Chef Peng

彭师傅/彭師傅

From Taiwan to London, cooking has been the foundation of his life in the UK, with food serving as the language he speaks here. Over the past fifty years, Chef Peng, a unique innovator in Chinese food, has struggled and fought against expectations of Chinese cuisine and British culture, using his culinary philosophy to transform his restaurant, HUNAN, into one of London’s most distinctive dining destinations.

The camera quietly inhabits a corner of the kitchen, following Chef Peng as he touches, smells, tastes, and converses with diners to gather inspiration. Moving seamlessly between the dining table and the kitchen, much like the alternating shots of a calm, order-awaiting kitchen and a sizzling, bustling wok at the start, this documentary captures a culinary journey that reflects half a lifetime of his work. -Qi Wu. Co-lead Curator of Odyssey 2024