February 7, 2024

For a Dry Pot Eatery in Brooklyn, Bold Branding Stands Out

2023 Best of Year Winner for Collateral Branding

Sichuanese cuisine is known for its signature mix of má (numbing, or mild) and là (spicy). Together, those add up to the name of MáLà Project, a restaurant in Brooklyn, New York, known for its “dry pot” dish, its signature secret sauce nailing the unique flavor combination. Dry pot is no ancient recipe; it emerged in China in the 1990’s. So, MáLà’s branding by Jingqi Fan harkens back to that decade via a nostalgic color scheme and graphics, which integrate Chinese calligraphy to ground the environment in tradition. There’s even a mascot/logo named BènBèn, a playful interpretation of the mythological hero Nezha, there to guide newcomers through their first taste of má and là.

See Interior Design’s Best of Year Winners and Honorees

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2025 WINNERS

a red circular sign outside MaLa Project Brooklyn

a red and blue menu holder inside MaLa Project Brooklyn

neon branding for a MaLa Project Brooklyn

PROJECT TEAM

JINGQI FAN; GUO MING; LAUREN DOUGHTY; TOBY MORTIMER; ALEXIS JAMET; MATÍAS ENAUT; TIENMIN LIAO; GUANG XU; JONAS LUEBBERS.

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