See inside Sunderland city centre's Asiana after £120,000 refit

Retro neon and LED lighting meets Far Eastern art at the new look Asiana.

The city centre restaurant has undergone a £120,000 refit inspired by retro Chinese '80s eateries - with a modern twist.

Owned by Sunderland businessman Ian Wong, the restaurant brought a taste of the Orient to the city 15 years ago after taking over one of the ground floor units at the then newly-opened Echo 24 building in West Wear Street.

It's still one of the few sit-in Asian restaurants in the city and, although it's undergone painting works over the years, this is the first major makeover at the restaurant, which features dishes inspired by Thailand, Malaysia, China, Indonesia and Vietnam, since opening.

Ian said: "When we took on this unit, it was just an empty shell with slabs of concrete but I really saw the potential in it, and in Sunderland.

"At the time, there was only two other Chinese restaurants in the area and we saw a gap in the market."

The makeover comes as Ian has slightly reduced the size of the restaurant, freeing up a unit at the far end of the building and reducing the covers from 160 to 120.

It's a saving on rent and utility bills that's led to Ian signing a new 10-year lease at the site.

As part of the new chapter, Ian felt the time was right for a new look.

"The old look was very clean and clinical," he said. "15 years is a long time to be established and we wanted to mark that with a new look and really put an Oriental stamp on it.

"The brief I gave to the designer was to think back to the Chinese restaurants of the '80s, but to deliver it in a modern, subtle way."

Designer Simon Bartlett brought Ian's vision to life and, after a brief period of closure to complete the works, the restaurant is back open for business.

"People love the new look," said Ian. "We have so many regulars, some who've been coming for 15 years, and many for the past 10.

"Some of our younger members of staff who actually had their first restaurant meal here when they were 4/5 now work here."

There's been many changes in the city's hospitality scene since Ian first opened the doors at Asiana and he says it's great to see so much investment in the area.

"We're still a destination restaurant as we're a little bit out of the way," he said. "But it's great to see so many businesses opening, Sunderland is becoming quite a foodie destination."