Europe’s biggest Japanese food hall, Ichiba is to launch at Westfield London as part of the centre’s £600m, 740,000 sq ft expansion, in March next year.
The 17,400 sq ft flagship store will have seats for 200 diners and will feature food stations dedicated to freshly prepared and cooked food. There will be street food like takoyaki octopus balls and veggie tempura, a noodle bar for traditional tonkotsu ramen, udon and yakisoba. Plus sushi, sashimi and katsu curry.
A fully stocked kaku-uchi sake bar, headed up by a sake sommelier, will serve up hot and regional rice wines.There will also be a Japanese bakery and cafe, with melon or dorayaki pancakes, matcha brownies, rainbow lattes and more.
Ichiba is the first joint venture between Japan Centre Group and Cool Japan Fund, which helps support businesses to promote Japanese food and culture overseas. The fund’s partnerships with local and artisan suppliers across Japan will allow Ichiba to offer authentic products and rare regional produce from some of the best producers and farmers exclusively to the UK.
Keith Mabbett, Director of Leasing, Westfield UK and Europe, said, “We’re are thrilled to announce Europe’s largest Japanese food hall will be opening at Westfield London as part of our expansion plans. As well as welcoming more fashion and home retailers to our expansion, innovation in Dining and Leisure will be a key feature of the new Westfield London, in line with our global approach across our flagship centres.
'Ichiba is a fantastic concept that will offer our visitors the opportunity to dine, shop and experience Japanese cuisine and culture with an element of theatre – and we know it will be hugely popular.”
Tak Tokumine, CEO of Japan Centre, added, “I’m delighted to announce this new concept for people to experience Japanese food culture at Westfield London. Ichiba will be a dynamic and inspiring addition to the expanded centre and retail landscape in the Capital.”
A decade after it opened, the Westfield London expansion will make it the largest complex of its kind in Europe. It will bring the total gross leasable area (GLA) to 2.6m sq ft and the number of stores across fashion, leisure and entertainment to 450. Further major retailer announcements will be made imminently.
