Shopping is no menial task – especially at this time of year. It takes energy, strategy, patience and some deep breaths. Sabi Phagura ventures to Chi Kitchen to get a welcomed break from some retail therapy.
Chi Kitchen is a contemporary pan-Asian restaurant created as an exclusive departmental brand for Debenhams Oxford Street, and as it happened, it turned out to be a perfect pick-me-up at the end of a shopping spree.
The word Chi aptly means ‘energy’ in Chinese, so it’s no coincidence that the brand wants to offer good food and a pick-me-up for its customers. Even their Chinese symbol has connotations. Meaning ‘fire’, it symbolises how energy can be converted into fire as well as making reference to this eatery using a robata grill.
Located on the ground floor of the department store in one of London’s busiest shopping streets, Chi Kitchen accommodates up to 68 guests. Upon arrival, it was great to be welcomed at their champagne bar to catch my breath as well to take the weight off of my feet.
A look around and a chat to the bar staff, it becomes clear the restaurant is inspired by the five elements, namely fire, water, wood, earth and metal. The combination of marble, timber and leather in the restaurant helps to create an elegant and welcoming setting. I must admit I was a bit apprehensive it would resemble a diner type setting before I got there.
Taking our seats, Richard and I flicked through the menu and were stumped as to the amount of food on offer. The text reads like a culinary journey through Thailand, China, Malaysia, Japan, Vietnam and Korea. And as delightful as each dish sounded one after the other, it was difficult to make up our minds, so we enlisted our waitress’ help and allowed her to order our food.
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