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May 13, 2020

A Fresh Take on Chinese-American Cuisine in San Francisco

Studio BBA designed the first outpost of fast-casual brand Mamahuhu around its delivery- and takeout-reliant business model.

By: Lydia Lee

Copy Of Bba Mamahuhu 12 — Mamahuhu’s teal facade features a wall of Heath tile in various shades for a charmingly ad-hoc effect. Chinese characters in neon spell out “Mamahuhu,” which translates literally to “horse horse tiger tiger,” and is a colloquial way to say “so-so.” **Courtesy Mariko Reed**

Kung pao chicken and broccoli beef represent an iconic but often scorned type of American fast food. In recent years, Chinese regional cuisines have been the focus of both high-end fusion and fast-casual concepts. But a new fast-casual brand, Mamahuhu, is celebrating those uniquely Chinese-American mainstays. Its first outpost recently opened in San Francisco’s Innner Richmond, reinvigorating old favorites with organic, locally grown ingredients—as well as appropriately fresh décor.

To design the 1,900-square-foot restaurant, chef Brandon Jew and his partners reached out to San Francisco–based Studio BBA, which had previously designed Jew’s Michelin-starred Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown. Since Mamahuhu’s business model relies primarily on deliveries and takeout—a move that feels particularly prescient given widespread stay-at-home orders—the architects devoted half of the space to a kitchen and food prep areas. For the public-facing side, the restauranteur asked for “energetic, lighthearted, and social atmosphere,” where diners would “feel the attention to detail and thoughtfulness of our space.”

Copy Of Bba Mamahuhu 03 — Local artist Kristina Micotti was commissioned to create the art in the wall niche; the four paintings are an illustration of the restaurant’s name (“Mamahuhu” translates to “horse horse tiger tiger”). Hay’s Soft Edge P10 chairs in hunter green provide flexible seating. **Courtesy Mariko Reed**

To create that sense of detail within the narrow, 20-foot-wide restaurant, Studio BBA used white board-and-batten on the walls, which stretch along the ceiling of Tectum paneling. Book-matched face-grain walnut booths and solid walnut benches further spruce up the dining area. The brand’s colors—blue-green and salmon—are found throughout: on the exterior, the tile flooring and walls inside, and in the furnishings like the Verner Panton pendant lights. To provide an enlivening workspace, the kitchen sports a two-toned blue-green tile wall and terracotta-colored recycled-vinyl flooring.

Copy Of Bba Mamahuhu 06 — The walkway to the counter has a gray herringbone tile floor. A large skylight over the counter draws people’s attention there. you Customers order at the counter and get a mahjong tile with a number on it, which is called when the order is ready. **Courtesy Mariko Reed**

The attention to detail even extends to the area where customers wait for their orders, typically considered a non-space. “Here, someone getting takeout is just as important as someone in the dining room,” says Studio BBA principal Bonnie Bridges. A walnut half-wall divides the booths from the corridor, which links the entrance and the counter. Nearby, an oblong walnut bench with an integrated planter lets visitors stylishly wait for their hot-and-sour soup or mushroom mapo tofu—Bridges’ personal recommendation.

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