Ramen is a Communal Affair at IPPUDO Vietnam

The global brand’s first Vietnamese outpost features an abundance of local touches and was designed to foster a sense of community

Designed by Hanoi-based Japanese firm Takashi Niwa Architects, IPPUDO Vietnam has opened its doors in a new housing development in Ho Chi Minh city’s District 7. The brand’s first outpost is a striking, sinuous restaurant where Vietnamese and Japanese elements and inspirations meet. ‘We wanted to create a space where people could experience Japanese culture and discover the IPPUDO brand,’ architect Takashi Niwa explains.

In conceptualising their renovation of the existing site, Niwa’s team drew upon the Vietnamese concept of hẻm, the alleyways between buildings that engender an area with a sense of community by creating a shared social area where families and friends can gather to eat together. The dining floor leads towards a public swimming pool, so the shared use of this semi-outdoor space was another related consideration for the design team. 

Multilayered screens made of greenery or hundreds of wooden chopsticks respond to the local tropical climate and celebrate Vietnamese craftmanship and local culture. Furthermore, all furniture pieces were designed and made in Vietnam. ‘For me, it’s important to use local products and create depth of space in order to create a comfortable and memorable experience. Local products and the familiar texture of these in particular make the space more welcoming,’ Niwa adds.

IPPUDO outlets traditionally feature vivid red and white branding, but here the design team opted for a more neutral and tranquil palette befitting the surrounding environment. The brand’s characteristic red and white appear more muted in undulating red brick planters and white ash furniture and screens. 

Text / Babette Radclyffe-Thomas 
Images / Hiroyuki Oki