As seen in The Improper Bostonian, May 2003

East Meets West

“Hip” and “chic” may not be the words that come to mind when describing the décor of many local Chinese restaurants. So when the folks at Peking Tom’s invited us down for a sneak preview of their new digs in the former Hibernia, we weren’t sure what to expect. But it certainly wasn’t antique Tibetan bar stools, raw silk droplights and bamboo floors – not to mention lumquat mojitos and a mouthwatering menu of Asian foavorites by Marc Orfaly, chef/owner of Pigalle.

Along with Orfaly and designer Kristine Irving, owner Michael Conlon, of 21st Ammendment, Paramount and Blarneystone fame, has created an ultra-swank lounge with gourmet Asian food and décor to die for…the décor by Irving, who owns Koo de Kir on Beacon Hill, is all custom-made – from the Balinese mahogany-and-banana-leaf chairs to the giant Buddha over the back bar to the bathroom wallpaper made from Chinese newspapers.