OWIU is adding to their portfolio of commercial spaces with the continuation of the Gaggan Anand culinary legacy in Southeast Asia, taking his beloved Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh concept to Singapore. Based in both Singapore and Los Angeles, OWIU is well-positioned to expand and globalize the Gaggan brand, already well established in Bangkok, Thailand.
What began as a simple origin story to guide the conceptualization of a restaurant has become a narrative with a life of its own. Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh serves more than just food; the concept provides narrative, romance, and speaks to the fusion of cultures so familiar and present in Singapore, a country defined by global innovation. Over the years patrons have become as dedicated to the love story at the core of the concept as much as they are dedicated to the food. Running through the spine of the project is an undercurrent of rebellion and tenacity as Ms. Maria and Mr. Singh defy both their families to be together. Their infatuation of food and mutual appreciation of each other’s cultures leads to an exploration of their native cuisines, eventually becoming their restaurant which perfectly encapsulates not only their marriage but the marriage of their cultures. The result is an eclectic, irreverent, and joyful cuisine guided by love.
Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh’s second location will open 24th October in Tanjong Pagar, Singapore, a street that is home to many of Singapore’s best dining establishments. Expanding the imagined and playful love story of an Indian man and a Mexican woman manifesting their love story in the form of cuisine, Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh Singapore reflects a more refined, fully-maturated version of the cuisine, design, and associated storyline.
In considering the importance of the Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh love story to the brand identity, OWIU took special care to keep the whimsy and play core to the design without veering into kitsch. They conceived of the design as an integral part of the story, envisioning Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh as culinary veterans as opposed to the love-struck upstarts that started the brand. This iteration of the story imagines the couple as more precise in their vision, more contemporary, and global. The menu will reflect this narrative update as well, drawing from the deep culinary tradition of Singapore into the food, showing a new confidence in their cuisine. When designing the space, OWIU creates continuity with the Bangkok location by drawing from a similar color palette, while at the same time adding a new flare with custom features and fabricated details tailored to the second iteration of the narrative of Ms Maria and Mr Singh at its new home in Singapore, housed in a conserved shophouse.The design collaboration stays true to the casual warmth of the brand with elevated detail such as the intricate tiling works together with fabric and carpentry installations.
OWIU is proud to contribute to the expansion of Gaggan Anand projects into Singapore, utilizing their sense of thoughtful design to fully realize the romantic and fanciful world of Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh.
