KIOKU BAR

Kioku means ‘memory’. The restaurant’s name reflects the nostalgia of a life’s story.

KIOKU
BAR

BAR

at The Owo, London, UK

A project commissioned by Creative Restaurant Group.

Endo Kazutoshi invited Sake Samurai Natsuki Kukuya to create a world-class Sake cocktail programme. Kioku Bar, modelled on traditional Japanese listening bars, is an intimate 25 cover bar located on the ground floor of Raffles London at the iconic Old War Office, OWO.

A blend of British architecture, minimalist Japanese design, and European influences.

On arrival, guests are welcomed within this sanctuary, where Sake (traditional Japanese rice wine) is the protagonist. Production of the Sake cocktails are as ceremonial as Chef Endo’s cooking. Complex recipes are served within unique cups and containers for every drink. Carefully curated bottles are on display within a Sake safe which can be looked upon from a hidden private booth.

A hidden private booth: open

We reintroduced the historical features of the building whilst diving into the history of Japanese joinery techniques to bring cultures together visually. The introduction of traditional Japanese joinery into a European hotel has created a unique visual and immersive experience for guests.

A hidden private booth: closed

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Light, textured, clever use of cork panelling and timber details using Japanese joinery techniques works with Spanish influences of Ox blood leather and dark red tiles. The finishes are pure, clean and contemporary—a Japanese minimalism using materials to be enjoyed in their purest form, framed by intricate details.

Within this project, we have considered and crafted every visible, and invisible detail. The joinery involved a deep study of the Sashimono, a Japanese technique for assembling wood using both simple and highly complex joints, meticulously crafted to fit seamlessly without the need for nails or glue. Designed to last generations (resisting structural movements during earthquakes) grooves called 'hozo' are carved into the wood to join two boards into a blind, invisible joint. We have used Japanese joinery throughout the architectural details—within panels, frames, skirting and furniture. The bar, thresholds portals, banquettes and furniture display specific Japanese joint details. We even created a new bespoke joint, which is a take on an old Japanese joint. We called it ‘The Puzzle Box’ and it creates the footing of each door and portal.

THE BAR STOOLS

The bar stools are a bespoke creation by Pirajean Lees (with a low piano stool counterpart within Kioku by Endo restaurant). Due to the limited space in the room occupied by Kioku Bar, the bar stools are compact and have no back. A backless stool offers flexibility of orientation and can be approached from any angle whilst occupying minimum floor space.

The closer one looks, the more Japanese artistry can be discovered. It’s this level of detail that really defines this project.

The bar is the dominant centrepoint within this space which combines a traditional low lit British pub atmosphere with a traditional Japanese Sake bar. The adzed bar front emulates a traditional technique where wood is sculpted by hand using a small scooping instrument (a bit like a teaspoon). We recreated this effect by corrupting a CNC machine to create irregularities. The imperfections add texture and character to the bar

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Hanging above the bar are traditional Japanese Noren. The bar counter, in gloss London Plane, is heavily lacquered to be hardwearing and balanced by a delicate lace figure running through it. It is finished with a generous, padded leather bullnose edge, so that it is extremely inviting to lean on.