Look for Paul Hsu, formerly behind the bar at Ocean Grounds and JC Lounge, to slowly roll out new project Infusion Room, upstairs from D Lounge, starting this Friday. For the first few months, as the team gets up to speed, Infusion will only open sporadically and be accessible by punching a security code on the keypad linked to the door.
When I texted Hsu last night, it turned out he was at Infusion, so Linda B and I headed over and soon found ourselves enjoying his most excellent martinis as a bunch of D Lounge employees enjoyed drinks and pizza.
Infusion looks like a thin slice of a car park or warehouse that has been walled off and seen its concrete facades festooned with Edison lighting, a mishmash of chair styles, and a pyramid-shaped wall of booze. I found it surprisingly cozy. There is space for a dozen people at the bar and double that on stools, chairs and sofas.
(I took the above photo from a cubbyhole at the back, where I mistook some small paintings resting on a sofa as pillows and nearly crushed them. I blame the martini.)
As for drinks, expect a tightly arranged menu, with 16 house cocktails from rmb70 and six wine and two beer choices. There are also creative bottle options, such as rum paired with chocolate and aged vermouth.
And there is room for expansion. Hsu says it would only take a day of construction to connect to several of the adjoining rooms on this floor. More details on Infusion, and on what days it will be open, as soon as I get them.
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