A CONFLUENCE OF OLD AND NEW
High-quality food, affordable prices, distinct décor—wouldn't you fall in love with a cha chaan teng (a local Hong Kong restaurant) that has this blend of factors? Well, in Kwun Tong, you will find exactly that. A commercial interior design project by Yim Hong Kee Company Limited, this 50-year-old restaurant was successfully revamped with a modern ambience to offer customers a new and refreshing cha chaan teng experience.
With the core concept of the project being “confluence”, blending the old and the new, Joseph Yim, Associate Director at Yim Hong Kee, says “The second-generation owner, who just took over the restaurant, was keen on bringing the business up to date with the 21st century. So, apart from computerising the ordering system, he also hired us to help him create a whole new brand image.”
“To create a sense of harmony, the designers painted a mural on the biggest wall in the restaurant, showing world leaders having a meal together. We got an artist to paint some glass plates and hung them on another wall. These artworks really echoed the modern design of the venue,” Yim explains. Since the launch of the new opening, the client told him the fresh design had attracted more customers and an extra 10% of business than expected. Some diners were amazed that they could ‘dine in a restaurant with luxury hotel designs while paying for cha chaan teng prices'.
The main thing in the restaurant that most exemplifies the concept of “confluence” is the Kwan Tai (God of War) shrine— an essential for Hong Kong restaurants. “The client's father insisted on placing the shrine at the front door!” Yim laughs. “Of course, the designers were strongly opposed to the idea because the shop front of a restaurant is its face, and we had to design it to be attractive to people and not turn them away. We finally suggested putting the shrine at the entrance inside the restaurant. This way, it won't affect the staffs' work, and still allows good Feng Shui.” Yim explains that the owner's father accepted their advice in the end and that shows harmony in itself.