Randomness Guide to London - Differences between Version 96 and Version 49 of Oriental City

Version 96 Version 49
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Oriental City was a large South-East Asian mall and community centre in North London, reasonably close to [[Colindale Station]]. It closed for redevelopment on 1 June 2008, though for some years no progress was made towards this redevelopment, and former tenants held [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8514213.stm a protest in February 2010] over the continued closure of the site.
 Oriental City was a large South-East Asian mall and community centre in North London, reasonably close to [[Colindale Station]]. It closed for redevelopment on 1 June 2008. It's expected to be closed for at least three years, and many of the traders have nowhere to go, so are unlikely to still be around when/if it reopens.
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In March 2012, [http://web.archive.org/web/20120608063857/http://www.dimsum.co.uk:80/features/new-hope-to-former-oriental-city-site.html dimsum.co.uk reported] that Development Securities, the owners of the site, had made an agreement with the Morrisons supermarket chain, which would hopefully include regeneration of the site and the return of Asian businesses.
 Below is a partial list of where the Oriental City traders have moved to; please let us know if you know of any others.
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Finally, in July 2017, [[Bang Bang Oriental Foodhall, NW9 0FH|Bang Bang Oriental Foodhall]] opened in a newly-constructed building on the site, next to a giant Morrisons.
 Places already confirmed and reviewed on RGL (@MAP_LINK [[Category Ex-Oriental City|view them on a map]]):
* <b>Koreana</b> has moved to [[Koreana, HA3 5QH]].
* <b>Oriental City Supermarket</b> has moved to [[Oriental City Supermarket, W2 3RX]].
* <b>Oriental Garden</b>, the Chinese-Malaysian stall nearest the toilet/exit in the food court, has moved to [[Feringgi Bay, NW9 6LU]].
* <b>Puji Puji Satay</b>, the Malaysian stall from the carpark, has moved to [[Puji Puji, N1 4AE]].
* <b>Wonderful Patisserie</b> has moved to [[Wonderful Patisserie, NW9 6LH]] (they also have a branch on Gerrard Street).
* <b>Yummy Yummy Thai</b> from the food court has moved to [[Yummy Tai Chi, HA6 1LU]].
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While all this was in progress, another similar site, [[Pacific Plaza]], opened up in [[Locale Wembley|Wembley]] around the end of 2009, but closed in Spring 2011.

Below is a partial list of where the Oriental City traders have moved to; please let us know if you know of any others. See also our list of [[Category Ex-Oriental City|places we've reviewed that used to be in Oriental City before it closed]].

 Places not yet confirmed:
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* <b>Hamazaki Bakery</b> was going to reopen at 82 Totteridge Lane, N20 8QG, near [[Totteridge and Whetstone Station]], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_City according to Wikipedia]. However, when [[Kake]] went for a look in September 2010, this address appeared to be a residential one, and the shop below it was a newsagents.
 * <b>Hamazaki Bakery</b> may have moved to 82 Totteridge Lane, N20 8QG, near [[Totteridge and Whetstone Station]], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_City according to Wikipedia].
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* <b>Koreana</b> moved to [[Koreana, HA3 5QH]], but has now either moved on again or closed for good.
* <b>Lemongrass</b> (Malaysian stall) has been renamed to The Malaysian Restaurant and has moved to 100 High Street, Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, MK11 1AH. Phone 01908 260 026, fax 01908 260 024, opening hours 10:30am-10:30pm Mon-Sat, 11:30am-10:30pm Sun, from Monday 9 February 2009 &#8212; thanks [http://tamarindandthyme.wordpress.com/ Su-Lin]!
* <b>MODA Hair Studio</b> has moved to Wing Yip Business Centre in Cricklewood.
* <b>Oriental City Supermarket</b> moved to [[Oriental City Supermarket, W2 3RX]], but closed and turned into a Costcutter in late 2009.
* <b>Oriental Garden</b>, the Chinese-Malaysian stall nearest the toilet/exit in the food court, has moved to [[Feringgi Bay, NW9 6LU]].
* <b>Puji Puji Satay</b>, the Malaysian stall from the carpark, moved to [[Puji Puji, N1 4AE]], but later closed.
* The <b>roti stall</b> was relocated in early 2009 as TasteMalaysia, 32 High Road, Willesden Green, NW10 2QD. However, there were lease problems with the landlord, and thry had to close again. They did a short stint at Java Stop near [[Waterloo Station]], but this was a time-limited promotion and they later moved on. As of November 2011, a commenter on this page told us that they had changed their name to Roti Stall and moved to East Ham Market Hall, Myrtle Road, E6 1HY. However they later moved again; according to Su-Lin, as of March 2013 they were called Roti King and were on Charing Cross Road (see [http://lizzieeatslondon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/roti-king-charing-cross-road.html Hollow Legs review]). As of April 2014 they're at [[Roti King At Euston Chinese, NW1 1LH]].
 * The <b>roti stall</b> is now called TasteMalaysia and is located at 32 High Road, Willesden Green, NW10 2QD. Their email address is tastemalaysia@yahoo.co.uk and their website is http://www.tastemalaysia.com/ &#8212; thanks [http://tamarindandthyme.wordpress.com/ Su-Lin]!
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* The chef from <b>Shangri-La Hunan Cuisine</b> (restaurant upstairs) has moved to Local Friends, 28 North End Road, NW11 7PT, according to [http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/670305#5247352 a comment] on Chowhound and to a commenter on this page, who adds: "The food is the same as before and the quality maintained."
* <b>Utsuwa-No-Yakata</b> (the Japanese crockery shop) rebranded to [http://www.dokiltd.co.uk/ Doki Limited] and moved to [[Pacific Plaza]]; when Pacific Plaza closed, it moved again to 207 High Road, Harrow Weald, HA3 5EE.
* <b>Wonderful Patisserie</b> has moved to [[Wonderful Patisserie, NW9 6LH]] (they also have a branch on Gerrard Street).
* <b>Yummy Yummy Thai</b> from the food court moved to [[Yummy Tai Chi, HA6 1LU]], but closed some time around the end of 2009. According to [http://www.flickr.com/photos/aris1234/4375329789/in/set-72157623354764359/ a comment on Flickr], the staff intended to move on to run a juice bar in [[Pacific Plaza]], but we're not sure whether this actually happened before Pacific Plaza closed.
 * The chef from <b>Shangri-La Hunan Cuisine</b> (restaurant upstairs) has reopened a new place in Golders Green, according to [http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/644175#4940822 a comment] on Chowhound.
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Moved outside London:
* <b>Lemongrass</b> (Malaysian stall) has been renamed to The Malaysian Restaurant and has moved to 100 High Street, Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, MK11 1AH. Phone 01908 260 026, fax 01908 260 024, opening hours 10:30am-10:30pm Mon-Sat, 11:30am-10:30pm Sun, from Monday 9 February 2009 &#8212; thanks [http://tamarindandthyme.wordpress.com/ Su-Lin]!

Probably not coming back:
* <b>Utsuwa-No-Yakata</b> (the crockery shop) &#8212; according to an email reply from their USA office to [[Kake]], as of October 2008 they have no plans to reopen in the UK
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* "the lovely nic nac kitchen shop with the lady from Singapore"
* <b>Zen</b> (the Japanese one, not the Chinese place called Zen Tian Di/Zen CX) reopened as <b>Shan</b> in the [[Pacific Plaza]] food court, but we don't know where they went after Pacific Plaza closed.
* Zen Tian Di (Zen CX), the Chinese buffet place with the crab legs.
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Moved before the closure:
* <b>Minamoto Kitchoan</b> moved from Oriental City some time before the closure, and is well-established at [[Minamoto Kitchoan, W1J 0DS]].
 By August 2008 nothing had happened to the site. Development Securities were due to sell it to Peter Virdee on 30 June 2008. The date was extended to September 2008 and then until [http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/whereilive/northeast/hendon/3700238.Traders_struggling_after_Oriental_City___s_closure_/ November] due to lack of money, and [http://is.gd/25Ss Property Week] say it is likely to be extended into 2009.
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As of July 2009, [http://meemalee.blogspot.com/ meemalee] [http://meemalee.blogspot.com/2009/07/oriental-city-you-dont-know-what-you.html draws our attention] to [http://www.pacificplaza.co.uk/ Pacific Plaza], a prospective mall/food court project set up by a former Oriental City tenant. We don't know how well (or indeed whether) this project is progressing though.
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Comment added by chewie: I do really miss Oriental City. Any chance of them opening the food court section? Wishful thinking. I do miss Malaysian food. My friend recently informed me that there is a new Malaysian restaurant called Malay Chinese Restaurant in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.

Comment added by Silent Hunter: Worth mentioning that this site was a key filming location for a BBC/RSC TV production of 'Julius Caesar' aired in 2012.
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summary='Now closed; used to be a South-East Asian mall, community centre, and food court in North London.' summary='Now closed; used to be a South-East Asian mall, community centre, and food court in North London. This page lists the new homes of the various traders who used to be there.' summary='Now closed; used to be a South-East Asian mall, community centre, and food court in North London.' summary='Now closed; used to be a South-East Asian mall, community centre, and food court in North London. This page lists the new homes of the various traders who used to be there.'

Oriental City was a large South-East Asian mall and community centre in North London, reasonably close to Colindale Station. It closed for redevelopment on 1 June 2008. It's expected to be closed for at least three years, and many of the traders have nowhere to go, so are unlikely to still be around when/if it reopens.

Below is a partial list of where the Oriental City traders have moved to; please let us know if you know of any others.

Places already confirmed and reviewed on RGL (view them on a map):

Places not yet confirmed:

  • China City (restaurant upstairs) is moving to the Wing Yip at Staples Corner/Cricklewood, according to a comment on dimsum.co.uk. They also have other branches at Leicester Square and at Russell Square
  • Hamazaki Bakery may have moved to 82 Totteridge Lane, N20 8QG, near Totteridge and Whetstone Station, according to Wikipedia.
  • The jewellery shop has moved to 8-10 Princess Arcade, SW1Y 6DS, according to a comment on dimsum.co.uk.
  • The roti stall is now called TasteMalaysia and is located at 32 High Road, Willesden Green, NW10 2QD. Their email address is tastemalaysia@yahoo.co.uk and their website is http://www.tastemalaysia.com/ — thanks Su-Lin!
  • Royal Lido, one of the dim sum places in the food court, has reopened as Taste Of China, 172-174 Station Road, Harrow, HA1 2RH according to a comment on dimsum.co.uk.
  • The chef from Shangri-La Hunan Cuisine (restaurant upstairs) has reopened a new place in Golders Green, according to a comment on Chowhound.

Moved outside London:

  • Lemongrass (Malaysian stall) has been renamed to The Malaysian Restaurant and has moved to 100 High Street, Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, MK11 1AH. Phone 01908 260 026, fax 01908 260 024, opening hours 10:30am-10:30pm Mon-Sat, 11:30am-10:30pm Sun, from Monday 9 February 2009 — thanks Su-Lin!

Probably not coming back:

  • Utsuwa-No-Yakata (the crockery shop) — according to an email reply from their USA office to Kake, as of October 2008 they have no plans to reopen in the UK

Still unknown:

  • the durian stall
  • Yong Tofu

By August 2008 nothing had happened to the site. Development Securities were due to sell it to Peter Virdee on 30 June 2008. The date was extended to September 2008 and then until November due to lack of money, and Property Week say it is likely to be extended into 2009.

As of July 2009, meemalee draws our attention to Pacific Plaza, a prospective mall/food court project set up by a former Oriental City tenant. We don't know how well (or indeed whether) this project is progressing though.

The info below is retained for people who want to know what Oriental City used to be like.

Food court

The (covered) food court on the ground floor is a proper food court, with stalls arranged around the edges, and chairs and tables in the middle. You can have Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, Indian, you name it. Select your favourite dishes from as many stalls as you like, and collect them when your number comes up.

Specific recommendations: there are two dim sum places, and the one that's called "Dim Sum House" has a better selection than the other, the "Royal Lido". (Although their "Shanghai style" pork dumplings are not in fact soup dumplings; my quest continues. --Kake)

Highlights

  • The food court, of course!
  • Other food places, including a cafe that does bubble tea, and a sushi bar.
  • The Japanese crockery shop.
  • The Japanese supermarket — all kinds of interesting vegetables, sushi-grade fish, meats, noodles, rice, spices, oils, vinegars, exciting things in packets.
  • The durian shop. Located outside the main building, for reasons that will be obvious to anyone who's ever come within smelling distance of durian.

Getting here

Colindale Station is closest; Burnt Oak Station is also within walking distance, but as it's one stop further out than Colindale it's probably less useful. If you're driving, it's worth knowing that they have a free car park.

See also

Other people's writeups, news reports, etc:

Last visited by Ewan, Sarah and others, 1 June 2008. Food court opening hours verified from notice outside, September 2007.

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