aburi yakitori 黑炙

Located in Wanchai, Aburi Yakitori 黑炙 introduced a rare ingredient, Bamboo Charcoal Salt, to the Hong Kong market. Bamboo Charcoal salt is a black variant of normal table salt which is known in Japan to have the ability to eliminate impurities in our body.  The project and the restaurant were thus named “Aburi” because it literally means “black” in Japanese.

We observed the hand movement of the chef while he sprinkled charcoal salt on yakitori; liken this movement to the hands of an orchestra conductor, we named this “Aburi rain” and this musical motion became the core concept for all the features applied throughout the restaurant.

The feature shop front was set back from the pavement and composed of thousands of wooden blocks rising and ebbing horizontally to form a 3 dimensional curvature. The composition is visually opaque to ensure privacy as requested by the owner. This feature extends to the internal ceiling where similar blocks were hung vertically to form another curve. To further accentuate this wave motion, the end of each block was sliced angularly and the exposed surface stained in black to physically manifest the “Aburi rain”.

The main wall of the restaurant is decorated by a sculpture made with intertwining copper pipes. It represents the burning grill used in the yakitori restaurant. In addition, 2 hidden Fuji Mountain landscape compositions were subtly composed within so that travelling compatriots could find solace in the intimate environment of the restaurant.

Completed in 2013.