Cuisine of China
With the goal in mind of creating a Chinese restaurant concept and brand specifically targeted to the needs and opportunities within the burgeoning Chinese market, a team of design, creative and operational specialists was assembled.
With the goal in mind of creating a Chinese restaurant concept and brand specifically targeted to the needs and opportunities within the burgeoning Chinese market, a team of design, creative and operational specialists was assembled. Yuxi aims to provide efficient and personalized service with a strong focus on guest relationship building and VIP database development which is essential for any successful restaurant business in China.
With the goal in mind of creating a Chinese restaurant concept and brand specifically targeted to the needs and opportunities within the burgeoning Chinese market, a team of design, creative and operational specialists was assembled. Yuxi aims to provide efficient and personalized service with a strong focus on guest relationship building and VIP database development which is essential for any successful restaurant business in China.
Get StartedConcept Statement
A Flexible Restaurant Concept
A Flexible Restaurant Concept
A Flexible Restaurant Concept
Concept Statement
Yuxi is a flexible, turnkey restaurant concept. It accommodates diverse localized demands within different regions of China, and easily adapts to local market conditions.
It is an elegant, understated restaurant with a strong and consistent brand identity—built around “Yuxi”, the Imperial Seal Stamp. This design theme articulates the international sophistication of the Hilton brand in ambience, while honoring the long history of Chinese culture and heritage.
Brand Overview
The Imperial Seal
The Imperial Seal
The Imperial Seal
Brand Overview
In Chinese, Yuxi is normally written 玉溪, which literally means “the Imperial Seal.”
For the restaurant we render the name, 御溪. This is phonetically identical but has a slightly nuanced meaning as “the Royal Seal” or “the seal belonging to the Emperor.” As an iconic symbol, Chinese seals—traditionally used to imprint hot wax—are incorporated throughout the restaurant. This signature icon appears first in the grand entrance seal stone wall, and then throughout the restaurant on the menu and even within the rarified atmosphere of the “Chairman's Private Dining Room.”
Menu Narrative
Embracing Regional Cuisine
Embracing Regional Cuisine
Embracing Regional Cuisine
Menu Narrative
Yuxi's gastronomy embraces every major regional cuisine and cooking method—and allows for a mix of local and regional dishes. A selection of signature dishes—have been developed to ensure consistency across various Yuxi locations.
THE NORTH: SHANDONG CUISINE
Combines the flavours of Qilu, Jiaoliao and Kongfu, and has had an important influence on other styles of cooking being dubbed as the head of eight major cuisines in China.
THE EAST: HUAIYANG CUISINE
Jiangsu cuisine, or Huaiyang cuisine, the name used in the four major cuisines, comprised of Xuhai, Huaiyang, Nanjing and Sunan. It is the secondar largest style of cooking in royal court.
THE SOUTH: GUANDONG CUISINE
Combinations of Guangfu, Kejia and Chaoshan flavours. These style restaurants can befound in most parts of China and earn a reputation overseas—most of the Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong, Macao or abroad take Guandong style of cooking.
THE WEST: SICHUAN CUISINE
Represented by Chengdu cuisine and Chongqing Cuisine. The diverse cuisines within the family of Sichuan cuisine have a relatively unified flavour. It is most popular among Southwest China and Hubei area.
Service Narrative
Personalized Service
Personalized Service
Personalized Service
Service Narrative
The Yuxi staff provide swift, efficient and personalized service centered around strong guest relationship building. An extensive VIP database is carefully developed and maintained.
Guests are warmly greeted upon arrival by the hostess in the reception area. Regular and VIP guests are addressed by name when possible. Everyone is personally escorted by a staff member to a table in the Main Dining Room (MDR) or to their Private Dining Room (PDR.)
In locations where layouts allow, PDR guests are seated without being seen by other diners, preserving their privacy and helping them maintain a low profile. The PDR staff must be familiar with the daily room bookings and be able to identify the host, company and event names.
During the meal, the highest standards of service are maintained, from knowing the correct protocol for seating corporate, governmental, and family parties, to providing impressive spectacle around the service of signature Yuxi dishes like Beggar’s Chicken, which is broken from its clay shell with a ceremonial hammer by the guest of honor.
After the billing process is completed, MDR guests are thanked for their patronage and escorted to the main door, personally, where possible. Alternatively, the hostesses take over the farewell process to thank and bid farewell to guests as they depart.
Environmental
Rich—but Approachable
Rich—but Approachable
Rich—but Approachable
Environmental
The rich—but approachable—atmosphere of Yuxi is achieved by carefully balancing luxurious materials, furnishings, and décor with respectful, personal service. Theatrical lighting, a dramatic color palette, distinctive Chinese music, and theme-centered artwork based around the seal motif combine to create a memorable impression that is unique to our brand.
From a practical view, the design of the space, reflects intelligent consideration of operational and service requirements for a carefully-researched clientele.
Each restaurant includes several private dining rooms with established minimum standards for décor, guest amenities and operational facilities. Ambient factors such as lightning and music have been thoughtfully planned. An exclusive entrance for private dining room guests as well as a restaurant entrance independent from the hotel are prioritized design considerations wherever physically possible.
Specialty Dishes
Regional Cuisine
Regional Cuisine
Regional Cuisine
Specialty Dishes
BEGGAR'S CHICKEN
Originating from a legend about a starving beggar in China during the Qing dynasty, this dish has been a traditional Chinese dish ever since.
MONK JUMPS OVER THE WALL
Famous traditional Fujian proviencal dish with a history of over 100 years.
BIRD'S NEST WITH CRAB MEAT & ROE
A traditional dish that is given a modern presentation. Its neutral composition lends itself well to the strong umami flavors of fresh crab meat and stock.
KING PRAWN ON HOT PLATE
One of the favorite dishes for many people that appreciates traditional Cantonese seafood dishes. Simple, yet flavorful.
SAUTÉD POMFRET PREPARED IN TWO WAYS
Classic, old style Hong Kong, seafood dish make popular by a number of well known establishments in the 1970s Hong Kong.
SAUTÉD FREE RANGE EGGS WITH SCALLOP AND CRABMEAT
A modern and environmentally friendly, but equally tasty variation of a classical dish that traditionally uses Shark’s fin as the main ingredient.
Iconic Entrance
The main entrance is an iconic design feature which is replicated throughout every Yuxi-branded restaurant to provide a consistent, welcoming and familiar arrival experience.
A large, single-panel, stainless steel door with an antique-finish wooden handle-carved with Chinese characters that reflect the "Royal Seal" Floor of the walkways laid with black stone in alternating strips of matte and shine finishes. Right wall features a cilim of horizontally stacked giant seals carved in different motifs interspersed with lighted niches. Lowered wood ceiling carved with "Fu Lu Shou Xi" characters.
Iconic Entrance
The main entrance is an iconic design feature which is replicated throughout every Yuxi-branded restaurant to provide a consistent, welcoming and familiar arrival experience.
A large, single-panel, stainless steel door with an antique-finish wooden handle-carved with Chinese characters that reflect the "Royal Seal" Floor of the walkways laid with black stone in alternating strips of matte and shine finishes. Right wall features a cilim of horizontally stacked giant seals carved in different motifs interspersed with lighted niches. Lowered wood ceiling carved with "Fu Lu Shou Xi" characters.
Feature Wall
The Guest Journey
Red seal feature wall
Facing guests, at the end of the entrance corridor, is a feature wall stamped with an assortment of cinnabar-like red stamp seal patterns. Designs range from favorite Chinese characters in different calligraphy to auspicious pictograms of flora and fauna like peaches, deer and cranes.
Seal stone sculpture
On the right of the feature wall as guests enter the Main Dining Room, there is an installation of large stamp seal stone sculptures of varying heights and traditional carvings of propitious symbols such as the lion, dragon, etc.
Corridor
The Guest Journey
The matte and gloss striped black stone flooring of the entrance continues into the corridor of the private dining rooms. The walls are covered with dark lacquered wood panels. The room doors are a cinnabar red wood with a textured, recurring stamp seal pattern and the matte iron door handles are also reminiscent of the stamp seal with a small crystal carving on the top.
There is a gold-coloured stamp design light feature at each door and the recommended name application method is to project the PDR name onto the wall or floor with Gobo lighting.
At the end of the long corridor, a mirror or high-polish surface on the wall extends the spaciousness and length of the passageway. The end of the short corridor from the main entrance towards the Chairman’s Room is decorated with a decorative table and decor item. In the event the restaurant requires a separate, private entrance for the PDRs, this is a suitable location for the purpose.
There is also a service entrance to the kitchen along this corridor to facilitate swift food and beverage service as it is of great importance for Chinese cuisine to serve hot food while hot to optimise flavours and food quality.
Main Dining Area
Iconic Table Service
Located between the central row of tables and the show kitchen or display/feature wall, this specially chosen piece of furniture (as an option) can reflect regional or local design tastes. It is also functional for staff to: stage Yuxi’s signature Beggar’s Chicken service; to portion food; serve beverages, etc.
Semi-Private dining area with iconic screen
row of round tables (six- to eight-person capacity) along one wall of the Main Dining Room. This is designed as a semi-private dining area where a combination of swivel and fixed silk screens provide some privacy between individual tables. Three classic Chinese print motif options are provided for the silk screens which are encased between two glass panels. Between the swivel screens are display shelves which may double as table-tops and storage units for service use. The upper shelves hold niches with displays of Chinese décor items while the table top space is kept clear. The space below the table tops is used to store service equipment.
Seating
The Guest Journey
Lounge area
Behind the main entrance feature wall is a cozy space which serves as a small lounge area for guests to sit or wait and have some tea. A few chairs and side tables are strategically placed in an inviting manner with some simple design features or decorations such as mirrors, display shelves or art.
Semi-Private seating
There is a row of round tables for 6-8 people along one wall of the Main Dining Room. This semi-private dining area is a combination of swivel and fixed silk screens to provide some privacy between individual tables.
Other seating
The main dining room contains a variety of seating options to cater to different guest preferences.
The center of the room has 2 sets of semi-circular banquettes supplemented with 2 free-standing chairs. These round tables seat 4-6 people each and flank 2 additional tables of 4 people in between. The stamp seal design is also embossed on the back of the banquette in a continuation of the theme.
In the far end of the Main Dining Room, there are 2 more tables (for 4-6 people) aligned along the wall of the restaurant. Depending on location, this could be a wall of windows with a view or looking into the hotel itself. A shared service table separates the two tables.
Departure
The Guest Journey
Specialty Show kitchen
One of the potential highlight areas of the Main Dining Room is an optional show kitchen, designed within the confines of a standardized footprint but with variations in the kitchen equipment layouts according to the chosen cuisine to be featured. Floor-to-ceiling glass panels fully encase the front of the show kitchen for optimal views of the culinary action taking place within.
Wine or Tea Display Wall
Depending on the needs of individual locations, market sophistication, or local guest preferences, some restaurants may choose not to showcase ‘live’ cooking. In these cases, the space may be converted into display area for wine or tea.
Specialty Dishes
The Guest Journey
Legend has it that a starving beggar in China during the Qing dynasty stole a chicken and was hotly pursued by its owner. During his hasty escape, he buried the chicken near a riverbank to hide it. Later that night, he retrieved the chicken (its feathers now covered in mud) and built a fire of twigs to cook it.
Not having any pots or utensils, he placed the entire mud-encased chicken directly into the fire. A tight clay crust formed as the fowl cooked, and when the crust was cracked open the feathers came right off the chicken, exposing juicy tender meat and emitting an incredible aroma.
The enticing smell drew a passing Qing-dynasty Emperor to stop and dine with the beggar. Impressed by the flavors, the Emperor added “Beggar’s Chicken” to the list of dishes served at the Imperial court.
