Chef Morimoto's MM Montclair blends the American steakhouse with Japanese influence.
Our role was to deepen that connection through permanent plant installations and ikebana. Zen sand gardens were placed throughout the space to introduce moments of calm and Japanese materiality into an otherwise heavy interior. We chose preserved bonsais over living plants after considering the daily realities of restaurant operations, designing with the staff's process in mind rather than against it. Near the private dining room, a six‑foot encased ikebana display serves as a focal point, breaking up the dominance of screens and offering a preserved moment of compositional stillness.
