Nuri is a luxurious, elevated steakhouse concept merging Eastern philosophies of cooking and culture with Western design and traditions. Among a sea of high-end steakhouses, Nuri provides a unique perspective on this American staple by merging Korean flavors and Asian cooking techniques with Texas steakhouse cuisine and culture. The restaurant is divided into several unique experiences, including a bar/lounge, an intimate yet energetic formal dining room, an outdoor dining patio, and private dining rooms. A private members club also onsite holds a dedicated bar and lounge.
Nuri’s design embraces Deco-era geometric forms and volumes to craft a lavish, fantastical space. Liberal use of curvaceous shapes and soft fabrics throughout the restaurant re-interpret Art Deco forms through a modern lens, while the supporting wood, metals, and stones are elevated, crafted, and distinctly detailed. Traditional Korean celadon ceramics inspire both color and texture throughout the dining room. Details in custom light fixtures and artwork draw inspiration from the many textures of Asia. In an unexpected design move, cyberpunk culture is used to infuse an edginess to the space and nod to the popularity of digital gaming in modern Asian culture. Shaped metals and high reflectivity in the light fixtures and architectural finishes show influences of computer parts—digital board patterns and metal heat sinks, needed to distribute energy and heat generated from computing culture. The merging of these various design pillars creates an experience that is elegant, sophisticated, and highly crafted, with a soft hum of energy transmitted throughout each distinct space.
In Nuri’s main bar area, a glowing ceiling made of custom extruded metalized curves creates reflection and sparkle while adding a dimension of circuitry. A giant, oversized, out-of-scale round polished chrome light fixture—crafted from a massive milk truck panel—highlights the entire bar in a warped, dimensionally-bending representation of reality, and was inspired by the darker side of cyber-arts.
The main dining room hosts large curved chandeliers layered downward, revealing an asymmetrical light fixture inspired by computer parts, which glow inward while reflecting the dining room in polished brass. Large, elegant fluted columns in the middle of the dining room are crowned with curved, ribbed glowing resin, and add an Art-Deco glamour to the dining room. The fluted and scored forms were inspired by heat sinks which allow the massive energy developed by computing to be distributed and cooled. Arched light fixtures inspired by cyberculture fashion and style, appear overhead like watchful eyeballs, reflecting the evening’s events in their glossy brass and glass components.
The member’s room offers an illuminated brass metal and mirror installation opposite the fireplace, layered in front of a DeGournay hand-painted, Asian-influenced wall covering depicting ancient dwarf trees and iridescent gold—adding elegance and sparkle to the room. The large chandeliers hanging below a solid brass-tiled reflective ceiling cove are inspired by the largest of heat sinks, with radiating fins made of brass surrounding a glowing core. Hanging beads and reflective surfaces add a decorative softness to an otherwise gritty, mechanically-inspired design.
