Japanese plan for Shumi site

Award-winning restaurateur Alan Yau is to open a new Japanese eaterie on the former site of Shumi on St James's Street in London.

Yau, who scooped this year's Catey for independent restaurateur, said the deal was expected to complete this week.

The new project is expected to open in about 10 months after a complete overhaul of the building, which will be turned into a 100-seat top-end Japanese restaurant. A new kitchen will replace the existing ground-floor bar.

Yau told Caterer: "Our priority is always the food, so this would give us more kitchen space, allow us both hot and cold kitchens and make it all more visible."

An insider said he anticipated the project would be one of the biggest openings in London next year and was likely to cost well over £5m.

Controversial Italian-Japanese restaurant Shumi closed after 18 months in May, but its owner, Steamroller Restaurants, said the restaurant would reopen this autumn.

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