Panda 18

The Experience Unfolds

The store was built around three elemental ideas — pandas, bamboo, and trees — and every detail was made to serve that story.

The façade arrives first, clad in sage green louvres that evoke the density of a bamboo grove, immediately signalling that this is not a generic quick-service outlet. It invites curiosity before a single cup is ordered. Step inside, and the kitchen opens up entirely to the customer — a deliberate choice that transforms the prep process into part of the experience. The structure is finished in white and light oak, keeping the space airy and honest, while the polished wooden floor grounds it with warmth.

The bain-marie and Taiwanese wok occupy the centre of the kitchen — rightfully, as the USP of the brand. After extensive research and development, the structure was crafted in an MS frame and clad with white brick tiles, with the bain-marie set seamlessly within and the wok positioned on top for live cooking. The result achieves exactly what was envisioned: the tactile character of a traditional cooking station fused with the clean finish of a modern retail space.

Outside the counter, sage green seating echoes the store's palette, while bamboo planters create a gentle, organic boundary between the outlet and the wider mall circulation — carving out a world within a world without a single hard partition. The space breathes.

The defining feature, however, is the panda on the log — a hand-crafted sculpture seated at the store's entrance, bubble tea in paw, surrounded by bamboo stalks. Equal parts brand icon and selfie moment, it became an organic social media fixture, drawing footfall and building the brand's presence beyond the four walls of the store.