Sun Moon Place Opens on Bustling Ship Street in Wan Chai Reviving Nostalgic Peking Dining through Authentic Remembered Tastes
(17 September 2024, Hong Kong) – Celebrated regional hospitality company Epicurean Group proudly announces the opening of Sun Moon Place, a Peking restaurant whose dedication to the rich flavours of this classic and perhaps most feted of Chinese cuisines evokes the nostalgia of 20th-century Hong Kong dining. Nestled in Ship Street in Wan Chai at the former site of the Group’s Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant SHIP KEE, the new hotspot honours vanishing culinary treasures while evoking authentic taste memories, providing a convivial destination for lively groups of diners – locals, expatriates and visitors – seeking delicious and affordable Chinese comfort food.
Classic Peking cuisine, also known as Beijing cuisine, Mandarin cuisine and Jing cuisine, is built on a foundation of powerful, consistent flavours that renders each dish familiar – exactly as remembered and forever beloved. Sun Moon Place’s mission is to revive these cherished dining traditions, which have sadly faded in recent years, and ignite the vibrant dining culture of 1980s Hong Kong – a time that saw a significant surge of high-end Peking restaurants in the city. Founded by northern China natives skilled in Beijing’s culinary traditions back in the 1950-1960s, they introduced dynamic Peking flavours enriched by the distinct tastes of the region, fostering a unique cultural exchange that has become integral to Hong Kong’s culinary identity.
Building on this rich heritage, Sun Moon Place brings together seasoned experts with more than 40 years of experience in storied Peking restaurants in Hong Kong, including the late lamented American Restaurant, Pine and Bamboo Peking Restaurant, and Sun Hung Cheung Hing Peking Restaurant – previously go-to destinations for fun-filled, satisfying northern Chinese dining. Upholding the highest standards of quality and authenticity, this talented, dedicated team are masters of diverse and precise cooking methods such as searing, roasting, blanching, simmering, frying, flame-grilling, stir-frying, stewing, braising, caramelising and boiling. Using impeccable produce, they ensure that each dish reflects the true spirit of Peking cuisine.
“Most of Hong Kong’s iconic Peking dining institutions have vanished, leading to a significant loss of our unique culinary culture,” says Candice Cheung, Epicurean Group’s Chief Operating Officer – Chinese Cuisine. “These historic venues not only celebrated the authentic flavours of Peking cuisine but also represented Hong Kong’s rich culinary heritage. We are committed to reviving these cherished traditions at Sun Moon Place.”
Occupying 3,500 sq. ft, Sun Moon Place accommodates 110 people, with 4 private rooms that can be connected for larger gatherings. Above the hustle and bustle of Wan Chai’s popular dining street, a retro-styled neon light showcasing the art of Chinese calligraphy strikingly illuminates the restaurant frontage, nodding to the city’s rich signage heritage and welcoming all through its doors.
Inside, the space is bathed in golden light, with imperial yellow as the vibrant primary hue. Charmingly nostalgic vintage floral wallpaper, and classic Chinese paintings in Victorian-style frames offer further sophistication. The result is an artful aesthetic appeal that remains true to the warm, sociable environment synonymous with Peking cuisine.
Inspired by cherished memories of the vibrant 1980s dining scene, Sun Moon Place’s menu is carefully designed to reflect the vibe of Hong Kong’s heyday, evoking collective memories and prompting an emotional journey back in time. The menu layout is as nostalgic as the chefs’ cooking, comprising almost 200 classic and must-have dishes. Most are presented in three sizes to correspond to the type of gathering: small, medium, and for the liveliest of parties, large.
Three Treasures of Peking Cuisine: Conjuring the Joyful Emotion of Taste
Heading the list are three iconic dishes that exemplify the essence of Peking cuisine. The most celebrated of northern Chinese broths, Hot and Sour Soup (HK$98/small, HK$148/medium, HK$236/large) is freshly prepared to order, and packed with sliced pork stomach, curdled pig’s blood, shrimp, sliced tofu and fungus, its robust flavour warms the soul.
Preserved Smoked Chicken (HK$148/half, HK$288/whole), also known as Shandong Roasted Chicken, is a classic recipe from Shandong, where many Peking restaurant chefs originate. A plump Three Yellow chicken weighing about 2 catties (around 1 kg) is first marinated in spices and soy sauce for 3 hours, then steamed to lock in juiciness, resulting in a rich, satisfying flavour profile. In a final dish-enhancing flourish, homemade savoury-sour sauce infuses the succulent meat.
The other Peking cuisine treasure, Barbecued Peking Duck (HK$308/half, HK$468/whole), showcases thick crispy skin and tender meat served with warm, thin pancakes. Roasted to perfection, the duck is finely sliced for diners to wrap in delightful parcels along with homemade fermented bean sauce, shredded Beijing leek, sliced cucumber or fine sugar.
Classic Favourites: An Authentic, Abundant Tribute to Peking Cuisine
The extensive menu, full of traditional recipes from northern China, underlines the meticulous skill, versatility and tireless dedication of the chefs.
Renowned for its tender meat and chewy skin, the delightful cold appetiser of Sliced Pig’s Knuckle in Peking Style (HK$98/small, HK$148/medium, HK$198/large) features fresh local pork trotter, meticulously braised and sauced for 1.5 hours. It is sliced thicker than usual for a chewier texture, and seasonings of light soy sauce, white vinegar, chilli, garlic and leek impart a piquant pleasure.
For Wet Kidney (HK$138/small, HK$198/medium, HK$288/large), fresh local pork kidney is marinated in vinegar and salt – a lighter replacement for soy sauce – boiled for more than an hour to eliminate the overpowering meat aroma, then rapidly cooked to ensure tenderness.
The Shandong treat of Fried Egg Rolls with Meat & Vegetable (HK$198/medium, HK$268/large) is a lighter, refreshing appetiser. Sliced pork, spring and pickled vegetables, shiitake mushrooms and chives are wrapped in a delicate coat of Hubei eggs prized for their richly coloured yolk.
Mock Goose (Bean Curd) (HK$98/small, HK$148/medium, HK$198/large), a vegetarian delight, sees sauteed carrots, shiitake mushrooms and celery encased in crunchy pan-fried bean-curd skin. The luscious bean flavour pairs beautifully with the rich, smoky aroma.
Sizzling Mutton with Spring Onion (HK$148/small, HK$218/medium, HK$288/large) is a sensual statement main, arriving steaming and bubbling on an iron plate and melding soft meat with crunchy leek in a textural delight. Garlic, miso sauce, soy sauce and sugar join mutton in the wok for optimum flavour.
Only skilled craftsmanship enables Sauteed Pig’s Trachea (HK$228/small, HK$338/medium, HK$448/large) to achieve its perfect crispy texture. Boiled for 2 hours, washed and cut, the cartilage-rich pork is seasoned with salt for a simple yet exquisite taste.
For the celebration dish of Braised Sea Cucumber with Shrimp Eggs (HK$688/small, HK$1,288/large; pictured left), the soft, smooth texture of sea cucumber primarily sourced from Guanxi harmonises with the fresh, sweet taste of hand-processed shrimp roe. A freshwater Steamed Hilsa Herring (market price, order 1 day in advance) weighing about 1 kg is doused in a pot ale of distillers grains and dried mushrooms painstakingly prepared for a week, delivering a sweet-sour complexity.
Crustacean connoisseurs will relish the sweetness and texture of Deep Fried Butterfly Prawns with Pepper Salt (HK$108 per piece, 2-piece minimum). Vietnamese prawns, each larger than the size of a palm, are coated in a crispy yet light and fluffy egg-white batter, then drizzled with Peking-style sweet-sour sauce.
A symphony of rich flavours, the Lu (Shandong) cuisine classic of Braised Bean Curd with Shrimp Eggs Sauce (HK$128/small, HK$188/medium, HK$248/large) sees tofu dipped in egg and flour, fried, and topped with a sauce of shrimp roe, leek and coriander.
Among an array of authentic desserts that encapsulate the essence of Peking cuisine is the Instagram-worthy Caramelized Apple (HK$72/small, HK$122/medium, HK$172/large; pictured left), piled high with wispy burnt sugar – it features Fuji apples coated in sweet syrup and fried until caramelised. In another beloved sweet, Soufflé Balls with Mashed Red Bean & Banana (HK$72/small, HK$122/medium, HK$172/large), made from fluffy whisked egg white, banana and red bean paste, are fried to golden perfection and dusted with caster sugar.
A wide selection of red and white wine, baijiu, beer and soft drinks are on hand to slake thirsts as friends and families gather to dine and celebrate in the authentic Peking-style spirit of ’80s Hong Kong.
Sun Moon Place is located at Shop 1, G/F & 1/F, Pao Yip Building, 1-7 Ship Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, and opens daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For reservations or enquiries, please call (852) 2893-9686, WhatsApp (852) 6491-6792 or email info@sunmoonplace.hk.
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