Oriental City
Encyclopedia
Colindale
-Transport:*Colindale tube station, on the Northern Line Edgware branch, is situated on the north side of the east-west Colindale Lane.-Development:...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
specialising in various oriental foods and items. It is located on Edgware Road, and the nearest London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
station is Colindale tube station
Colindale tube station
Colindale tube station is a London Underground station in Colindale, a suburb of north London. The station is on the north-south Edgware branch of the Northern Line, between Burnt Oak and Hendon Central stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4.-History:...
. It had a dedicated car park, and 2 floors. It is next door to Asda. The complex was closed for redevelopment on 1 June 2008, but no demolition or building work has yet taken place. An application for planning extension is currently being considered by the local authority, Brent Council. Between December 2009 and April 2011, a complex similar to Oriental City traded in Wembley Retail Park, called Pacific Plaza
Pacific Plaza
Pacific Plaza was an Oriental shopping and food court complex situated in Wembley, London. It closed in April 2011. It aimed to be similar to Oriental City at 399 Edgware Road, but was much smaller and has much fewer facilities and shops....
.
Shopping centre
Oriental City was previously a YaohanYaohan
Yaohan was a Japanese retail group. The company was founded in 1930 by Kazuo Wada . Initially a single shop, it later expanded into a major supermarket chain after the Second World War with most retail outlets located in Shizuoka prefecture, south of Tokyo. It was listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange...
Shopping Centre; after the Yaohan Corporation went bankrupt in the late 1990s, it was sold to Malaysian owners, which was when it was renamed Oriental City. Many locals and visitors still continued to refer to it as Yaohan Plaza.
Its address was: 399 Edgware Road, London, NW9 0JJ.
The centre contained a large oriental supermarket, now relocated to Bayswater, and a food court with a range of foods from different areas of South-East Asia; stalls offered Malaysian
Cuisine of Malaysia
Malaysian cuisine reflects the multicultural aspects of Malaysia. Various ethnic groups in Malaysia have their own dishes, but many dishes in Malaysia are derived from multiple ethnic influences. Food preparation differs from place to place, although many of the foods used are alike...
, Thai
Cuisine of Thailand
Thai cuisine is the national cuisine of Thailand. Blending elements of several Southeast Asian traditions, Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components. The spiciness of Thai cuisine is well known. As with other Asian cuisines, balance, detail and variety...
, Vietnamese
Cuisine of Vietnam
Vietnamese cuisine is a style of cooking derived from Vietnam. Fish sauce and paste, soy paste, rice, fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables are commonly used. Vietnamese recipes utilize a diverse range of herbs, including lemongrass, mint, Vietnamese mint, long coriander and Thai basil leaves...
, Chinese
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
, Korean
Cuisine of Korea
Korean cuisine originated from ancient prehistoric traditions in the Korean peninsula evolving through a complex interaction of environmental, political, and cultural trends....
and Japanese
Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine has developed over the centuries as a result of many political and social changes throughout Japan. The cuisine eventually changed with the advent of the Medieval age which ushered in a shedding of elitism with the age of shogun rule...
foods including bento
Bento
is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware...
boxes and sushi
Sushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
, ramen
Ramen
is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings such as , , kamaboko, green onions, and occasionally corn...
noodles, and assorted Asian desserts. The food court was immensely popular with surrounding office workers and the North London community; and often became very crowded at weekends.
The food court was complemented by a number of oriental restaurants in the complex, with the majority of them located on the upper floor. The complex contained two Dim Sum
Dim sum
Dim sum refers to a style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates...
restaurants, a Szechuan restaurant, and an 'all you can eat' restaurant. Outside, there was a durian
Durian
The durian is the fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio and the Malvaceae family . Widely known and revered in southeast Asia as the "king of fruits", the durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk...
stall and a satay stall.
Aside from the food outlets, the complex also contained a number of small shops and stalls. Over its history there was a high turnover of shops, with only one remaining original tenant in the facility, the Japanese tableware store, Utsuwa-No-Yataka. The centre also previously housed a shop selling video games and toys imported from Japan, a Sanrio
Sanrio
is a Japanese company that designs, licenses and produces products focusing on the kawaii segment of Japanese popular culture. Their products include stationery, school supplies, gifts and accessories that are sold worldwide and at specialty brand retail stores in Japan...
boutique, and one of the largest Japanese bookshops in Europe, called Asahiya Shoten. These have been closed down since 2003. In the period shortly before the centre closed down, shoppers could find a tailor's shop, a jeweller, a hairdresser, a beauty shop, Chinese medicine shops, a martial arts store, and a large furniture store. Oriental City was also host to a Sega Dome arcade
Video arcade
An amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
which has been a feature since the complex's opening in 1993. The arcade's outer façade was highly noticeable for the large picture of Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog (character)
, trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
attached to it, which had been on the complex since the early 1990s.
The centre was a focal point for the Oriental community, often hosting weeks which promoted the cultural identity of different South East Asian countries. These events typically consisted of various performing arts, and the promotion of that country's particular cuisine.
The original Yaohan Plaza also featured a small example of a traditional Japanese garden outside the centre, which was allowed to fall into disrepair after the change of ownership.
Proposed redevelopment
B&Q
B&Q plc is a multinational DIY and home improvement retailer headquartered in Eastleigh, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1969 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kingfisher plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange....
, a housing development and a primary school. The developers stated that there would be provisions for the current tenants of Oriental City to continue in the new development; however, the tenants objected to this, owing to the lack of consultation. Tenants also noted that the complex took up to 9 years to complete, and whilst Development Securities claimed any redevelopment would take 3 years, most tenants did not believe they could survive the temporary relocation of their businesses.
Aside from business considerations, the East Asian community feared any redevelopment would mean the loss of an important community focal point. The current tenants shut their businesses for a day to protest to the council at Brent Town Hall on 21 November 2006 feeling that they had been treated like 'second class citizens'. The tenants' plight was backed by a long-time visitor of the Centre, ex-Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
football player Ian Wright
Ian Wright
Ian Edward Wright, MBE is a retired English footballer turned television and radio personality.Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal, spending six years with the former and seven years with the latter. With Arsenal he has lifted the Premier League title and both major...
, who met the then London Mayor Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
's planning officials in early December 2006 to object to the redevelopment plans.
In February 2007, the Chinese Consul-General wrote to London's mayor to express his "deep concern" about the project, calling for the proposal to be modified. This matter generated so much attention that it featured on an episode of Inside Out (London) broadcast on 23 March 2007 where Liu was featured. Finally, after a petition gathered several thousand signatures, in June 2007 it was announced that the campaign had been successful and Oriental City would remain open until at least May 2008.
Staff at Oriental City were told to close their businesses for good by 7:00 pm on Sunday 1 June 2008. Business activity was above usual during the day as thousands of people flocked to see Oriental City for the last time. Many shops had drastically reduced prices and bargains to tempt shoppers, with one shop even advertising a Buy One Get Two Free offer. The food court closed at 6:30 PM, followed shortly by other retailers in the complex before the doors were finally closed for the last time at 7:00 PM.
Some former occupants of Oriental City have reopened in new locations:
- Utsuwa-no-Yakata reopened under the new name Doki Ltd. at Pacific PlazaPacific PlazaPacific Plaza was an Oriental shopping and food court complex situated in Wembley, London. It closed in April 2011. It aimed to be similar to Oriental City at 399 Edgware Road, but was much smaller and has much fewer facilities and shops....
, Unit 16, the Junction, Wembley Retail Park, Engineers Way, Wembley HA9 0EG near Wembley ArenaWembley ArenaWembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
. This location has also closed down, in April 2011. - The original Oriental City Supermarket reopened at a new location near Whiteley's in Queensway, Bayswater (26 Queensway
Bayswater, London W2 3RX)
- The Hamazaki Bakery announced that they were moving to 82 Totteridge Lane, N20 8GQ near Totteridge and Whetstone tube stationTotteridge and Whetstone tube stationTotteridge and Whetstone tube station is a London Underground station in north London. The station is the penultimate one on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between Woodside Park and High Barnet stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4...
. - Another Japanese bakery called Tetote Factory, selling very similar products to Hamazaki Bakery, opened on December 5th 2009 at Pacific PlazaPacific PlazaPacific Plaza was an Oriental shopping and food court complex situated in Wembley, London. It closed in April 2011. It aimed to be similar to Oriental City at 399 Edgware Road, but was much smaller and has much fewer facilities and shops....
, Wembley (as above). - The Koreana (former Oriental City Koreana) open take-away come restaurant is at 32 Headstone Drive, Harrow HA3 5QJ.
- Ferenggi Bay (formerly Oriental Garden) has opened close to Oriental City in the Hyde, Colindale (255 Edgware Road, NW9 6LU, next to Barclays Bank.
- Puji Puji (formerly the satay stall outside the Centre & next to the car park) has opened as a restaurant in Islington (122 Balls Pond Road, Islington, London, N1 4AE).
- Taste Malaysia (formerly the Roti Canai stall) has opened as a cafe in Willesden (32 High Road, Willesden Green, NW10 2QD).
- Wonderful Patisserie has opened a large new shop with cafe / restaurant on the ground floor of Hyde House, next to Homebase, on the Edgware Road at West Hendon, not far from Oriental City.
Since the closure, it has emerged that Development Securities were no longer planning to develop the site themselves. On July 31st 2008 they sold the site to a new developer, B & S Homes, for £68 million. The purchasers paid a £16 million deposit but were unable to find the £52 million required to complete their purchase. Their deposit has been lost, the building remains in the hands of Development Securities, and further progress in the prevailing economic climate looks unlikely. The building remains boarded up and derelict.
Since early 2009, there has been much talk amongst former tenants of a proposal to reopen the doors of Oriental City in its previous form later in the year. Discussions are understood to be taking place between the owners and former tenants, and any definite proposals will appear here in due course. In February 2010, former tenants of Oriental City held a protest at the site over the continued closure of the centre. A campaign to re-open the centre is underway soon.
External links
- 399 Edgware Road
- Video of Oriental City Food Court taken 25.05.08
- Flickr group for photos and videos of Oriental City
- Route79's Flickr pictures of Oriental City
- 'Oriental City Agreement Reached', dimsum.co.uk
- 'Oriental City protest', dimsum.co.uk
- "Anger over continued closure of 'real Chinatown'" BBC article, February 2010
- "End of the road for 'real Chinatown'?", BBC article
- London Randomness Guide to Oriental City
- http://willeatformoney.blogspot.com/2009/12/pacific-plaza-wembley-park-new-oriental.htmlEarly Look at Pacific PlazaPacific PlazaPacific Plaza was an Oriental shopping and food court complex situated in Wembley, London. It closed in April 2011. It aimed to be similar to Oriental City at 399 Edgware Road, but was much smaller and has much fewer facilities and shops....
, willeatformoney.blogspot.com] - Campaign & petition to re-open Oriental City
http://www.yell.com/reviews/oriental+city+supermarket-1g16x8a-r