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Japanese restaurant opens in Shanghai

(China Daily Shanghai Bureau)
Updated: 2011-03-21 14:53

Japanese chefs are preparing food for local customers at the new restaurant. [Photo provided to China Daily]

SHANGHAI - Nasubi Group from Japan's Shizuoka launched its first restaurant in Shanghai on Monday (Mar 21) as part of its expansion at the Chinese market.

The group has run two restaurants in Hangzhou, capital city of Zhejiang province in the past three years, to provide Japanese food for local customers.

"Their smooth operation has laid a foundation for the group's business expansion in Shanghai," said Wang Zhixing, general manager of the new restaurant in Shanghai.

The new outlet, designed by Age Company from Tokyo, is a joint venture with Forte Hotel Shanghai at the Hongqiao Development Zone. It costs an investment of about 2.5 million yuan, each holding a 50 per cent share. The restaurant will be managed by Nasubi, said Wang.

The hotel, where the restaurant is located, has about 80 per cent of its guests from Japan and the rest come from Taiwan. "They can enjoy the authentic Japanese-style food when they live in it," he said.

Nearly all the raw materials and seasoning will be carried from Japan by air three times a week. At the moment, some fish will be imported from Europe due to earthquake in Japan, he said.

Nasubi, which has 11 chain stores in Japan, has a plan for expansion of its business in China, Wang said, adding that its target market is at the Yangtze River Region.

"We plan to have eight outlets in the region within six years, with five more to be probably set up in Ningbo of Zhejiang province, Suzhou and Nanjing of Jiangsu province," he said.