Andrew Wong's City restaurant Kym's to close permanently

Posting on its social media accounts, the restaurant writes: "It is with a heavy heart that we have decided not to reopen Kym's. The decision comes after careful consultation with partners and staff.

"We're very proud of the Kym's team & everything we've achieved. It has been a fantastic journey & we're grateful to Bloomberg for their support."

Kym's had a focus on roasted meats with Wong taking inspiration for the restaurant from an etching found on an ancient Chinese wall depicting people roasting meats. It opened in the new Bloomberg Arcade in the City at the end of September 2018.

Wong's other restaurant, Michelin-starred A Wong in Victoria, which he opened in 2012 on the site of his parents' Anglo-Cantonese restaurant, remains open.

Kym's was an attempt by Wong to move into more mainstream territory and was a contemporary re-imagining of the standard Chinese restaurant. It was originally designed to be a specialist Chinese roasted meat restaurant with just a handful of dishes, but opened with a more extensive menu.

Speaking about his new venture just before its launch​​, Wong said: "If my dad was still alive he would have taken one look at the menu at the new Kym's and told me that it would not work.

"My parents' generation can't get their heads round smaller menus. Twenty or even 10 years ago, they may have been right. But people are increasingly understanding of the fact that a smaller menu usually means better quality."

Back in February Wong reported a drop in sales ​​as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, a month before the UK went into lockdown.
The restaurant was backed by investment company White Rabbit Fund.