Eat. Drink. Design.

Founded in 2007

Eat. Drink. Design.

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Founded in 2007

The Fox is Black

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    Branding Identity for LAI HUI Living by another design

    another design describes themselves as a trans-media visual design team that challenges traditional thinking and expands design language boundaries. Located in Guangzhou, they specialize in cross-cultural and business design strategies creating solutions that balance cultural and commercial aspects.

    Branding Identity for LAI HUI Living by another design

    A recent project they released is for LAI HUI Living, a new Cantonese restaurant under the brand of Laihui. They created a brand visual system that utilizes encircling typography situated around differently shaped plates. They say that this represents “sitting around the table and eating together with the same plate,” giving a sense of community to the branding. For me, the plates end up looking like gemstones, giving the brand a very luxe feeling while still having a very approachable essence. The concept is so simple, yet when you see it in all it’s applications, it all comes together in such a nice way.

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    Charming Parisian Pita Sandwich Shop Dizen Makes the Most of A Small Space

    Came across this cute little spot called Dizen out in the Pigalle neighborhood of Paris that serves a traditional Israeli street food called sabich, which in Hebrew stands for its initials (SBH) – salat, beitzah, hazilim (salad, egg, eggplant). While the food looks amazing (I could eat pita sandwiches every day) it’s the charming, odd little space that I really love. It has a 60s/70s influence with the curvy entrance walls, baby blue color palette and super simple order signage. I even think that clearly unmovable drainage pipe is super charming, they’re clearly making due with the space they have. Plus the branding is on-point with a funky mix of typefaces, I’m super into it.

    Dizen, a pita sandwich shop in Parisian neighborhood Pigalle
    Dizen, a pita sandwich shop in Parisian neighborhood Pigalle
    Dizen, a pita sandwich shop in Parisian neighborhood Pigalle
    Dizen, a pita sandwich shop in Parisian neighborhood Pigalle

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    Anthony Bourdain in San Sebastián

    Recently, I was made aware of the fact that Anthony Bourdain had visited San Sebastián, and the Basque Country, on three separate occasions: in 2001 with A Cook’s Tour, in 2007 on No Reservations, and in 2016 for Parts Unknown. Like anyone else who admires Bourdain, I had to see if I could watch these episodes. Sure enough, I was able to find his last visit. It was fascinating to see the places he loved, the other areas around San Sebastián he also visited, and of course, see the area through his eyes.

    What made watching this more exciting is that I’m about to head out for a long lunch at Restaurante Arzak. Juan Mari Arzak and his daughter Elena are the owners and chef de cuisine of Arzak, and play a huge part in the episode, with Bourdain calling Juan Mari not only his friend, but his mentor. The fact that Bourdain found this place so special to go to only gives even more weight to the experience, I’m so excited to have a chance to eat here.

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    Pan Bakery is a Blend of Japanese and Milanese Design

    In a quaint neighborhood just outside Milan’s city center is Pan, a bakery, kitchen and wine bar, a place born from the collaboration between the Japanese chef Yoji Tokuyoshi and Alice Yamada, with the goal of democratizing Japanese culture.

    The space was designed by Studio Wok, a Milan-based studio founded in 2012. Their goal was to create a connection to the neighborhood through the use of large windows on the outside, and strong pieces on the inside like the fiberglass countertops and ephemeral ceiling drapes.

    For me, the almost jade color of the countertops, set amongst the whites and neutral wood tones, is a stunning approach. The space overall gives me the impression of a cloudy seascape, with varying sizes of sea glass washed on to the shore. The brushed stainless steel helps add to this effect (it’s a trend I’m very much loving lately, and seeing a lot) lending reflection and bouncing light around even more.

    Pan Bakery in Milan, designed by Studio Wok
    Pan Bakery in Milan, designed by Studio Wok
    Pan Bakery in Milan, designed by Studio Wok
    Pan Bakery in Milan, designed by Studio Wok

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    Scrounging: a Cookbook, Turns Film Foods Into Cookable Creations

    The folks at A24 are always releasing the coolest stuff. One of their newest ideas is Scrounging: A Cookbook, which takes the foods from 54 films and turns them into recipes you can make at home. Included are The Breakfast Club‘s Pixy Stix sandwich, The Apartment‘s tennis racket spaghetti, The Martian‘s baked potato with Vicodin, Home Alone‘s 12-scoop ice cream sundae, Kramer vs. Kramer‘s divorced dad french toast, and many more.

    There’s also a foreword from Matty Matheson, a man who knows a few things about cooking amazing meals, and the photos in the cookbook are from the ever-amazing duo of Wade & Leta, which turned out so great.

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    Bambino Brings the Japanese “Kissa” Bar Energy to Paris’ 11th

    I talk a lot about starting my own café one day. I know it’s a logical step for me, and my interests, combining my loves of design, food, and people under one roof. For now though, I’ll continue to find inspiration in places like Bambino, a place for great food, good drinks, and fun music. Located in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, founder Fabien Lombardi has combined his passions for the traditional Japanese jazz kissa with his travels through Tel Aviv. It features a large collection of records and a great sound system, a beautiful concrete bar, and small cafe tables for intimate gatherings.

    The kitchen is helmed by Kenta Tomoda, who’s serving up delicious looking katsu sandwiches, and a recent creation, the pigeon frit (third photo) served with tomato, harissa, and radicchio. The fact that he left the claw on is such a great detail, in my opinion. This space looks like it’s been around forever, though only opening about three-ish years ago. Bambino will be high on my list of places to visit the next time I’m in Paris.

    Bambino Bar — Paris, 11th arrondissement
    Bambino Bar — Paris, 11th arrondissement
    Pigeon Frit — Bambino Bar — Paris, 11th arrondissement
    Bambino Bar — Paris, 11th arrondissement