A Japanese restaurant with a design inspired by a cow may not sound particularly glamorous, but the team at 4Space Design combined storied cultural storytelling, contemporary elements, and dramatic lighting play to do so with great effect. Akabeko restaurant sets a sleek backdrop for Dubai diners looking to experience yakiniku, Japanese grilled meat.

The restaurant’s design is inspired by its namesake, the akabeko cow, a red bovine with black spots that is part of the folklore of the Aizu region of Japan and represents strength and endurance. A large 3D-printed sculpture of the cow holds a place of honour at the entrance of Akabeko restaurant on a black-stone pedestal. The plump cow’s colours inform the rest of the interiors, and it establishes a bridge between Japanese cultural traditions, contemporary dining, and the overall ethos of the brand.

For the interiors, the Dubai-based design firm also looked to the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, which emphasizes finding beauty in the imperfect. This manifested in the design with natural materials like wood and stone, an abundance of texture, and soft, curving shapes.

The dining room is set up with a maze of opaque shoji screens and gridded-wood half-height dividers that preserve a sense of intimacy for each table while still allowing access to the buzzing energy of the restaurant. Zigzagging wood cages hang over the bar and some booths, creating further division in the nearly 2,600-square-foot space. Coarse-textured black walls and bar bases juxtapose the creamy white walls, white tiles, and wood-trim panelling, part of a larger design dialogue between light and dark, smooth and rough, and warm and cool.

Created by Interior360 and Al Huzaifa, the furniture is minimalistic, combining contemporary and traditional Japanese aesthetics and harmonious, clean lines. The three-legged dining chairs feature dark-blue plush seats and curved wood backs, while banquettes in a matching fabric have fluted backs and warm wood bases.

At the centre of each sleek table is a high-tech smokeless grill where diners cook the wagyu beef and other meats under the tutelage of a knowledgeable chef skilled in the art of yakiniku. Bonsai trees perched on ledges and between booths act as living objets d’art throughout the restaurant.

Clever lighting holds the power to completely transform the space and add modern flair. Recessed white lighting along the ceiling’s edges, beneath the booths under the lip of the stairs and outlining the large windows can be switched to red, casting the entire restaurant in a warm, fiery glow. All the once-white elements, like the walls and the long tiles around the semi-private booths, suddenly blaze crimson. At the shift of the lighting, Akabeko goes from a tranquil retreat to a vibey and enlivened evening dining destination. The gridded wood back bar becomes especially impactful when illuminated from behind in red.

But whether Akabeko is bathed in red or white light, 4SPACE design ensured they created a stylish stage for an immersive and memorable dining experience.

Photography by Anas Rifai.

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