Business Project

For this Business Project, I decided to create a plan of a traditional dim sum restaurant in Silver Spring, Maryland. This blog includes background of Chinese Dim Sum; general description of this restaurant, a consumer profile, and an explanation of design techniques used to create five business documents: logo, business card, flyer, menu, pamphlets and homepage interface.

Dim Sum Origins

Originally a Cantonese custom, dim sum is inextricably linked to the Chinese tradition of "yum cha" or drinking tea. Teahouses sprung up to accommodate weary travelers journeying along the famous Silk Road. Rural farmers, exhausted after long hours working in the fields, would also head to the local teahouse for an afternoon of tea and relaxing conversation. Still, it took several centuries for the culinary art of dim sum to develop. At one time it was considered inappropriate to combine tea with food: a famous 3rd century Imperial physician claimed this would lead to excessive weight gain. As tea's ability to aid in digestion and cleanse the palate became known, teahouse proprietors began adding a variety of snacks, and the tradition of dim sum was born.

Today, dim sum is served throughout China. The best Cantonese dim sum chefs are found in Hong Kong, where restaurants begin serving dim sum as early as 6:30 in the morning and continue through mid-afternoon. In the west, dim sum came about as a natural result of 19th century Chinese immigrants. Some gourmands believe that dim sum inspired the whole idea of "brunch" - combining breakfast and lunch into one large midmorning meal.

General description of the restaurant

Oriental East Restaurant is best known for extravagant Cantonese dim sum brunches featuring a wide variety of steamed, baked, and fried appetizer-sized treats. Oriental East is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Dim sum is served daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Carry-out is available. Parking is free.

This bright dining restaurant in Silver Spring, Maryland has much to recommend. This excellent Hong Kong-style eatery attracts a large Chinese-American clientele, especially for its weekend dim sum. A line awaits the opening at 11 AM; those who arrive later can wait up to half an hour for a table. While the dim sum is great, the dinner menu has its own attractions.

Traditional dim sum includes various types of steamed buns such as dumplings and rice noodle rolls, which contain a range of ingredients, including beef chicken, pork, prawns and vegetarian options Oriental East Restaurant offers plates of steamed green vegetables, roasted meats, congee porridge and other soups. They also serve delicious shrimp dumplings wrapped in seaweed and topped with a dollop of salmon caviar. There are a lot Chinese restaurants in Maryland, regarding as the potential competitors. However, this Dim sum restaurant serves the best traditional Hong Kong-style cuisine and delicious taste among all Chinese dim sum restaurants nearby.  

Audience

For over 15 years, Oriental East has served the finest traditional Cantonese cuisine. They also feature a delicate menu of House Recommendations. Most dishes can be prepared with no MSG or less oil. “Oriental East has an atmosphere that welcomes families, couples and anyone with a yen for genuine Chinese cuisine” by The Journal Newspapers.

The serving sizes are usually small and normally served as three or four pieces in one dish. It is customary to order family style, sharing dishes among all members of the dining party. Because of the small portions, people can try a wide variety of food.