TOP Welsh chef Larkin Cen is bringing his signature Woky Ko dishes to Newport with the launch of a new delivery service.

Mr Cen was a Masterchef finalist in 2013 and since then his career has taken off – he ran a restaurant in the Celtic Manor Resort and has opened a series of restaurants in Bristol.

Woky Ko specialises in vibrant Asian cuisine, and Mr Cen's latest venture sees him bring those flavours to Newport.

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As reported by Big Hospitality, the Woky Ko chain will open a new facility in the Spytty area of the city.

He said months of lockdown had prompted the move into a more delivery-based service.

"Although it sounds crazy, this feels like the right time to come back to Wales, launching Woky Ko: To Go just with delivery to begin with,” he told www.bighospitality.co.uk.

He added: “Our new facility is in the Spytty area of Newport, in an industrial unit with big facilities which will enable us to develop ideas for all the Woky Ko restaurants, while also serving the whole of Newport with home deliveries of some of our favourite dishes.

"We’ll also be using it to produce our Woky XO chilli oil which is a favourite with our customers."

Mr Cen grew up in his parents’ Chinese takeaway in Ely, Cardiff, but left to study law and became an employment lawyer in Bristol.

Despite his successful legal career, he returned to his culinary roots and previously told the Argus he applied for MasterChef to gain some credibility in the world of food, and to display his passion for Asian cuisine.

Woky Ko will be available at first via Uber Eats, and later via a click and collect service.