ichiban

Ichiban, which in Japanese means ‘the first’, was in fact the only restaurant in the country dedicated to traditional Japanese cuisine. The atmosphere is another of the secrets of this Japanese embassy. The space is organized into four distinct moments: the take-away with the counter for the lonely, a noble room with a ceiling height of 4.5m for more solemn meals, the mezzanine overlooking the sea, ideal for romantic celebrations and in the sub- store an area with tables and benches for groups. The choice of materials reflects the transition between Portuguese and Japanese culture: on the one hand, lava tiles, on the other hand, raw wood (ash) and treated with oils, recovering the existing concrete structure (pillars). The basis of the decoration is the exhibition of oriental grocery products, which fill the space with their labels and colorful illustrations, contemporary versions of furniture and tables with slate tops from Valongo, all developed expressly for this project.”