Say hello to the newest German-based Italian restaurant in Chinatown: Vapiano!
Vapiano's "gimmick" = a pasta bar where your order is cooked on the spot before your eyes. The sign reads 麵食 (noodle, pasta) 披薩 (pī sà = pizza) 酒吧 (bar), i.e. no attempt to render "Vapiano" phonetically.
A few notes: the restaurant chain is based in Germany and its website boosts locations in many countries. It's interesting to see that this establishment has done a better job with its use of Chinese than the banners at the Goethe-Institut a few blocks away.
P.S. The name "Vapiano" is apparently a compression of the two Italian words va + piano ("go slowly, take it slow"). Vapiano's UK website claims the name "Vapiano" comes from the Italian proverb "chi va piano va sano e va lontano," which "translates as: people with a relaxed attitude live a long and healthy life."
P.P.S. Additional irony: funny that the name of the restaurant comes from a proverb advocating "taking it slow" when the entire franchise is built around the very idea of getting your pasta cooked to order within a few minutes.
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