Restaurateur Mike Isabella opened Yona, a ramen noodle bar, in Arlington, Virginia’s Ballston neighborhood next to Kapnos Taverna and Pepita, two of his other restaurants. Engineered by Rob Mescolotto of Bethesda, Maryland-based Hospitality Construction Services, the design takes inspiration from the minimalism found in Japanese design, as well as from Tokyo.
Notable design elements include cedar millwork and furniture in the dining space, which is constructed using Japanese and Korean joinery, and offers a warm contrast to the white-walled open kitchen. A custom neon light fixture and pixelated mosaic tile wall feature the shapes of whales, a recurring motif. The exterior façade was prepared using the shou-sugi ban method, a traditional Japanese way of charring wood that protects it from external elements.
