UK. Well-known restaurateur Ellen Chew will open a branch of her Shan Shui restaurant brand at London Heathrow Terminal 2 on 25 January. Shan Shui is a Chinese restaurant inspired by 1930s Shanghai, with the T2 location featuring views of the airfield and runway.
Shan Shui will serve day-to-night meals that celebrate Shanghainese and Southeast Asian recipes. The menu will showcase ‘10-minute meals’ with options including Two-Day Dry-Aged Cantonese Roast Duck, Slow-Cooked Beef Rendang with Jasmine Rice and Canton Vegetable Fried Vermicelli. There will also be a Dim Sum menu, offering widely-known yum cha favourites.
For diners in the morning, the restaurant will serve East-meets-West breakfast items, such as Katsu Sando Sandwiches, Beetroot and Pine Nut Salad with a yuzu dressing, and Shan Shui’s take on an English fry-up. At the front of the restaurant, there will also be a pastries and breakfast bar counter, which will serve Allpress Coffee and croissants, pain au chocolats and Vegan Orange Crown for passers-by.
Throughout the day, contemporary and traditional dishes can be paired with Asian teas or cocktails from the Old Shanghai-inspired 1930s cocktail list.
Shan Shui worked with interior design studio Sherliker Design to develop the T2 outlet, with inspiration drawn from 1930s Shanghai, which was known for its art, architecture, dance halls and glitzy restaurants.
According to the partners, “Shan Shui Heathrow T2 is reminiscent of this old-world Shanghai, blending elegance and extravagance with contemporary touches, to offer diners a dynamic and exciting dining experience. The restaurant will also double as a private viewing gallery with epic panoramic views of the runway.”
The Shan Shui kitchen team uses halal ingredients from East and Southeast Asian dried and preserved staples, along with fresh produce sourced locally from the areas surrounding Heathrow. The restaurant at Terminal 2 will also have a retail store, selling items such as Shanghainese tea sets and Shan Shui merchandise, along-with bespoke products from UK businesses such as BRIK Chocolate.
Founder and Director Ellen Chew commented: “I am very excited to be bringing our Shan Shui concept to the people flying out of the UK to faraway destinations at Heathrow Airport T2. Shan Shui is a very special and nostalgic concept for me, evoking memories of being in the kitchen with my mother, observing and learning traditional techniques as she toiled for endless hours to feed us. We believe our offering at Shan Shui will be the perfect new addition to the dining experience at Heathrow to compliment the lively, dynamic floor of Terminal 2.”
Heathrow Retail and Property Director Fraser Brown said: “Heathrow strives to provide passengers with the best airport service in the world and we are delighted to welcome Shan Shui into Terminal 2 ahead of the festive period. This exciting new restaurant will give our international passengers an opportunity to experience authentic Shanghainese and Southeast Asian meals, all while enjoying the panoramic views of the runway.”
In a press statement, Shan Shui said the interior look carries “a nod to the classic, distinguished aesthetic of old school Shanghai tea houses [and] the narrative of timeless authenticity is reinforced through the aesthetics, from the retro family photography lining the dusky pink floral chinoiserie wallpapered walls, to the shelves filled with vintage collectibles and artefacts. The bright daylit space softly transitions to a cosy, intimate atmosphere towards dusk, as warmth and comfort circulates the restaurant, through the soft lighting, tongue and groove panelling, white marble topped tables and mismatched seating, to create a relaxed and welcoming space.”
This is the second Shan Shui outlet – part of the Chew On This group founded by Ellen Chew – in the UK; the first is located at the Bicester Village outlet centre. Ms Chew, who is originally from Singapore, first made her mark in London when she founded Chinatown’s Malaysian-Singaporean restaurant Rasa Sayang in 2008.
The Chew On This group comprises Rasa Sayang in Chinatown; Mrs Chew’s Chinese Kitchen in Grand Central Station, Birmingham and Westfield White City; Shan Shui in Bicester Village; Lotus Leaf in Westfield Stratford and the at-home ready-to-roast duck brand, For Duck’s Sake. Chew On This is also a partner in Arome, Covent Garden, and Lobos in London Bridge and Soho.
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