Asia Designers Directory - Singapore’s Ganko Sushi a Visual Treat

Ganko Sushi is a famous Japanese sushi restaurant brand that offers an Omakase dining experience. Designed by JP Phoenix, this 220 sqm restaurant is a new outlet that the brand has opened on Penang Road, Singapore.

With an emphasis on presentation and visual, Japanese cuisine is a feast for the eyes. Its aesthetics is reflected in the art of plating. With delicate details and flavours, fine Japanese cuisine makes the best use of fresh ingredients in four seasons, and gives full play to the original, natural taste of food raw materials.

Throughout, the spatial design of this project is based on the understanding of Japanese food culture and the brand’s concepts. Ukiyo-e art is applied to a wall in this restaurant, through which the elements of Japanese koi fish are subtly fused into the space.

The interior is denoted by dark tones, featuring a sense of depth. Concrete formworks are deliberately exposed to endow the space with natural textures. A carved-out opening on the ceiling simulates daylight, to bring in some light.

: Photo credit: Marc Tan

: Photo credit: Marc Tan

: Photo credit: Marc Tan

: Photo credit: Marc Tan

Through elements including plants, ceiling structures, lighting and art installations, the design team, led by chief designer Ye Hui, created a scene comprising a mountain cave, forest and flowing stream to add a poetic nuance and evoke the diners’ imagination.

Charred fir wood pillars divide the ceiling and connect with the floor to form a Japanese-style wooden eave structure. The supporting pillars’ sense of strength and parallel arrangement expresses the structural aesthetics of the space. Adornments, as well as light-tone wooden furniture pieces that incorporate bamboo weaving techniques, reveal a tactile touch and refined details. The forms of articles in the space are presented in a natural and vivid manner.

When selecting the materials for this project, the design team considered the culture of traditional Japanese cuisine and the philosophy they hoped to convey in the space. The meticulous control of material textures reveals ingenuity in design and detailing.