Following their work on Vietnamese restaurant Lai Rai, artist duo House of Baby (aka Joseph Losper and Tomio Shota) have reimagined Bánh Bánh’s Brixton restaurant, introducing a renewed interior alongside a refreshed menu shaped by Hanoi-born visual artist and head of operations, AP Nguyen.
The design centres on contrast with guests moving through a calm entrance corridor towards an illuminated Vietnamese shrine finished in pink tile before arriving in the main dining room. Here, Vietnamese modernism informs the architecture with curved glass-block walls, cool concrete surfaces and deep wood tones. The material palette carries throughout the restaurant, reinforced by frescoes and ceiling paintings by Shota depicting nostalgic Vietnamese scenes.
Wool tapestries, ceramic hòn non bộ landscape sculptures and a hand-painted folding screen soften the boundary between dining space and exhibition, allowing the interior to read as a single, cohesive artwork, with creative director Tomio Shota adding: “The entire restaurant functions as a canvas and has been a really exciting project to bring to life.”
The menu follows the same philosophy of familiarity reinterpreted. Built around cơm nhà — Vietnamese home cooking — dishes are designed for sharing, with mẹt platters encouraging communal eating. The Bánh Bánh platter reworks rice in multiple textures, from steamed rice cakes to crispy fried grains served with punchy nước chấm. Larger dishes include turmeric-grilled monkfish with dill, lemongrass pork sausage, beef wrapped in betel leaf, caramelised catfish and braised pork belly, supported by lighter plates such as spring rolls and black sesame crackers.
Drinks nod to Southeast Asian flavours with a Tamarind Fizz that blends caramelised tamarind, pineapple and ginger, while wines come via local partner Vining Street Wine Club alongside a concise beer selection.
As Losper explains: “Our approach was guided by balance, creating something new while holding onto nostalgic warmth. It’s a space for slowing down, sharing food and connecting.”
Founded in 2016 by Kevin Nguyen and his siblings, Bánh Bánh now spans two chapters: the Bánh Bánh group with its Brixton and Fleet Street addresses, and Kevin’s independently operated Peckham restaurants, Lai Rai and Bà Ba; each carrying the same founding spirit into its own distinct space.
@banhbanh.london
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Bánh Bánh Brixton Photography, Anton Rodriguez.
