Prada‘s first stand-alone dining space in Asia is set to unveil at Rong Zhai, its restored historical mansion and art space in downtown Shanghai.
Prada Rong Zhai in downtown Shanghai.
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Named Mi Shang, which translates to “be obsessed with” in Chinese, the café and restaurant project was conceived by the renowned Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai.
Wong drew inspiration from the philatelic concept of tête-bêche — two identical stamps linked together, with one flipped upside down — for the restaurant logo, while his cinematic style influenced its interior decor.
The interior design not only evokes scenes from Wong’s iconic films, such as “In the Mood For Love” and “Happy Together,” but also uses mirrors and contrasts — a cinematic device now synonymous with Wong — to strike a balance between diverse cultural and visual references, according to Prada.
“The idea of reflection, adjacency, and correspondence hints at the intersection of two great cultures, connecting Milan and Shanghai in a visual dialogue that is both sophisticated and unique,” said Prada in a statement.
“Building on the success of Prada’s partnership with filmmaker Wes Anderson to create Bar Luce at Fondazione Prada in Milan, the Mi Shang Prada Rong Zhai project stands as a testament to the brand’s ongoing commitment to foster artistic conversations and practices,” the statement added.
Located on the second floor of the four-story Rong Zhai, the Prada eatery will offer an all-day café service alongside a fine dining experience. The yet-to-be-unveiled menu will feature breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and evening cocktails. Its fine-dining offerings will focus on Italian cuisine inspired by Chinese flavors.
The café and the restaurant are set to open on March 31 with hours of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Reservations will be open from noon on March 29 via the eatery’s WeChat Mini Program.
To celebrate the launch, Prada will host a cocktail reception on March 28 at the restored mansion.
It is not the first time that Prada has partnered with the famous film director.
Wong first linked with Prada last year for a capsule collection that recreated several looks from his hit TV series “Blossoms Shanghai.” The collaboration was more than three years in the making, when Wong’s team first reached out to Prada to pull items for the filming.
