A swanky new restaurant has debuted on Santa Clara, California’s culinary scene. iChina, the first New American Chinese concept in Silicon Valley, was crafted by HHD Hong Kong East Holiday Design Consultants in homage to the historic Chinese painting, “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains,” from the Song Dynasty. An ornate design scheme further channels the bygone opulence of Old World China through a glitzy, Art Deco-style lens.
“The original piece, painted on a silk handscroll, was just shy of 40 feet long. The length, as well as the use of rare ingredients in the paint, is a common metaphor in Chinese landscape paintings, especially by those in the court, to represent the emperor’s longevity and the dynasty’s prosperity,” says HHD owner Hong Zhongxuan. “After the initial awe of the grandeur of the restaurant, guests of the restaurant should feel a deep respect given to any guest of the emperor’s palace.”
Unending prosperity is embodied in the design of a rippling steel water fixture spread across the ceiling. An art and tea curio wall also nods to traditional Chinese tea ceremonies, while the bathroom is rendered akin to a crystal palace with no shortage on glamorous materials.
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