This Shun Lee Dynasty box does not belong to just any Chinese restaurant. It belongs to the first Chinese restaurant in New York to receive four stars from the New York Times, a recognition given in 1967 that helped to forever change the perception of Chinese cuisine in the United States. It currently still exists at a new location under the name of Shun Lee Palace.

The soul of the cuisine was Wang Ching-Ting, a chef who caught the attention of a Chinese ambassador and ended up traveling to the United States to work at the Chinese Embassy in Washington. Years later, he would bring flavors from Yangzhou, Shanghai, and Sichuan to New York at the Shun Lee Dynasty restaurant.

Another very interesting thing I discovered about this establishment is that it was designed by Russel Wright. I found some pages from the magazine Interior Design (1966) where the restaurant's dining room appears. With the description, we can get an idea of its colors and materials: monumental lamp of transparent and magenta crystals, bamboo and polished steel screens, deep cherry-colored walls, dark speckled floor, and benches upholstered in black and white. Below, I leave you a color recreation made with AI. And the coolest part of all, Russel Wright even designed the ceramic plates, the collection was called Polynessian by Sterling China. The truth is, as an interior designer, a project like this is one I have always dreamed of doing.

I hope you enjoy the story of this very special restaurant as much as I do. And if you go to New York, be sure to stop by Shun Lee Palace and have an orange beef in my honor.