A Cinema-Inspired Restaurant Opens in a Historic Asian Palace
A new independent restaurant is set to open in Asia, combining cinema, design, and fine dining in a truly unique setting. The venue is located within Rong Zhai Palace, a historic landmark built in 1918. After an extensive restoration in 2017, the palace became a cultural hub. Now, it is home to a one-of-a-kind dining experience.
A Fusion of Culinary Art and Cinema
The restaurant is a collaboration with renowned filmmaker Wong Kar-wai, known for his visually stunning and emotionally rich films. This partnership brings together the art of storytelling and the art of cuisine. It creates a multi-sensory experience inspired by Asian heritage and the palace’s rich history.
What Makes This Restaurant Unique?
- A Historic Setting – Dine inside a 100-year-old palace that blends tradition with modern luxury.
- Culinary Meets Cinema – Experience a fine dining concept influenced by cinematic artistry.
- Creative Vision by Wong Kar-wai – A restaurant shaped by one of Asia’s most celebrated directors.
This opening redefines luxury dining in Asia, merging culture, design, and gastronomy. This creates an experience where flavour, beauty, and storytelling come together.
Mi Shang Prada Rong Zhai, Shanghai
A Culinary Experience Where Culture and Cinema Meet
Mi Shang is more than a restaurant—it’s an artistic journey. Cultural exchange and cinematic aesthetics shape a unique dining experience. Its name, meaning “obsessed with” in Chinese, reflects the attention to detail behind every element of this project.
Located on the second floor, Mi Shang seamlessly blends an all-day café with an elevated fine dining experience. The menu offers a harmonious fusion of Italian and Chinese influences, bringing together the best of both culinary traditions.
A Design Inspired by Cinema and Visual Art
Mi Shang’s artistic vision extends beyond its cuisine. It influences its interior design, which is overseen by renowned filmmaker Wong Kar-wai. Known for his cinematic storytelling and rich visual language, Wong transforms the space into a scene from a film. This immerses guests in a world of artistry and culture.
Although the full design remains under wraps, expectations point to influences from Wong’s legendary films, such as In the Mood for Love and Happy Together. Guests can anticipate an interior rich with mirrors, contrasts, and layered compositions, creating depth, movement, and cinematic realism.
The Art Behind the Design
Mi Shang draws inspiration from the “Tête-bêche” technique, where two inverted yet connected postage stamps symbolize contrast and harmony. This concept mirrors the restaurant’s seamless fusion of Italian and Chinese flavors, uniting aesthetics and taste in an extraordinary way.
More Than a Restaurant—An Immersive Cultural Experience
Mi Shang is not just a place to dine—it’s a cultural destination where heritage, cinema, and modern creativity converge. With its innovative fusion of flavors, artistic vision, and immersive design, it redefines traditional dining into a multi-sensory experience.
A Visual Bridge Between Cultures: Where Design Meets Cinema
Mi Shang is more than a restaurant—it’s an immersive cultural experience where East meets West in a seamless artistic dialogue. Every element of its design reflects a balance. These elements include contrast, reflection, and harmony. They bridge the creative influences of Milan and Shanghai beyond flavours and into the realms of cinema and visual storytelling.
Cinema as a Design Influence
Mi Shang’s connection to cinema is no coincidence—it is part of a longstanding tradition of artistic collaboration with visionary filmmakers. These include Pedro Almodóvar, Danny Boyle, and Ava DuVernay. This cinematic influence extends beyond design, supporting film preservation initiatives and global cinematic projects.
The restaurant follows in the footsteps of other cinema-inspired spaces, such as Bar Luce in Milan, designed by Wes Anderson. Mi Shang also features an in-house screening room named after Jean-Luc Godard. These elements reinforce Mi Shang’s commitment to blending film, art, and dining into a single, captivating experience.
Location & Holistic Experience
Nestled within the historic Prada Rong Zhai mansion at 186 North Shaanxi Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai, Mi Shang is set to open its doors on March 31, 2025. Guests can secure advance reservations from March 29 through the WeChat Mini-Program or the official website.
With its seamless fusion of gastronomy, design, and cinematic artistry, Mi Shang goes beyond the concept of a restaurant. It becomes a visual and sensory journey, where art, culture, and creativity come to life.
