Charles Seo to open Olle in Chinatown
Located on Shaftesbury Avenue, the 1,307 sq ft restaurant, will have 80 covers, and will serve a menu of Korean barbecue dishes with proteins including Japanese and American wagyu beef, Iberico pork and seafood.
The venue will also serve traditional Korean stews cooked in stone bowls. A variety of Korean beers will be available.
The interior of the restaurant has been designed by Jiwon Lee, MA graduate from the Architecture Association, and will feature long, communal style tables, with in-built barbecue grills and pits for guests to cook their own meat.
“Korean food has been taking the UK by storm, and we are excited to welcome this debut Korean barbeque concept,” says Julia Wilkinson, portfolio and group restaurant strategy executive at landlord Shaftesbury, which owns much of Chinatown’s real estate. “The punchy flavours of Korea are sure to be a hit with Chinatown’s visitors, who flock here for authentic East Asian experiences in heart of London’s West End.”
Shaftesbury has big plans for the area and expects to open a major £15m, seven restaurant development called Central Cross later this year.
The landlord says it is working in partnership with the community to curate the area to reflect China’s changing values. Whilst remaining inherently Chinese, new restaurant openings such as Xu (from the team behind Bao), and the upcoming Ichibuns express the modernisation of East Asian cities, it says.
The concept of “mixing authenticity with modernism” will be reflected at Olle when it opens, adds Seo.
“Chinatown’s draw as a world-class food destination makes it the ideal place for us to launch our new concept,” he says. “Our menu, devised by Korean Head chefs, will offer truly authentic Korean food in a contemporary setting, adding a modern touch to the traditional Korean cuisine experience.”
