Already established in mainland Taiwan, the KiKi Restaurant Group made its first foray onto mainland China this summer with the launch of Kiki Noodle House in Shanghai. This newest addition to the family might also be its most stylish outfit, with design by the Beijing-based Taiwanese Architects, who has led with the spatial logic of traditional Taiwanese architecture reinvented through a contemporary lens. 

The result sees a compelling juxtaposition of old and new concepts; a space where an old Taiwanese street cooking cart welcomes diners into a room characterised by a neutral palette of greys and beige, clean lines and an abundance of oak and concrete. The influence of Taiwanese residential design is also evident in the ceiling, which mirrors the eaves and patios of classic buildings, and the outdoor ‘courtyard’ layout of the restaurant itself. 

A curvilinear wall bearing a forest mural introduces serenity via nature matched by the rock-like formations and topiary that sit in the centre of tables, and interrupted only by the reassuringly loud slurps of patrons dining on traditional dan dan noodles.