Set to launch at the end of the month following a brief refurbishment, Joe’s Oriental Diner is billed as being “all about big, bold Southeast Asian-inspired food without the big price tag”.
It will offer ‘quicker, slicker service’ utilising QR code ordering.
Joe’s Oriental Diner originally launched in Chelsea as a pop-up in 2015 before moving to Hackney for an even briefer spell later that year.
In 2020, Hallsworth revived the Joe’s Oriental Diner name as a delivery-only operation in south-west London.
Hallsworth says: “Expect loud flavours, plenty of zing, smoke, chilli and crunch – but easy-going enough for everyone: affordable plates, kids’ bento boxes at lunch and dinner, simple East Asian-inspired cocktails, and a short, rotating wine list built around the food.
“We think Joe’s is going to be a brilliant fit for Balham – and while we’re sad to close one chapter, we can’t wait to get started on the next, and to make a real success of it here in SW12!”
Hallsworth says he plans to reopen Freak Scene in central London, although no timescale has been given.
“After 20 months in Balham, we’ve realised that Freak Scene isn’t quite the right fit for the area – a bit like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole! It’s a brand we love and believe in, so we’ll be taking it back to its roots in central London, where it originally began life in Soho, and where we think it’ll really shine.”
Hallsworth has opened a string of Asian restaurant concepts across London since leaving Nobu in 2010, including Kurobuta, which grew to three sites.
The Australian-born chef left Kurobuta in 2017 and launched Freak Scene as a pop-up in Farringdon the same year.
Named after a famous Dinosaur Jr. track, it is notably peripatetic restaurant brand having now traded from a total of five different London locations.