Japanese design culture has never ceased to amaze the world. With centuries of rich culture and tradition, Japan has successfully created an original design DNA that is now becoming part of international design principles. The essential of Japanese design, whether it is architectural, interior or even food is always focusing on balance and harmony, which refers to the teaching of Zen philosophy. The concept of shibumi is the key to implement Zen philosophy, and this concept is beautifully implemented at Ebeya Steak House.
As one of the most prestigious teppanyaki restaurants in Jakarta, ebeya has been in existence since 1997. They moved to their current location at the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton Pacific Place in 2007 and have been residing ever since. The teppanyaki style that Ebeya choose is a style of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook food. The word teppan that means iron plate and yaki, which means grilled or pan fried, refer to dishes that are cooked using an iron plate, including steak (famous for its Kobe grade A5), shrimp, okonomiyaki, assorted vegetables and monjayaki.
Ebeya’s design as teppanyaki restaurant is rather extraordinary for its East meets West approached, though it is still following to the shibumi principles. As a concept, shibumi has no precise definition in Japanese, but its meaning is reserved for objects and experiences that exhibit in paradox and all at once the very best of everything and nothing. Shibumi concept evolves out of complexity to achieve a result of understated and effortless beauty.
The small entrance layout hides the actual size of the restaurant. With around 310 sqm, Ebeya has a waiting lounge, three small private rooms up to eight guests and a main room that can fit up to 16 guests – connected through a long corridor with dark green marble and silvery black European motif wallpaper. A few metal sculptures with painting depicting the beauty of a European scene are adorning this corridor. The simplicity shown here are reflecting the element of kanso where beauty and utility need not be overstated, overly decorative or fanciful.
The small private rooms are following to the traditional layout with tatami and zaisu chairs (or known as floor chair) facing iron griddle bar. Aside from the red color from zaisu chairs as accent, the custom-made exhaust metal vent cap also gives a strong impression. A suiseki bamboo garden that is quietly put as the room background captured the essence of shizen. It brings the presence of nature into design.
A similar design approach was also given to the main room; only instead of tatami setting they used a normal approach with conventional chairs. The custom-made exhaust metal vent cap here is done in a bigger dimension, making it as a stunning ‘piece de resistance’.
In order to create good balance and harmony in design, sometimes you have to create a certain reprieve from predictability. Known as the element of datsuzoku from shibumi’s concept, this ‘interruptive break’ is needed to create a memorable design. In Ebeya, the datsuzoku element is perfectly implemented on their lounge area and the private lavatories.
Instead of going with classic traditional Japanese style of design, Sendy the interior designer from Insada Design firm who is appointed to create the interior design of Ebeya decided to break the predictability by designing it in European classic look. In this rectangular shape lounge you will find a crystal chandelier with Persian carpet surrounded by wooden panels that are covered with fabric wallpaper. European classic leather chairs, oval coffee tables, a baby grand piano to even a fireplace in this lounge are decorated with various Lladro ceramic statuettes as well as some antique Spanish lamps from owner’s collection.
Inside the lavatories, datsuzoku element is implemented in a similar manner like the lounge where a European outlook is once again featured. This rather spacious lavatory, for his and her, is surrounded with wood panels covered in fabric wallpaper with a nice bench, floral motif carpet, red marble washbasin with gilded tap and the uber sophisticated Toto S400 washlet. It is a very lush looking lavatory design.
In overall, Ebeya has a cohesive design that is really reflecting shibumi principles in a contemporary approached. The result is a unique combination of surprising impact and uncommon simplicity. It is somehow reminds me of the wisdom once said by Antoine de Saint-Exupery that perfection is achieved not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.