After a Visit to Emotion House the Overarching Feeling is That We're Poor

If Don Draper were in Japan, he’d likely stop by a bar like this. Indeed, the dapper lead character from the ’60s set series Mad Men would feel oddly at home among the throwback decor, impeccably buttoned-up staff, and stiff-yet-elegant drinks served at newly opened Xindong Lu lounge Emotion House.

Chalk up those vintage Japanese vibes to owner Tony Zhao. He's Han Chinese and hails from Inner Mongolia, but always makes a point to include cherry blossoms and Far East malts in his lounges. You may recognize Zhao's name from another of his haunts, Tony’s Workshop, located in an apartment in Yoolee Plaza. You know the one; tasteful decor and soundproofing, likely designed to muffle the screams when you see the ridiculously steep RMB 160 cocktails.

Thankfully Emotion House’s cocktails are a little more reasonably priced. And the decor, while still elegant and formal, is more casual and colorful than at Tony's Workshop.

The white truffle martini is, true to its name, made with truffle-infused syrup and a sprinkling of that exclusive eponymous ingredient to give it a refined and complex flavor that'll leave your tastebuds swooning. Meanwhile, a splash of Emotion House's Kyoto Distillery Ko Noh Bi gin (which we've never seen before among the slew of Beijing bars that prefer to focus on Japanese whisky) gives it enough oomph to leave you buzzed.

It may fall a bit shy of the masterful creativity found at the neighborhood's best cocktail joints (The Black Moth, Infusion Room, and Good Bait), and at RMB 130 it's still too damn expensive. However, that price range has unfortunately become the norm thanks to a high-end ingredient arms race (plus skyrocketing rent) among the aforementioned Chaoyang cocktail lounges.

Overall there's room for improvement, but Zhao's new lounge is miles ahead of Tony's Workshop in terms of affordability and accessibility. The colorful and retro ambiance is an added bonus, though what truly sets Zhao apart is his deep and eclectic collection of Japanese spirits. To that end, Emotion House will live up to its name by making you feel welcome, if not completely dazzled. 

Emotion House
Daily 7pm-late. B1, 12 Xindong Road, Shoukai Building, Chaoyang District (138 1185 7656)
朝阳区新东路首开铂郡南区12号院B1

READ: Miles - Jian Means Business in the CBD Without the Inflated Cocktail Prices

Photos: Tony Zhao, Kyle Mullin