Sensual, nostalgic and a little disorienting – that’s precisely what stepping into Ama, a newly opened cocktail lounge and raw bar in Vancouver, feels like. Nestled within a two-storey 1970s walk-up, the 52-seat eatery by partners and brothers Yianni and Petro Kerasiotis and Takuya Motohash remains concealed from the street until its sign illuminates. Guests are then ushered through a discreet coral-red cage door and a large staircase which ascends into the main space, distinctively suffused with a retro-futuristic orange glow akin to Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049.
Ama Bar, where reality and fantasy collide
Darcy Hanna and Emma Sims, co-founders of studio &Daughters, had a clear vision from the start as Ama’s design team: they sought to design a space where ‘guests could have a transformative experience’, which, therefore, guided all creative decisions. The Canadian duo began by sealing off two windows to eliminate natural light and draw all focus to a substantial U-shaped bar at the room’s centre, where the chef now prepares sushi and is visible to and from the guests. ‘This interplay of observing and being observed is accentuated by semi-translucent mirrors lining the exterior walls, creating a great sense of intimacy,’ recount Hanna and Sims.
The bar top is clad in polished black granite and its surface is concealed in a reflective material that catches the surrounding light, which induces a sense of gentle psychedelia. Flanking the bar ends are two imposing pillars that frame backlit shelves displaying sake bottles and spirits. Warm textured plastered walls also feature nuanced semi-transparent golden mirrors. Rectilinear cutouts, volumes and voids enhance spatial symmetry. At the same time, a bulkhead along the perimeter walls unifies the space increasing natural flow, integrating banquette seating, a coat check, a wine wall with a decanter station, the back bar and a waiting bench.
Contributing to the magical atmosphere is the overarching restaurant concept. Ama, meaning ‘sea women’ in Japanese, honours the traditional female divers who have been harvesting seafood and pearls for centuries in Japan. Hanna and Sims reveal that the concept for the main dining area preceded the naming: ‘Graphic design studio Glasfurd & Walker truly interpreted the essence of the room, as well as the food and beverage offerings, all which eventually inspired the overall concept of Ama. And, in many ways, the luminous quality of the space seeks to evoke the precious pearls the divers seek.’
Upon being presented with the naming, branding and conceptual direction, Hanna and Sims decided to revisit the entry and stairwell design to incorporate elements that directly celebrated the divers. ‘We accomplished this by enveloping the entire stairwell in a deep cold dark blue tone. Additionally, a custom optic light installation hanging from above mimics the bioluminescence of undersea creatures and the movement of bubbles. At the top of the stairs, a lightbox acts as a beacon bearing a glowing image of a diver washed in blue.’ From the cocktail menu, created by Troy Resch, to its elegant and mouth-watering dishes, Ama truly showcases the flavours of Japan in an otherwordly setting where reality and fantasy blur.
Ama Bar is located at 3980 Fraser Street, Vancouver
A version of this article appears in the May 2024 Milan Preview Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.
