The excitement is building around new Japanese restaurant KIBOU opening in July in the former Wilding site on Oxford’s Little Clarendon Street. But what to expect?
We talked to KIBOU‘s MD Sam Horswill who gave us the exclusive lowdown on the innovative new concept currently being transformed.
“We are really excited about opening the Oxford site and it’s coming along nicely,” Sam said. “Oxford has been on our radar for a long time, but it was about finding the right site and Wilding ticked all the boxes because it’s a beautiful building with a great layout; from the courtyard garden to the conservatory and extensive dining area.
“And we have muralist Martyna Sabadasz painting there at the moment. She spends two months on each KIBOU site and we are so lucky to have found her, because each site is so different, and she’s a big part of that.”
In terms of aesthetics, the new 100-cover bar and restaurant will include cosy booth seating, neon lighting, an open sushi kitchen, a relaxed cocktail lounge with a steel-topped cocktail and spirits bar.
‘Oxford is such a beautiful city and Jericho is a real community hub with so many independent businesses’
Outside there will be an additional 40 covers within a Japanese-inspired walled courtyard, lush foliage, wall art and uplighting. The venue also offers an opulent private dining room, with space for up to 12 covers.
“In terms of the space, we get really busy so we needed a site with enough covers and Wilding accommodates that,” Sam agrees.
So why Oxford? “Oxford has exactly the right demographic and it’s such a beautiful city. And we especially love Jericho, it’s such a community hub with so many independent businesses, and Little Clarendon Street is a great little street.
‘We want it to be an immersive experience from the moment you walk in the door at KIBOU, and to showcase Japanese food to the best of our ability’
“So we might have to work a bit harder to get the footfall there because KIBOU won’t be right in the city centre, but we have a really solid brand and we feel that Oxford is definitely the right audience to enjoy our passion for Japanese food.
For those of you who haven’t come across KIBOU, it has branches in Cambridge, Cheltenham, Battersea, Clifton, and Solihull.
So does Sam consider it a chain? “KIBOU is still independently owned and we work really hard at creating somewhere unique in each KIBOU we open. So the general managers and head chefs have a lot of autonomy in terms of the dishes they serve and the concept, to make sure it matches the clientele.”
‘KIBOU is still independently owned and we work really hard at creating somewhere unique in each KIBOU we open’
KIBOU also prides itself on being all things to all people whether that’s a quick bowl of ramen at lunchtime or a destination dinner.
So what can we expect? “We want it to be an immersive experience from the moment you walk in the door at KIBOU and to showcase Japanese food to the best of our ability while ensuring that everyone feels comfortable about coming in.
“We are passionate about Japanese food and don’t compromise on the ingredients. But we want to give people as many options as possible, from better known dishes such as sushi, poke bowls, ramen or bao buns to more complex offerings using wagyu beef or tatami (seared meat or fish),” Sam says.
‘we know what we have to do to make it work’
“And maybe people will come in a try something they’re familiar with like a katsu curry and then next time opt for something a bit more adventurous. So we know what we have to do to make it work.”
So is Sam worried about taking over a site that closed so suddenly? READ OUR EXCLUSIVE ABOUT WILDING CLOSING HERE. “I went to Wilding and had a great dinner there so I’m really sad it closed, but we are really confident in our offering and there’s a huge interest in Asian, and particularly Japanese, food at the moment,” Sam says
Are there more Kibous in the pipeline? “After Oxford we are going to take a breather,” Sam laughs, “because we just want to focus on getting it up and running.
“So we are working hard at the moment to turn the Oxford KIBOU site into somewhere really vibrant and accessible, ready to welcome Oxford through the doors in July.”
KIBOU is opening in late July at 11-12 Little Clarendon Street. Watch this space for further updates, reviews. For more information visit www.kibou.co.uk
