Royal China revs up the Singapore restaurant scene as Ministry of Design gives the grand old dame of Cantonese cuisine a whole new look.

Text by Rachel Lee-Leong
Images courtesy of Ministry of Design

Dim sums, barbequed pork and roasted duck. Cantonese cuisine has always held an age-old appeal that crosses generations. And when it comes to the design of Cantonese restaurants, we can almost always expect to see traditional rosewood furniture with hints, if not a flood, of red within the space; spaces that wholly refer to traditional Chinese spaces. In Singapore, Royal China, a franchise of the famed London-based restaurant of the same name, had borne an aesthetic that mirrored that look to perfection. That is, until Colin Seah of Ministry of Design (MOD) stepped into the picture.

With restaurants, it is never solely about the food. In this day and age of lifestyle-focused urbanity, ambience and design play a major role in wooing patrons and without a doubt, Royal China does it with much panache after its new facelift. “I really wanted to transform this great Cantonese restaurant with its traditional interiors to feel modern and uplifting,” Seah explains of his design intentions. Located within the whitewashed confines of the Raffles Hotel, the restaurant was to relate to the arcade of the historic hotel in a fresh way – this being one of the two interventions Seah had planned for the design of the restaurant.

Instead of entering directly into the heart of the restaurant, Seah choreographed a gradual experiential build-up to the interior with a foyer that is gently embraced by an undulating wall that fluidly leads customers into the restaurant. On this wall, rich brocade in delicate gold creates a wave-like visual that, together with the form of the wall, references the graphic wave that is synonymous with the restaurant’s logo.

“From the moment you enter and turn the corner round the towering fabric wall, you sense a change from the traditional exterior of Raffles Hotel. Nothing quite prepares you for the entirety of the blue, white and gold dining space within,” Seah says. Indeed, a refreshing explosion of powder blue hits all who move past the foyer, signalling a Cantonese restaurant experience unlike any other.

“We were inspired by a brilliant blue cheong sam brocade I came across in Beijing. To translate it into the perfect blue hue for our space, we had to experiment with countless shades. It was quite impossible to get it right because cloth, like brocade, can be very much more textured and nuanced than paint, so it was a challenge to capture the same richness,” the meticulous Seah says.

Within this space, the second of the two design interventions makes its appearance with a dramatic 6m vaulted ceiling commanding a strong visual axis down the centre of the restaurant. Down the centre of the restaurant, a long canteen-style row of tables caters to couples and foursomes for maximum exposure. A strategically positioned mirror framed in gold further dramatises the axis as it reflects the length of the restaurant. Flanking this centre row are traditional round tables that seat eight to twelve people, delicate mesh curtains sectioning the sides into portions for an increased sense of privacy while still maintaining a visual connection.

“I was trying to make the local Chinese dining scene more accessible to the younger set whilst not ostracising the traditional family and business crowd,” Seah explains of his decision to incorporate two types of seating configurations.

Three private dining rooms make exclusivity an option and in each, quilted artwork, curtains and wood panelling draw from the coloured embroidery of Chinese brocade. And in typical MOD fashion, attention to details is a must. Blending both traditional and modern aesthetics, MOD custom-designed the white “double-happiness” chair for the restaurant, tailored menus and signage to complement the spatial design, and yes, even went so far as to collaborate with fashion designer Nic Wong of Nicholas on the chic new silver and pewter silk uniforms.

Still, the immaculate interior would mean nothing if the food did not measure, and in this case, it does not disappoint. Items like melt-in-your-mouth Baked Spare Ribs in Special Sauce and Medley of Dim Sum, which includes Shanghai Pork dumpling with shark’s fin, steamed scallop dumpling and their famous barbecued pork puff are all must-tries. The smokey but delicate flavours of the Baked Sea Perch with Mushroom Meat Sauce will leave you wanting more, while the flavourful fried Shimeiji mushrooms and smooth beancurd of the signature Four Seasons Silken Treasures are bound to impress. Of course, no meal is quite complete without dessert and for that, the surprisingly comforting flavours of the Chilled Japanese Pumpkin Puree with Black Glutinous Rice in Coconut Ice Cream is reason enough for one to keep coming back for more.