Premier Hospitality

Yu Alderley Edge

Yu Alderley Edge
Written by Roma Publications

Brothers feast on further success

Yu Alderley Edge

Proving hugely popular and heavily booked since opening a few weeks ago, exclusive Alderley Edge’s opulent new Chinese restaurant Yu is a new dining concept from entrepreneur brothers Victor and Vinny Yu.

The brothers, who together with their father Charlie, founded Yu and You near Blackburn (named by Gordon Ramsay as the UK’s best Chinese restaurant) have taken their already highly successful concept to the next level with Yu, in terms of both decor and dining, incorporating modern design with hints of heritage.

Interior designers for the project were Carroll Design. The main contractors, were Wilmslow Building company, who were recommended to the client on the strength of an earlier project they had completed at the Tattu restaurant in Manchester.

The new restaurant is situated within a building formerly occupied by the Panacea nightclub, which burned down in 2013. The devastating fire destroyed most of the building, which was re-constructed from the ground up – offering the designers a blank canvas with which to shape the new restaurant space.

The entrance to the restaurant is located to the rear of the building and is fairly understated, comprising a plain timber door with an ornate dragon door knocker. A complete new state of the art stainless steel catering kitchen was installed on the ground floor and is concealed from public view.
Upstairs, visitors enter the open plan restaurant in the bar area, highlighted by a sapele timber bar featuring backlit royal blue panels on the bar front. This theme continues onto the back bar, screening the service routes behind. Seating in this area includes 14 bar stools and a drinking ledge with a further six stools. All of the drinks ordered in the restaurant are also served from the bar.

The designers have used ornate, decorative screens (manufactured by Atelier Joinery) to divide the restaurant space, to increase the sense of intimacy, and separation from the bar and dining zones. The patterns chosen for the screens reflect a contemporary interpretation of traditional oriental joinery, in a similar sense to the menu.

The restaurant is designed to provide flexible seating for parties of varying sizes. The main dining area is anchored at each end with long feature banquette seating which can be re-worked to seat up to ten people. The remainder of the space is occupied by individual tables split into four open sections.

The bar features an engineered herringbone timber floor, a theme which carries through to the textured amber Ralph Lauren wallpaper which lines the walls. Sapele is then used to frame the wallpaper, making a feature of almost all the walls within the venue. This is juxtaposed with the striking blue ceiling, which is stepped into a coffer, and illuminated with LED up-lighting.

Feature blown glass blackberry shaped lights provide the bulk of the ambient lighting, with narrow beam down-lights providing additional atmospheric illumination to the main dining area.

The project was completed in approximately 10 weeks.

Carroll Design were incredibly pleased with the execution of the scheme, particularly considering the intricate nature of the project which required great attention to detail. The project team went to great lengths to deliver the ambitious design vision.

The restaurant has proved extremely popular since opening, with heavy bookings. According to Yu, “The menu has been carefully and elaborately created to both retain the more traditional, well established dishes and also introduce new combinations, pushing the boundaries of Chinese cuisine with intricate signature dishes, to ensure a memorable experience.”

Yu Alderley Edge

Highlights on the menu include roasted black cod with miso and champagne and Victor Yu’s Deconstructed Crispy Duck and pancakes – an aromatic breast of duck thinly sliced, with crispy duck skin served separate, accompanied by spring onions and cucumber in Yuzu and Hoi Sin. Another signature dish is the wok seared Wagyu Beef fillet with soy and lime – as well as traditional favourites such as sweet and sour chicken and crispy vegetable spring rolls.

The food is complemented by an extensive wine list and innovative cocktail menu, which includes Hibiki Blossom, made with Japanese whiskey and orange zest with rose water and rose syrup, and YuTini, with Opihr spiced gin, Cointreau, lime and grapefruit bitters.

With over a decade specializing in the hospitality sector, Carroll Design strive to deliver high quality, interior design schemes to suit the budget of their clients. The ethos of the practice is: “We believe good design plays an important role in the overall success of a restaurant operation, and we work endlessly to deliver innovative and exciting spaces for our clients.”

The company is based in Manchester, but work internationally for clients across the globe within the luxury hospitality, and residential sectors.
Wilmslow Building is a leading construction company, specialising in interior fit out, refurbishment and construction.

The company’s fit out expertise covers hotels, leisure, offices, retail and student accommodation, using highly skilled design and construction teams working to deliver a high quality finish that exceeds client expectations.
Wilmslow Building Company Ltd

Wilmslow Building Ltd specialise in fit-out works for range of sectors, from retail and leisure to pharmaceutical, housing and school projects, but with a specific focus on bar and restaurant schemes. The company has been in operation since 1998 and within this time has worked on a number of high profile projects, including the prestigious Tattu in Manchester, Seven Bar and Restaurant, Lucha Libre, Miyagi’s, Wagamama and many more.

Recently Wilmslow Building Ltd was appointed as the main contractor on Yu Restaurant and Bar in Alderley Edge, working on the project from a very early stage in its development.

Wilmslow Building Company Ltd Director, Ged Nolan, said:
“Yu Alderley Edge has been another very important project for Wilmslow Building Co Ltd to be involved in and one which has been all about showcasing the highest quality finish and detailing what can be achieved. We are very proud to have been part of a passionate and proactive team that has created this beautiful new restaurant.”

Ged added:
“At Wilmslow Building Ltd we pride ourselves on quality, cost assurance and working to tight budgets and deadlines.”

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