British tea hall meets Chinese canteen at dim sum hotspot John Anthony—a reference to the first Chinese man to be naturalized as a British citizen. “The design [follows] his journey from the docks of Canton to East London told through a tactile palette of reclaimed and handmade materials and textures,” says Alex Mok, cofounder of Shanghai firm Linehouse. Tying the story together are a handful of arches, which begin at the salmon pink terracotta-wrapped stairwell and extend to the main dining room. Here, lacquer columns in dusty pink and custom tube-shaped timber lights suspended from leather straps give way to an intimate seating area behind the bar (defined by bright florals, a green curving ceiling, and blue handmade tiles) and the private dining rooms. Concealed behind turquoise curtains, each are lined with handpainted tiles depicting illustrations of exotic animals and other commodities commonly traded in the 18th century between the British and Chinese. “We wanted to create a series of spaces that tells different parts of the narrative,” says Mok, “so guests can experience the restaurant in many different guises.”