When the Nationalists fled to Taiwan in 1949, they took their culinary traditions (as well as China’s greatest treasures) along with them. Drawn from every corner of the Mainland, the glorious gallimaufry they created is what makes Taiwan one of Asia’s greatest culinary destinations.
Now, Shing Tat Chung, Wai Ting Chung and Erchen Chang, the entrepreneurs behind London’s Bao, are expanding their mission to champion Taiwan with Xu, a restaurant and cocktail bar with a dedicated tea bar and master to teach Londoners to appreciate a better brew.
Bringing much-needed sophistication to Rupert Street, its design and concept signals the young trio’s growing maturity and so to showcase the menu of Xiao Tsai titbits like smoked Taiwanese sausage and pan-fried dumplings, and mains like Sho Pa chicken and Lu Wei-style braised meats, the sleek minimalism of Bao has been traded for a 1930’s vibe. Created by BradyWilliams, the studio behind the period glamour of Fischer’s and the Wright Brothers, Xu’s panorama of glossy dark wood paneling, sea green upholstery and wooden ceiling fans channels Love in a Fallen City, while the intimate, blush-pink marble of its formal dining bar and ethereal shan sui landscapes add elegance to the lush, cinematic atmosphere.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
30 Rupert St
-
Curvilinear futurism meets subtropical beaches at Not A Hotel’s ZHA-designed Okinawa retreatZaha Hadid Architects has revealed the design for the first property in Not A Hotel’s futuristic new Vertex collection, coming soon to southern Japan
-
Gorden Wagener leaves the helm of Mercedes-Benz design after 28 years with the companyThe German designer is stepping down from the role of chief design officer at Mercedes-Benz. We look back at his influence and impact on the world of automotive and luxury design
-
These Christmas cards sent by 20th-century architects tell their own storiesHandcrafted holiday greetings reveal the personal side of architecture and design legends such as Charles and Ray Eames, Frank Lloyd Wright and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
-
At last: a London hotel that’s great for groups and extended staysThe July London Victoria, a new aparthotel concept just steps away from one of the city's busiest rail stations, is perfect for weekends and long-term visits alike
-
French bistro restaurant Maset channels the ease of the Mediterranean in LondonThis Marylebone restaurant is shaped by the coastal flavours, materials and rhythms of southern France
-
Sir Devonshire Square is a new kind of hotel for the City of LondonA Dutch hospitality group makes its London debut with a design-forward hotel offering a lighter, more playful take on the City’s usual formality
-
This sculptural London seafood restaurant was shaped by ‘the emotions of the sea’In Hanover Square, Mazarine pairs a bold, pearlescent interior with modern coastal cuisine led by ‘bistronomy’ pioneer chef Thierry Laborde
-
Montcalm Mayfair opens a new chapter for a once-overlooked London hotelA thoughtful reinvention brings craftsmanship, character and an unexpected sense of warmth to a London hotel that was never previously on the radar
-
Follow the white rabbit to London’s first Korean matcha houseTokkia, which translates to ‘Hey bunny’ in Korean, was designed by Stephenson-Edwards studio to feel like a modern burrow. Take a look inside
-
Poon’s returns in majestic form at Somerset HouseHome-style Chinese cooking refined through generations of the Poon family craft
-
One of London’s favourite coffee shops just opened in Harvey NicholsKuro Coffee’s latest outpost brings its Japanese-inspired design to the London department store
