Peony Kitchen raises the bar for Chinese cuisine
Peony Kitchen is the newest restaurant in the neighborhood joining popular establishments like Carmines, Ginza, Monsoon East, Local Burger, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, and Cantinetta. Peony Kitchen takes a fresh interpretation of Chinese cuisine in a vibrant and stylish atmosphere. Each dish has a modern flare with careful attention to detail giving guests a “high-end” dining experience. During our lunch visit, we tried the Hot and sour soup ($5), Honey mustard walnut black tiger prawns ($14), Five Flavor Xiao Long Bao soup dumplings ($12) – Original, Hot ‘n sour, ginseng, crab meat, and cheese, and the Whole five-spiced crispy duck ($32).
The Hot and sour soup is a must order for lunch. For $5, it’s a steal. Great balance between hot and sour, nice texture with the mushrooms, slivers of tofu, crispy rice and a grilled shrimp that goes nicely with this dish.
The honey mustard walnut black tiger prawns is crispy and perfectly coated with a honey cream sauce topped with candied walnuts. The prawns pair nicely with the crispy chip-like cracker. Six pieces is definitely not enough as this dish will go fast.
The Five Flavor Xiao Long Bao soup dumplings is the dish Peony Kitchen will be famous for (and possibly the duck). At only $12, you get to experience five incredible flavors: Original, Hot ‘n sour, ginseng, crab meat, and cheese. We were a bit apprehensive hearing another restaurant rolling Xiao Long Bao’s, but after tasting them, we are a believer. Each dumpling is very unique from the ingredients inside and out.
The whole five-spiced crispy duck takes “crispy duck” to the next level. This dish is eaten like an asian taco. The crispy duck is layered in a warm house made tortilla where the freshly cut vegetables like cucumber, radish, parsley gets added, put some house made sauce, then the lemon. The lemon gives this dish the right amount of zest and citrus to bring out the flavor of the duck and balances it out very nicely.
Food: 3/3
Overall, very well executed on all dishes.
Decor: 3/3
Beautiful industrial modern look with heavy steel, wood, and reclaimed brick and leather stitched chairs.
Service: 2/3
First week jitters on service, the server missed a few dishes which was disappointing, but this restaurant has great potential.
Peony Kitchen
10317 Main St #100, Bellevue, WA 98004
Phone: (425) 502-7652
https://www.peonykitchen.com/
History of Peony: In the 1930s, Shanghai was considered the Paris of the East and it was the epic center for any artistic avant-garde. Peony’s concept is a nod to that era. The restaurant’s name itself can be interpreted as the Chinese national flower Peony or the stage name of a female lounge diva. Peony is an eatery where diners can get a taste of old China and modern Chinese cuisine.
