Alan Yau's pide restaurant Babaji closes its doors

Alan Yau's pide restaurant, Babaji in London's Shaftesbury Avenue, has closed.

A notice taped to the door of the central London site reads "restaurant closed by the official receiver".

Compulsory strike-off action against the company was discontinued in March, according to documents filed with Companies House, but a petition to wind up the business was posted to the London Gazette on 27 July.

The restaurant's website states that it is "closed until further notice due to a technical issue".

The concept, launched by Hong Kong-born veteran restaurateur Yau, has a second restaurant in Dubai.

Yau founded Wagamama as well as Michelin-starred Chinese restaurants Hakkasan and Yauatcha, which were sold for £30m in 2008. As well as remaining a director for the 14-strong Busaba Eathai chain, which he founded in 1999, his recent launches (all in London) include Duck + Rice on Berwick Street and Park Chinois on Mayfair's Berkeley Street. His most recent opening was Yamabahçe, also serving pide, in St James's Street at the end of 2017.

He was ranked number 34 in The Caterer's Top 100 earlier this year.

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