White Rice Restaurant is a heartfelt attempt to recreate the spirit of a Vietnamese home within a European context, expressed through an interior language that feels rustic, intimate, and culturally rooted. Designed and built by Dam San in just 45 days, the project had to meet strict requirements in terms of schedule, cultural authenticity, and the meticulous installation of every interior detail abroad.
The space is composed like a familiar fragment of memory. Patterned encaustic tiles, exposed red brick walls, and dark-toned wooden furniture create a warm and nostalgic atmosphere. Lighting fixtures made from rattan and bamboo cast a soft golden glow throughout the restaurant, while wooden slat partitions subtly define different seating areas without interrupting visual continuity.
Decorative elements were carefully curated around familiar Vietnamese symbols: Đông Hồ paintings, old-quarter artworks, water puppet figurines, oil lamps, terracotta jars, ceramic vases, and palm-leaf fans. More than simply a dining space, White Rice Restaurant becomes a cultural vessel where guests can experience the essence of Vietnamese spirit through atmosphere, materiality, and spatial memory.