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By Gretchen Kurt
Peking Palace fulfills a special niche in the San Diego
dining scene as the precise all-in-one Chinese restaurant to meet
your takeout, dine-in, banquet, and catering needs.
It accomplishes this with attentive dining service,
a peaceful interior, and delicious food that will satisfy your midday
and late night cravings! Obscurely located in University Town Center
across from Robinson May and next door to Cozy Mel’s, Peking
Palace is worth discovering (though it could benefit from signs
off Genesee Avenue).
The restaurant seems spacious, thanks to its simple
elegance and wide walkways between tables. Aligning the left side
of the restaurant are two rows of comfortable booths, regular or
L-shaped.
The mood is casual and down-tempo with lime colored
tablecloths and the sound of Spanish guitar courting you in the
background. Its décor is subtle, blending mahogany, pastels,
and glass medians. Peking Palace has changed locations and chefs
its past 21 years but maintained a loyal following. The menu is
reasonably priced.
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Its best deal is the $7 luncheon combination that
comes with soup, an appetizer, and rice.
Peking’s menu includes vegetarian options like the Sauteed
Baby Bok Choy, Vegetable with Beancurd Soup, Mu Shu Vegetable, and
Spicy Eggplant.
Peking has revitalized its menu with the help of Kin
Yee Shek, the distinguished executive chef from Santa Monica’s
celebrated Madame Wu’s. Shek is masterful at discreetly saturating
each dish with memorable sauces. He revs up your tastebuds with
Pan Fried Dumplings with sweet teriyaki dipping sauce and just crisp
enough Shanghai Egg Rolls. The Crab Raggon is addictive.
This appetizer comes in a deep fried wonton skin delicately
filled with crab meat and cream cheese.
The pairing is harmonious and delightful with each bite. For a dramatic
entrance order the Three Flavor Sizzling Rice Soup. The sizzling
begins when your server tosses squares of fried golden rice crust
in the hot broth.
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