Noodle Diner — Beijing, China

The Longxiaobao restaurant group has ambitious plans to open 50 locations in China over the next three years. Which should keep Christina Luk of Lukstudio happily busy for a while. The Shanghai-based designer won so many plaudits for her sophisticated take on the traditional noodle shop in the Noodle Rack restaurant in Changsha, Hunan that she was tapped to take on Longxiaobao’s flagship eatery in the Kengo Kuma-designed Sanlitun SOHO complex in Beijing.
The entrance of rusted steel and copper plate details opens up into a long space that is sectioned off into three distinct dining areas by metal grid frames. The rawness of the space is accentuated by exposed concrete floors, grey slate floor tiles and wooden tables.
The first section comprises of canteen like rows of long tables that cater to busy execs slurping through a rushed lunch of rice noodles with beef; the second, framed by white china pots, incorporates banquettes for more convivial gossip; while the third is anchored by Luk’s quirky installation of white draped loops that represent strands of freshly made Chinese noodles – a rather clever nod to the restaurant’s MO. The latter conceit is carried on in the upstairs dining room where, strung through with exposed light bulbs, it also doubles up as wispy see-through screens that separate tables.
ADDRESS
Shop 1-122
Sanlitun SOHO
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Venerable British car-maker AC goes OTT with the high-output, low-slung AC GT SuperSport
Pitched at all-American fans of the original AC Cobra, the GT SuperSport is a fearsome two-seat roadster with more muscle than ever before
-
The dynamic young gallerists reinvigorating America's art scene
'Hugging has replaced air kissing' in this new wave of galleries with craft and community at their core
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week
While a few of our editors were in Europe for various showcases and launches, others stayed local, uncovering new cuisines, eccentric exhibitions and glorious gardens this side of the Channel
-
A colossal ‘ship’ in Shanghai honours Louis Vuitton’s travel legacy
Louis Vuitton’s The Louis is an OMA-designed hub combining retail, culture and dining in the heart of Nanjing West Road
-
Tour the best contemporary tea houses around the world
Celebrate the world’s most unique tea houses, from Melbourne to Stockholm, with a new book by Wallpaper’s Léa Teuscher
-
Prada and Wong Kar-wai dream up a cinematic restaurant in Shanghai
Prada partners with Wong Kar-wai to bring Mi Shang Rong Zhai to life, a dining experience influenced by the arthouse director’s seminal oeuvre
-
Enjoy heritage views and contemporary brews at a new Beijing café
JM Café, White Pagoda Temple by B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio nods to the history of the Xicheng District while injecting a shot of vitality
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy design
There’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
-
China’s Alila Shanghai hotel is a stylish hub of idle tranquillity
Alila Shanghai, the brand's first urban resort in Greater China, is a serene bolthole amidst the pulse of the Jing'an district
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this year
From the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
-
Travel back to the Ming dynasty at Beijing’s new Mandarin Oriental hotel
Mandarin Oriental Qianmen merges traditional culture with contemporary needs in a 600-year-old historical building complex