Japanese and Kuwaiti traditions meet in the interior of Kuwait City’s latest outpost of Ora – a Japanese tapas restaurant that has had a presence in the city since 2014. Crafted by its founding Japanese chef Tiger Mizuta, who was formerly executive chef at Katsuya in Los Angeles, Ora’s menu is made up of elegantly-presented tapas-sized sharing plates such as yellowtail tacos, maple miso lamp chops and tempura corn.
The interior, by Dubai-based T.ZED Architects, is designed to reflect the origins of the cuisine. A palette of warm colours and natural materials are designed to age gracefully while the interlocking ash ceilings and partitions are made using traditional Japanese joinery techniques. ‘We intended to remain as earthy as possible in order for the artwork, as well as the food, to provide all the accent colours,' explain the architects.
Taking care to acknowledge the restaurant’s local context, the architects created a versatile interior which allows for large groups of friends to congregate for a social dining experience, while at the same time offering niches for more intimate dining.
‘The overall layout of the restaurant, as well as the decision to create private dining rooms with independent accesses, responds directly to the Kuwaiti culture,' they say. ‘Privacy is always a key component when designing projects in Kuwait and the Gulf in general.'
ADDRESS
Ahmad Al Jaber St
Kuwait City
-
‘Concrete Dreams’: rethinking Newcastle’s brutalist pastA new project and exhibition at the Farrell Centre in Newcastle revisits the radical urban ideas that changed Tyneside in the 1960s and 1970s
-
Mexican designers show their metal at Gallery Collectional, Dubai‘Unearthing’ at Dubai’s Gallery Collectional sees Ewe Studio designers Manu Bañó and Héctor Esrawe celebrate Mexican craftsmanship with contemporary forms
-
At The Manner, New York has a highly fashionable new living roomThe Manner, a new hopsitality experience by Standard International in the heart of SoHo, triples up as a hotel, private residence, and members’ club
-
Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico -
Martim — Wroclaw, Poland -
Tattersalls Hotel — Armidale, Australia -
KLoé Hotel — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -
Casa Hoyos — San Miguel de Allende, Mexico -
Littlenap — Hangzhou, China -
Casa Santa Teresa — Corsica, France -
Swedish studio Claesson Koivisto Rune designs K5, a new hotel in TokyoStep inside Claesson Koivisto Rune’s design as a 1920s bank turns hotel
