Application of Combining Chinese Culinary Art With Restaurant Design

Application of Combining Chinese Culinary Art,
Landscaping and Restaurant Design

中國飲食文化藝術與餐廳室內設計的結合應用
Chih-Wei Joy Lo
羅之維
Lecturer, Department of visual communication design, Hsuan-Chuang University

玄奘大學視覺傳達設計學系講師
【Abstract】
Of the four important things in Chinese daily life, "Eating, Clothing,

Living, and Traveling," eating is arranged to be the first. This is Perhaps
attributed by the fact that, in the Chinese culture, eating tends to be the most
important activity in one's daily life. It is a common practice that an
unforeseen fortune is first spent on some form of delicate food, and only until
one's appetite is satisfied will better clothing and better housing come into
consideration. Most Chinese people are particular about the taste in food,
however, most of them have regretfully no taste of Interior Design. It might be
the reason why most Chinese Restaurants in the States prepare rich food but
poor interior decorations. It’s a pity that while Chinese are proud of their sense
of beauty in delicacy, they do not use their 5000-year-delicacy-culture to
beautify the dinning environment. I would like to contribute what I have
learned from the field of Interior Design by presenting the endless possibilities
in improving the dining ambiance of Chinese restaurants in the United States. .
Teaology Chinese Garden Cuisine is the simulate project I design for this
proposal. It shows the harmony of traditional Chinese Garden and contemporary
restaurant design.
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【摘要】
所謂「食衣住行」，在傳統中國的生活中，飲食永遠排在第一位，
顯示對華人來說，吃永遠是最重要的。只有吃飽了，才懂得品味生活中
的其他享受。中華料理名揚四海，與義大利、法國並列世界三大美食王
國，不但其風味教世界各國的美食家折服，其飲食文化更是獨特。美食
縮短了人與人，國與國的距離，若稱它為最成功的大使亦不為過矣。本
文將深入分析中華美食的歷史文化與內涵，並實地走訪美國東岸當地的
中國餐廳，探討其歷史與現況，作為「Teaology」茗軒中式庭園餐廳設
計的參考依據。
「Teaology」茗軒中式庭園餐廳的設計構想，是為了糾正一般美國
人對在中國城一些廉價中國餐廳的不良印象，不但食物粗糙，裝潢更是
媚俗而無品味，這些參飲場所除了反映早期中國移民蓽路藍縷的刻苦精
神，無法表現文化的深刻內涵於萬一。中國的茶學藝術及美食有世界第
一的美名，建築文化更是博大精深。如何藉由餐廳的室內設計與這些偉
大的文化相結合，讓餐廳所提供的佳餚茗茶，與雅致的室內設計成為國
際了解我國文化的橋樑，並使美國東岸的各國人士有機會親身體驗東方
式的花園造景，是所有華人室內設計師的夢想，也是此篇論文的目標。
論文的後半部，將以費城市郊最具休閒氣質的 Manayunk 為模擬基地，作
實地的勘查丈量，設計出「Teaology」茗軒中式庭園餐廳，並藉此探討
中國飲食文化藝術與餐廳室內設計結合應用的可能性。
Keyword: Chinese culture, delicate food, delicacy, Chinese tea art, interior design, Teaology
Chinese Garden Cuisine , restaurant design, traditional Chinese Garden
關鍵詞：中華料理、美國東岸、費城、餐廳、茗軒中式庭園餐廳、茶、室內設計、東
方式花園造景、中國飲食文化藝術
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Review of Literature
In order to fuse delicate Chinese culinary art into restaurant design, we
must understand what makes Chinese food so significant and unique of the
world. Eating is synonymous with aesthetics in the Chinese culture. It is
not only an art of cooking and tasting, but also a method to shorten the
distance between people. The delicacy of Chinese food has earned its fame
for its savoriness and variety. There are 35 provinces in China. Every
province has its distinct taste and featured dishes. The taste usually reflects
the particular region's personality or environmental characteristics. Chinese
people were born to become "delicacy-lovers," and they are proud of their
eating culture. That is not an exaggeration that the history of the Chinese
food delicacy goes back as far as the Chinese history takes us.
A. The Art of Chinese Food and Drink
1. History of Chinese Food and Drink Culinary Art
The Chinese nation has a civilized history of 5,000 years and has
created a splendid traditional culture. Being one of the important fruits of
China's age-old culture, the Chinese food and drink culinary art enjoys a high
prestige both at home and abroad. The whole world looks upon eating a
Chinese meal as a high-leveled enjoyment. The Chinese people whether
living in or outside the county all share a proper sense of pride for such a rich
Chinese food and drink culinary culture. Thus, to regard the Chinese food
and drink culinary art as a culture, a science, or an art is entirely justifiable.
The Chinese culinary culture has a distant source and has become well
established. The legend has it that the Yi Yin, a virtuous and capable minister
of the Shang Dynasty (ca. 15th to 11th century B.C.). It can be seen that
China initiated the culinary art as early as the Shang and Zhou (ca. 11th
century to 221 B.C.) times. With the growth and development of production
and economy during various periods, the culinary techniques too registered
step by step heightening and improvement----from brevity to variety, from
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rudimentary to advanced stage, from day-to-day snacks to feasts, even to

palatial dishes and delicacies. During about the time from the Spring and
Autumn Period (ca. 770-476 B.C.) and the Warring Stated Period (ca.
475-221 B.C.), to the Sui-Tang period the Chinese dishes began to be
marked apart by Southern and Northern tastes. During the period of the Tang
(618-907 AD) and the Song (960-1279 AD) dynasties, people went in a great
deal for eating and distinct local colors were added to the Chinese dishes,
such as the Northern food ("Lou" or the Shandong dishes), the Southern food
("Yue" or the Cantonese dishes), the Chuan food (Sichuan dishes), Wei Yang
(Yangzhou) and the vegetarian foods and records respecting each kind of
dishes have been handed down. No matter whether in regard to the four
oldest groups (i.e., the Sichuan, Cantonese, Shandong and Yangzhou groups)
or the eight groups that gradually matured after the Tang and Song Dynasties
(the Sichuan, Cantonese, Shandong, Yangzhou, Beijing, Anhui, Zhejiang and
Hunan groups) or the Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Henan, Liaoning groups, as
well as the Muslim feasts prevalent throughout the country, each of these
famous groups has its own long history and characteristic traditional
techniques. These put together have truly for the Chinese culinary culture
produced a rich, sublime fruit borne out of the policy of letting a hundred
flowers bloom and a hundred schools contend.
2. What characterizes Chinese Food?
a. Basic Ingredients
The food style of a culture is certainly first of all determined by the

natural resources that are available for its use. It is thus not surprising that
Chinese food is above all characterized by an assemblage of plants and
animals that grew prosperously in the Chinese land for a long time. A
detailed list would be out of place here, and quantitative data are not
available. The following enumeration is highly impressionistic:
(a) Starch Staples: millet, rice, kao-liang, wheat, maize, buckwheat,

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yam, sweet potato.
(b) Legumes: soybean, broad bean, pea- nut, and mung bean.
(c) Vegetables: malva, amaranth, Chinese cabbage, mustard green,

turnip, radish, mushroom.
(d) Fruits: peach, apricot, plum, apple, jujube date, pear, crab apple,
mountain haw, longan, litchi, orange.
(e) Meats: pork, dog, beef, mutton, venison, chicken, duck, goose,
pheasant, many fishes.
(f) Spices: red pepper, ginger, garlic, spring onion, cinnamon.
Chinese cooking is, in this sense, the manipulation of these foodstuffs

as basic ingredients. Since ingredients are not the same everywhere, Chinese
food begins to assume a local character simply by virtue of the ingredients it
uses. Obviously ingredients are not sufficient for characterization, but they
are a good beginning. Compare, for example, the above list with one in
which dairy products occupy a prominent place, and one immediately comes
upon a significant contrast between the two food traditions.
One important point about the distinctive assemblage of ingredients is

its change through history. Concerning food, the Chinese are not nationalistic
to the point of resisting imports. In fact, foreign foodstuffs have been readily
adopted since the dawn of history. Wheat and sheep and goats were possibly
introduced from western Asia in prehistoric times, many fruits and
vegetables came in from central Asia during the Han and the Tang periods,
and peanuts and sweet potatoes from coastal traders during the Ming period.
These all became integral ingredients of Chinese food. At the same time, .
Milk and dairy products, to this date, have not taken a prominent place in
Chinese cuisine.
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b. Chinese Fan-Ts’ai Principle
The Chinese culture, the whole process of preparing food from raw
ingredients to morsels ready for the mouth involves a complex of interrelated
variables that is highly distinctive when compared with other food traditions
of major magnitude. At the base of this complex is the division between fan,
grains and other starch foods, and ts'ai, vegetable and meat dishes. To
prepare a balanced meal, it must have an appropriate amount of both fan and
ts'ai, and ingredients are readied along both tracks. Grains are cooked whole
or as flour, making up the fan half of the meal in various forms: fan (in the
narrow sense, "cooked rice"), steamed wheat-, millet-, or corn-flour bread,
ping ("pancakes"), and noodles. Vegetables and meats are cut up and mixed
in various ways into individual dishes to constitute the ts'ai half. Even in
meals in which the staple starch portion and the meat-and-vegetable portion
are apparently joined together, such as in "wonton" . . . they are in fact put
together but not mixed up, and each still retains its due proportion and own
distinction.
For the preparation of ts'ai, the use of multiple ingredients and the
mixing of flavors are the rules, which above all means that ingredients are
usually cut up and not done whole, and that they are variously combined into
individual dishes of vastly differing flavors. Pork for example, may be diced,
slice shredded, or ground, and when combined with other meats and with
various vegetable ingredients and spice produces dishes of utterly diverge,
shapes, flavors, colors, tastes, and aromas.
The parallelism of fan and ts'ai an the above-described principles of

ts'ai' preparation account for a number (other features of the Chinese food
culture, especially in the area of utensil To begin with, there are fan utensils
and ts'ai utensils, both for cooking an for serving. In the modem kitchen, fan
kuo ("rice cooker") and Ts'ai kuo ("wok") are very different and as a rule not
interchangeable utensils. To prepare the kind of ts'ai that we have
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characterized, the chopping knife or cleaver and the chopping anvil are
standard equipment in every Chines kitchen, ancient and modem. To sweep
the cooked grains into the mouth, and to serve the cut-up morsel of the
meat-and-vegetable dishes chopsticks have proved more service able than
hands or other instrument (such as spoons and forks, the former being used
in China alongside the chopsticks).
c. The Way Chinese Cook
This complex of interrelated features of Chinese food may be described,

for the purpose of shorthand reference, as the Chinese fan-ts'ai principle.
Send a Chinese cook into an American kitchen, given Chinese or American
ingredients, and he or she will (a) prepare an adequate amount of fan, (b) cut
up the ingredients and mix them up in various combinations, and (c) cook the
ingredients into several dishes and, perhaps, a soup. Given the right
ingredients, the "Chinese" of the meal would increase, but even with entirely
native American ingredients and cooked in American utensils, it is still a
Chinese meal.
The above example shows that the Chinese way of eating is

characterized by a notable flexibility and adaptability. Since a ts'ai dish is
made of a mixture of ingredients, its distinctive appearance, taste, and flavor
do not depend on the exact number of ingredients, nor, in most cases, on any
single item. The same is true for a meal, made up of a combination of dishes.
In times of affluence, a few more expensive items may be added, but if the
times are hard they may be omitted without doing irreparable damage. If the
season is not quite right, substitutes may be used.
Another feature of Chinese food habits that contributed to their notable

adaptability is the large number and great variety of preserved foods. Food is
preserved by smoking, salting, sugaring, steeping, pickling, drying, soaking
in many kinds of soy sauces, and so forth, and the whole range of foodstuffs
is involved-grains, meat, fruit, eggs, vegetables, and everything else.
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d. Color, Aroma, and Flavor
In Chinese cooking, color, aroma, and flavor share equal importance in

the preparation of every dish. Normally, any one entrée will combine three to
five colors, selected from ingredients that are light green, dark green, red,
yellow, white, black, or caramel-colored. Usually, a meat and vegetable dish
are prepared from one main ingredient and two to three secondary ingredient
of contrasting colors. They are then cooked appropriately, incorporating the
proper seasonings and sauce to create an aesthetically attractive dish.
A dish with a fragrant aroma will most certainly whet the appetite.
Ingredients that contribute to a mouthwatering aroma are scallions, fresh
gingerroot, garlic, and chili peppers. Other include wine, star anise, stick
cinnamon, pepper, sesame oil, and dried Chinese black mushrooms. Of
foremost importance in cooking any dish is preserving the fresh, natural
flavor of its ingredients, and removing any undesirable fishy or gamy odors.
In Western cooking, lemon is often used to remove fishy flavors, in Chinese
cooking, scallions and ginger serve a similar function. Soy sauce, sugar,
vinegar, and other seasonings add richness to a dish without covering up the
natural flavor of the ingredients. A well-prepared Chinese dish should taste
rich to those who like strong flavors, but not overspiced to those who seek a
milder taste. It should seem sweet to anyone who has a sweet tooth, and hot
to those who like a piquant flavor. A dish that is all of these things to all of
these people is a truly successful dish.
e. Chinese Aspects of Nutrition
Color, aroma, and flavor are not the only principles to be followed in
Chinese cooking; nutrition is also an important concern. The principle of the
harmonization of foods can be traced back to the Shang dynasty scholar Yi
Yin. He relates the five flavors of sweet, sour bitter, piquant, and salty to the
nutritional needs of the five major organ systems of the body (the heart, liver,
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spleen/pancreas, lungs, and kidneys), and stresses their role in maintaining

good physical health. In fact, many of the plants used in Chinese cooking,
such as scallions, fresh ginger root, garlic, dried lily buds, tree fungus, and so
forth, have properties of preventing and alleviating various illnesses. The
Chinese have a traditional belief in the medicinal value of food, and that food
and medicine share the same origin. This view could be considered a
forerunner of nutritional science in China. Notable in this theory is the
concept that correct proportion of meat to vegetable ingredients should be
maintained; one-third of meat-based dishes should be vegetable ingredients,
and one-third of vegetable dishes should be meat. In preparing soups, the
quantity of water used should total seven-tenths the volumes of the serving
bowl. In short, the correct ingredient proportions must be adhered to in the
preparation of each dish or soup in order to ensure full nutritional value.
Food not only affects health as a matter of general principle, the

selection of the right food at any particular time must also be dependent upon
one's health condition at that time. Food, therefore, is also medicine.
The regulation of diet as a disease preventive or cure is certainly as

Western as it is Chinese. Common Western examples are the diet for
arthritics and the recent organic food craze. But the Chinese case is
distinctive for its underlying principles. The bodily functions, in the Chinese
view, follow the basic yin-yang principles. Yin, that which is feminine, dark
and yielding, and Yang, that which is masculine, bright and hard, create a
harmony when blended together. Many foods are classifiable into those that
possess the yin quality and those of the yang quality. When yin and yang
forces in the body are not balanced, problem result. Proper amounts of food
of one kind or the other may then be administered (i.e., eaten) to
counterbalance the yin and yang disequilibrium. If the bodies were normal,
overeating of one kind of food would result in an excess of that force in the
body, causing diseases . . . . The beauty of a true Chinese meal is to mix
selections from each of the regions to stress the Yin and yang philosophy.
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3. Regional Food and Flavor
Chinese food can be roughly divided into the Northern and Southern
styles of cooking. In general, Northern dishes are relatively oily, and the use
of vinegar and garlic tends to be quite popular. Wheat, processed into pasta,
also plays an important role in Northern cooking; noodles, ravioli-like
dumplings, steamed, stuffed buns, fried meat dumplings, and steamed bread
are just a few of the many flour-based treats enjoyed in the North of China.
The best known regional variations of Northern Chinese cuisines include
those of Beijing, Tianjin, and Shandong.
Representatives of the Southern cooking styles are Szechwan and

Hunan cuisine, famous for their liberal use of chili peppers. Within the whole
of Southern cooking, the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions emphasize freshness
and tenderness, while Guangdong cuisine tends to be somewhat sweet and
always full of variety. Rice and its products, including rice-noodles, and
rice-cakes form the typical foundation for Southern dishes.
4. Rules and Customs Associated with Eating.
The Chinese have a number of rules and customs associated with eating.
For example, meals must be taken while seated; there is a set order of who
may be seated first among men, women, old and young; and the main
courses must be eaten with chopsticks, and soup with a spoon. Chinese
banquets are arranged on a per table basis, with each table usually seating ten
to twelve persons. A typical banquet consists of four appetizer dishes, such as
cold cut platters or hot hors d'oeuvres; six to eight main courses; then one
savory snack-type dish and a dessert. The methods of preparation include
stir-frying, stewing, steaming, deep-frying, flash frying, pan-frying, and so
forth. A dish may be savory, sweet, tart, or piquant. The main colors of a dish
may include red, yellow, green, white and caramel color. Food garnishes,
such as cut or sculptured tomatoes, Chinese white radishes, cucumbers, and
so forth, may be used to add to the visual appeal of a dish. All of these
elements contribute to making Chinese food a true feast for the eyes and
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nostrils as well as the taste.
Finally, perhaps the most important aspect of the Chinese food culture
is the importance of food itself in Chinese culture. That Chinese cuisine is
the greatest in the world is highly debatable and is essentially irrelevant. But
few can take exception to the statement that few other cultures are as food
oriented as the Chinese. And this orientation appears to be as ancient as
Chinese culture itself. The great Chinese philosopher Lao Zi once said of the
art: "Governing a great nation is much like cooking a small fish."
According to Lun yu (Confucian Analects, chap. "Wei Ling Kung"), when
the duke Ling of Wei asked Confucius (551-479 BC.) about military tactics,
Confucius replied, "I have indeed heard about matters pertaining to tsu (meat
stand) and tou (meat platter), but I have not learned military matters." Indeed,
perhaps one of the most important qualifications of a Chinese gentleman was
his knowledge and skill pertaining to food and drink.
B. Brief History of Chinese Restaurants in Philadelphia
The real story of Chinese restaurants in Philadelphia starts with the

story of the immigrants. Immigrants from Hong Kong, Mainland China,
and Vietnam opened most Chinese restaurants in Philadelphia back in early
1960’s. Restaurant business seemed to be more tangible and feasible for
those who did not speak English well. Naturally, the type of cuisine these
immigrants opened mostly depended on the cooking styles of the
geographical location where they came from. For example, immigrants
from Hong Kong opened a Cantonese style of Chinese Restaurant and
immigrants from northern Mainland China opened Mandarin style of
Chinese restaurant.
Before 1970’s
Dr. Dorothy Yang, who moved to United States from Shanghai in 1965,
has stayed in Philadelphia for more than 35 years. In her memory, there
were less than 15 restaurants in Philadelphia before 1970, all of which
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located in Chinatown and served Cantonese style food. About beginning,

there are no so called ‘restaurants” that served ‘real’ Chinese food, according
to Dr. Yang. Most of these Chinese restaurants served an American style
Chinese Food such as ‘Chop Suey’, a mix of chinese ingrediants in a stir-fry.
Because of the limited budget the new immigrant entrepreneurs introduced
the most simple and the budgeted Chinese food to the American. Therefore,
Chinese food in an American’s eyes is considered delicious and cheap.
Unlike French cuisine, which represents not only delicious but also delicate
and expensive. It is a shame, because Chinese food is actually art in Asian
countries.
After 1970’s
Around 1975, more and more immigrants from Vietnam, whom

themselves had immigranted from South part of China years ago, opened
Vietnamese style restaurants. About 1975, more and more immigrants from
southeast China opened Vietnam style restaurants. Gradually, Hunan,
Szechwan, Mandarin, as well as Vegetarian restaurants appeared. Gradually,
Hunan, Szechwan, Mandarin, as well as Vegetarian restaurants emerged.
Consequently, more and more American, especially Jewish, start to
appreciate the oriental cuisine. The location of these Chinese restaurants
were no longer limited to Chinatown. They are now located everywhere in
Philadelphia Center City District and suburb area. According to Mr.
Rendell Hirshhorn of Health Department of Philadelphia, there are now over
600 Chinese restaurants dotted in the city landscape.
5 segments of independent Chinese restaurants in Philadelphia area
There are 5 segments of independent Chinese restaurants in

Philadelphia area:
(a) Fast-food chains: Panda Express, Dynasty, Mandarin Express
(b) Buffet service: Hong Kong King Buffet in Huntington Valley,
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Chinese Buffet in Center City
(c) Midscale or family dining: Most restaurants in Chinatown
(d) Moderate dining: Joy Tsin Lau
(e) Upscale: Susanna Foo in Center City
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Case Studies
A. Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine
Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine is

located on Walnut Street in the heat of
Philadelphia. The Restaurant
experienced a face-lift in 1996, which
has made it one of the most beautiful
Chinese dining rooms in the country.
Pictured to the left is the interior of the
restaurant with its beautiful paintings,
glowing silk lanterns and hand-painted
mirrors.
Also featured are hand-crafted

bamboo railings, limestone floors and
Thai silk draperies which separate “The
Opium Den”, a private dining room,
from the “Main Dining Room” area.
The outside of the restaurant has been
restored in limestone. The second
floor features the Banquet Facilities,
which can accommodate over 100
guests.
From the façade or the first

impression, to the most interior color
selections, it is hard to tell that Susanna
Foo is a Chinese cuisine, although
some elements and materials are
Chinese, like the beauty lanterns and
the elegance of the hand-painted
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mirrors. The beige and the blue all over the

restaurant are colors not often seen in the Chinese
culture. They do not look even oriental. If I
do not look upon the details, it is easy to forget
that I am in a Chinese restaurant.
However, I do love those potted plants

sitting everywhere. They add the feminine
atmosphere and oriental character into this
restaurant. The space planing and finish
selections are very successful. I feel
comfortable no matter where I sit or stand.
There is even an exhibit room of various wine
collection on the way to the restroom. Every
corner in Susanna Foo is undoubtedly
astonishing.
B. Joy Tsin Luo
Located on Race Street, Joy Tsin Lau

restaurant might be known as the oldest and
largest restaurant in Chinatown, Philadelphia. It
features palatable menus of Mandarin, Szechwan
and Cantonese cuisine. You could see the torrid
red and green décor, the lanterns, and the
Buddha.
Compare to Susanna Foo, all interior

elements in Joy Tsin Luo is considered as
“Chinese”. However, as many other Chinese
restaurant of this ilk in this area, Joy Tsin Luo
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restaurant come off as gaudy, though the owner wants its grand scale to give
the genre a palatial elegance. Too much unsuitable colors and materials
seize your eyes so that you lose the visual focus.
Everything in the restaurant is in a

great mess and disorder. For example,
there is no coatroom, so that different
color coats are exposed. In the
waiting area, the Buddha should be the
most important scenery. However, it
is contrasted with a bar in a mess and
some fish tanks carelessly made from
some piece of plain Plexiglas standing
just opposite. Furthermore, in the
back of the restaurant, restrooms and
kitchen are only separated from the
main dining area by two Chinese
screens. Deprived of privacy,
customers would not feel comfortable
going to the restrooms or sitting in the back tables.
Except the palatable menu, Joy Tsin Luo is a restaurant where diner
wouldn’t like to patronize again.
C. Zen Palate
Zen Palate, located in downtown Manhattan, is the place for eating a

balanced vegetarian food which allows one to
be indulged with the original flavor of the art
Zen. Zen is also known as meditation. It
symbolizes one's attempt to enter the realms of
a worry-free space from a chaotic environment.
Inspired by Buddhist temples and shrines, the
interior design and concept at the Zen Palate
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vegetarian restaurant is based on a harmonious interlocking and free-flowing

geometric space which create a Zen-like experience. Dining is available on
three floors, partitioned only by giant mahogany beams.
The ground level highlights an open kitchen and bar service, while
upper levels offer a more calm and relaxed ambiance with a tatami room and
tea service. The mahogany tea bar provides a show-case for colorful teapot
and air facts, as well as low tables surounded with floor pillows.
Zen Palate allows diners to

experience real spirituals renew.
Its interior design gave me the
oriental feeling without the
unbearable vulgar red, green, and
gold. I can feel the Asian accents
by the saffron-yellow walls, dark
mahogany wood beams and
columns, as well as the rattan
chairs and floor pillows on the
tatami. Furthermore, the colors
in the restaurant balance with each
other very well. The dim and the
bamboo pots give it a quiet but
refreshing touch. I like this
restaurant very much, because it
successfully expresses the
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elegance and sophistication of the Asian culture. During my short stay in

the restaurant, I almost forgot that I was in downtown Manhattan. I also
like the space planing of this restaurant. It was divided in three floors.
Bar and tea show cases are in the first floor, dinning area and tea-drinking
areas are in the second floor, and the kitchen was placed in the third floor
along with an Asian dinning area. They were separated so well that I could
not see the other areas when I was in one of them. Every patron has his/her
own privacy and could take his/her time to enjoy their tea and/or food. The
only regret was that there was neither smell nor music. Maybe the designer
intended to create a quiet and simple atmosphere. However, I did expect to
smell some incense or to listen some light music, while I was bathing in such
an oriental atmosphere.
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Program
A. Client Profile
Mr. Arthur Kung was born in Eastern China and raise in Taiwan and
has recently moved to United States. Since moving to the United States he
has experienced many cultural changes. Mr. Kung has always had an
interest in culinary cuisine. While in China he became well versed in the
art of Chinese cooking and made a habit of dining in many of China’s
extraordinary restaurants. When he arrived to the United States, he was
found Philadelphia and the surrounding area to be rich in the different types
of restaurants. Though the experience has been positive he has discovered
that the restaurants representing Chinese cuisine have been less than
satisfactory. Much of the food is oily and unhealthy, the interiors of the
restaurant do bot give an accurate image of what his experience of Chinese
cuisine is. Therefore, he had decided that he will open an restaurant that
will express the modern Chinese style of East meets West while introducing
Chinese delicacies.
Mr. Kung, has decided to open up his restaurant in a infill building in

the heart of downtown Manayunk. He found that most of the stores and
restaurants in Manayunk are owned and run by an individual owner, which
translates into a special experience that is seldom found these days. So far
there has been no evidence of a restaurant offering Chinese Cuisine.
Besides, Manayunk is located just minutes west of Center City Philadelphia
and It is accessible by SEPTA public transportation service. Pedestrian
traffic is abundant and the street life is vibrant.
Mr. Kung feels that Chinese food can be a healthy mix of low-fat, low-salt
and low-sugar while being very flavorful and filling. Because of the
reliance on rice, vegetables and small amounts of meat, the Chinese cuisine
has long been praised by advocates of healthy eating. The large majority of
Chinese food represented in the United States is almost worse than Big Macs
with fries or pepperoni pizza with extra cheese. For example an egg roll
159
made up of fried wonton case usually derives more than half of calories from
fat.
There are roughly 4 region styles of cooking: Mandarin cuisine;

Eastern cuisine; Szechwan/Hunan cuisine; Cantonese cuisine. Mandarin
cuisine is characterized by pungent sweet and sour flavors, noodles and
dumpling dishes, and of course Peking Duck. Eastern cuisine serves
typically seafood, rice, and red cooking, steamed or stewed in Shanghai soy
sauce. Szechwan and Hunan food is famed for their spicy seasonings such as
garlic, scallions, and chili peppers. Cantonese food is typically stir-fried
pork, seafood, and poultry. Mr. Kung feels that Eastern cuisine best
exemplifies the health cooking style he would like his restaurant to showcase.
The Eastern cuisine in his mind emphasizes freshness, tenderness and the
unique Chinese flavors.
Another important aspect that Mr. Kung would like to introduce in his
restaurant is the traditional role of Chinese Green Tea. Tea plays an
important role in the Chinese culture and is seen as a means to a healthy life.
The practice of drinking Green Tea was brought to Japan by monks returning
from their studies at the great Zen monasteries of 12 of century China. At
that time, the tea functioned as an aid to meditation, a ritual to practicing Zen
and was also seen as means to a healthy body.
160
Programmatic Requirements
site: 3430 Main Street
Manayunk, PA
Total Square Footage: 9500-12000
Restaurant Requirements
Entrance and Waiting Area: 1000-1250
Including coatroom (150) and restrooms (600)
Bar and Lounge: 750
Including bar and lounge seating for 30 people
Main dinning Area: 3500-4000
Seating for 100 people
Tea service Area 30 people
Private Party Rooms for 20 people
Kitchen Facilities: 3000-3500
Include loading, receiving, storage, cooking areas and office
Circulation and Tea Gardens: 1500
* Depending on squarefootage requerements there maybe the

possibility of banquet facilities.
161
Site Analysis
Main Street, Manayunk
Manayunk, nestled along the bank

of the Schuylkill River, is just minutes
west of Center City, Philadelphia
(approx. 7 miles) and is also easily
accessible from most suburban
locations. This 19th century mill town
has been transformed into a
contemporary shopping, dinning and
recreational destination while
preserving its historic integrity. Main
Street, Manayunk, features
one-of-a-kind boutiques, galleries and
quality restaurants. There is a historic
canal and towpath for walkers and
bikers, Special events throughout the
year, including a nationally acclaimed
arts festival, provide entertainment and
fun for visitors. It is open days and
nights year-round, with plenty of
reasonable, accessible parking along with an evening valet service.
Manayunk is also accessible by SEPTA public transportation service
including several bus routs and the R6 Regional Rail Line.
Along Main Street there are an abundance of quality restaurants and

eateries that offer everything from a casual to elegant atmosphere, with a
tasty cuisine to match. Manayunk prides itself on personal service especially
since most of the stores and restaurants are owned and run by an individual
owner, which translates into a special experience that is seldom found these
days. Manayunk can satisfy all appetites for Japanese, Italian,
162
Southwestern, Continental, or even American cuisine. However, so far

there has been no evidence of a restaurant offering Chinese Cuisine.
B. The Building
The building is located on a street in the heart of downtown Manayunk.

The building at 4230 Main Street is a infill building with an art gallery on
one side and a vacant store site on the other. A pedestrian walkway is in
front of the building. Across the street there is a grill restaurant as well as a
coffee shop. Pedestrian traffic is abundant and the street life is vibrant.
The current occupant of 4230 Main Street is Pottery Barn, a home

furnishings store. The building’s façade is a yellow drivet with a plaster
detail that frames the 2 story windows. The design of the façade will be
addressed so that it communicates the identity of the proposed restaurant.
The interior space currently is 2 stories 10000 ft2 with a balcony level that
overlooks part of the first floor framed by a skylight that runs almost the
length of the building this open area is supported by structural steel columns
and also contains a mail staircase.
163
Design: Teology Chinese Garden Cuisine
Manayunk, nestled along the bank of the Schuylkill River, is just

minutes west of Center City, Philadelphia (approx. 7 miles) and is also easily
accessible from most suburban locations. Along Main Street there are an
abundance of quality restaurants and eateries that offer everything from a
casual to elegant atmosphere, with a tasty cuisine to match. Manayunk prides
itself on personal service especially since most of the stores and restaurants
are owned and run by an individual owner, which translates into a special
experience that is seldom found these days. Manayunk can satisfy all
appetites for Japanese, Italian, Southwestern, Continental, or even American
cuisine.
Teaology Chinese Garden Cuisine would be the first Chinese Cuisine around
this area.
Restaurant Facade
164
1. Design Concept
Teaology Chinese Garden Cuisine features palatable menus of Modern

Mandarin cuisine. You could see the elegant décor, the waterfalls, and the
natural scene. The design concept of this restaurant is to reflect famous
Chinese Garden design and make the indoor space feel like outdoor garden.
Therefore, the designer used a lot of outdoor elements such as trees and
waterfalls, as well as a zigzag bridge, which are significant symbols of
Chinese Garden. Natural materials such as stone and wood are generally
used in this project, in order to apply Lao-zi’s wisdom, Dao: People should
rest in nature.
Furniture Selection in the Waiting Area
2. Space Design
There are two stories in the restaurant. Basically the waiting area, bar,
and main dining areas, and kitchen are all placed in the first floor, along with
a beautiful indoor landscaping area. A new façade to fit the modern oriental
style are designed for this cuisine. And the Entrance is shift few feet behind
the façade, in order to create a small outdoor area with delicate landscape
design. The 24-feet-high entrance is made of glass and metal, to give the
165
waiting area better source of natural lighting at day time.
The first floor indoor space is divided as several dining areas by a zigzag
bridge, which imitate the typical bridges of Su-zhou gardens. The bridge is
surrounded by an indoor landscape design, which seems like a big ying-yang
on the floor plan. The end of the bridge is a waterfall, which is also a focus
of Teaology Chinese Garden Cuisine. This area is called the main garden,
which makes the indoor space with outdoor atmosphere.
First Floor Plan
First Floor Reflected Ceiling Plan
166
On the second floor, there are some tea rooms and a banquet room, as
well as some extra freestanding seats. Tea rooms are only opened for
customers who would like to learn and experience the Chinese beverage, tea
and its culture. All customers sitting in any dining areas or tea rooms are
supposedly able to appreciate the main Gardens in different perspectives.
Second Floor Plan
Lighting Fixtures on the

Second Floor
167
3. Handicap accessable
The whole restaurant are handicap accessable. Although there are

some dining areas in different heights, the bridge connect them is actually a
careful designed ramp. If you are going up to the second floor, there are
two choices: you can get upstairs through an elegant wood bridge next to the
waterfall, or you can take the elevator near the restrooms.
Elevation View from the Main Entrance
Elevation View from the Garden Area, shows

Bar area on the first floor and Teahouses on the Second Floor
168
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171

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Application of Combining Chinese Culinary Art,

Landscaping and Restaurant Design

Application of Combining Chinese Culinary Art,

Landscaping and Restaurant Design

Lecturer, Department of visual communication design, Hsuan-Chuang University

Of the four important things in Chinese daily life, "Eating, Clothing,

A. The Art of Chinese Food and Drink

1. History of Chinese Food and Drink Culinary Art

rudimentary to advanced stage, from day-to-day snacks to feasts, even to

2. What characterizes Chinese Food?

The food style of a culture is certainly first of all determined by the

(a) Starch Staples: millet, rice, kao-liang, wheat, maize, buckwheat,

yam, sweet potato.

(c) Vegetables: malva, amaranth, Chinese cabbage, mustard green,

(f) Spices: red pepper, ginger, garlic, spring onion, cinnamon.

Chinese cooking is, in this sense, the manipulation of these foodstuffs

One important point about the distinctive assemblage of ingredients is

b. Chinese Fan-Ts’ai Principle

The parallelism of fan and ts'ai an the above-described principles of

c. The Way Chinese Cook

This complex of interrelated features of Chinese food may be described,

The above example shows that the Chinese way of eating is

Another feature of Chinese food habits that contributed to their notable

d. Color, Aroma, and Flavor

In Chinese cooking, color, aroma, and flavor share equal importance in

e. Chinese Aspects of Nutrition

spleen/pancreas, lungs, and kidneys), and stresses their role in maintaining

Food not only affects health as a matter of general principle, the

The regulation of diet as a disease preventive or cure is certainly as

3. Regional Food and Flavor

Representatives of the Southern cooking styles are Szechwan and

4. Rules and Customs Associated with Eating.

nostrils as well as the taste.

B. Brief History of Chinese Restaurants in Philadelphia

The real story of Chinese restaurants in Philadelphia starts with the

located in Chinatown and served Cantonese style food. About beginning,

Around 1975, more and more immigrants from Vietnam, whom

5 segments of independent Chinese restaurants in Philadelphia area

There are 5 segments of independent Chinese restaurants in

(a) Fast-food chains: Panda Express, Dynasty, Mandarin Express

(b) Buffet service: Hong Kong King Buffet in Huntington Valley,

Chinese Buffet in Center City

(c) Midscale or family dining: Most restaurants in Chinatown

(d) Moderate dining: Joy Tsin Lau

(e) Upscale: Susanna Foo in Center City

Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine is

Also featured are hand-crafted

From the façade or the first

mirrors. The beige and the blue all over the

However, I do love those potted plants

B. Joy Tsin Luo

Located on Race Street, Joy Tsin Lau

Compare to Susanna Foo, all interior

Everything in the restaurant is in a

Zen Palate, located in downtown Manhattan, is the place for eating a

vegetarian restaurant is based on a harmonious interlocking and free-flowing

Zen Palate allows diners to

elegance and sophistication of the Asian culture. During my short stay in

Mr. Kung, has decided to open up his restaurant in a infill building in

There are roughly 4 region styles of cooking: Mandarin cuisine;

site: 3430 Main Street

Total Square Footage: 9500-12000

Entrance and Waiting Area: 1000-1250