HOT POT RESTAURANT – 2015

The client was looking to have painted a line drawing of traditional and ancient ways chinese people would gather to eat. The design that was created for this showcased that very effectively. There was also chinese writing to accompany the designs.

One of the designs were painted in the main hallway of the restaurant, this design was directly in front of a large room that would serve many people 15+ people so the design would kind of serve as that parties private art work. However you could also see the design from many other areas of the restaurant. The design was with four people gathered around a fire to cook and eat their meal, and in the distance was a man on a boat.
The second design was placed further in the rear of the restaurant as you approach the bathrooms. This design was of a more modern scene when compared to the main mural in the middle of the restaurant. This design was of two men sitting down to eat their meal at a wooden table and bench.

We worked mainly in off hours so as not to interfere with the customers and wait staff. There was a lock box outside that allowed us to enter the establishment without having to have someone let us in. This is a general way of doing things with larger construction jobs where many people will need access.

We used mas tac vinyl paint mask. This vinyl is specially formulated to work with paint and stencils. A delicate simple line drawing is a great approach for this stencil application. A premium grade paint was used for the mural. We did a bleed coat before we painted the black in. The bleed coat is the same color as the wall and fills in any gaps that the stencil might leave. Another option would to have projected the design. Projecting the design in the small hallway does not give you enough clearance to be able to get a good projection.

HOT POT

Hot pot refers to a variety of a stew that is common across Eastern Asia. A pot of simmering broth will rest on a burner at the center of a table. Around the pot are various ingredients and foods that are ready to be put into the simmering pot. All the ingredients are raw. Some of the common hot pot ingredients are seafood, mushrooms, thinly cut meats, egg dumplings, and tofu. Hot pot is a common social dining practice that brings together households and close associates. People take hot pot for supper during winter. People then put the cooked food in a dipping sauce and eat it.

The practice of hot pot started a long time ago in China. Today, most households continue with this practice that brings families and friends together. In fact, people highly regard hot pot, that there is a saying that one does not ‘hot pot’ with people they don’t like. Hot pot uses a lot of natural ingredients. The aim is to create food that people can enjoy together, while keeping out the cold.

Hot Pot Variations

Across Eastern Asia, there are many variations of the hot pot. The variations are mostly because of the ingredients that are present in different geographical regions. For example, the residents of northern China use lamb because the place is colder. In other parts, hot pot uses a lot of seafood. Across the borders, there is hot pot in Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand. Each of these has a variation and will use a lot of the available ingredients for their meal. In general, hot pot will differ from one Eastern Asian region to another.

Many restaurants that offer Asian cuisines have hot pot on their menu. In some places, hot pot reflects fine dining because of the high-quality ingredients that the chefs use.

Chinatown, Toronto

Chinatown is a melting pot of Chinese culture in Canada. Chinatown is a large territory in Toronto where many businesses and residents of ethnic Chinese origin are concentrated. The first Chinese person to be documented in Canada was Sam Ching in 1878. Later, many other Chinese men came into Canada after building the Canadian Pacific Railway. The Chinese mostly set up groceries, hand laundries, and small restaurants. Chinatown then started growing, and soon, more businesses were being set up by more Chinese. Overtime, the area now known as Chinatown came to be populated by predominantly the Chinese.

Today, one can take a walk around Chinatown and visit businesses that are on both sides of streets. There are many items that one can buy, especially those that resonate with the Chinese culture.