Shaftesbury to open five new restaurants in Chinatown London
London restaurant investment company Shaftesbury has announced five new restaurants in Chinatown London: Hovarda, Bubblewrap,Hot Pot,XUand Leon.
Hovarda, the third opening for restaurateurs Levent Büyükuğur and Sanjay Nandi, founders of The Good Food Society (GFS), will be launching on Rupert Street.
The opening follow's the duo's successful launch of Turkish Meyhane, Mangal and Raki bar Yosma in Marylebone and Frescobaldi, an Italian restaurant which opened in Mayfair at the end of 2014.
Hovarda will be designed by Barcelona-based Lazaro Rosa Violan interior design studio and serve dishes focusing on Greek and Turkish raw seafood and grilled dishes. Restaurant and leisure specialist Restaurant Property advised on the deal for the Rupert Street site.
Recently opened at 24 Wardour Street, Bubblewrap is a street snack waffle brand, inspired by the popular Hong Kong street food. The café serves 14 different flavoured waffle cones with a variety of sweet toppings, including cocoa waffle with berries, sea salt and dark chocolate; and matcha waffle with mochi and red bean.
Coming to the UK for the first time is Thai hot pot specialists, Hot Pot. The 4,240 sq ft restaurant will offer Thai steamboats cooked at the table.
From the creators of BAO in Soho and Fitzrovia, Taiwanese restaurant and bar XU will open at 30 Rupert Street. Spanning 2,479 sq ft across two floors and accommodating 44 covers, the restaurant will include an emerald tea counter, wooden ceiling fans and pink marble dining bar framed by a hand painted ‘Mountains of Taiwan' mural.
A 24-cover Taiwanese tea bar on the ground floor will serve rare leaf teas, providing diners with an insight to traditional Taiwanese tea ceremonies.
Fast food chain Leon will open on Shaftesbury Avenue, offering the regular healthy menu. Reflecting its theatre surroundings, the interior design will a red carpet leading to the counter while staff will sing to customers at regular intervals.
Julia Wilkinson, portfolio and group restaurant strategy executive at Shaftesbury, said: "The diversity and quality of these latest signings highlights the eclectic mix of Chinatown London's culinary offer and its reputation as an iconic and exciting destination for food in the West End. We are also delighted Chinatown London has secured debut sites for XU and Bubblewrap, both of which will be bold and innovative additions to our great mix of restaurants.
"The signing of all five brands reflects our curation of Chinatown London to create a destination that mirrors the changes taking place in East Asia, where old traditions are fusing with modern influences."
Shing Tat Chung, one of the founders of XU, added: "Chinatown London's status as one of the most exciting destinations for food, entertainment and unique East Asian experiences within London makes it the perfection location to debut our new concept. XU represents a completely new culinary and creative direction for us, immersing diners into the world of Taiwanese cuisine and culture."
Chinatown houses over 70 authentic East Asian restaurants shops, bars and cafes.
Shaftesbury's real estate portfolio comprises 589 shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs, 406,000 sq. ft. of offices and 539 apartments. Its holdings are concentrated in Carnaby, Seven Dials, Covent Garden, Chinatown, Soho and Charlotte Street.
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