East Asian street food is receiving a London makeover - it’s moving indoors.
We've eaten our way around London (for research purposes only) to bring you the very best of East Asia. Here are three standout street food inspired restaurants around the capital where in our opinion cuisine and interior design stand side by side.
Proving that it’s what’s on the inside that truly counts, we begin with the recently opened Kimchee in St Pancras. This is its second London restaurant, the first being its larger flagship in Holborn. Upon entering there is a small indoor garden (a modern twist on a Japanese Garden) that instantly creates an immersive experience. A serene terraced waterfall greets you at the forefront surrounded by natural stones and surrounded by moss to create the effect of mountains emerging from a forest. Japanese interior architect Aiji Inoue who is known for his use of sleek lines and stunning lighting, designed the interiors. He filled the rest of the restaurant with dark wood décor; creating a sense of Zen-like calm.
Kimchee offers an array of meat, fish and vegetable dishes including classic Korean dishes like its namesake Kimchi (salted and fermented vegetables), Jap chee (sweet potato noodles) and the rice hot bowl BiBimBap. The large open plan kitchen enables diners to watch the chefs at work preparing their meal.
It’s clear that some restaurants will go to any length to distinguish themselves from their competitors. The award winning Hutong serves northern Chinese cuisine from the heights of the 33rd floor in The Shard, offering panoramic views of the city’s skyline. Hutong is based on the much-loved restaurant of the same name in Hong Kong. The location alone would be enough to leave a lasting impression but it proves to be more than just a pretty face with its fascinating and diverse cuisines from Northern China. The dishes served in the imperial palaces of what was then Peking influence its cuisine and there is also a cocktail selection inspired by ingredients used in traditional Chinese medicine.
To add to the ambience Hutong boasts traditional Chinese interiors with red lanterns, hand-carved, wood-panelled ‘moon gates’ and Chinese crockery and tableware.
Sake no Hana takes the culinary experience to the next level with its astonishing interiors. It offers modern authentic Japanese dining experience with a selection of charcoal grill, toban, kamameshi dishes and sushi. The food is sublime but you won’t leave Sake no Hana filled with memories of its sashimi. What will stay with you is the design of restaurant itself, which transports you from St. James’s Street to springtime Japan. Sake no Hana annually celebrates the sakura season from mid march to early June. This year it’s with an art installation that was created by renowned British artist Rebecca Louise Law. The installation covers the ceiling of the restaurant, with a cloud of naturally preserved white flowers, giving guests a feeling of tranquillity as if sitting beneath blossom trees.
The artwork honours the Hirosaki Sakura-Matsuri (Japanese cherry blossom festival) as well as esteemed architect Kengo Kuma’s design. But even if you miss out, the restaurant is still impressive with bamboo blinds that diffuse the light from the ceiling-to-floor windows and its high ceilings made of a latticework of wooden beams.
