One restaurant, two cultures

By Editorial Staff - 15 April 2024

Traditional Chinese medicine and its foundational relationship with nature meet the purity of Scandinavian landscapes in the rooms of a historic building situated in the former French Concession of Shanghai: the EHB restaurant, led by celebrated chef Esben Holmboe Bang, was designed to be a conversation between these two worlds. Bang, owner of Maaemo in Oslo, has arrived in Shanghai with a menu that blends elements of Chinese cuisine with the past and present of Norwegian gastronomy using local and seasonal products. This intense dialogue is reflected in the interiors by Chris Shao Studio, designed with organic shapes and color tones inspired by the natural environment and enhanced by warm, soft lighting. The idea of spontaneous elegance – not artificial – is reinforced through the choice of materials like wood, stone, and metals with a rough finish and stucco decorations.

Ristorante Esben Holmboe Bang | © Zhu Hai, courtesy Chris Shao Studio La Tea Room è uno spazio luminoso, dove una palette di tonalità chiare, con eleganti dettagli in ottone, è abbinata a un rivestimento a parete in stile Chinoiserie.

The building that hosts EHB, built in the early 1920s, was previously the residence of important personalities, including the two-time Chinese Prime Minister Tse-ven Soong, who lived there with his family. The charm of this Art Nouveau villa, spanning three floors, remains unchanged to this day, enhanced by new contemporary interiors. The ground floor is dedicated to a celebration of Chinese art and culture, while the two upper floors propose shapes, materials, and colors typical of Nordic design, evoking the chef’s land of origin – Bang was born and raised in Denmark, and moved to Norway in the early 2000s.

Ristorante Esben Holmboe Bang | © Zhu Hai, courtesy Chris Shao Studio Allo spazio principale della dining room si aggiungono alcune zone che possono essere separate dal resto dell’ambiente creando dei piccoli privé. Il contorno della sala è sottolineato da un fascio di luce perimetrale che corre a soffitto.

Upon entering the building through the front door, guests proceed down a corridor, consisting of a short stone staircase topped by a barrel vault, and arrive at the reception area. From here, they enter the Tea Room, the heart of the project, which is wrapped in a Chinoiserie-style floral-patterned wall covering, acting as a counterpoint to the Scandinavian-style furnishings. Distinguished by a light color palette, this room opens onto an outdoor terrace with large windows. On the opposite wall, the villa’s semi-circular bow windows create the ideal space for wraparound upholstered seating. In homage to the building’s historical identity, exposed bronze details reproduce mortise and tenon joints, common of Asian architecture but usually realized in wood and appropriately hidden.

Ristorante Esben Holmboe Bang | © Zhu Hai, courtesy Chris Shao Studio La sala del ristorante rappresenta un omaggio alla cucina norvegese dello chef stellato Esben Holmboe Bang, che propone un menù teso a valorizzare i prodotti locali e di stagione.

Proceeding up the staircase to the first floor, guests arrive at the dining room. Characterized by darker tones and a more intense materiality, it is lined with dark wood panels and almost completely lacks decorative elements. Three areas have been set up near the bow windows and the former fireplace of the villa that can be separated from the rest of the room by sliding doors, creating more intimate corners for smaller groups of diners.

Ristorante Esben Holmboe Bang | © Zhu Hai, courtesy Chris Shao Studio

The second and final floor hosts a lounge area, where people can linger before and after dinner. The mortise and tenon joints return here, this time in their original form in the wooden ceiling structure. Along with the planked paneling, the ceiling defines the rustic and welcoming atmosphere of the lounge, which serves both as a culmination of the building and the gastronomic experience. There is also a wine cellar on this floor, which is entered by passing through a system of curved paneling that evokes the soft, undulating shapes of Nordic fjords.

Esben Holmboe Bang Restaurant | © Zhu Hai, courtesy of Chris Shao Studio

Esben Holmboe Bang Restaurant | © Zhu Hai, courtesy of Chris Shao Studio | The idea of refined yet unostentatious luxury is expressed starting from the entrance of the restaurant, in this new interior design project for the rooms of an Art Nouveau villa.

Esben Holmboe Bang Restaurant | © Zhu Hai, courtesy of Chris Shao Studio | Traditional Chinese medicine, based on the use of natural remedies and closely tied to botanical sciences, is celebrated in the Tea Room.

Esben Holmboe Bang Restaurant | © Zhu Hai, courtesy of Chris Shao Studio | The interiors of the EHB restaurant in Shanghai all play upon an interweaving of references to nature and botany, with organic shapes and floral decorations.

Esben Holmboe Bang Restaurant | © Zhu Hai, courtesy of Chris Shao Studio | The atmosphere of serenity and lightness that permeates the Tea Room gives way to a more lounge-like environment, characterized by dark colors and soft lighting, in the restaurant dining room on the first floor.

Esben Holmboe Bang Restaurant | © Zhu Hai, courtesy of Chris Shao Studio | A few areas were added to the main space of the dining room, which can be separated from the rest of the space, creating small nooks. The outline of the dining room is highlighted by a band of perimetral light on the ceiling.

Esben Holmboe Bang Restaurant | © Zhu Hai, courtesy of Chris Shao Studio | The restaurant space is an homage to the Norwegian cuisine of Michelin-starred chef Esben Holmboe Bang, who offers a menu that highlights local and seasonal products.

Esben Holmboe Bang Restaurant | © Zhu Hai, courtesy of Chris Shao Studio | The Tea Room is a luminous space, where a light color palette with elegant brass details is paired with Chinoiserie-style wall coverings.

Esben Holmboe Bang Restaurant | © Zhu Hai, courtesy of Chris Shao Studio | The final floor of the structure features a living area with a rustic character where guests are invited to linger before or after dinner, as if the chef had invited them into the living room of his home to enjoy time together.

Location: Shanghai, China
Client: Esben Holmboe Bang
Completion: 2023
Gross Floor Area: 450 m²
Interior Designer: Chris Shao Studio
Main Contractor: Shanghai Tiqi Industrial

Consultants
Lighting: Isabel Zhu
Landscape: Fish Design

Photography: Zhu Hai, courtesy of Chris Shao Studio

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