The Verdict
Shun Lee Palace opened at 155 East 55th Street in 1971, when chef T.T. Wang and restaurateur Michael Tong set out to give New York its first genuinely fine Chinese dining room. Half a century on, and freshly renovated in 2025, it still carves wood-fired Peking duck tableside and plates the crisp orange beef that Wang is credited with introducing to the city.
The Kitchen
The Palace was built around master chef T.T. Wang, the cook credited with bringing Hunan and Szechuan cooking to a fine-dining New York audience, in partnership with restaurateur Michael Tong, its long-time proprietor since the 1971 opening. The signatures remain the canon Wang helped define: wood-fired Beijing (Peking) duck carved tableside at roughly $98 whole or $52 a half.
Crisp orange-flavoured beef, General Tso's chicken and a crisp sea bass in Hunan style round out the order. The room was, per its own history, the first Chinese restaurant in New York to draw a four-star newspaper review, from critic Craig Claiborne, and it earned repeat two-star notices over the decades. A current executive chef is not publicly named.
The Room
After a 2025 refit the Palace reads as a polished Midtown business-dinner room: comfortable spacing between tables, low lighting, attentive captains and a volume that stays conversation-easy. Dress is smart, and jackets are common at dinner though not required. It sits on East 55th between Lexington and Third, minutes from the Midtown hotels and offices that have filled it for fifty years.
Best for Impress Clients
Book the Palace to impress clients because the tableside duck makes an occasion of the meal, the captains know how to pace a working dinner, and Midtown East puts it minutes from the offices and hotels your guests are likely in. Examples: a deal dinner, an out-of-town client, a senior team celebration that wants gravitas over noise.
Not For
Not for anyone after cheap, fast or trend-driven Chinese food. The Palace is an old-guard white-tablecloth room with prices to match, so skip it if you want a casual Chinatown meal or modern regional cooking.
Common Questions
Is Shun Lee Palace still open?
Yes. Shun Lee Palace at 155 East 55th Street in Midtown East is open as of 2026 and was renovated in 2025. It should not be confused with the separate Shun Lee West, near Lincoln Center, which is a different location with its own status.
What is Shun Lee Palace known for?
Upscale Hunan and Szechuan cooking and tableside wood-fired Peking duck. Signature dishes include crisp orange-flavoured beef, General Tso's chicken and crisp sea bass Hunan style, much of the canon that chef T.T. Wang helped popularise in New York from 1971.
How much does Peking duck cost at Shun Lee Palace?
Wood-fired Beijing (Peking) duck, carved tableside, runs roughly $98 for a whole bird and about $52 for a half as of 2026. It is the signature order, and entrées are otherwise upscale Midtown Chinese pricing, so expect a full dinner to sit at the higher end.
Where is Shun Lee Palace and who founded it?
It is at 155 East 55th Street, between Lexington and Third in Midtown East, Manhattan. Chef T.T. Wang and restaurateur Michael Tong opened this Palace iteration in 1971, Tong has been its long-time proprietor, and the room was renovated in 2025.
Does Shun Lee Palace take reservations?
Yes. Shun Lee Palace takes reservations, including through OpenTable, and is open daily, roughly noon to 10pm. Booking ahead is wise for dinner and for the tableside Peking duck, which is best ordered when you reserve.
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