Tanoshi Japanese Restaurants. Five Mile & Christchurch.

Tanoshi Japanese Restaurants approached JCY to design their Five Mile offering and later Ramen Ramen by Tanoshi for Oxford Lane in Christchurch.  The brand already had two offerings and the brief was to create a ‘kit of parts’ from these existing stores and to standardise the designs for the growing chain.

Materiality is simple, tactile and modern.  The ceilings and services are left open and sprayed out in dark charcoal gray, walls are paneled in birch ply with negative detailing.  A blackened steel and mesh overhead gantry shelf delineates the restaurant seating area from the bar and open kitchen.  The bar and kitchen ceiling is a bulkhead to the rear of the gantry shelving to cover over the extract and make-up air mechanical equipment.  Floors are tiled in a ceramic ‘wood planking’.

Seating areas are divided with dark oak high back built-in booths, banquettes, and tall bar leaners around the walls.  Tall tables are arranged throughout the central space. Atop the banquette seating and to the rear of the bar are backlit ‘shoji screens’ in aqua blue acrylic with a rice paper patterning.

The shopfront windows are screened top and bottom with slatted cedar screens to create a ‘lantern’ effect from the lighting within at night.  The lighting theme is subdued and creates a subtle and relaxed ambience.

The WC facilities are finished in deep blue mosaic accent tiles with simple close coupled WC suites, vessel basins in dark tops and accessories continue the blackened steel theme.

Overall, the effect is one of relaxed and subtle opulence.  Clean and modern with great Japanese ‘street food’.