BEIJING NOODLE No 9

On a recent trip to Las Vegas, we went to eat at Beijing Noodle No 9, one of the many restaurants located in Cesars Palace. After seeing the restaurant's unique design on a TV show and hearing about their hand made and hand stretched noodles, I had to go see it for myself and try it out.

My first thought, when we finally found the place was "WOW". The entrance is flanked on two sides with giant fish tanks, where the swimming fish act like animated art on the "wall". Inside, the walls and ceiling are covered with what seems to be laser-cut steel sheets that gently curve at the junctions between the walls and the ceiling, giving them a seamless look. The pattern from the steel sheets gives a great amount of texture and dimension to the space, which is essentially monochrome but certainly not boring. 

I love the attention to detail in this place. When you look up, you can see through the steel sheet that the ceiling above it has been covered with a covering similar to the pattern of the sheets, giving it another dimension, almost like shadows.

The ceiling is essentially a beautifully designed drop ceiling, hiding most vents and anything else that would alter the overall look of the space without compromising their function. It  would be great to see ideas like this integrated in commercial spaces such as offices and schools. It's so much better than the generic drop ceiling tiles we see everywhere here. 

I'm not a big fan of the TV in this kind of place, but at least they are very thin. Perhaps in the future, there would be a way to project images directly on the wall surface instead. 

The main kitchen is partially opened, so you can sit at the bar and watch the cooks. The indirect lighting under the counter was a nice touch. This bold yet minimalist design is the work of a Japanese firm called design spirits. Not surprisingly, they won several awards for this project dating from 2009. 

The food

We tried the Lan Zhou La Mein with Sliced Beef, the War Wonton Noodle Soup and the BBQ pork buns. It was good. My favorite was the Wonton because the broth was light. Why was it called War Wonton? Because it was made with "shrimps fighting against pork", thus the word "war" in it. The beef soup was very flavorful but a little heavier than I expected. The pork buns were good, the "bread" tasked like regular white bread. I probably would have preferred steamed buns. Overall it was a great experience and  I would definitely go back to try a couple other dishes.  

Get the look
If you would like to have a similar look in own your home, you can do so by going to IKEA. I found a couple of pieces that would be perfect for it : Anno Inez panel, Klippan love seat, Liksidig napkin holder, Billsta table, IKEA 365+ wine glasses, Erland chair and Slatten laminate floor.

Also, if you're looking to purchase any items at IKEA, IKEA Canada is currently running a new  pinning contest from their new Pinterest account. Everyday until August 26, one person gets a chance to win a $100 gift certificate toward their favorite item simply by pinning them from IKEA's board. Check out their page for more info.