Michelin-starred restaurant TIRPSE Opens in Hong Kong

After achieving a Michelin star for the original Tokyo location in record time, Chef Shimizu Yuta has brought his French-Japanese restaurant TIRPSE to Hong Kong. Minus Workshop founder Kevin Yiu talks to us about the project and his interior design concept

Design Anthology: How did you first meet the client?

Kevin Yiu: The client is a Hong Kong-based catering group with a portfolio of brands offering diverse cuisines. The group plays an important role in the city’s localised casual dining market. I was first recommended by one of my former clients and TIRPSE marks my third time working with this group. It was our first time designing a luxury restaurant, but after working together a few times we’ve developed an indescribable trust between us, and this restaurant is the result of that.

What’s unique about the building and the location?

K11 MUSEA is a huge development that was conceived by more than 100 creative talents from around the world to facilitate interconnection between commerce, creativity, culture and innovation. I’m really happy and honoured to have my design built inside this mall.

What was the brief to you for the project?

Due to some complications, the entire process began in September 2019 and needed be completed by mid-December in order to catch the Christmas rush. The client wanted a casual place that offered afternoon tea for shoppers to relax and enjoy TIRPSE’s pastry selection but also a separate fine-dining area where the Michelin-starred French-Japanese cuisine would be served.

What design references or narrative did you try to incorporate into the space?

When I start a project, I typically spend time talking to the client and their operations manager to try and understand their vision. It’s important to build trust with them through these kinds of conversations. Then, I observe the site’s valuable qualities and try to maximise these. In this case, it’s the harbour view so I hid these views behind the shopfront, as a surprise when guests enter. I also examine the brand to dig down its origins and core elements. I noticed that the original TIRPSE in Tokyo has a statue of a white wolf. I was intrigued by this and started to conceive a story behind it. From that I created a master concept: An exploratory visit to the chef’s private dining hut. I drew some interesting elements out of this concept, such as the forest and surrounding areas, the chef’s wolf companion, his private hut, his stories about ingredients and the image of a treasure chest. These became my mind map and I began to draw imagery, feelings, possibilities and unexpected elements together. The picture started to form in my mind and that’s when I started drawing up the design.

Please tell us about the material choices for the space.

As is my usual style, I always think of the overall colour palette first. Then I begin replacing those specific colour swatches with materials like wood, stones, paint and fabrics. I don’t like things being too artificial or surreal.

Please tell us about some of the custom pieces for the space.

The space has a deep corner that I didn’t think would make a comfortable standard seating area, so I created a secluded cargo space there instead, which I nicknamed the Treasure Chest. I want people sitting here to forget the world around them and be captivated by the space. The mirrored ceiling symbolises the starry night sky, with the wolf at the second entrance like the chef’s companion standing guard.

As told to / Suzy Annetta
Images / Edmon Leong