Casa Teppanyaki: A Fresh Take on Restaurant Design

Minyi Zhang's Award-Winning Design Redefines Teppanyaki Dining Experience

Minyi Zhang's Casa Teppanyaki, a Japanese restaurant in Suzhou, China, breaks the mold of traditional teppanyaki restaurant design. Inspired by the concept of home, the design offers an authentic experience, combining the freshness of ingredients with a warm, inviting atmosphere. The project, which started in July 2018 and was completed in December of the same year, has been recognized with a Silver A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2020.

The restaurant's design is a testament to Zhang's innovative approach to architecture and interior design. Drawing on her childhood memories of cooking with her grandmother, Zhang has created a space that is bright, quiet, and private, with high ceilings and skylights that recall the comfort of home. The design also takes advantage of the restaurant's 5-meter-high ceiling, using it to highlight the unique semicircular teppanyaki tables.

Zhang's choice of materials further emphasizes the restaurant's clean and convenient ethos. The floors are made of fish belly white marble tiles, while the walls are concrete with a spray finish and wooden trim. The teppanyaki tables are made of ancient castle gray marble, providing a striking contrast to the overall light and airy aesthetic of the restaurant.

The restaurant's layout is another key feature of its design. With a commercial area of 220 square meters, the space is divided into five teppanyaki tables and a VIP dining room. Each space has been carefully considered for vegetation and outdoor landscape, creating a harmonious blend of indoor and outdoor elements.

One of the main challenges Zhang faced in designing Casa Teppanyaki was incorporating traditional Chinese elements into the design. She achieved this by using floral and ceiling patios, which create a dreamlike visual effect and give the space a sense of infinite expansion. The result is a design that not only embodies the restaurant's business philosophy but also reflects the aesthetic value and spiritual strength of the enterprise.

Overall, Casa Teppanyaki is a testament to Zhang's innovative approach to design and her commitment to creating spaces that are not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing. It is a design that truly redefines the teppanyaki dining experience, offering customers a unique blend of authenticity, comfort, and sophistication.


Project Details and Credits

Project Designers: Minyi Zhang
Image Credits: Image #1: Photographer Minyi Zhang, 2018. Image #2: Photographer Minyi Zhang, 2018. Image #3: Photographer Minyi Zhang, 2018. Image #4: Photographer Minyi Zhang, 2018. Image #5: Photographer Minyi Zhang, 2018.
Project Team Members: Minyi Zhang Wing Sun
Project Name: Casa
Project Client: Minyi Zhang


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