Yabi Kitchen: A Fusion of Design and Dining

A Unique Restaurant Space by Hui Chu Huang

Yabi Kitchen stands out with its well-planned layout, featuring an open kitchen, two-person seating area, four-person seating area, sofa seating area, and staff space. The designer's main focus is on ensuring smooth traffic flow, achieved through the strategic arrangement of each section. The interior space is designed with an open-ended concept, maintaining the original building's ceiling height and lowering the window countertop to provide a picturesque view.

The realization of Yabi Kitchen incorporates various materials and technologies. Artificial stone, iron mesh, white teak, modeling chandeliers, and architectural lighting come together to create a harmonious atmosphere. The designer carefully selects ginger as the brand's image color, using it to decorate the lighting and cabinets. This color choice complements the wood material, leather seats, and sofas, resulting in a cohesive and inviting ambiance.

Technical specifications play a crucial role in the success of Yabi Kitchen. The original ceiling height is preserved, with a yellow-painted wire mesh covering the pipes and steel beams of the building. Modeling chandeliers and suspended cabinets contribute to a sense of lightness, while yellow lighting highlights the brand's core image. Through negotiations with the building management, the windows are lowered to meet sound insulation and fire protection requirements, while also expanding the view.

Yabi Kitchen can be described as a modern space that seamlessly integrates design and functionality. The designer prioritizes traffic flow, placing the open kitchen away from the entrance and separating the pick-up area from the recycling area to ensure efficiency and hygiene. By transforming previously unused areas into a staff room, storage, cashier, and service area, a smooth traffic flow is achieved, eliminating dead corners and maximizing the dining space.

Located in Taiwan, Yabi Kitchen was completed in December 2018. The design process involved extensive research to strike a balance between the building's regulations and the client's requirements. By meticulously planning the traffic flow and evaluating the size and location of the open kitchen, the designer successfully created a space that meets the demands of both customers and staff.

Overcoming challenges such as creating an open kitchen, accommodating a 91-seat dining area, and optimizing the use of the original building's space, Hui Chu Huang's design showcases ingenuity and creativity. The seating area is arranged in a square pattern, and the deformed areas are transformed into functional spaces like a staff lounge, service counter, and storage room, resulting in a harmonious configuration.

The design of Yabi Kitchen is characterized by the prominent use of ginger as the brand's color, creating a visual connection to the core image. Stainless steel and light gray accents provide a contrast to the vibrant yellow. Steamer-shaped lights adorn the entrance, reflecting the restaurant's focus on Asian fusion cuisine. Glass bottles of sparkling drinks are repurposed as plant containers, conveying a clear and unique brand impression.

Yabi Kitchen's exceptional design has been recognized with the Bronze A' Design Award in the Interior Space, Retail, and Exhibition Design category in 2022. This prestigious award celebrates designs that exhibit resourcefulness, technical prowess, and a commitment to improving quality of life through art, science, design, and technology. Yabi Kitchen truly sets a new standard for dining experiences.