A popular Japanese street food vendor founded by a Welshman is coming to Cardiff Market.
Inspired by a trip to Japan in 2019, Oliver Bryant, who is from Barry and lives in Llantwit Major, started Tokyo Nights in August 2020.
The 33-year-old opened his first outlet in Barry and then in Swansea in July 2021.
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Now his latest venture will see him bring a taste of Tokyo to the Welsh capital's historic venue in early February.
Visitors can look forward to an initial simplified menu of meat and vegetarian gyozas (Japanese dumplings) and steamed buns with different fillings before the venue is expanded and more dishes are added later on.
No stranger to the food business, Oliver left the food manufacturing industry to found Puckin' Poutine in 2017, which serves up Quebec-style poutine in Swansea.
In 2019, he went to Japan for the Rugby World Cup and came back inspired by these encounters with the authentic Japanese cuisine served up in Tokyo's side streets.
"I had to do something with my experience. It was such a different place - it's so different from the UK. I felt that the experiences I had, I couldn't just let them be memories - I had to do something about it," he recalled.
So the idea for Tokyo Nights was born. Oliver launched his first stall in Barry's Goodsheds the following year, and then in Swansea's Founders & Co in July 2021.
He has since closed down his shop in Barry, but has spent time focusing his efforts on his Swansea venue and his new venture.
The grand opening in Cardiff was supposed to happen in 2021, but has taken longer than planned - eight months overdue - due to unforeseen issues with staffing.
Now, with the stall now imminent, Oliver admitted he is "really excited".
"Cardiff Market is such a historic, iconic building in Cardiff and to be part of the history of it is really exciting. For years to come, I'm sure my name or the business name will be somewhere in the history books because of our place there," he said.
"There are a lot of great food traders going in there now as well. I really think that they're trying to make it more of that European market environment, where there's lots of foods, so that people can go there as a destination for food. And I think that's great - that's what the market needs to be."
He added: "Cardiff was always the ambition. We always wanted to open a place in Cardiff, and I'm sure it's not going to be the last place we open either. Our ambition would be to open a restaurant in Cardiff one day."
Tokyo Nights is set to inhabit a "tiny" space in Cardiff Market with a limited menu, before expanding both its premises and the food on offer.
"We're just starting off really small [on the menu], and then we plan to do as many things as we can really," Oliver explained.
"We'll be opening an industrial unit there as well. Once we've got that up and running, we plan to be able to make Bento boxes there."
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