Recently, we had the pleasure of attending a blogger dinner at Sunshine Moon Peking Pub, a new Chinese spot nestled in Old Town Scottsdale. The restaurant is product of Rich Sullivan (who was involved in the original concept for P.F. Chang’s and behind Scottsdale’s 5th & Wine) and his wife, Dr. Julie Chandler.
Rich greeted each of us warmly and was such a gracious host, shaking hands with each of the guests. He explained that his hopes are to engage the community and to keep the restaurant a family-friendly environment. The staff at Sunshine Moon was incredibly welcoming and they welcome feedback. With that feedback, they plan to expand the menu as suggestions come in.
The menu is very straightforward and features typical Chinese dishes (with an upscale spin) and also incorporates a few menu items with Asian influences. Children’s dishes are available as well. Dinners are intended to be shared (family style). Rich recommends ordering 2-3 entrees and sharing among your table.
Two wines were offered throughout our meal – a white and a red. The white was a bright Pacific Rim Riesling Randall Grahm and the red, a Hybrid Petite Sirah 2007 (75% Petite Sirah, 15% Syrah, 10% Viognier). Both, excellent pairings!
A variety of dishes were brought out to our table of food-loving friends as we passed them around and sampled each.
Among the dishes that really left an impression on us were the:
Pork Dumplings
Pork Dumplings
Accompanied with a ginger honey dipping sauce. These dumplings can be served either fried or steamed – ours were pan fried!
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Six spears wrapped in Hickory-smoked bacon oven roasted and served with togarashi and lemon wedges ($9.95) Who doesn’t love bacon? Even the pickiest vegetable haters will enjoy this yumminess.
Chilled Cucumber Salad
Chilled Cucumber Salad
Cumbers diced and tossed with sesame-soy dressing, topped with black sesame seeds. ($7.95)
Mongolian Beef
Mongolian Beef
Beef wok-fired with green and yellow onions ($15.95) A definite re-order for us. After the dinner, our group convened, and we all agreed that this was a hit! Our picture does not do it justice!
And the Shrimp in Lobster Sauce
Shrimp in Lobster Sauce
Shrimp wok-fired with black beans and water chestnuts in savory Lobster sauce ($15.95) Nice texture, and great flavor made this dish make our Top 2 favorites of the night!
Although we weren’t head over heels about the much-talked-about Peking Pub Burger, the Yucca Chips served on the side were ridiculously tasty! A few at our table really, really enjoyed the burger.
Of course, our evening ended with a passing of Fortune Cookies and let’s just say that we ended up with some really great ones. (We’d tell you, but then our fortune won’t come true!).
Overall, Sunshine Moon is a beautiful restaurant and really a step-up from typical Chinese joints. Give them a try and share your experience with us!
Sunshine Moon | 4175 N. Goldwater Blvd. | Scottsdale, AZ | 480-699-8807 | sunshinemoonpekingpub.com
