NEWH - Summer 2014 - 56

Project Chino Chinatown

Perfect Marriage
Big design impact on a small
budget in West Dallas
By Joy Gettis

*

D

Photography by Ira Montgomery

esigner Kellie Sirna, principal of Dallas-based Studio 11
Design, had been friends with Adrian Verdin for 20 years
and chef Uno Immanivong for five. So when the two
partnered to open restaurant Chino Chinatown, Sirna was
a natural fit for a collaborator. "It was so fun being a part of their
vision, watching this restaurant come to life," says Sirna.
Her goal: marry her two friend's cultures through the design.
"Adrian is Latin with a culinary taste and Uno has been destined
to be a chef since she watched her mother cooking a lot of the
Asian courses that are on their menu today," Sirna explains. As for
the design: "We felt that industrial had been done so we created
a warm and inviting space, reflective of the ingenuity happening
in the kitchen and evoking the creativity of the craft cocktail
movement."
It also reflected the ingenuity of the project: It's part of
developer Phil Romano's restaurant incubation program at Trinity
Groves, a new 15-acre entertainment destination in West Dallas.
The project proposed the challenge of million-dollar success
within one year to the owners, chef, and design team. "It's such a

56 www.newh.org

A rockabilly geisha mural is the focal point of the restaurant,
and represents the fusion of the two owners' cultures.
unique project," Sirna says. "We wanted to maximize on the huge
patio space so we created the bar to unite both indoor and outdoor
spaces."
But with an FF&E budget of only $85,000, Sirna and her team
had to be innovative in their sourcing. "We found or designed
almost everything from local millworkers and consignment
stores," she says. Everything was intentional-from the layered
street art at the patio to the rockabilly geisha wall mural.
As Sirna says: "Our inspiration came when we designed our
'Geisha Señorita,' created by mixing the elements of an Asian
geisha with a Latin señorita. She was painted to look like she had
been on the side of this building for years. We wanted her to be
colorful, represent both cultures, and exude a sexiness over you as
you enjoyed your cocktail, dinner guests, and your meal." 〉〉〉



http://www.newh.org

NEWH - Summer 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - Summer 2014

NEWH - Summer 2014
Contents
News
Who's Who
Sustainability
Conference Rounup
Scholarships
Q&A: Chris Tucker
Q&A: Karen Appert
Q&A: Stephanie Thompson
Product Know How
Have You seen?
On the Scene
On The Cover: Vaughan Benz’s Scott Vaughan and David Benz
Project: Warwick Suites, New York
Project: Chino Chinatown, Dallas
Save the Date
New Members
Partner Profiles
Chapter Highlights
Ad Index
NEWH - Summer 2014 - NEWH - Summer 2014
NEWH - Summer 2014 - Cover2
NEWH - Summer 2014 - Contents
NEWH - Summer 2014 - News
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 5
NEWH - Summer 2014 - Who's Who
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 7
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 8
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 9
NEWH - Summer 2014 - Sustainability
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 11
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 12
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 13
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 14
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 15
NEWH - Summer 2014 - Conference Rounup
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 17
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 18
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 19
NEWH - Summer 2014 - Scholarships
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 21
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 22
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 23
NEWH - Summer 2014 - Q&A: Chris Tucker
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 25
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 26
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 27
NEWH - Summer 2014 - Have You seen?
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 29
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 30
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 31
NEWH - Summer 2014 - Q&A: Stephanie Thompson
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 33
NEWH - Summer 2014 - Product Know How
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 35
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 36
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 37
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 38
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 39
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 40
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 41
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 42
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 43
NEWH - Summer 2014 - On the Scene
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 45
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 46
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 47
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 48
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 49
NEWH - Summer 2014 - On The Cover: Vaughan Benz’s Scott Vaughan and David Benz
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 51
NEWH - Summer 2014 - Project: Warwick Suites, New York
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 53
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 54
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 55
NEWH - Summer 2014 - Project: Chino Chinatown, Dallas
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 57
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 58
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 59
NEWH - Summer 2014 - Save the Date
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 61
NEWH - Summer 2014 - New Members
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 63
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 64
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 65
NEWH - Summer 2014 - Partner Profiles
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 67
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 68
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 69
NEWH - Summer 2014 - Chapter Highlights
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 71
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 72
NEWH - Summer 2014 - 73
NEWH - Summer 2014 - Ad Index
NEWH - Summer 2014 - Cover3
NEWH - Summer 2014 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/newh/2024Spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/newh/2023Winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/newh/2023fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/newh/2023summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/newh/2023spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/newh/2022winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/newh/2022fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/newh/2022summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/newh/2022spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/newh/2021winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/newh/2021fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/newh/2021summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2021spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2020winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2020fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2020july_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2020july
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2020summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2020spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2019winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2019fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2019summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2019spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2018winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2018fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2018summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2018spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2017winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2017fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2017summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2017spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2016winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2016fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2016summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2016spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2015winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2015fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2015summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2015spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2014winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2014fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2014summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newh/2014spring
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com