Originally set for a summer launch, the Lisle Street restaurant ‘celebrates different cuisines from across the ESEA region, combining flavours from Chinese, Korean, Japanese and South East Asian cooking’.
YiQi showcases a range of cooking methods, including sous vide, teppanyaki and grilling over binchotan charcoal.
Dishes include fried cordyceps flower salad; nyonya pandan chicken; charcoal-grilled beef short ribs, and skate with yuzu; and a wagyu mousse dessert.
The 2,000sq ft Chinatown London restaurant has been designed to convey a warm cultural richness, featuring a blend of rattan and wood.
“Launching our debut restaurant within the streets of the iconic Chinatown London is a huge milestone for the YiQi brand and we are very grateful for the support received from Shaftesbury Capital,” says the concept’s creator Kevin Cheong.
“Providing a unique window on the Far East in Europe, Chinatown London is the perfect setting for YiQi’s debut restaurant, and we are delighted to welcome guests to try our authentic dishes created by the renowned chef Lum Wah Cheok.”
Andrew Price, executive director at Chinatown’s principle landlord Shaftesbury Capital added: “The opening of YiQi’s debut restaurant is a brilliant way to start 2024, and is indicative of the unique experiences we look to introduce to Chinatown London. We are always looking to bring distinctive and creative new Asian concepts to the destination, and with its celebration of centuries of dining heritage paired with innovation, YiQi is a fantastic addition to our ESEA food hub.”