650833 Tue Sep 08 07:20:27 -0700 2009 19 12 Boston Area 0 5013001 From a friend of a friend: Banq will go on a brief hiatus to slightly reconfigure the bar and dining room (moving the bar from the front to the side) and redo the menu. New chef in, taking the fusion concept in a more Northeast Asian direction. The one part of that very cool design I never liked was the cramped bar area, so that sounds like a good idea. I imagine the old menu was not drawing a lot of repeat business back in: that's a decent-sized dining room to fill, and I don't think Banq made the short list of South End places that were staying busy on weeknights despite the recession. http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/ Tue Sep 08 07:20:27 -0700 2009 10143 MC Slim JB 1 5013052 When will they be closing? How long will do they think the renovations will take? Tue Sep 08 07:38:27 -0700 2009 5013001 167444 mats77 1 5013074 It's happening sometime this month, for a couple of weeks, I believe. http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/ Tue Sep 08 07:43:31 -0700 2009 5013001 10143 MC Slim JB 1 5013148 I never really like the whole design of the place. Felt like I was in the belly of the whale. Tue Sep 08 08:09:38 -0700 2009 5013001 10169 StriperGuy 2 5013457 The interior design is not changing; they're just reconfiguring the floor a bit. (I still think it's one of the cooler-looking rooms in town, though it gets a bit loud.) http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/ Tue Sep 08 09:48:51 -0700 2009 5013148 10143 MC Slim JB 1 5014313 A couple of additional details tweeted by Devra First at the Globe: Banq will be renamed Ginger Park; the new exec chef is Patricia Yeo. Yeo is probably best known for helming NYC restaurant AZ, but also Pazo, Sapa (all since clsoed) and a short-lived stint at the revived Monkey Bar. Historically, her food is pretty intricately plated, creative, and very fusion-y. AZ was a critical darling; her subsequent restaurants have been increasingly less well-received. This sort of looks like a fresh start in the provinces. http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/ Tue Sep 08 14:41:55 -0700 2009 5013001 10143 MC Slim JB 2 5014895 "A fresh start in the provinces" well said. Tue Sep 08 18:21:22 -0700 2009 5014313 10169 StriperGuy 2 5038419 Just got a FB tweet: 3 more nights left as Banq; grand opening of Ginger Park next week (day not specified). Thu Sep 17 18:45:06 -0700 2009 5014313 101438 hsquare2southend 3 5038817 Why is it they never let me order appetizers from their bar menu in the dining room? Is this normal practice for the restaurant industry? I still order the the main dish but their main dining room appetizer selections is just aweful. Thu Sep 17 23:49:01 -0700 2009 5038419 106250 joebloe 4 5038922 Many restaurants do this. Annoying, but not uncommon. http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/ Fri Sep 18 04:25:47 -0700 2009 5038817 10143 MC Slim JB 3 5040544 Chris Haynes publicizing friends and family night this Sunday and Monday. Fri Sep 18 14:15:58 -0700 2009 5038419 99422 Small Plates 3 5040674 Via Twitter, official opening of Ginger Park set for Friday Sept 25. http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/ Fri Sep 18 15:11:00 -0700 2009 5038419 10143 MC Slim JB 1 5038821 What's northeast asian? Korea and Japan? Thu Sep 17 23:54:08 -0700 2009 5013001 106250 joebloe 2 5038928 In restaurant terms, I use Northeast Asia as shorthand for China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and I suppose Mongolia, as distinct from Southeast Asia: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, The Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. South Asia is something else again, generally referring to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/ Fri Sep 18 04:31:29 -0700 2009 5038821 10143 MC Slim JB 1 5039049 So, with a new chef, new layout and new name, they basically realized Banq failed with the old chef, old layout and old name, which no one cuold figure out if it was pronounced with a soft "a", or long "a". To be honest the food and service never impressed me, but I did find the interior rather interesting. Same sectioned plywood technique was used in a financial services office, in the Kendall Sq. area of Cambridge (same architect). CocoDan Fri Sep 18 05:57:31 -0700 2009 5013001 12643 CocoDan 2 5039255 That sectioned plywood is getting overdone. That architecture firm must be getting some buzz. There is also a stylish hip hop sneaker store in Cambridge with the same treatment. Honestly, I did not like it at Banq. Makes me feel claustrophobic, that I have been swallowed by a whale. Fri Sep 18 07:21:08 -0700 2009 5039049 10169 StriperGuy 3 5039477 Banq won "best new restaurant in the world" award from Paper Magazine recently, a pretty big feather in the cap of a design firm. I had better luck with the service (except at brunch, which was appalling), but I had the same consistency problems with the food: a great meal followed by an uninspiring one. That's tough to take. http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/ Fri Sep 18 08:33:33 -0700 2009 5039255 10143 MC Slim JB 3 5039860 Funny, I really liked the room but found the food unimpressive. Fri Sep 18 10:25:10 -0700 2009 5039255 13084 tdaaa 3 5039925 I liked it, but I don't mind feeling like I've been swallowed by a whale. I don't get the contention (not yours) that people were confused about the pronunciation of the stupid name. SRSLY? Fri Sep 18 10:48:13 -0700 2009 5039255 10232 yumyum 2 5039427 The food was never dependable, and the service was dependably slack. Fri Sep 18 08:17:56 -0700 2009 5039049 13819 Karl S