New openings JinLi and Modern Shanghai announced for Chinatown's Central Cross

The £15m mixed-use centre, developed by landowner Shaftesbury, saw dessert brands Guo C 100, RORO and Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream as well as matcha tea house Tsujiri move in earlier this year.

For JinLi, which was named the best restaurant in England at the Golden Chopsticks Awards in April, the 150-cover opening will be its second restaurant in Chinatown.

The menu will include dishes such as sliced pork and sizzling rice crust, and yuxiang shredded pork, as well as new dishes such as jinji fragrant rabbit. It will begin welcoming customers this winter, marking its opening with a performance of opera.

Modern Shanghai will serve the brand’s signature Shanghai dumplings as well as roast duck noodles, won ton noodles and a selection of grilled Chinese tapas.

Julia Wilkinson, head of group restaurant strategy at Shaftesbury, said: “We are thrilled to announce two key restaurant signings, an exciting milestone in the evolution of Chinatown London. JinLi Chinatown and Modern Shanghai are both creative new concepts from existing Chinatown operators that perfectly reflect our strategy to introduce new flavours to Chinatown London, offering the very best Chinese and East Asian cuisine in the capital.”

Yi Fei, the owner of JinLi Chinatown added: “2018 has been a significant year for our brand’s expansion and we are proud to be a part of the brand new Central Cross development. This Chinatown London location will offer innovative and exclusive new dishes, with the aim of playing a big role in redefining London’s Sichuanese culinary landscape.”

Shaftesbury’s real estate portfolio comprises almost 600 shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs as well as 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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