Nam, London
Taking its inspiration from Vietnamese street food, Soho eatery, NAM, offers a fast, healthy and cost effective option for the busy downtown diner.
The Vietnamese eatery, which opened in October 2009, is distinctive in terms of both ambience and culinary experience. The client approached B3 in May 2009 wanting to open up a Vietnamese offer in the heart of Soho. Inspired by the street food of her native Vietnam she wanted to translate this experience into something that could work in the busiest part of London. Consisting of fresh ingredients, street food offers healthy meals that can be served quickly: an ideal option for the busy and health conscious Soho customer.
NAM is an accessible eatery with ready-to-eat options for the busy Soho diner. Patrons are able to select from a variety of healthy options including summer rolls made from rice paper, ‘bun’ a freshly made noodle dish available with chicken, pork or tofu as well as a selection of rice dishes and Vietnamese baguettes.
B3 assisted with developing the brand from the interior to the logo. We noticed that although Vietnamese restaurants are very popular and prevalent, particularly in the East end, very few had used design to communicate with their clientele. B3 began by researching; this included food tasting, exploring the different facets of Vietnamese culture as well as market research. B3 worked to create a design that would reflect the different facets of Vietnamese culture from colonialism to inner city living. The interior also needed to reflect the street food culture: an informal, relaxed experience and not specifically a restaurant experience.
As we had a clean slate to work from, we thought it would be interesting to combine the urban and traditional aspects of Vietnamese culture with colonial French heritage. We used long communal bamboo tables and industrial Tolix stools for the eating area. The contrast of the traditional and the industrial reflects the eclectic mix that you might see in modern day Vietnam. A lot of the design details were used to communicate the different facets of Vietnamese culture. For example, handmade Vietnamese lanterns hang from the ceiling, allowing for a softer ambience, while the stainless steel display counter is stamped with communist style graphics. Colourful artwork, depicting scenes of Vietnamese village life, decorate the walls and reused apple crates have been used instead of shelving. In our research we found that there is still a strong French colonial heritage present in Vietnamese interiors, we incorporated this into the design by spraying patterns reminiscent of French colonial tiles onto the concrete screed. The aim was to communicate the different facets of Vietnamese culture in an interesting and fun way.
For an initial consultation and advice on designing a restaurant contact the B3 creative team.
| Nam, London | | |