Former Roka chef to open Soho restaurant

A former Roka chef is to launch his own casual dining restaurant in London's Soho this September.

Jan Lee, who grew up in his parents' restaurants along the Scottish borders, is to launch Bó Drake, a modern East Asian barbecue restaurant with a Korean-style anju bar, in Greek Street.

Lee, who previously worked as a chef de partie at Roka in 2010, plans to create a restaurant that reflects his Chinese heritage, British upbringing and extensive travels throughout East Asia.

The menu will have an emphasis on smoked cooking methods, alongside more traditional sweet and pickled influences from South-East Asia. It will cater to 50 covers, with a small al fresco dining space.

Typical dishes will include: smoked Bobo chicken, with sriracha, lime & herbs; Dan Dan smoked belly, with chanterelles, spring onions, peanut & noodles; and pork & eel dumpling, with Sichuan peppercorns & chilli oil.

Prices will range from £7 for smaller dishes to £18 for larger mains.

Lee said: "My childhood has always revolved around food. I grew up in my family's kitchen and restaurants along the Scottish borders and by the North Sea where we had access to great fresh produce every day. We took trips to my parent's motherland in Hong Kong where I was introduced to the world of street food vans selling amazing dishes on the roadside and tasted Dim Sum in some of the grandest restaurants in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour.

"I then met my wife who is originally from South Korea. She introduced me to the life changing, fiery and flavoursome Korean cuisine. All of these experiences have influenced me and shaped the foundations for our first London restaurant, Bó Drake, which we hope will be an exciting and welcome addition to the current London dining scene."