Yaowarat

Yaowarat is the concept of Earl Ninsom, a chef and restauranteur known for introducing Portlanders to hyper-regional Thai food. Ninsom grew up in Bangkok eating the distinct Chinese-Thai cuisine that has been honed in Bangkok’s Chinatown, known as Yaowarat. He partnered with long-time Portland big hitters—Eric Nelson (Phuket Cafe, Eem), Sam Smith (Tusk, Sweedeedee), and Kyle Linden Webster (Expatriate)—to make it happen.

Press

Deliverables


  • Brand Strategy
  • Identity Design
  • Menu & Signage Design
  • Interior Design
  • Art Story & Accessory Sourcing
  • Custom Dishware

Collaborators


  • Katherine Garber, interior design
  • Danridge Geiger, contractor

  • Nui Sitthisak, contractor
  • Megan Goldstein, contractor

  • House of Vonne, upholstery
  • Portland Sign Co., signage
  • Christine Dong, photos
  • Carter Hiyama, photos
  • Thomas Teal, photos

Completed 2023

The restaurant pays homage to the dense and layered neighborhood upon which it’s based: Yaowarat Road. To develop an understanding of the hyper-regional menu and culture, our team embarked on a research and sourcing trip to Bangkok. After a few days with the team as our expert guides and collaborators, we knew the space needed to harness the vibrant energy of Yaowarat Road. It’s a lively destination rich with vendors, the scents of street food, ornate patterns, crowds of people in wonderment, and endless bright signage.

A Sourcing Adventure

We were invited by the Yaowarat team to join them in Bangkok for recipe research and FF&E sourcing. We visited antique markets and vintage shops for art and accessories, and the fabric district for curtains and upholstery. Our team collectively felt that sourcing items from the city would result in a dining experience most similar to the neighborhood we were referencing.

The iconic lanterns in the restaurant were hand-painted by a woman named Thamaporn. We had seen the gorgeous lanterns all around Yaowarat, so Earl asked around to find out where they were made. We ended up at the artist’s shop and commissioned lanterns with special messages of good luck. The pieces also include images of  ornate dragon and tiger illustrations.

Our interior design was an additive process. In true Bangkok fashion, we kept the existing elements of the previous restaurant and layered on top. On the bar side, we painted every surface an intense red, then added patterned wallpaper and art we had sourced from vintage malls in Bangkok. The dining side is calmer, with a cloud of glowing lanterns floating overhead. The bathrooms offer a special surprise, one not to be missed in person.

Yaowarat Signage

For the identity, were tasked with developing a brand that transported diners to the sensory-rich neighborhood. Inspired by the dense signage and colors seen in the Yaowarat neighborhood, we set the brand in an electric, primary-based color palette, paired with text-heavy lockups set in Thai, Chinese, and English.

One sign we saw everywhere in Bangkok is the Shell Shuan Shim sign (the one with the bowl.) It seems that Shell has created their equivalent of the Michelin Star, and awards restaurants on their list with this sign. We of course had to make a bootleg version for Yaowarat, a tongue-in-cheek self-bestowed award for one of Portland’s most unique and delicious restaurants.

We loved every second of this project, and are so grateful to partner with this incredible team. Many thanks to all our collaborators on this special place.

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