Chinese street food restaurant Sun's Kitchen opens in Lower South End
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Husband and wife Brian Sun and Mandy Kuang are the owners of Sun's Kitchen in Lower South End. Photo: McKenzie Rankin/Axios
Sun's Kitchen, a locally-owned restaurant specializing in traditional Chinese cuisine, has opened its first full-service restaurant in Lower South End.
Why it matters: Located at The Platform at LoSo, the restaurant marks Sun's Kitchen's transition from a ghost kitchen to a dine-in venue.
Flashback: Sun's Kitchen first opened in 2020 out of Wesley Heights commercial kitchen City Kitch. It built a strong following through just takeout and delivery only.
- In April, Sun's opened its Lower South End restaurant.
Sun's is owned by Brian Sun and his wife Mandy Kuang, who leads the kitchen as head chef.
- Sun previously worked as a product designer in Charlotte before transitioning into the food industry.
What to expect: A range of classic Chinese dishes from different regions, from Beijing in the north to Sichuan in the southwest, with an emphasis on street food and homestyle recipes.
- "Our menu is what Chinese people actually eat at home every day," said Sun, who was born and raised in Beijing.
- In other words, you won't find Americanized Chinese dishes like Sesame Chicken or General Tso's Chicken on the menu.
Dig in: I sat down with Sun, who shared the history behind several of the restaurant's most frequently-ordered items, including:
- Lamb Skewers: One of China's most popular street foods. You can order them à la carte or in a skewer flight with fish cakes, broccoli, beef, tofu and mini sausages.
- Dumplings: A northern China staple. Sun and his wife make theirs from scratch daily and offer a colorful dumpling flight with five different flavors.
- Ja Jang Noodle: A favorite noodle dish from Beijing that Sun's Kitchen makes from a generations-old family recipe.
- Ma-La: A distinctive flavor profile in Sichuan cuisine that blends numbing and spicy sensations. The Ma-La wontons, for example, deliver a numbing effect from Chinese peppercorns, followed by a burst of heat from dried chilis.
The vibe: Sun says he designed the space to look like a traditional Chinese garden, inspired by the region of Shanghai.
- Sun's father, who is an artist, drew all of the artwork hanging in the restaurant.
What's next: The restaurant plans to introduce spiked versions of its flavored jasmine teas within the coming weeks.
Stop by: Sun's Kitchen is at 3216 South Blvd, on the bottom floor of The Platform, near Seaboard Brewing.
- Open Tuesday-Sunday 11am-2:30pm for lunch and 4-9pm for dinner.
Go deeper: The most anticipated new restaurants and bars in Charlotte