Oriental opulence at Harrods

Just opened in one of London’s most prestigious locations – the fifth floor of Harrods – Chai Wu, a new modern Chinese restaurant, is an opulent space that can accommodate 90 guests.

International leisure hospitality designers Harrison worked with the team at Harrods and Mango Tree to create this exciting new pan-Asian restaurant offer. Main Contractors for the scheme were Reflex Interior Construction.

Andrew Kirk of Harrison commented to Premier Hospitality:

“We have been inspired by the five elements in Chinese philosophy: wood, fire, earth, metal and water, to create an original and stylish feel. We were enormously proud to have been chosen to work on this project, which perfectly complements the iconic Harrods brand.”

Owned by restaurateur Eddie Lim, the new restaurant features a design which integrates a blend of traditional and contemporary Asian culture, incorporating natural elements throughout a carefully thought-out space. Finishes are of the highest quality and include a mix of marble, leather and wood, with copper and brass enhancing the palette and bringing the scheme to life.

Andrew Kirk continued:

“The materials used build on the theatre of a charcoal grill in the centre of the restaurant, while the dining bar surrounding the grill offers guests a prime view of the chefs at work and a glimpse into the excitement of the kitchen.”

Bruce Langlands, Food Director at Harrods, said:

“We are absolutely delighted to be collaborating with Eddie Lim on this exciting project. Serving a range of fresh and vibrant dishes, the restaurant will provide customers with the best of Chinese cuisine in a theatrical yet elegant setting. A fantastic space for entertaining, Chai Wu will no doubt be one of the top dining destinations in London.”

Owner Eddie Lim is thrilled with the new addition to his restaurant group.

“We’re providing first-class service – as expected in Harrods,” he said.

“The food at Chai Wu is exotic, colourful and incredibly tasty.”

The menu at Chai Wu was created by Chef Bihu Xie, who specialises in Chinese cookery, and overseen by lan Pengelley, Group Executive Chef, one of the UK’s leading experts in Asian cuisine. Ian Pengelley was the chef who launched E&O, runs Gilgamesh and has already opened two restaurants – Mango Tree and Pan Chai in the Harrods Food Halls.

Together they have created a diverse menu incorporating speciality and luxury ingredients. Starters include soups, dim sum and small dishes such as Chilean sea-bass dumplings with gold leaf and a Wagyu and black Pepper puff. For mains, diners have the option of a la carte dishes or fresh meat, fish and vegetables grilled to order, such as poussin with spicy chilli-lime dressing, Signature plates and specialities will include Beijing duck Alaskan king crab with soy glaze, and lotus root and lily bulb in a spicy toban sauce.

GWP Ltd

GWP Ltd are specialist foodservice consultants offering independent designs and advice to operators in various market sectors including retail, restaurants, hotels and higher education establishments. The firm aim to produce long term sustainable solutions that reflect the needs of operators and caterers.

The firm were established over 20 years ago and since then have worked for a vast range of clients including Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges, Hyatt, Corinthia, Bvlgari and The Chiltern Firehouse Hotel & Restaurant.

Most recently GWP Ltd has been involved with Harrods on their Pan Asian project. Garry Nokes from GWP commented:

“We worked closely with operator Andrew Lloyd and the Harrod’s Operations & Engineering team to create a functional design to both the back of house kitchen, the live cooking area and the preparation operations in the centre of the restaurant.

“We have already worked on several other foodservice operations within Harrods but we are rightly proud of our involvement in an Asian as reflection of team design led by the creative Andrew Kirk of Harrison.”