Client’s Brief: a modern take on Asian seafood, featuring aged seafood specialties and charcoal grilling on a wood fire oven. The client wanted a sizeable open kitchen that enables the chef and culinary team to interact with diners. The new restaurant is located at New Bahru, which is a new lifestyle destination in Singapore, located in the heart of River Valley.
Inspiration was drawn from the client’s “Fire and aged fish” modern Asian menu concept. My job was to create a contemporary design that features an open kitchen which showcases the open grill and wood fire oven. This concept is fronted by a long dining counter, with LED pipe lighting that runs the length of the counter and culminates in a circular point that is lit with a separate globular pendant lamp. Adjacent to the counter and located at the entrance are the dry-aging refrigerators and wine chillers, displaying the dry-aged seafood and their selection of wines. The back of the dining space also features a Chef’s Table, where larger parties may enjoy a semi-private experience.
The colour palette and the materials used can be summarized as follows:
– metallic charcoal grey mosaic tiles, burnt wood finishes, rusticated galvanized metal sheets, non-directional stainless steel, countered with Sottsass grey veneer from ALPI wood (with the wild wood grain resembling flames) and the pop of violet hues on the upholstery and metal doors injecting lightness and vibrancy to the space.
– cementitious coating for the finishing on the walls
– the floor is cork floor tiles, with a concrete look from Granorte and supplied by Rubik material lab
The loose furniture at the main dining area are of a contemporary design. The dining chairs and bar stools are custom-made in raw steel and selected textile upholstery. The wooden frame dining chairs at the chef’s table are custom-made, and its design is inspired by Tobia Scarpa chairs. The outdoor dining chairs and sofas were supplied by Kave.