tiny 3.7 sqm restaurant in vietnam by mamoru maeda puts diners on display

in the downtown area of ho chi minh city, designer mamoru maeda has undertaken a ‘miracle renovation’ of an existing storeroom to create a tiny dining spot. located on le thanh ton street, the space was previously being used for storage on the second story. measuring a minuscule 3.7 sqm in total, the room has now been transformed into a curiously small japanese restaurant. 

all images courtesy of mamoru maeda

when taking on the project, mamoru maeda’s idea was to turn the storeroom into ‘the most interesting place on lê thánh tôn street’. to achieve this, the designer began by modifying the existing building façade in order to welcome passersby inside and revitalize the overall area and pedestrian experience. for the interior of the restaurant, maeda wanted to design a space that feels authentic to the japanese cuisine and culture, while also creating a place for foreign customers.

the theme of the interior has been conceived as ‘tonosamat’s harakiri’, with ‘tonosama’ referring to powerful japanese feudal lords, and ‘harakiri’ referring to a form of japanese ritual suicide by sword. therefore, taking center stage on the far wall of the restaurant is an artwork of a man bent over as he thrusts a sword into his chest. for the color palette, gold has been selected for the ceiling and wall panels to express a sense of opulence, while the red intends to represent the color of blood and an expression of sadness.

the concept of ‘tonosamat’s harakiri’ is continued with the sword that’s displayed in the window front. bamboo can also be seen, which complements the large wooden dining table. maeda purposefully chose to use an antique timber to make the table and bench in an effort to capture the hearts of foreign tourists with an ‘old-fashioned look.’ 

visitors to the restaurant were also considered when renovating the façade, as the designer wanted to create a place people would photograph, or in other words, an ‘instagram spot’. essentially, the modest project is intended as a fun, and endearingly small, meeting place. 

the old façade

project info:

project name: japanese restaurant robata dining an

location: le thanh ton street, ho chi minh city, vietnam

designer: mamoru maeda

construction: ryuichi vietnam