Edo Asia restaurant to open in Southampton next week

Edo Asia, in the High Street, promises an immersive dining experience featuring dishes inspired by cuisines from across the continent, including China, Korea, Japan and Malaysia.

The sister restaurant of near neighbour Shanghai 1814, its lounge bar overlooks the city's medieval Bargate.

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Step inside Edo Asia, in the building formerly occupied by Superdrug, and you're transported to a night garden. Expect pink cherry blossom trees and rising mists under a night sky of constellations and shooting stars.

Iconic cultural motifs, including Buddhas, Ganesha and Samurai armour, are on display, and you might just find your food served up in a clam shell or elephant. 

The restaurant has been a 14-month labour of love for proprietor Susan Sun, who opened Shanghai 1814 seven years ago. 

Giving the Daily Echo an exclusive tour of the restaurant as staff put the finishing touches to it, she said: "While Shanghai 1814 was influenced by our family’s heritage and Chinese traditions, Edo Asia was created from our passion for Asian culture, food and drink.

"We have taken an ordinary mid-century building and transformed it into the extraordinary. The food and drink is as exceptional as the setting. We hope people will like what we have done. People should come inside to see how amazing it is."

The menu features a host of sharing sushi platters, special rolls, Japanese izakaya style serving dishes from the open charcoal oven and delicious curries from Thailand, Korea and Malaysia, all created by top chefs who previously worked at Novikov and Zuma in London’s Mayfair.

The bar, with its classic cocktails with an Asian twist or inventive new concoctions featuring sakes and Japanese whiskies, is run by two leading managers, one from Southampton’s HarBar, the other an industry consultant with a specialism in whisky.

The 120 cover restaurant features private rooms and a resident DJ playing house music until late on weekends. 

Edo Asia will open on Wednesday (November 8) and can then be enjoyed from 5pm to midnight seven days a week.