Just ten minutes away from Hong Kong Airport (in Citygate Outlets in Tung Chung), modern Cantonese restaurant SIXA was designed to be an ambassador, welcoming travellers to the city. Steve Leung Hospitality (SLH), headed by Steve Leung and part of the Steve Leung Design Group, crafted the interior with the bright, retro charm of 1960s Hong Kong.

The restaurant is packed with local design classics including ceramic openwork screens reminiscent of those used in public housing estates; references to folding chairs; and the city’s iconic neon signage. “We want diners to have a taste of the culture, aesthetics and history of our beautiful city while enjoying Cantonese cuisine including dim sum,” the designers say.

SLH was tasked with creating a sister restaurant to popular Cantonese bistro HEXA, which offers views of Hong Kong’s iconic harbour. ” SIXA was designed to have the DNA of HEXA, however at the same time with its very own individuality,” says the design team, explaining how they analysed the successful design elements of HEXA and reapplied them to the new restaurant.

For SIXA, they developed the story of a rich Hong Kong businessman who loves to collect beautiful artefacts and displays them in his mansion. The retro Hong Kong artefacts include radios, water bottles and family photos, and they take pride of place in the restaurant.

The designers chose pastel green as the predominant colour, a reflection of SIXA as the younger sister of HEXA – famous for its dark green hues. SLH balanced the green with perforated warm-toned wood veneer on the restaurant’s walls, cabinets and partitions.

On the floor, small-scale grey terrazzo transports visitors to traditional Hong Kong housing of the 60s. Bold-patterned wallpaper, including new designs by Moooi on the walls, and a rattan-inspired design on some of the furnishings, continue the retro vibe. 

The designers custom made furniture to include iconic Hong Kong elements in an abstract way. “You can feel the retro Hong Kong vibe but it’s nothing literal,” they explain. Lighting, including wall sconces on the restaurant’s columns (so placed to integrate the columns into the space) “reflects the Hong Kong spirit – being very adaptable and always maximising the use of space to its fullest,” according to the designers. 

Similarly, the design team was keen to effectively zone the space to allow diners to have a different experience each time they visit. The round entrance booth is finished with bright, iconic wallpaper. Likewise, the small VIP area that hosts eight-to-ten guests has a different colour scheme and is decked out in lively floral wallpaper complemented by retro pop artworks.

The spacious main dining area has a number of two-to-four-person dining tables as well as an area with carpet-like marble flooring for large communal tables.