Feng Sushi is rapidly making a name for itself in Central London, as a leading brand in fresh and ethically sourced sushi.
With eight restaurants situated around the nation’s capital, including Borough Market, Chalk Farm, Fulham Road, High Street Kensington, Notting Hill Gate and Royal Festival Hall, Feng Suhi is continuing to expand to meet customer demand.
The latest site to open is Feng Sushi Hampstead which made its debut in June 2012. Situated on West End Lane, the 52-cover restaurant is located within a four-storey building and comprises 36-internal covers, 16-external covers and a dedicated take-away service.
Work began on the site in April 2012. Design and fit-out specialists ECSEC was the main contractor on the restaurant and Stiff+Trevillion was the architect.
Prior to work taking place on Feng Sushi Hampstead the site previously housed a restaurant, so work was conducted to extend and reconfigure existing kitchen areas. Whilst the kitchen received important modifications, the 1000 sq ft site also underwent a complete makeover to transform it into a fully functioning Feng Sushi restaurant.
ECSEC Contracts Director Brian Trundle, said:
“Feng Sushi Hampstead comprises a split-level floor with a staircase into the kitchen and a staircase down to the back of house areas. When we first started work on the site we decided to extend the kitchen to make it more efficient and then we undertook work to transform the rest of the restaurant so that it was in keeping with what customers would expect from the Feng Sushi brand.
“As the site had previously been a restaurant we didn’t have to undertake much work to the exterior of the building. We gave the site a few cosmetic enhancements, re-branded the shop front with new signage and put in a seating area, but mostly we aimed to keep exterior work to a minimum.”
Stiff+Trevillion Architectural Assistant Yukiko Kondo, added:
“When we began on Feng Sushi Hampstead our brief was to improve upon the existing design layout that had been used in the previous sites.
“As Feng Sushi already had an established design scheme we didn’t want to detract from this as it is something which customers will have become accustomed to. Our aim was to create a new design that would highlight and expand upon the already established features whilst at the same time offer something very new and unique.
“We looked at the original colour scheme which we then enhanced so that it looked different, yet at the same time still maintained the characteristics of the Feng Sushi brand.
“The idea was to incorporate traditional Japanese culture through a design that could mix well with Western styles. The site is now a perfect example of East meeting West in both modern and traditional styles.”
Yukiko Kondo, added:
“We crafted two distinct walls on both sides of a three dimensional module. This was inspired by a folding origami concept. We also redeveloped Feng Sushi’s original Kimono idea into new wall paper.
“Stiff+Trevillion work on a range of restaurants, including a number of Japanese restaurants. The feedback we’ve had from Feng Sushi has been very positive.”
Feng Sushi Hampstead is located on the ground floor of a four-storey building below two levels of residential units. The arrangement of the layout was crucial to maintaining a warm, comforting atmosphere by zoning the restaurant to keep deliveries and diners separate.
Upon entry into the restaurant diners make their way into the lobby where a sales counter is located along with Feng Sushi’s legendary fish tank – a feature which has become synonymous with the brand. Delivery drivers are directed to an alternative area to avoid customers, keeping their dining experience calm and relaxed.
The lobby leads into the main dining area, whilst customer toilets and back of house operations are located on the basement level. Additional features of the Feng Sushi Hampstead include banquet seating and a striking feature wall.
All of the food served in Feng Sushi Hampstead is prepared fresh on site and a dedicated takeaway service is also available for customers.
In addition to Feng Sushi Hampstead, main contractor ECSEC has also worked on the majority of sites within the Feng Sushi portfolio including Borough Market, Chalk Farm, High Street Kensington and Fulham. ECSEC also completed work on a Feng Sushi prep-kitchen and takeaway outlet located within Billingsgate Market. The company designed, built and transformed an existing freezer into the new prep-kitchen, creating something quite unique for the brand.
Brian Trundle, said:
“At ECSEC we build partnerships with a company and to date this is our fifth completed restaurant for Feng Sushi.
“We were won the tender to become the company’s preferred contractor and our work either entails constructing brand new sites or reworking existing restaurants.”
ECSEC started work on Feng Sushi Fulham in early 2011. Similar to Feng Sushi Hampstead, the Fulham site was formerly a restaurant so the company removed all existing features and reworked the building to match the requirements of the Feng Sushi brand. Work on Feng Sushi Fulham also included the upgrade of services.
Brian Trundle, said:
“Feng Sushi Fulham was a tight site so there were a few challenges in terms of space but we combated this by working within a manageable timeframe that allowed site teams to complete each operation in turn.
“Whilst working on Feng Sushi Fulham we also worked concurrently on additional sites including Borough Market, Chalk Farm and High Street Kensington. Our role on these restaurants was to give each restaurant a cosmetic lift and a lot of the work took place at night.
“Most recently we moved onto the South Bank Centre site where we have installed a new back-bar feature. The feature incorporates lighting and a floral pattern and is in keeping with the evolution of the Feng Sushi brand.”
Brian Trundle, added:
“All of the work that we have completed for Feng Sushi has been won at tender however we like to believe that we partner with the brand to offer the best service possible.
“Our skills and workmanship help us to grow alongside all of the companies that we complete work for and we are always interested in building lasting relationships with our clients.
“We have a team of staff who specifically work on Feng Sushi restaurants and this means that we can offer comfort to the company as they know they can trust us. We always complete our work to the highest standard.”
BCC Mechanical Services Ltd
BCC Mechanical Services Ltd specialises in the design, supply and installation of air conditioning and ventilation systems for use in the commercial, leisure and retail sectors. The company also carries out all planned maintenance services.
BCC Mechanical Services Ltd has been in operation for six years and has completed work for Giraffe, Wasabi and Hamleys Toy Shop in London.
On Feng Sushi, BCC Mechanical Services Ltd design, supply and install air conditioning and ventilation systems, including specialist kitchen ventilation and odour control systems. To date, BCC Mechanical Services Ltd has worked on three Feng Sushi sites including Fulham Road, Billingsgate Market and West End Lane.
BCC Mechanical Services Ltd Managing Director, Craig Ballantyne, said:
“We love getting involved with a brand during the early stages of its development and this really helps us to build a long running working relationship with our client.
“Our aim is to develop our business alongside the Feng Sushi brand and this is something that we try to achieve with each of our clients.”
MJL Ltd
Morris Joint-Line Ltd. has been providing the best in commercial decorative finishes for over 20 years, working on a variety of exciting projects all over the country. MJL were delighted to be invited to be part of the team creating the Feng Sushi restaurant in Hampstead, North London.
Colin Smith, MJL Ltd, said:
“It was most rewarding to work on the interior and exterior of such a popular and growing brand, and we look forward to future collaborations with Escec and Feng Sushi, as they continue to expand.”
This project has been another very successful appointment for Morris Joint-Line, as the company prides itself on its professional approach to moving a project forward.
Colin Smith also expressed pride in his company’s ethos of nurturing a firm relationship with their client and believes that MJL’s working practices, account, in part, for their consistent repeat business and growth of their client base.
This commitment and flexibility, along with MJL’s understanding of what qualifies as a superb standard of work, has led to the company’s involvement in many high profile commercial projects.
In recent months, Morris Joint-Line has applied its recognised, high quality finishes to developments for Burberry, Selfridges, H&M, Ralph Lauren, Nespresso and Apex Hotels. The work of this forward thinking decorating contractor can also be seen in flagship stores at the new Westfield Shopping Centre at the Olympic site. MJL delivered the finishes to Forever 21, The Sting, Zara, Bershka and Pull & Bear; a great showcase for a dynamic decorating company.
