Oxford High Street plans for new Japanese restaurant

A planning application has been lodged which shows what a restaurant called Ramen Korner would look like.

An applicant listed as Simon Tong has put forward the plans to the city council to convert the former printing shop.

The 18th century building on the corner of High Street and Longwall Street is Grade II listed and was last in use as a printing shop between 2019 and 2021.

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Before that it was a computer and mobile phone repair shop between 2017 and 2019 and it was a money exchange bureau between 2015 and 2017.

Before 2015, a property letting agent occupied the premises.

Change of use planning consent is not needed, according to the planning application documents on the city council website.

On the changing of the shopfront, the planning application reads: "The proposed alterations within the unit are necessary in order to meet current statutory requirements and are normal for restaurant fit outs of this nature.

"Every care and endeavour has been exercised to ensure that unnecessary alterations are avoided in order to preserve the original state of the listed building, and the majority of the alterations are internal only."

The existing ground floor will be the main customer dining area and an open kitchen, covering 90 sq m.

There will be room for 31 dining places at tables in the restaurant.

There is a Japanese restaurant in Walton Street called Koto.

It was previously in North Parade, and received a five-star food hygiene rating in 2021.

Japanese kitchen Edamame is also in Holywell Street.

A decision will be made in due course.