Latest news with #Binchotan
Hypebeast
07-08-2025
- Business
- Hypebeast
Dual Moods: How Ciguë Splits Light and Shadow at 12 Matcha's Manhattan Flagship
Summary French design firmCiguëhas transformed a historic NoHo storefront at 54 Bond Street into the flagship for12 Matcha. Spanning two levels of the building's 1870s cast-iron façade, the design places a long service bar and ordering area on the ground floor, with a secluded seating lounge and intimate tasting room below. By retaining original Douglas fir floorboards and highlighting the building's bank-turned-theatre heritage, Ciguë roots the contemporary matcha experience in Manhattan's architectural past. A carefully calibrated material palette balances urban grit with organic warmth: walls wrapped in green-toned clay evoke fresh tea fields, while a dark green-enameled lava stone bar anchors the ground level. Three oversized glass vessels filled with Japanese Binchotan charcoal make the water-filtration process visible, turning a functional element into a sculptural centerpiece. Custom furnishings combine hand-applied green lacquer, brushed stainless steel shelving, and minimalist concrete surfaces, reflecting matcha's ritualistic purity and reinforcing the café's sensory focus. Cigüe divided the interior into two moods, with the upstairs being more open and right, while the lower floors emphasized a more intimate and moody environment. Slatted window shades filter natural light to mimic Japanese tea-field ambiance, while a walnut staircase leads guests to a glass-enclosed tasting lab, where an oval light fixture and steel bar chairs frame an enamel-stone table.
South China Morning Post
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
The hottest new openings in Hong Kong, March 1-8
Niwa Niwa's zen interiors are designed by Yuki Yasukagawa. Photo: Niwa This tranquil omakase den in Central promises an escape into the sweet, sweet folds of jet-fresh seafood. The zen, Yuki Yasukagawa-designed interiors set the stage for lunch and dinner service that comprise 14 courses and up. Each day, the best catch is flown in from Japan and paired with Uonuma-shi and Nishiki sushi rice. Binchotan charcoal-grilled nibbles round out the offerings. Advertisement G/F, Ichang House, 61 Caine Road, Central Noir Modern Bistro Koji-aged Black Angus rib-eye at Noir Modern Bistro. Photo: Noir Izakaya Hidden inside an Eslite bookstore, this sleek izakaya does Japanese bar fare differently, with considered recipes by chef Keith Leung that combine techniques such as fermentation, dry-ageing and pickling. The local kampachi crudo and koji-aged Black Angus rib-eye serve as prime examples, best washed down with a tight curation of shochu. Eslite, 9/F, Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay Buffee French quiches at new Wan Chai cake-bakery Buffee. Photo: Buffee New to Wan Chai and a bright light on a morning coffee run, Buffee is a cafe-bakery concept by the team behind viral local pastry brand LY Bakery. More than 20 types of breads and pastries are served here, complemented by coffee and matcha drinks created by Jessica Chan from The White Project. Don't miss the pistachio lava danish, baked twice a day at 11am and 3pm.
