Asian fusion restaurant Shan Shui launches in Bicester Village

Founded by entrepreneur Ellen Chew, who also owns Lobos Tapas in London Bridge and Soho, Shan Shui serves a menu combining Indonesian, Sichuan, Malaysian and Shanghainese cuisines. It aims to cater for the shopping development’s increasing Asian clientele

Dishes include the likes of beef rending with desiccated coconut; crispy Sichuan mala chicken; nasi goring; Canton vegetable fried noodles; Bangkok crispy fried fish; cold silken tofu with pickled mustard leaves; spring onion pastry; gyoza; calamari with ginger, soy and coriander; and vegetable spring rolls.

Drinks comprise a range of cocktails including the Shanghai Prohibition, made with lemongrass, lime, gomme, vodka and lychee; and the Singapore Sling. Mocktails and iced teas are also available.

“The offerings at Shan Shui are largely inspired by my family background: my grandmother, who is originally Shanghainese, moved to Singapore when she was a teenager,” says Chew.

“Her love for cooking has seen her experimenting with ingredients, spices and recipes from both worlds and that’s exactly what we are doing here.” 

Décor is inspired by 1920s Shanghai, featuring seats made with rattan material, decorative floor patterns, framed prints of Shanghai’s female icons, and Chinese tiffin and tea carriers.

Shan Shui is the only Asian-inspired restaurant besides casual grab’n’go operator Itsu in the shopping village, joining The Wolseley Café; Le Pain Quotidien; Rapha Café; and Farmshop. Its arrival is in response to the increasing number of Asian tourists that go to the shopping village for its cut-price designer goods. 

“I’ve always loved shopping at Bicester Village, and I’ve come to notice that the Village will benefit greatly from a restaurant that serves authentic Asian cuisine, with the growing number of Asian tourists that come here to shop,” says Chew.  

The Village, which boasts more than 160 boutiques, is the second most-visited destination in England by Chinese tourists, second only to Buckingham Palace