VRÅ is a Nordic Japanese restaurant. Though ingredients are locally sourced, preparation and cooking bear the hallmarks of Japanese food culture. An uncompromising approach to sustainable quality, coupled with a stringent focus on traceability, are key ingredients.

Chef Sofia B Olsson is on a mission: to run a restaurant that not only caters to patrons and staff, but the environment too. The seafood is carefully harvested from wild populations off Sweden’s west coast. The vegetables sprout from the restaurant’s own rooftop garden and, when demand dictates, from organic farms in Västergötland. The meat comes courtesy of breeders who practice free-range husbandry for their livestock. The menu is always in step with the season’s freshest offerings.

When the restaurant was completely refurbished, we created a new identity in time for reopening. We kept it simple and flexible, accentuating sustainability and the marriage of Japan and the “Nordics”. VRÅ’s philosophy – delicious food is the sum of all its ingredients – served as inspiration for a logo created by different parts. To add spice, we provided VRÅ with a selection of symbols based on the logo’s design and Japanese kaomojis.

On some applications, we included the Japanese sign for gratitude. It is closely linked to the philosophy behind VRÅ – to be grateful for our nature, and the food and flavors it gives us.

The new visual identity for VRÅ was named winner in Resumé Magazine’s juried competition ”Månadens Design”. Since the reopening, VRÅ and its chef Sofia B Olsson, has got extensive media coverage, both nationally and internationally. Recently, VRÅ was announced to be one of four selected interiors that can win the Golden Chair, the Swedish Architects' award for the best interior design of the year.