Need to know

The owners said the restaurant has been fully booked since opening

Everything you need to know:

• Xiang’s owners, Phil Farrier-Price and Jonathan Peng, expected a quiet start, but their new West Kirby restaurant has been fully booked every night since opening. The couple had originally planned a soft opening before demand quickly exceeded expectations.
• The restaurant specialises in authentic Hunan cuisine, inspired by Jonathan’s roots in Hunan Province, a style of Chinese food that is rarely found in the UK. Both Phil, 47, and Jonathan, 38, previously lived and worked in China for many years.
• Phil first moved to China in 2003 after graduating from Durham University, intending to stay for only a year. Instead, he spent more than two decades there, building a career in education and working as a headmaster for around 15 years.
• During his time in China, Phil witnessed the country’s rapid transformation, including major developments in technology, infrastructure and the wider economy. Meanwhile, Jonathan worked in hospitality and spent years developing the recipes that now feature on Xiang’s menu.
• The couple have divided responsibilities at the restaurant, with Jonathan running the kitchen and overseeing the food while Phil manages front of house, business and marketing. The name Xiang refers to the regional cuisine and can also describe something that smells or tastes good.
• Xiang’s menu is designed to be different from the Chinese food many British diners know, offering nine small plates intended for sharing. One of the most popular dishes so far is the spicy chilli beef, which is served cold and reflects Hunan’s love of chilli and bold flavours.
• The couple focus on rich, complex flavours rather than simply making dishes extremely spicy, with some meals taking three to four hours to prepare. Customers who have previously visited China have also been visiting Xiang to recreate the experience of authentic Chinese cuisine.
• Phil and Jonathan chose West Kirby because they live there and value its independent food scene and close-knit business community, after signing the restaurant lease in February. Xiang opened on August 8, the couple’s 14th wedding anniversary, with Phil choosing the date because eight is considered lucky in Chinese culture.

You can read the fully story here.