Uchi Restaurant Group opened its sixth concept, Top Knot, in Dallas earlier this year above its popular restaurant Uchi. Executive Chef Tyson Cole’s new concept features a playful small-plates menu inspired by flavors from Southeast Asia, Latin America and Japan. Top Knot’s bar program features Japanese whiskey, draft beer, sake on tap and inventive cocktails.
Designed by Austin, Texas–based Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, the light-filled space features solid white oak and longleaf pine millwork throughout. Other design features include herringbone-patterned white oak floors and wainscoting, coffered ceiling beams, and a bar top made using longleaf pine salvaged from an Oklahoma barn.
Throughout the dining room, natural-meets-bold accents take the form of smooth clay walls offset by red, fireclay-glazed bricks set in a vertical pattern. Custom-made, turquoise-colored cushions bump up the natural ash color of the dining tables and chairs.
Key artwork elements include a 30-foot multimedia mural by Washington, D.C.-based artist Erin Curtis, who used hand-cut stencils to paint directly on the wall with a palette of pale pink, apricot and vibrant yellow. Hangings of cut-and-patterned canvas, tassels and patterned cord add another level of energy.
An outdoor balcony furnished with aqua chairs, white stools and marble-topped tables features vertical wood-and-steel slats to create a sense of privacy and enclosure with views from and to the space.