scope

Website Design
Art Direction
HTML/CSS

Introduction

Responsive website re-design for An Choi - an authentic Vietnamese eatery in Lower East Side, NYC specializing in street-eats.

An Choi is a Vietnamese restaurant not only known for its authentic, modern Viet dishes but also its hip space and decor. The compact space of the restaurant resembles a street alley in Saigon. The front window resembles a Vietnamese market food stall. The decor features Vietnamese elements like "KH CAT B TONG" signs, propaganda posters and non la. (the restaurant is now permanently closed 😞)

Their original website

Restaurant exterior (image: anchoinyc.com)

Part of An Choi's original website

The Process

For this specific project, the challenge is to improve the website while keeping the original branding ideas / core art direction.

I achieve this by pulling inspiration from the restaurant's interior and their original website: old stamps, propaganda posters, overlapping photos and the transparent color blocks.

Landing page featuring a photo carousel

I use a subtle grainy texture throughout the background to resemble the weathered street feel of the restaurant. The design is relatively minimal yet fun and vibrant with pops of color here and there. Different sections on the website are separated with elements like stamp marks and Vietnamese Dong Ho painting animals.

Some screenshots from the website

Experience this fully responsive website

Mobile view

Tablet view

As a born-and-raise Vietnamese person, I'm happy with how this project came out. I was able to bring out the seemingly mundane elements in Vietnamese city streets and incorporate them into the restaurant's unique and playful brand identity.