A new pan-Asian restaurant, will launch on the ground floor of Debenhams’ flagship Oxford Street store this autumn. The dining concept and brand will be exclusive to Debenhams, with further sites planned to open within Debenhams stores across the UK. Debenhams have enlisted restaurateur Eddie Lim, owner of Thai institution; Mango Tree restaurant in Belgravia.

Chi Kitchen will serve a diverse all-day dining menu influenced by Thai, Chinese, Malaysian, Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean cuisine, guiding guests on a culinary journey through South East Asia. The menu has been created by Group Executive Chef Ian Pengelley, one of the UK’s leading experts in Asian cuisine, and dishes will be served with modern presentation yet maintaining authentic tastes with the freshest produce.

The Oxford Street restaurant, designed by Harrison, will have its own designated entrance from Henrietta Place as well as access from within the Beauty Hall. The overall design scheme will be relaxed, with a limited palette of quality finishes; slate, concrete, copper, oak and leather will provide decoration in varying textures and simple forms. With 68 covers, the restaurant will have a range of seating options; deep upholstered window booths, high stools at a dining counter, and surrounding timber tables and chairs.

The dining counter will double as a sushi bar, and will deliver freshly prepared sushi and sashimi, while an open-plan robata grill will be a focal point, allowing guests a glimpse into the kitchen where chefs will display theatrical live cooking.

Open throughout store hours, the menu at Chi Kitchen will offer breakfast, served from 7.30pm until 11.30am. Unique pan-Asian breakfast dishes to be offered include Korean omelette with seafood – prepared similarly to Pajeon, a Korean green onion pancake, Kaya Toast (with Singaporean coconut jam), rice porridge with chicken, and Chinese bubble waffle with fresh berries. The rest of the menu will be suited to lunch or dinner and is divided into sections of small plates; such as pumpkin korroke, avocado wedges and various spring rolls, Salads will include seaweed salad and pomelo, prawn and micro salad, and a selection of dim sum will also be available.

The menu features larger dishes such as items from the grill: beef kushiyaki, Korean steak with Bulgogi sauce and seabass with chilli and lime, and noodle and curry dishes: duck ramen, Vietnamese pho (chicken or beef), and Nyonya chicken curry. A small selection of desserts will be offered and the restaurant will be fully licenced to serve a variety of wines. The drinks menu will incorporate speciality teas and popular bubble teas in both milk and fruit varieties. Chi Kitchen will also offer the full menu to take away, via a ‘grab and go’ counter.

Owner Eddie Lim comments, “We are absolutely delighted to be collaborating with Debenhams on this exciting new project, Chi Kitchen. Our aim is to build a brand exclusively to Debenhams, which is going to offer not only good Pan Asian food but also good energy to Debenhams loyal and new customers. The food will be exotic, colourful and incredibly tasty.”

Debenhams UK Director of Space Planning Mark Jordan says: “We are delighted to be broadening our food offer and partnering with a fantastic, unique brand such as Chi Kitchen to offer our customers an exceptional, new dining experience. We are very proud to be working with Chi Kitchen exclusively on this new concept and look forward to introducing it to our customers in the coming months.”

Chi Kitchen is set to provide shoppers and locals with a diverse and affordable dining experience suitable for any time of the day, in a modern and attractive setting offering a serene haven away from the hubbub of Europe’s busiest shopping street.

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