New Bamboo Room a very different dance club
The New Bamboo Room in Schaumburg isn't so much brand-spanking new as it is a newly managed remix of its old self. The good news for veteran clubsters is that three months after its soft reopening at the beginning of September (and almost half a year since the old place closed its doors for reasons that still remain unclear), Bamboo has yet to reveal all of its planned potential. Either way, anyone who hasn't realized his old dance standby returned to the scene after a brief closure should check it out. The new bosses hope their renovations bumped up the class factor.
Motif: Subtle improvements are quietly apparent. Freshly buffed dance floors, new cocktail tables aptly equipped for tableside bottle service and reupholstered booths give the place a nice, once-over sheen. Not too much has changed on the dance floor, though, and thankfully so for anyone who's grown fond of Bamboo's vibrant palm-tree decor. Big changes happened upstairs to the once-private Bora Bora Room, which switched over from its tiki-fied focus to a black and red relaxation room for anyone looking for a break in the action. Though the New Bamboo still caters its fair share of parties in any number of its second-floor themed rooms, including this one, the focus now is chill, black-and-white photo-clad, relaxation above the party below. Bar-provided, of course. Dress-code rules haven't changed, so be prepared to come dressed in your finest dance-floor duds.
Perhaps the biggest -- and most noticeable -- change for regulars was the influx of new faces behind the bar. Kate Thompson, the New Bamboo Room's marketing director (who also oversees Chicago clubs Goodbar and Cortland's Garage), says hiring new a new team was essential to their overall plan.
"The staff is completely new," she says. "You're going to be treated well when you're here."
Sounds: Anyone interested in Don Morrell's B96 beats or Kiss FM "Beat Freaks" tracks will be happy to know they're ready and available, respectively, on Sunday and Friday nights. The rest of the music encompasses as many Top 40 mash-ups as the nightly DJ can creatively spin, as well as the dance favorites you know and love. Thompson says new management decided to keep the tunes mainstream, spanning popular dance, hip-hop and rock (always mixed with a beat). You'll hear a few old-school hits and a few House songs, but the goal was to play dance-driven remixes of songs that people recognize. As always, it's a raucous party on the main floor, surrounded by chair dancers and a ring of wallflowers taking up residence around the balcony, drinks in hand.
Drinks and parties: The revamped nightly drink specials ($4 Stolis anyone?) proves more than anything that the New Bamboo Room is indeed new. Gone are the several-day $1 cocktails (except for Sunday nights) and the massive, free-buffet monthly food fests. In their place are $3 Thursdays, which offers the day's namesake $3 drinks. Not too bad of a bump considering you're entering new territory and the place is open only Thursday through Sundays these days. Also look for $3 shots on Saturdays and Stoli's finest on Friday and Saturday.
Bottle service options are vast and exclusive, ranging from $250 bottles of Stoli Elit and $175 Bombay Sapphire to fancy champagnes, whiskies and scotches. Not interested in that level of expense but still want your drink to match the hotness of your outfit? Bamboo's martini list should do the trick. Angry Crocodiles (an Irish whiskey blend), Aruba Reds (Malibu and Bacardi) and Tropical Ecstasy (Ecstasy and Svedka) will whet your alcohol palette and probably match the motif.
Definitely don't skip over Bamboo's plans for New Year's. Equally high-end as the club's previous year-end parties, this year's shindig features a premium open bar on all floors, dancing till 1 a.m., a champagne toast and a $1,000 balloon drop. Tickets are going for $100 online, but Thompson says they're still offering early-bird discounts. Call the New Bamboo for "considerable discounts."
Food: Anyone who showed up to the old Bamboo for a full-course, sit-down dinner will have to go down the street before stopping by these days. Though the New Bamboo offers plenty of high-end snacks and appetizers, they've eliminated proper dining areas to concentrate on the club. "We're not really focusing on the restaurant aspect as much anymore," Thompson says. "The food's good; it's still good. But it's mostly bar food." Don't mistake bar food for sliders and fries, though. The menu offers culinary finer food, such as chicken sate, veggie egg rolls, asparagus negamaki (grilled skirt steak) and spinach quiche.
What's next: The truth is, change at the New Bamboo Room will likely be in flux for the next year or so. For now, the new bigwigs are in rehabilitation mode. They wanted the club up and running as soon as possible, and three weeks after taking ownership, that's exactly what they did. Even Thompson admits that management hasn't fully agreed on Bamboo's next life-form. But when they do, rest assured, she says, that the spotlight will never leave the dance floor. "It'll change," she says. "We plan on making it a new place."
The New Bamboo Room Address: 614 E. Golf Road, Schaumburg Hours: 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m.-3 a.m. Fridays; 8 p.m.- 3 a.m. Saturdays and 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Sundays.
Phone: (847) 592-5959 Web: bambooroomschaumburg.com