Project

Shin Koike

Client

Shin Koike is a famous Japanese chef. He worked in many different traditional japanese restaurants before settling in Brazil. Today he runs three restaurants in São Paulo: Aizomê, Rangetsu and Sakagura A1. All are recognized as top Japanese restaurants in the country.

Shin is recognized by his incredible work in Brazil. He produces authentic Japanese food with Brazilian ingredients.

Project goals

Shin Koike was invited to be the Chef of a new restaurant in Rio de Janeiro. However, this time, the name of the restaurant would be his own. My goal was to create a brand that conveyed Shin Koike's philosophy.

Creative solution

In order to understand more about Shin Koike, I read his book "A cor do Sabor - A culinária afetiva de Shin Koike", I researched his story and was even able to have a brief conversation with him. From all I heard and read about Koike, I was able to gather interesting information and identify the most important factors of his culinary skills.

In Japan, chefs are respected based on the knives they use. "In Japanese culinary, cutting precision and aesthetic are fundamental and only some Japanese knives are able to show this outcome.”

Shin has always been rebellious and restless. He wasn't satisfied with his father’s teaching, therefore he sought for other resources, which gave him an inventive feature to his culinary skills. His boldness and creativity transcends the traditional Japanese cuisine. "When I decided to come to Brazil, I didn't want to be stuck with old habits. This does not mean I abandoned the tradition, but didn't want to be worried about the things are not available here.”

I noticed how unique and contemporaneous Shin is. My goal was to create a brand that could identify with precision such as the flawless cut a Japanese knife delivers. In addition, I didn't want the brand to look like most traditional Japanese restaurants, red and black with Japanese script. I needed to convey the bold, modern and fresh technique of Koike.