Shaftesbury : HOT POT OPERATOR SHU XIANGGE ADDS SPICE TO CHINATOWN LONDON WITH SECOND SITE

With a commitment to long-term curation and partnership with the Chinatown London community, Shaftesbury has announced that Shu Xiangge, the Chinese hot pot restaurant, has opened its second site at 10 Gerrard Street in Chinatown London, one of the West End's most iconic destinations.

The 2,930 sq ft 110-cover restaurant is spread across two floors and features décor reminiscent of ancient China. Details include traditional ceramics, wooden vases, crafts and a hand-painted Chinese mural across one wall depicting the 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival' masterpiece.

Shu Xiangge offers diners an authentic taste of Chinese hot pots cooked in the traditional way using broth, seasonings and cooking utensils directly from Sichuan province in southwest China. Following a year of research trips to multiple Sichuan provinces to perfect their recipes and source ingredients, Terry Zhao, founder of Shu Xiangge, opened the first site in Holborn in 2016. Shu Xiangge's delicious hot pot creations have caught the attention of the Chinese community, attracting a host of high profile Chinese celebrities including rapper Kris Wu.

Commenting on the news, Julia Wilkinson, Group Restaurant Strategy Executive at Shaftesbury, said: 'Shu Xiangge is a fantastic addition to Chinatown London's world-class dining line-up, transporting the latest culinary developments from the Far East to the heart of London's West End. The huge popularity of their existing Holborn site among the Chinese community is a clear marker of the restaurant's authentic recipes and flavour combinations. We are delighted to welcome Shu Xiangge to Chinatown London, further cementing the area as the number one destination for food and unique East Asian experiences in the capital.'

Terry Zhao, the founder of Shu Xiangge, added: 'Our goal is to promote authentic Chinese cuisine. Following the explosion of the hot pot trend from China, we identified a gap in the UK market for traditional Sichuanese hot pots. Chinatown London's diverse and authentic East Asian restaurant scene was the perfect place for us to open our second restaurant, building upon our success to date and introducing even more people to our delicious, spicy hot pots.'

This announcement follows on from a very successful 2017 for Chinatown London, which welcomed a string of new operators including ICHIBUNS, Olle and Bubblewrap.

CDG Leisure represented Shaftesbury. Shu Xiangge represented themselves.