The new Richmond restaurant, which opened amidst the pandemic sought an original design for their merchandise which had some visual connection to their logo (red bowl with lightning bolt).
I drew inspiration from the restaurant's defining characteristic: It's incredibly unique blend of regional cuisines. Instabowl, which serves its dishes primarily in bowls, elevates and offers Richmond a chance to try unique cuisines and ingredients of the pacific such as Filipino, Hawaiian, Sri Lankan and Korean. I wanted to incorporate ingredients commonly found in these cuisines throughout the illustration.
Lightning bolts with type throughout feature Chef Chris Smith's kitchen motto, "set it off" along with the year and location of opening. The combined rice bowl and ramen bowl, alongside the prawns, ube (purple potato), scallions, kimmchi, soft-boiled egg, pineapple, lime and fish cake offer a 'storm' of culinary possibilities.
November 2020
The Instabowl menu is meant to function while communicating information about the cuisines and their origins through their visual elements.
The black and white border is not only meant to boast tropical ingredients, but a vintage feel, indicating tradition in the restaurant's dishes.
The hand-drawn headings offer more logo recognition and a practical, chalkboard-esque style. This references the virtual food hall's practical side.
November 2020
