How Hong Kong restaurant Haku’s interior design was inspired by its eclectic menu and music playlist

Irreverent, creative and unexpected are how architect Sean Dix describes the playlist at Haku – music which influenced his design for the Hong Kong restaurant

The design, which draws from the Brutalism popular in 1970s Japan, places centre stage the chefs turning Japanese ingredients into contemporary cuisine

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Sean Dix’s design places Haku’s chefs centre stage in an open, sunken kitchen, with Victoria Harbour and Kowloon as the backdrop.

Published: 6:15pm, 22 Jul 2022

“I am the Batman of love.” At Haku, you might find yourself humming along to Alvin Kwok Siu-lam’s 1987 Canto-pop single Batman Of Love while you devour fried chicken and caviar – but you are equally likely to be sampling Jerusalem artichoke ice cream while listening to ’90s alternative rock groups Radiohead and Blur.

The playlist at the restaurant in Hong Kong’s Central district, which serves contemporary cuisine made with Japanese ingredients, is as eclectic as executive chef Rob Drennan’s menu.

“I love Rob’s playlist,” says architect Sean Dix. “It is irreverent, creative and unexpected – not unlike his great cooking. His playlist is perfect as a backdrop for the Haku dining experience.”

The restaurant recently moved from Ocean Terminal in Kowloon’s Tsim Sha Tsui to the rooftop garden in the IFC Mall on Hong Kong Island, and Dix was responsible for reinventing its image. Influenced by the spirit of the menu and the playlist, Dix moved on from Haku’s previous classic, clean and sober interiors (not uncommon in omakase restaurants) in favour of something more dramatic.

Haku recently moved from Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon to Central on Hong Kong Island. Its design at its former location was classic, clean and sober. Photo: Haku

Although there are “other glass boxes up there with restaurants inside them”, Dix says, they place the kitchen out of sight or to the side. At Haku, he decided to take up room by the window. “To my knowledge, we are the only ones that shifted the axis of a restaurant this way, so that the focal point is the kitchen and chef,” he says.

His design places Haku’s chefs centre stage – diners sit at a wraparound counter facing the open, sunken kitchen at the heart of the 2,000 sq ft (186 square metre) restaurant, with views of Victoria Harbour and Kowloon forming the backdrop.