Sip & Slurp

A recent quick branding project for a new ramen restaurant offering 360° counter dining. The name Saiko refers both to an era in Japanese history and loosely translates to ‘the best’ or ‘supreme’ so I thought this was a fitting name. I then combined this with ‘Ramen Bar’ to hint towards the counter dining element of the experience.

The main focus of the project was to give the brand a striking visual identity that was fun and engaging but looked worth the mid - high price range of the menu items. To achieve this goal, I combined a sleek, modern logo and type guidelines with a broad variety of textured backdrops and icons to add a more dynamic element.

The combination of textures was intended to mirror the broad selection of flavours and sensations experienced within each bowl served in the restaurant. I paired this with an adaptable savoury colour scheme of deep green or creamy beige (or noodle colour!) and a rich orange to project warmth, flavour and spice.

To play on the ramen bar element, I proposed a ramen and craft beer pairing evening for the launch to offer something more unique and memorable to potential attendees - this led on to the creation of custom branded beers to add a special takeaway to the evening, whilst hopefully encouraging guests to photograph the branded cans alongside their meals to amplify the brand name across socials from day one.