The Kimchi restaurant is located next to Prague’s Masaryk Railway Station, occupying the premises of a former pastry shop while partially preserving its original spatial layout.
The project was created by a Korean husband-and-wife team for whom The Kimchi is both a personal venture and a natural extension of their everyday life. Their ambition was to bring an authentic version of Korean street food to Prague—fast and accessible, yet fresh, genuine, and prepared with uncompromising attention to quality. Ingredients are prepared daily and the number of servings is intentionally limited, giving the restaurant the character of a personal culinary experience.
The operational concept is divided into two interconnected zones. Fresh ingredients and primary food preparation take place in the back-of-house kitchen, while the final assembly of each dish happens at the serving counter in full view of the guests. This approach ensures an efficient workflow while maintaining freshness, authenticity, and a direct connection between the kitchen and its visitors.
The visual and functional concept was developed through close collaboration between the architects, the graphic designer, and the clients. The interior draws inspiration from Korean culinary traditions, contemporary pop culture, and the vibrant visual energy of Seoul. The central design motif is a dynamic wave, loosely inspired by the Korean flag, which flows throughout the restaurant—from the exterior signage and serving counter to the graphics applied on the walls.
The colour palette is built around the bold contrast of blue, red, and orange. Blue unifies the tables, bench seating, wall finishes, and lighting details, while the red grout within the grid of white tiles and the textured orange mesh above the counter bring energy, depth, and a distinctive visual identity to the space.
The Kimchi presents a fresh perspective on quality fast food. Guests can watch the final preparation of their meals in the open kitchen, choose from a variety of seating options—from dynamic window seating to a communal concrete table—or simply take their meal to go. The restaurant combines the speed of urban dining with freshness, a personal story, and a distinctive architectural experience.
Team:
Architects: SOA architekti
Gastronomy production: InGastro
Graphic design: Tomáš Eisner
Carpentry work: Alan Sekula
Lighting: U1 Lighting
Hand-painted signage: Daniel Plavecký
Photographer: Studio Flusser
Materials Used:
wall tiles — Ceramica Vogue
wall and floor tiles — RAKO
coloured grout — Kerakoll
Skydriver Square ceiling light — NEKO Lighting
Vali55 spotlights — Halla
Sprinkle Linear suspended light — Zero
Hashira Linear pendant lamp — Audo Copenhagen
custom concrete table — Ylgu
Blueprint chair — Form & Refine
Fyr stool — Normann Copenhagen
Week-End chair — Petite Friture
Frame digital menu board — Samsung
