WELSH chef and former MasterChef finalist Larkin Cen will launch his first restaurant in a joint venture with the Celtic Manor Resort.

The restaurant will be called Cen with an emphasis on Asian flavours and will open on January 29 in the five-star resort’s Manor House.

It will be Celtic Manor’s first Asian restaurant, joining a portfolio of six other restaurants.

Mr Cen said: “Cen means innovation and forward thinking in Chinese and, coupled with the fact that I have always had the complete support from my family in pursuing my dream, it seemed fitting that the restaurant should be given my family name.

“I’m incredibly excited to be launching a restaurant at the Celtic Manor. "

Mr Cen is a third generation chef and his family history is steeped in food and cooking.

He 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 applied for MasterChef to gain some credibility in the world of food and to display his passion for Asian cuisine.

Appearing on the programme reaffirmed his belief that the Chinese hot food sector was dated, so he developed the Hokkei takeaway business in Cardiff.

He has already cut his teeth as a restaurateur at the Celtic Manor when Hokkei was launched as a pop-up restaurant at the resort in 2013.

Mr Cen added: “I’m really looking forward to showing my passion and enthusiasm for Asian food to a different culinary audience. I can't wait to get stuck in.”

He said that quitting his day job as a lawyer to pursue a career in food has been incredibly challenging, but very rewarding.

Celtic Manor Resort culinary director Peter Fuchs said: “As he showed when reaching the final of MasterChef, Larkin Cen is one of the most talented young chefs around and we are delighted to be working with him to create this new restaurant.”