Yen soba noodle restaurant to open in London
Yen, a Japanese restaurant in Paris specialising in buckwheat noodles, is set to open a site on the Strand, London in November.
The restaurant will serve soba noodles, kneaded and cut fresh for each service, in an open kitchen by chefs trained by master soba chef Takahashi Kunihiro in Japan, as well as sushi, sashimi, robata and tempura.
Although the team has not yet been announced, it has been confirmed the restaurant will have a head chef, head of sushi and head of soba who have worked in the likes of Zuma in London, Yen in Paris, and the Windsor hotel and Kyoto Kitcho, both in Japan.
Cristoforo Santini, the restaurant manager of the London site, said: "We hope that the restaurant will become a hub of high-quality Japanese food with a great atmosphere and drinks list to match."
Yen, part of the Onward Holdings Group, a Japanese fashion company which also operates Joe's Café in the Joseph store in London, has secured a glass-walled space in the new 190 Strand development.
Designed by London-based Sybarite Architects, the restaurant will have high ceilings and a lightweight timber floating staircase, and feature maple wood, Japanese flower arrangements and back lit Japanese wallpaper.
Simon Mitchell, co-founder of Sybarite, said: "We're thrilled to have the opportunity to deliver a design that respects and celebrates traditional Japanese craftsmanship whilst creating a contemporary and timeless backdrop to host the capital's next restaurant destination."
The first Paris restaurant opened in the city's Saint-Germain-de-Pres neighbourhood in 2000. The new restaurant will be around 450 sq m and seat 109 covers, including an 18-seat private dining room, a cocktail bar and a sushi counter.
Japan Centre to relocate to Soho next month >>
Ramen restaurant Monohon to open in London >>
Videos from The Caterer archives
