Myungho Lee said he received a call at home to tell him his takeaway was on fire
17:35, 18 Sep 2025Updated 17:44, 18 Sep 2025
Myung Ho Lee from Chop! Chop! Korean Fusion Food
A Liverpool restaurant owner said he has “no idea” how much it will cost him to repair his business after a blaze broke out. Nestled on a back street, Chop Chop is a thriving takeaway where eight staff members serve a steady stream of hundreds of customers daily.
The venue, on Fenwick Street, regularly has queues forming out the door packed with workers from the city’s surrounding business district. Daily, they brave the lines during lunch hours for the steaming boxes of freshly cooked food being served inside.
The restaurant, owned by Myungho Lee, who lives in Bebington, serves a mix of culinary delights from Korea and Japan, with a menu that includes everything from ramen and tofu curry to prawn dishes and vegetable gyozas.
But those hungry customers will have to put their visits on hold as Mr Lee sets about repairing the damage caused to his business by a fire on Tuesday night.
Merseyside Fire and Service were called to Fenwick Street at around 8.50pm on Tuesday, September 16, with two fire engines attending.
Mr Lee said a lot of damage has been done, but luckily nobody was injured (Image: Liverpool ECHO)
It followed a report of smoke coming from a four-storey building, consisting of Chop Chop, a hotel and flats above.
Following a search, firefighters found the source of the smoke, believed to be between an external wood fascia and the original brickwork of the building, with the remains of the fire located between plasterboard and the original brick wall within the kitchen area of the restaurant.
Speaking about the fire, Mr Lee said: “The venue is saveable, it is ok now. But it was very bad at the start.
“A lot of damage has been done. We have to repair the sink, the walls, replaster and the pressure packs. I think we will be closed for 10 days to maximum two weeks. Hopefully not much longer than that.”
Damage to the front of Chop Chop after the fire
“Luckily no one was injured, the damage was only done to the facilities. At the moment, we have no idea how much it is going to cost us, but there’s nothing you can do really.”
Pictures of Chop Chop showed damage to the front of the takeaway and debris in the entrance way. Fire crews used a single hose reel jet, and removed splash back panels to confirm the fire had not spread into the building’s walls.
Mr Lee continued: “It was very stressful, but being honest, it is no one’s fault really. It is an old building, and that’s what caused the fire. We have no choice now but to fix things and keep going.”