What: An Pan-Asian restaurant in Chinatown London within the site that was once home to Hong Kong Buffet. On Lisle Street - which runs parallel to Gerrard Street - the 2,000sq ft YiQi is seeking to position itself as one of the enclave’s most premium places to eat with its slick design, creative dish presentations and relatively high price point. It’s one of a fair few Pan-Asian restaurant concepts to launch in Chinatown London of late as its main landlord Shaftesbury Capital continues to push to make its Asian restaurant tenant mix more diverse.
Who: The concept has been created by Kevin Cheong to provide ‘a unique window on the Far East’. The chef attached to the project is the Malaysian-born Stanley Lum Wah Cheok, whose CV includes senior roles at Yauatcha and Hakkasan’s Mumbai outposts. YiQi is understood to be linked to sushi restaurant Dozo, which has sites in Soho and South Kensington.
The vibe: YiQi has one of the most high-end fit outs in all of Chinatown. Guests are greeted by a huge waterbath filled with vacuum bags of the restaurant’s signature ribs. Design details include rattan wall panelling, a handsome emerald green paint job, dark wood fixtures and fittings and a feature wall made up of dozens of abacuses.
The food: While YiQi is being billed as a pan-Asian restaurant, the menu is largely made up of Malaysia-inspired dishes. Key dishes include satay lamb chops; creamy pumpkin curry with king prawns; pasar malam prawn fritters; stir-fried clams with Kam Heong sauce; charcoal nyonya lemongrass chicken; and the aforementioned pork ribs, which are served in a spicy and sour herb-flecked broth.
To drink: The drinks offering is largely what one would expect for a restaurant in Chinatown save for a wide selection of interesting soft drinks including sour green plum, and Thai ice tea.
And another thing: Try the wagyu mousse, a curious dessert that’s somewhere between a sorbet and a ice cream that’s been made to resemble chunks of beef short ribs.
14 Lisle Street, London WC2H 7BE
