6 Jalan 21/37, Damansara Uptown,
47300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia +6012306xxxx
Interior Design Project Info
The challenge:
Kam Kee Café, is an authentic “char chan teng”, which has extensive roots in Hong Kong. Being the first international outlet, Kam Kee at The Starling Mall aims to be a homegrown brand. An interesting point we noted during our visits to the many outlets in HK was that every outlet had its own unique design that represents and drew inspiration from the location where it is situated at. We learned that the brand, along with its store designs evolve. How can we design a restaurant by maintaining its original oriental charm and brand story yet still be uniquely Malaysian?
The Ground Up solution:
We infused Kam Kee Café with a retro HK vibe paired with local Malaysian features. The resemblance of HK is expressed by the white & green mosaic and teal tiles that surfaced in most of their outlets. A vibrant teal shade, the brand’s color is applied on the grill partition with a unique hexagonal pattern which frames the store’s frontage. This pattern is enhanced into a decorative wall paneling along with the bench seating too. Whereas rattan was introduced as a local element, seen in the café counter, lighting, and furniture.
Spanning across the room from floor to ceiling is a curve pattern created with different finishes to visually connect the two entrances of the outlet. The curved ceiling paves a path for the feature rattan lamps to flow through illuminating the café while creating a play of height.
On an operational level, we studied the kitchen and staff flow with a planner to ensure workflow is efficient without compromising the dining experience. Careful placement of the dish-in/dish-out area to ensure minimal disruption to the patrons. The placement of the bakery at the main entrance facing the mall let delicious aromas of freshly baked pastries lure customers in to take a gander.