This autumn, The Peninsula London will welcome award-winning Hong Kong chef May Chow for her UK debut and a month-long takeover of Little Blue Noodle Bar, running from 5 October to 1 November 2026. Created in collaboration with creative culinary agency Tribe & Gather, the residency will combine masterful Cantonese techniques with the vibrant, late-night energy of modern Hong Kong.
An influential figure in contemporary Chinese cuisine, Chow has helped shape Hong Kong’s dining scene through her acclaimed restaurants Little Bao and Happy Paradise. She was the youngest recipient of the Asia’s Best Female Chef Award and has appeared on Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown and as a finale judge on Top Chef Masters.
For her residency at The Peninsula London, Chow draws inspiration from Hong Kong’s history as a city shaped by movement and migration, from Chiu Chow traders and Shanghainese arrivals to the Cantonese diaspora that carried its culinary traditions around the world before bringing new influences back home.
Taking over the intimate 25-seat Little Blue Noodle Bar, accessed through its own street entrance, the residency is designed around the idea of eating and drinking together. A lively, high-energy atmosphere will accompany an à la carte menu celebrating Hong Kong’s diverse regional flavours, complemented by music and a convivial setting. The concept reflects Chow’s belief that culinary heritage should remain alive, contemporary and exciting.
Celebrating the Art of Siu Mei
At the heart of the menu is Siu Mei, the traditional Hong Kong art of roasting. Using a vertical Apollo drum oven inspired by those found in Hong Kong neighbourhood roast shops, premium British meats are air-dried, roasted at high temperatures and finished with carefully layered glazes.
The menu features two distinctive styles of Char Siu, alongside sharing plates and exclusive rice and noodle dishes created especially for the London residency.
The Siu Mei selection includes Tamworth Pork Collar Char Siu, marinated with red fermented bean curd, red yeast rice and aromatic Mei Kuei Lu rose wine before being slow-roasted and finished with a glossy maltose glaze. The Wagyu Beef Short Rib Char Siu offers a richer interpretation, pairing marbled beef with black fermented bean, five spice, aged tangerine peel, peanut and honey.
Other dishes include Raw Scallop with cucumber, coriander and green peppercorn; Salt Marsh Lamb Tartare with fermented bean curd, pickled mustard greens and fried bean curd; Crispy Cuttlefish with seaweed and black garlic; Warm Eggplant with chilli garlic and pine nuts; and Pan-Fried Dumpling filled with braised short rib and served with black vinegar.
The menu continues with Sand Ginger Fried Chicken; Emperor Stir-Fry with flowering and yellow chives, anchovies and hazelnuts; Prawn Peanut Noodles with prawn chilli oil; Mushroom Noodles with sweet soy, kombu and salted lemon; and Crab Fried Rice with ginger and roasted sesame oil.
Created exclusively for the residency, the King Prawn and Peanut Braised Noodles feature fresh egg noodles wok-braised with king prawns, ginger, garlic, shallot, spring onion and yellow chives. The dish is finished with a roasted sesame-peanut dressing and house-made prawn-head chilli oil.
For dessert, Duckshit Oolong Ice Cream is paired with hot, crisp deep-fried Apple Mochi. The ice cream is infused with single-origin Ya Shi Xiang Dan Cong oolong tea, prized for its intensely floral aroma.
Drinks Inspired by Hong Kong
The drinks programme has been created to complement the food, with a focus on curious, generous and place-driven serves that also draw inspiration from beyond Hong Kong. The selection explores the relationship between Cantonese cuisine and acidity, salinity, savouriness, fermentation and age, with wines and sake chosen for their texture and depth.
The concise drinks list will feature small producers, traditional methods and lesser-known regions across wine, sake, cocktails, zero-alcohol serves and independent beers.
Cocktails include the Hong Kong Lemon Tea, made with Bison vodka, black tea, lemon and sweet soy; a Spritz with Cynar, honey, lemon and grapefruit soda; a Chrysanthemum Margarita with blanco tequila, chrysanthemum and Cointreau; and a Five-Spice Gin & Tonic with cinnamon, clove, star anise, orange and ginger.
Zero-alcohol options include Yuzu Maple Soda, combining yuzu, maple, sea salt and soda, and Guava & Salted Plum Soda with grapefruit, guava and salted plum, alongside a premium house-carbonated tea.