Fu Rong Ji

Fu Rong Ji is a modern dim sum spot located in the historic Beijing neighborhood of Gulou. The concept for the restaurant was to create a venue with the social feel of a Hong Kong diner, a carefully researched southern Chinese dim sum menu, and yet maintain a relationship with the northern Chinese cultural context of Beijing. With low, open booths, and tables intimately perched next to one another, diners feel socially connected to the entire space and ready to run into friends from the neighborhood day to night. The building housing the restaurant is part of the traditional hutong urban fabric and after stripping away many layers built up over time the traditional wooden roof frame underneath was revealed. These historical building elements, combined with a light touch, and the use of local materials grounded the space in its Beijing roots. The subtly reflective surfaces used throughout help to dematerialize the atmosphere and give a sense of effervescence and buoyancy to the space.