Vietnamese restaurant FOLD to open on London's Brick Lane

Created by former advertising strategist Rachel Filer and Vietnamese French chef Frederique Nguyen, FOLD is based around the 'rice paper fold', also known as the summer roll or crystal roll. 

The 65-cover restaurant will serve rice paper freshly steamed, grilled, soft or fried with fillings including tiger prawns with lemongrass and hot mint, roast beef with sesame and purple shiso and slow-cooked caramelised ginger poussin. Diners will be given DIY folding sets which include Vietnamese herbs, finely sliced vegetables, sheets of rice paper and vermicelli noodles.

The menu will also include small plates including grilled squid lollipops and Nuoc mam chicken wings, salads and Pho and cocktails will feature on the drinks menu. 

Filer, who developed her love of Vietnamese food while living and working in South East Asia launched FOLD as a catering business last year before finding a permanent site which she is launching with Nguyen, a chef who grew up surrounded by Vietnamese food at her parents' Montpellier restaurant. 

Nguyen started her culinary career at Quaglino's in London before moving to Vietnam where she was executive chef at the Ana Mandara Resort in Hue for four years. 

FOLD will open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. It will also offer takeaway with a special kiosk available for lunchtime takeaways.