South East London’s Korean Fried Chicken Specialists Bring Bento to the City

Korean fried chicken specialists CheeMc will open a bento box lunch operation in the City of London. Unimini, whose Korean and Japanese-inspired fast, casual, and takeaway model has the hallmarks of a potential roll-out, follows CheeMc in Elephant and Castle and Gogo Pocha in Lower Marsh, Waterloo. The former specialises in Korean fried chicken — and received a glowing review from Observer food critic Jay Rayner — while the latter covers bibimbap, bulgogi, and other Korean mainstays, including a whole deep fried chicken with the mustard bite of pickled radish.

The restaurant at 20 Eastcheap — formerly home to Hummus Bros, and marketed by CDG Leisure — will offer a build-your-own approach to lunch, with a base of noodles or rice, according to Big Hospitality. Details of available toppings are scant at present, but expect the fried chicken for which the group is best known, pickles and kimchi, and sashimi. The City’s restaurant offering has improved immeasurably in the last 12 months with the opening of the Bloomberg Arcade, but with such a volume of workers in the area, there will — almost — always be further opportunity for grab-and-go lunch.

Lee Wooyung, of CheeMc, said: “This new concept will extend our business to meet the growing demand for good takeaway options in central London. Hungry tourists and workers will be able to eat quickly and for excellent value, all while being able to construct their bento boxes in a way that is completely tailored to them.”