MISS LEE

Miss Lee, a new dining concept by the Executive Chef and team behind the “Lee’s” brand of restaurants (Lee Lo Mei & Lee Ho Sing), is a 100% Vegetarian, Vegan, and Gluten-free restaurant focused on giving Hong Kongers an option for plant-based food in an all-day dining bistro/cafe setting. The inventive menu is a “kiss of nostalgia,” using Cantonese flavours and preparation as a baseline concept to create new healthy and wholesome dishes catering to the urban vegetarian and "flexitarians” ready for something familiar but meat-free. A majority of traditional and authentic Cantonese dishes wouldn’t allow much wiggle room of what is expected from today’s health-oriented market, but as a baseline palate, the offerings explore other ways familiar food can be prepared with veg and plant based ingredients.

The Interior’s architecture, designed by JJ Acuna of JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio, takes similar cues to Miss Lee’s menu, as he gives a slight nod to Hong Kong’s architectural past, then goes beyond the reference by taking what is expected from traditional Chinese restaurant interiors but twisting the materiality and application for a lighter and more modern approach in execution. The patterned floor utilises three tones of marble tile, but kept light via its multi-beige palate. The reds in the project are muted as a dusky pink or mixed in with yellows and oranges. The greens are bright but are reminiscent of the greens found in the city’s historic “Star Ferry” boats and station structures.

A highlight of the project is the application of Volcanic Ash tiles in browns and oranges hand crafted individually and hand glazed in Italy, an award-winning design by the celebrated DZEK design group in London. The inclusion of Rattan chairs designed by GamFratesi for the Viennese brand, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna anchors the spatial narrative to Hong Kong’s Colonial past while keeping the space effortlessly casual, cozy, and light throughout the entire day.

Design Studio 
JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio

Design Team
James JJ Acuna, Dominic Cheung, and Alex Garcia for JJA/BS

Completion Date
December 2019

Location
Central, Hong Kong

Floor Area
2040 sqft

Client
Wesley Grand Limited

Identity & Branding
Soho So of Pengguin

Site Photography
XU Liang Leon / Frontality