#FIRSTLOOK: LIGHT GATHERING IN THE YUAN IMMERSIVE DINING EXPERIENCE

Light Gathering in the Yuàn 光聚院心, an immersive dining experience shaped by light, culture, and contemporary Chinese hospitality, will make its debut this January as part of the DesignTO Festival. Presented inside The Light Room, a new experimental design space created by Mason Studio and VYVYD Lighting within Mason Studio’s Cultural Hub, the event marks the inaugural activation of an ongoing exploration into how illumination shapes emotion, ritual, and human connection.

The evening brings together Mason Studio, VYVYD Lighting, and Chef Eva Chin of Yan Dining Room for a
sensory event shaped by light, space, and contemporary Chinese hospitality. Inspired by the traditional
yuàn—a courtyard at the heart of a home—the experience welcomes guests into a world where gathering
feels both familiar and new, offered over two intimate, ticketed evenings.

In Chinese tradition, the Yuàn is more than an architectural form; it is the emotional center of domestic
life, a place where families meet, celebrate, honour ancestors, and move through seasonal rituals. It is a
space shaped by light, open sky, and human connection, making it a natural foundation for an event
devoted to illumination, hospitality, and shared experience.

The night opens with a gesture of hospitality that shifts guests into a different state of mind. The event
unfolds like a living courtyard: Chef Eva Chin shaping a modern raw seafood bar inspired by Chinese
flavours through memory and craft; Mason Studio creating the spatial rhythm and environmental
experience; VYVYD Lighting scripting illumination that moves and drifts with the senses. These elements
converge inside The Light Room, where light becomes both atmosphere and storyteller. With each course,
the space subtly transforms, deepening the connection between flavour, memory, and place.

When dinner is not in session, The Light Room remains open as an installation, its lantern-like glow
lingering, traces of celebration still present, the room warm with the nearness of those who’ve just
gathered. Visitors are invited into this afterglow, where light and space continue their quiet conversation.
Presented as part of DesignTO, with DBD CoLab supporting the creative connection between collaborators.

Tickets are available for purchase HERE.

Event Details
Immersive Dining Experience
19+ | Ticketed | Two Evenings
Fixed cold seafood tasting menu
Communal dining with assigned seating

Menu Highlights
Guests will experience an intimate multi-course cold seafood tasting rooted in contemporary Chinese
culinary traditions. The evening includes live raw seafood preparations, shellfish inspired by Chaoshan and
Ningbo, a roe and sea urchin course, and a closing sequence of roasted rice, root vegetables, and
warming spice. Courses are served communally, with lighting shifting in response to each stage of the
meal.

Public Installation: Open House (Free Admission)
January 29–31 | 12–5 PM
The Light Room installation open to all ages
(Dining experience is ticketed and separate.)

About the Collaborators

About Mason Studio
Mason Studio is a design firm and cultural engine where interiors are shaped by global thinking, cultural
curiosity, and human impact. They partner with leaders in hospitality, wellness, and forward-thinking
development who see design as a strategic tool—one that builds trust, drives performance, and leaves a
meaningful cultural mark. Whether they are creating a hospitality concept, a longevity intervention, or a
multi-unit habitat, they translate complexity into clarity and vision into place. Follow @mason_studio to
learn more.

About VYVYD Lighting
VYVYD Lighting is a Toronto-based architectural lighting studio creating immersive, emotion-driven lighting experiences. We collaborate closely with interior designers to shape mood, narrative, and atmosphere through precision accent lighting and thoughtful illumination strategies. Our work explores how light transforms space and deepens human experience. Follow @vyvydlighting to learn more.

About Executive Chef Eva Chin
Chef Eva Chin is a culinary leader, internationally trained at Michelin-starred restaurants and known for her bold, culturally driven cuisine. As culinary director of the Hong Shing Restaurant Group and co-founder of Yan Dining Room, she brings a refined, narrative-driven approach to modern Asian dining in Canada.

Born in Hawai‘i and grounded in her heritage, Chin blends sustainability with contemporary technique. She has led acclaimed kitchens across North America, including Kōjin by Momofuku in Toronto and Royal
Dinette in Vancouver. Her pop-up concept, The Soy Luck Club, was named one of enRoute’s Top 10
Pop-Ups in Canada. A Toronto Life Most Influential in 2025, Chin is recognized for her seasonal,
expressive cooking and her advocacy for equity, representation and innovation in Canada’s culinary
landscape.

Follow @ridetowander.

About Yan Dining Room
Opened in 2024, Yan Dining Room is an intimate fine dining neo-Chinese restaurant founded by
restaurateur Colin Li and chef Eva Chin. Located within the private dining room of Hong Shing, Yan
redefines Chinese cuisine through multi-course tasting menus that blend heritage and contemporary
innovation. Each seasonal menu reflects identity, memory and modern storytelling, using Chinese flavours
and techniques to create thoughtful, forward-looking dishes. Follow @yandiningroom for upcoming
experiences.

About DBD CoLab
DBD CoLab is the creative’s business growth and product development strategy group that partners up
with creative firms to turn passions into sound business decisions. Our role is to be your creative partner
in making growth possible – business, marketing, and sales consultation, specialty procurement and
project management, and strategic partnerships/collaborations broker. As creatives, we think differently,
and we know that you do too! Work with like-minded business strategists that understand your goals,
vision, ambitions, and need for creative solutions to creative businesses.