KOREASCHOLAR

This study was conducted to investigate and analyze food related and space related elements of popular Vietnamese restaurants in Hong Kong to identify restaurant images related to food, to examine how Vietnamese traditions are applied to such restaurants, and ultimately, to get their implications for us. Luxury Vietnamese restaurants in Hong Kong tended to be located in major office buildings and famous shopping malls in the downtown area; therefore, they were highly accessible to foreigners. In addition, most Vietnamese restaurants were quite formal in size or atmosphere. The food-related elements of the luxury restaurants reproduced traditional menus, but the table setting and service generally adopted a formal Western style setting. The presentation of foods was also creative and contemporary, to suit international customers' tastes. Regarding the spatial elements, restaurants serving traditional menus had interiors influenced by the French colonial period, while those serving contemporarily adapted menus had interiors with simple contemporary images emphasized by Vietnamese traditional decorations. These characteristics allowed foreigners from diverse countries to access the restaurants without a sense of rejection. Casual restaurants were primarily exposed to many people on busy roadsides, but they tended to be inferior in terms of size and quality. Apart from size and price level, food-related elements failed to reflect Vietnamese unique traditional characteristics. The outward appearance consisted of basic construction materials (glass, chassis, and bamboo) instead of those representing Vietnamese architecture. Additionally, the interior of the casual restaurants contained traditional elements or objects more frequently than luxury restaurants, but they looked rather disorderly and lacked harmony. Overall, the image of casual restaurants was degraded by the use of cheap and low quality finishing materials and furniture. The results of this study may be useful for organizations promoting the Branding of Korea or businesspeople and designers promoting the globalization of Korean foods.

• 오혜경 | Oh, Hye-Kyung
• 이지현 | Lee, Ji-Hyun