Our clients—a Korean American couple with extensive experience in restaurants and cafes—had a vision that embraced the idea of dual cultures. By viewing Korean and American culinary influences like stars in a constellation, they could create a restaurant that was “between the stars.”

This notion of the interstellar, along with the Pacific Ocean just outside, led to a design concept that feels both oceanic and cosmic. At the entry, handmade blue-green terracotta tiles by Clé have a dappled quality recalling the ocean’s surface.

Visitors continue into a 1,050 sf space filled with iridescent finishes, natural light and abundant greenery. Mirrors and polished metal surfaces add subtly glinting elements and help the small space feel larger.

The tabletops use Concrete Collaborative’s custom large marble-chip terrazzo. Pablo's Bola pendant lights suspend like planets above the space, adding drama to the ceiling plane and reflecting textures from below.

Various seating options facilitate a dining program that goes from morning coffee to evening dinner. Two-tops can easily be rearranged to accommodate larger dinner parties, and there are wall-mounted tables for quicker moments. Outdoor patio seating offers ocean views under the facade's charming archways.

Our architecture and interior design team coordinated with MEP engineers and food service consultants for a new open kitchen. We also provided key brand direction for the website as well as the logo (created by PlayGrnd), and signage inside and out. Base Collaborative fabricated the dining tables, wall mounted tables and retail shelving.