Header: Sergei Nekrasov
Situated at the discreet arrival building, Kushi is a Japanese speciality restaurant at the Shangri-La Le Touessrok, Mauritius. The restaurant is conceived as an intimate dining destination paying tribute to Japanese culture and design.
From green marble flooring to golden wallpaper
The designers from The Odd Duck Design celebrate Japanese refinement through the smallest of details. The dovetail connections and porcelain nobs, rich green marble flooring, and tactile materials are just some of the elements bringing the spirit of Japan to the space. Chiselled charred wood tables, handmade mosaics, and custom-made wallpaper with its gold shimmer complete the Japanese-inspired aesthetic. Serving as a backdrop to the sushi counter, the wallpaper featuring birds and trees, enhanced with golden leaves, ties the space together.
From the entrance to the Teppanyaki room
At the entrance, the guests are welcomed by an arched door executed in charred black wood and brushed brass accents. The visually expressive entrance draws the guests further into an immersive and tactile dining experience. The feature wall connects several dining spaces into one cohesive volume through a wooden portal.
Dramatically up-lit, the portal serves as an entrance to the Teppanyaki room, which engages all the senses. The artistic backdrop in the Teppanyaki room is a contemporary take on Blue Tree, a well-known woodblock print by Hajime Namiki, an artist known for his nature-inspired works. The large blue tree on a wall was crafted of blue sapphire and gold onyx.
The illusion of high vertical space
The mirrored ceiling and columns allow guests to enjoy a panoramic view of the beach while at the same time creating an illusion of greater vertical space, thus solving one of the challenges the designers needed to address. The rich and tactile palette paves the way to a memorable sensory and culinary experience, which defines Kushi, the island’s best-kept secret.
The Odd Duck Design
Founded by Asmaa and Mentalla Said, The Odd Duck Design is a boutique architecture and interior design practice based in Dubai. The studio relies on staging and storytelling to bring the client’s story to life. Based on thorough research, the practice uses the finest of details, lighting textures, and unusual materials to create a moment of unexpectedness. Specialising in food and beverage, residential and hospitality sectors, The Odd Duck Design centres on human connection and cultural relevance in the creation of mindful and meaningful designs.
Staying true to its identity, the interior design of Kushi restaurant celebrates the enduring essence of Japanese aesthetics through careful detailing and a rich material palette. The Kushi restaurant and its creator, Odd Duck Design, have been awarded a LIV Hospitality Design Award in the Interior Design Restaurant – Fine Dining category. The international design prize is awarded annually to exceptional projects in Hospitality Architecture, Interior Design, and guest experience.
