($13) Introducing: The Drake Chinatown https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-rickshaw-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-rickshaw.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-rickshaw.jpg 415 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-drake-hotel-l-a-chinatown/slide/drake-china-rickshaw/ drake-china-rickshaw 0 0
Rickety Rickshaw: Skyy vodka, Domaine de Canton, jasmine green tea, lemon juice, ginger lemon grass syrup and grapefruit bitters ($13)
91166 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Lotus Blossom: Grey Goose La Poire vodka, sake, simple syrup, fresh-muddled lychee and lime juice ($14) Introducing: The Drake Chinatown https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-lotus-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-lotus.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-lotus.jpg 624 415 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-drake-hotel-l-a-chinatown/slide/drake-china-lotus/ drake-china-lotus 0 0
Lotus Blossom: Grey Goose La Poire vodka, sake, simple syrup, fresh-muddled lychee and lime juice ($14)
91161 (Image: Gizelle Lau) The bar and its cocktail menu Introducing: The Drake Chinatown https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-cocktails-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-cocktails.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-cocktails.jpg 624 409 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-drake-hotel-l-a-chinatown/slide/drake-china-cocktails/ drake-china-cocktails 0 0
The bar and its cocktail menu
91162 (Image: Gizelle Lau) White chocolate eclair with mango mousse ($8) Introducing: The Drake Chinatown https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-eclair-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-eclair.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-eclair.jpg 624 415 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-drake-hotel-l-a-chinatown/slide/drake-china-eclair/ drake-china-eclair 0 0
White chocolate eclair with mango mousse ($8)
91160 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Sesame and ginger cashew chicken with wildflower honey and snap peas ($23) Introducing: The Drake Chinatown https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-chicken-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-chicken.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-chicken.jpg 415 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-drake-hotel-l-a-chinatown/slide/drake-china-chicken/ drake-china-chicken 0 0
Sesame and ginger cashew chicken with wildflower honey and snap peas ($23)
91163 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Egg rolls ($10): barbecue orange chicken; shrimp, roasted peanuts and Saskatchewan hot mustard Introducing: The Drake Chinatown https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-egg-rolls-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-egg-rolls.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-egg-rolls.jpg 624 415 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-drake-hotel-l-a-chinatown/slide/drake-china-egg-rolls/ drake-china-egg-rolls 0 0
Egg rolls ($10): barbecue orange chicken; shrimp, roasted peanuts and Saskatchewan hot mustard
91169 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Chinatown baby back ribs with roasted peanuts, scallions and a napa cabbage slaw ($26) Introducing: The Drake Chinatown https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-ribs-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-ribs.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-ribs.jpg 624 415 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-drake-hotel-l-a-chinatown/slide/drake-china-ribs/ drake-china-ribs 0 0
Chinatown baby back ribs with roasted peanuts, scallions and a napa cabbage slaw ($26)
91174 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Waiters don white button-up shirts, Chinese restaurant style Introducing: The Drake Chinatown https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-uniform-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-uniform.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-uniform.jpg 624 402 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-drake-hotel-l-a-chinatown/slide/drake-china-uniform/ drake-china-uniform 0 0
Waiters don white button-up shirts, Chinese restaurant style
91168 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Familiar Chinese restaurant plates Introducing: The Drake Chinatown https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-plates-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-plates.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-plates.jpg 624 396 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-drake-hotel-l-a-chinatown/slide/drake-china-plates/ drake-china-plates 0 0
Familiar Chinese restaurant plates
91171 (Image: Gizelle Lau) The place settings are Chinatown standard Introducing: The Drake Chinatown https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-setting-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-setting.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-setting.jpg 624 415 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-drake-hotel-l-a-chinatown/slide/drake-china-setting/ drake-china-setting 0 0
The place settings are Chinatown standard
91172 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Souvenirs Introducing: The Drake Chinatown https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-souvenirs-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-souvenirs.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-souvenirs.jpg 624 415 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-drake-hotel-l-a-chinatown/slide/drake-china-souvenirs/ drake-china-souvenirs 0 0
Souvenirs
91158 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Birds cut out from photos that are just this side of soft-core porn Introducing: The Drake Chinatown https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-birds-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-birds.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-birds.jpg 621 407 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-drake-hotel-l-a-chinatown/slide/drake-china-birds/ drake-china-birds 0 0
Birds cut out from photos that are just this side of soft-core porn
91165 (Image: Gizelle Lau) A Parkdale take on a Chinese lantern Introducing: The Drake Chinatown https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-lantern-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-lantern.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-lantern.jpg 415 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-drake-hotel-l-a-chinatown/slide/drake-china-lantern/ drake-china-lantern 0 0
A Parkdale take on a Chinese lantern
91167 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Mirror as koi pond Introducing: The Drake Chinatown https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-mirror-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-mirror.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-mirror.jpg 624 415 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-drake-hotel-l-a-chinatown/slide/drake-china-mirror/ drake-china-mirror 0 0
Mirror as koi pond
91157 (Image: Gizelle Lau) Inside the Drake’s take on 1940s Chinatown Introducing: The Drake Chinatown https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-beads-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-beads.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-beads.jpg 624 503 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-drake-hotel-l-a-chinatown/slide/drake-china-beads/ drake-china-beads 0 0
Inside the Drake’s take on 1940s Chinatown
91159 (Image: Gizelle Lau) The redesigned dining room features all kinds of kitsch Chinatown elements, like this wall of cats. Introducing: The Drake Chinatown https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-cats-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-cats.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/drake-china-cats.jpg 656 436 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-drake-hotel-l-a-chinatown/slide/drake-china-cats/ drake-china-cats 0 0
The redesigned dining room features all kinds of kitsch Chinatown elements, like this wall of cats.
The Drake , 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042, thedrakehotel.ca