Cosy Interiors And The Savoury Fragrance Of Barbecue Meats

Yakiniku restaurant Yen Social’s design philosophy marries a love for cosy interiors and the savoury fragrance of barbecue meats.

- Carol Kraal

Founded by a Singaporean entrepreneur and helmed by Taiwanese yakiniku chef Jones Chen, Yen Social is a blend of Asian food and design culture. Inspired by the tradition of yakiniku, the duo strives to deliver ingredients grilled to perfection in a social space.

Evgeniya Lazareva and Aleksandra Koroleva, founder and lead designer of Hot Design Folks, respectively, got down to the basics of a fuss-free principle to create the vibrant interiors of Yen Social.

Taking advantage of sophisticated exhaust systems that free-up floor to ceiling space, their design concept tells the story of charcoal and the art of yakiniku. Metal mesh comes to life in three different scales. The most refined clads the columns and screens the glass facade. The second, larger-scale one creates semi-transparent partitions that hide the service stations. The oversized mesh turns into a feature lighting above the bar, where the metal structure captures the glow of tungsten bulbs like the embers of a hot charcoal roaster.