Typically Feng shui

interior

This week You! features the warm and luxurious interiors of a renowned Chinese restaurant in Karachi...

Detailed and dramatic decor influenced by cultural heritage and balanced with zen ideologies, is what Chinese interior design prides itself in. In a Chinese restaurant interior for instance, much thought and effort go into the auspicious, positive energy felt in every inch of the space.

And, when it comes to the colour scheme, it embodies a predominantly bold and bright colour palette. Moreover, traditional elements combined with luxe furniture, is now the contemporary approach for any Chinese dine out, forming the perfect combo of modernity and cultural significance.

In the epicentre of Karachi, lies the famous ‘Lotus Court’ restaurant, located in one of the renowned hotels of the city. The restaurant intends to redefine the idea of Chinese cuisine and make your dining experience memorable. 

It offers appetising authentic Chinese dishes, with a menu that truly sets it apart from other restaurants. The menu selection, together with a unique atmosphere of the venue, creates an extraordinary experience making ‘Lotus Court’ standout. In order to know about the design of the restaurant, You! speaks to General Manager of Movenpick Karachi, Mirza Mansoor Ahmed, on behalf of team ‘Design East’, an interior designing company located in the Middle East, responsible for the warm and luxurious interiors of this oriental restaurant.

“The restaurant decor pays tribute to the Chinese style through its aesthetics, design and setting. The interior and artefacts are built on an ancient Chinese concept Feng shui. It focuses on the social dynamics and harmony of the restaurant where guests can interact comfortably with each other. This idea is said to bring happiness, health and wealth to the people and hence, we asked the team to translate the concept into a real place,” shares Mirza regarding the style of the space.

The furnishings are contemporary and placed in accordance with the given space and privacy of each visitor. The restaurant has a capacity of 100 guests at a time; three sections have been created through beautiful pinewood artefacts to provide each table its due space and privacy. Elegantly lit chandeliers, soothing red Chinese lanterns, hand-carved ornaments and comfortable contemporary furniture contribute towards an upscale dining experience. The place also offers a private dining room where guests can hold gatherings in their own space.

Apart from this, the excessive use of wood along with metallic finishing, give warm and cosy vibes to every guest dining at Lotus. Traditionally, a Chinese interior has bright bold colours such as reds, browns and black to exude the feel of a true Chinese restaurant, hence the place has all these elements.

Talking about the design inspiration, Mirza says, “The inspiration came from the olden Chinese tradition and custom. We wanted to provide not only the right flavours, but also the authentic ambiance so that our guests from China can have a feeling of home away from home. Also, the local guests can enjoy the complete dining experience that the country has to offer. The design elements chosen were carefully thought of so they are in line with the feel, food and ambiance the restaurant is trying to provide.”

As for the lighting, soft and dim yellow lights have been used with a combination of red Chinese lanterns to provide a relaxing experience to the guests. The lights are moderately lit so that the guests can feel peaceful and comfortable.

For the overall ambiance, a comfortable environment is set for the guests through actual Chinese setting and food. The restaurant’s kitchen can be seen through a transparent glass surrounding the dining area. This concept allows activity in the kitchen to be part of the whole dining experience. Moreover, with diners treated to a live show on how their food is prepared while listening to soothing Chinese music is something unique.

From a design standpoint, any dine out space should be open to improvements to stay current and updated. “As explained, our focus is to provide traditional Chinese dining experience. We have introduced food, artefacts and seating arrangement on the same concept but we do have value feedback from our guests and keep modifying our food and ambiance as per their comments,” informs Mansoor.

As far as the food is concerned, in trying to introduce foreign cuisines or restaurants in Pakistan, it is important that the menu should complement the environment of the country they are being introduced in. Chinese flavours are diverse and different for each of its regions. In certain regions, the usage of spices is very common, for example, Inner Mongolia, Sichuan region, and Guangdong region. Thus, while designing the restaurant’s menu, requirement of spicy dishes in Pakistan has been taken into account. The vast choices in the menu have been created for all nationalities yet preserving the Chinese flavour. One will find many options in the menu and many spicy dishes so people from all the nationalities can enjoy at Lotus Court. The restaurant claims to provide authentic Chinese flavours and show how many flavour options you can have in this cuisine.