By Jessica Wang

If you have a penchant for edgy interior design coupled with nouveau-Chinese food, Ken De Rouge will tickle your fancy, with its lakeside view, East-meets-West decor and attentive service.

Similar to Green T. House and Wish, the food, although very good, is subordinate to the leading role: design. With its poetic menu, rattan-woven fans, exposed brick walls, and leather chairs, this place is more a feast for the eyes than the stomach. We started with a silken tofu mousse topped with crab roe (RMB 18) that tasted soft and silky, like a savory panna-cotta. The forest mushrooms (RMB 46) sauteed in a teriyaki-like sauce were given a surprising twist with a nice, crunchy texture.

And while the dry ice presented in the crispy prawns with cumin and chili (RMB 78) leaked all over the table, this establishment still impressed us.

Ken De Rouge Daily 11am-2.30pm, 5-11.30pm. 22 Houhai Xiyan, Deshengmen Neidajie, Xicheng District, Beijing 64028885

(thatsbj.com May 15, 2008)