Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Kings Chinese Takeaway has been reborn – bigger, better, bolder and tastier! The new venue still serves the best Chinese takeaways in town but they’ve ventured into more mixed Westernstyle food as well – burgers, ribs, chicken and chips, pizzas, salads and more. Kings first opened in Avondale in the ‘70s and the current owners bought the business in 1990 so they’ve had almost 45 years of experience providing delicious and healthy Chinese food. When some of the bigger chain stores and franchises started moving into the local market, the Wong family decided it was time to rebrand and up their game. Kings was originally a single, small and very successful outlet but the opportunity arose for the family to buy two extra adjoining stores and totally rethink their brand image. They’ve kept the original store and taken over the two other shops which had been variously a men’s clothing store, a bookshop, a furniture store, a lighting shop and several other incarnations – none as successful or long-lasting as the iconic Kings Takeaway. The shops were originally built in 1931 so they’ve been through many reincarnations since then, but this is probably the most thoughtful and careful renovation so far.
Although there are in effect two distinct outlets – Hungry Panda still serves the much loved Chinese takeaways while Grill Shack caters for the more Western tastes. Designer Kirsten Marx (from KRM Space Design) has managed to cleverly create two identities that still work together as a single entity. (Marx designed the original Chop Chop restaurant and takeaway and is currently working on their new outlet in the CBD.) She has incorporated some of her favourite design features – recycled materials, exposed structural tectonics, and a post-industrial aesthetic that’s softened by the use of plants and greenery to make the harsh and almost brutalist designs more comfortable.
Hungry Panda has an exposed brick wall with their distinctive logo painted directly on the brick. The brickwork has been treated with a simple sealer that softens the harsh look and gives it an aged appeal. The counter is made from a special imported bamboo laminate in keeping with the Asian feel. It’s one of the few design elements that are not locally sourced and was imported from Asia where bamboo is fast becoming an important construction material. The wall of the counter has been constructed from Stumbelbloc bricks which add a sense of ‘loft’ texture and contribute to the industrial chic aesthetic – somehow they seem to be rough and sophisticated at the same time. Here Marx has added custom made lights constructed from slabs of timber with LED lights with exposed wiring. Crates made from recycled timber form the background for the chalkboard menus.
Grill Shack shares the same extended counter but here the counter top is made from solid cypress timber and the supporting wall of the counter has been clad in Chromadek roof sheets to echo the industrial feel and reflect the exterior cladding on the parapet. The back walls of both Hungry Panda and Grill Shack have been dressed with black metro tiles, helping to visually join the two outlets. Concrete screed floors and a clever ceiling treatment further unite the three shop spaces. The ceiling appears to be a cement slab but it’s actually ceiling boards fitted under the mono-pitch roof with no cornice or edging and painted in a raw cement grey.
The combination of the screed floor, grey ceilings and black tiles ties all the spaces together. In addition, Marx commissioned industrial style lights for the Grill Shack section as well as the combined seating area. The Grill Shack section has unique light fittings made from copper piping joined together in a fairly rough and ready way as well as black painted tin canisters which form shades for lights also with exposed wiring.
Marx has also designed most of the furniture and had it custom made for the seating area. There are bespoke bar stools for the counter seating, unique tables, chunky stools for the waiting area as well as individual touches like a bin made from an old oil drum. All the hard industrial finishes have been successfully softened by Marx’s use of living plants throughout the venue. Each table has a small vignette of succulents and there’s a wall of plants on the outside verandah seating, while there are more exotic leafy plants above the counter forming an integral part of the décor.
Outside Marx has united the three separate shops with a Chromadek parapet which hides the roof structure and she has used the original tiles as a base for the exterior walls – some of the tiles having been recycled from other places. The Grill Shack logo is lit up by industrial style lights set against the Chromadek parapet. If you haven’t yet visited the Hungry Panda and Grill Shack do yourself and your family a favour – you can order food to go or sit down in the restaurant to enjoy your meal in style and comfort. You can also phone in your order and collect later on 0776 333 969. What could be better?
text by Michael Nott
photos by Michele Fortmann
additional photos and drawings by Kirsten Marx
