An eclectic eatery

interior

This week You! takes a look at the interesting interior of a newly opened restaurant in Lahore...

Going to a restaurant is not just about the food or the ambiance; in fact, it is the perfect blend of both that results in a pleasant experience. Great ambiance, beautiful interiors and scrumptious food is what fine dining is all about. And this is exactly how you feel when you step inside the newly opened eatery, ‘The Burning Giraffe’.

The restaurant is located in a crowded shopping centre on the main boulevard and is run by Farmer-Businessman and certified Chef Yasir Ali Noon and partners. The space has a cheerful, brighter look with chic furnishings and incredible attention to detailing - that is sure to make your dining experience a memorable one.

Regarding the unusual name of the eatery Sahar Noon, wife of Yasir Noon says, “So one day while brainstorming, along the lines of some renowned artists, I came across a painting by well-known painter Salvadore Dali; the painting caught my eye and hence came the name, The Burning Giraffe, which is named after one of his iconic paintings. Actually, Yasir asked me to think of something fun and quirky, that triggers the imagination and reflects the diverse menu.”

The place has an eclectic feel thus a surreal and strange name that hits the nerve. Sahar Noon is a known artist and an interior decorator. Initially, she had no plans of decorating the place, but ended up doing it, as the workers couldn’t comprehend the kind of effect she wanted on the walls. “I am professionally an artist and technically skilled in painting so this project for me was not commercial at all. I must admit that there were no preconceived plans, but I had so much fun working on it as I was free to experiment,” states Sahar.

Indeed, Sahar has done a great job with the restaurant as she is a passionate artist as well as a daring do-it-yourself believer. “We want the customers to have a pleasant experience with the chef and owners involved in greeting everyone on the door step to serving food on their tables,” adds Sahar.

The space has limited seating but gives off a comfy feel. As soon as one enters the premises, the first thing that catches one’s attention is the vibrant appeal. The use of LED bulbs, lanterns throwing soft glow on tables along with the raw look of a limestone wall furnished with sturdy tables and chairs give off a welcoming feel.

“I wanted rough strokes on the walls so that it would give that gilded feel. Along the other side, I painted each brick on the wall myself. To cut off the length of the wall, I also applied raw cement along the border to further make it more rustic!” she informs.

The whole restaurant is an amalgamation of different ideas and has come together on its own as an original artistic space. The clever mix of blue grey on one wall with additional gold leaf skirting along the frames give off a ‘burning effect’. She purposely kept the tables rustic - wood framed with gold brass hinges - to match the gold leaf on the wall and also to bring out the polished grey/blue wall against the raw wood grain of the tables.

According to Sahar, there is nothing more beautiful and nostalgic than a classical checkered floor. “While choosing the flooring; my first love has always been the classic black and white look. So, I chose a high gloss black tile to alternate with a white/grey floor tile with additional perky light bulbs along the ceiling to add colour and dimly light up each table. I have always been inspired by the colonial look as my own ancestral homes in Sargodha have the same chequered floors and classical accents that I’ve grown up around.”

There is continuous building on the interior with additional frames along the same sepia wall that the Sahar Noon painted brick by brick. The frames are quirky images from Dali’s life that give character to the place.

“We are not turning tables to let the guests savour maximum time at the restaurant without being rushed into their meals. The first experience for a customer should be a calming one rather than a hushed affair. I am not looking at it as a profit-loss statement but a different approach for the target audience,” shares Yasir Noon , who is a professionally trained chef from SCAFA and London.

The owners definitely know their way around food since the menu is very eclectic and coincides perfectly with the surreal theme of the interior. The powder room catches most of the attention with a smaller checkered floor merges into a thin bricked mirror wall. The light bounces off the mirror tiles and gives it that dreamy surreal effect. The central piece is a chandelier as a classic take on the Belgian surrealist painter, Rene Magritte whose paintings display amusing juxtapositions of the ordinary. The gold copper wire giraffes are exclusively created by Sahar’s talented cousin, sculptor Bilal Noon. Over the main counter wall she has painted the figure from the actual Burning Giraffe painting but has given it her own take with actual drawers coming out in 3D form out of the wall.