Matsuo Kitchen

Matsuo Kitchen is a 90-square-metre Japanese izakaya tucked into a narrow street in Yangzhou. The brief asked for an atmosphere — not a theme park — so the design draws on three elementary materials: bamboo, paper lantern, and warm pine.

The facade is wrapped in a hanging bamboo curtain that filters the streetlight; a backlit signage disc anchors the entry. Inside, the bar counter runs along a single longitudinal axis, separating cooking from sitting, while paper lanterns float above the seats as a soft secondary ceiling.