Miss Wong A Chinese Brasserie of Cinematic Proportions in Laval, Canada

2019-03-14 14:25

Occupying a former nightclub in Laval, a Québécois city next to Montreal, Miss Wong is a new Asian brasserie inspired by the urban exoticism of the Far East. Named after the famed 1920s and 30s Chinese-American actress Anna May Wong, the restaurant was designed by Montréal-based studio Ménard Dworkind Architecture - design (MRDK) as a reflection of the oriental exuberance of mid-century Hong Kong, albeit filtered through the kitsch aesthetic of Chinese-American restaurants from the 1970s, which the architects encountered when visiting the Chinatowns of San Francisco and Vancouver. Based on a modern-fusion menu led by the Vietnamese-Montrealer chef, Phong Thach, Miss Wong offers an immersive culinary experience of cinematic proportions. Architects Guillaume Ménard and David Dworkind have taken advantage of the venue’s large central space to create their own nostalgic version of Hong Kong’s streets, complete with colourful neon signage, classic folding scissor gates, jade-patterned walls and hanging lanterns. Entering through a low ceiling vestibule where you pass through a vintage Chinese arch that frames a portrait of Miss Wong herself, the restaurant’s expansive 930 square metre space with ceilings that soar almost 7 metres in height takes your breath away with both its size and vibrancy.

王小姐住在拉瓦尔(Laval)的一家夜总会，拉瓦尔是一座紧邻蒙特利尔的魁北克市，她是一家受远东城市异国情调启发的新亚洲品牌。这家餐厅以20世纪20年代和30年代著名的华裔女演员安娜·梅·黄的名字命名，是由蒙特雷的工作室梅纳德·德沃金建筑公司设计的。

Photo by David Dworkind.

照片由大卫·德沃金德拍摄。

Photo by David Dworkind.

照片由大卫·德沃金德拍摄。

Photo by David Dworkind.

照片由大卫·德沃金德拍摄。

Photo by David Dworkind.

照片由大卫·德沃金德拍摄。

Photo by David Dworkind.

照片由大卫·德沃金德拍摄。

Photo by David Dworkind.

照片由大卫·德沃金德拍摄。

Photo by David Dworkind.

照片由大卫·德沃金德拍摄。

Photo by David Dworkind.

照片由大卫·德沃金德拍摄。

Resembling a film-studio, the main area is centred on two symmetrical bars and features several large neon and lightbox signs that advertise fictional Chinese shops. The signs, along with the bespoke lamps on the tables and the black-painted ceiling create the impression of a night-time Asian street market, enhanced by the introduction of a Chinese garden-like terrace, a Chinese pergola structure and plenty of lush vegetation. On the restaurant’s periphery, tucked away from the hullabaloo of the central hall, the architects have created four distinct zones that offer guests a more intimate dining experience. Featuring bespoke furniture and light fittings inspired by Chinese popular iconography, each space conjures a different sensibility, from the decadent opulence of the “opium den”, to the red lantern-filled room that channels the sensual romanticism of Wong Kar-Wai’s film “In the mood for love”—Wong’s name is certainly no coincidence. This mesmerizing, multifaceted scenography is ideally suited for Miss Wong’s late night transformation into a speakeasy-style bar where patrons can enjoy an exciting line up of DJs along with a menu of bespoke cocktails such as the Silk Road Spritz, the Big trouble In Little China, and Le Moomba, the latter a fitting tribute to the venue’s previous incarnation as a nightclub.

像一个电影制片厂，主要区域集中在两个对称的酒吧，并有几个大型霓虹灯和灯箱标志，广告虚构的中国商店。这些标志，再加上桌子上定制的灯具和漆黑的天花板，给人的印象就像一个夜晚的亚洲街头市场，加上一个中国花园般的露台、一座中式凉亭和大量茂盛的植被，这一切都给人留下了深刻的印象。在餐厅的外围，远离中央大厅的喧嚣，建筑师创造了四个不同的区域，为客人提供更亲密的就餐体验。每一个空间都有来自中国流行肖像的定制家具和灯饰，每一个空间都蕴含着不同的情感，从“鸦片窝”的颓废奢华，到红色灯笼充盈的房间，传达了王家卫电影“爱的心情”中的浪漫情调-王家卫的名字当然不是巧合。这个迷人的、多方面的场景非常适合黄小姐深夜转型为一家简陋的酒吧，在那里，顾客们可以享受到令人兴奋的dj系列，以及定制的鸡尾酒菜单，比如丝绸之路Spritz、“小中国大麻烦”(TheBigProblems In Little China)和勒梦巴(Le Moomba)，后者是对场馆作为夜总会的前一次化身的恰当纪念。