‘Sit by me’ is a high-end sub-brand and part of the restaurant chain ‘Huang Cheng Lao Ma’ which owns numerous outlets in Chengdu City – home to 14 million people and capital of the centrally located Sichuan province with a population of 109 million situated to the east of Tibet. ‘Huang Cheng Lao Ma’ is one of the best-known hot-pot (Chinese fondue) brands where the restaurants imitate classical Chinese architecture, with traditional Chinese decoration and calligraphy. The ‘Sit by me’ chain is aimed at young, design-conscious consumers and the restaurants feature minimalist, modern, quality-conscious design.

 

On entering ‘Sit by me’, the main impression is one of simplicity, harmony and a beautifully matched color palette in subdued tones. The large restaurant is divided into smaller sections using lightweight partitions which – just like the outer walls – have a white top half and a graphite gray bottom. The floor features broad, dark wooden boards and table tops are in light oak.

 

Guests can choose to sit at small tables or at the large bar areas, which are the obvious choice if you are eating alone. The bar sections stand out by virtue of suspended white ceilings with spotlights that illuminate the bar counters

The decoration consists partly of colored poster areas in red, yellow, green and blue with graphic hand drawings and partly of suspended metal shelves filled with bottles with colorful contents.

 

The interior is characterized by ultra-simplistic lines, and CH88 – designed by Hans J. Wegner in1955 and launched in 2014 by CHS – provides the restaurant’s sole non-linear element. The chair has an organic shaped backrest that ends in an optimistic upward curve. Designer Wang Hai has opted to mix CH88 with backrests in different woods and upholstered in different shades – a discreet, functional variation that is a decorative detail in its own right.