Maot’sai Restaurant M 米特区的冒菜店

At the northern end of Friedrichstrasse, at the intersection with Oranienburger Strasse, the first Berlin branch of “Sanku Maot’sai” is hard to miss on the busy street with its bright yellow and black signs.

Maot’sai comes from southwestern China. It is a popular street food where diners can choose their own fresh ingredients, just like at a market, and then have them cooked and seasoned – conveniently and quickly. Nowadays, it is especially popular among the younger generation because the variety of ingredients allows for a balanced mix. The “Sanku Maot’sai” brand is on the rise in China and is also trying to gain a foothold abroad. When the restaurant came to Berlin, we as designers wanted to enhance the chain’s image with a simpler, more modern design that also breaks away from the stereotypes of traditional Chinese restaurants overseas.

The heart of the restaurant is the counter with almost 100 different kinds of fresh vegetables, soy products, meat and seafood, which not only looks very attractive, but also represents a new dining experience for Western guests. We installed 10-meter-long refrigerated display cases that visually attract guests as soon as they enter the restaurant. The cash register, serving counters, and condiment stations are connected to the refrigerated display cases in a flowing sequence, using a simple and consistent design language, so that even guests eating Maot’s sai for the first time can understand the process at a glance.

In addition to the counters and display cases, a series of dining areas have been created with different arrangements and atmospheres: A raised area as a hidden seating island built around the stairs, a casual bench combined with a small garden in the entrance area, two high bar tables under the window for guests who want to eat alone, and “normal” tables that can be freely arranged in the most spacious area. Guests can choose where they feel most comfortable to enjoy their maot’sai.

“Low budget” was an important keyword in the concept. Not only for economic reasons – the risk of opening the first restaurant for an unknown dish from a distant country is obvious – but also in response to the desired “Berlin style”. We want to install as little as possible: Walls and ceilings will remain raw. We use inexpensive, environmentally friendly materials such as linoleum floors and plywood for the fixed furniture, and the simple, geometric design language we use gives the design a clear look while helping us save on material costs.

“Low budget does not mean looking cheap. We want to create an urban atmosphere despite the simple design. We extracted the two primary colors, yellow and black, from the brand’s colorful VI system and used them to define different functional areas. Fluorescent tubes line the room, and neon lights add a hip touch to the space. We hung a bright yellow rope net around the staircase so that customers can lean back and chat comfortably. The custom-made stainless-steel table and used Arne Jacobsen chairs from eBay also add a relaxed Berlin touch.