OUR STORY
What is
shàn?
膳 SHÀN, meaning the meal served to the emperor in Chinese, is the very first modern Chinese breakfast eatery in New York City. Located in the heart of Chinatown and Soho, we aim to bring our modern definition of Chinese breakfast into this historical site and aspire to share more aspects of our culture through our interpretation of food. SHÀN offers a variety of traditional Chinese breakfast from different regions of China, whether it’s the renowned Xiaolongbao from eastern China, You Cha from the western part of China, or Rice Noodles from the Southeast part of China. We hope to share our modern interpretation of traditional breakfast with the Chinatown neighborhood and the Asian community but also be the gateway of authentic chinese cultural experiences for non-Asian communities.
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Why Breakfast?
Since childhood, every Chinese was taught to “eat a fine breakfast, a full lunch, and a light dinner.” As the start of a day, breakfast becomes such an important part in Chinese dietary habit. As a country boasting a vast territory and encompassing a large population, China nurtures people in different regions with different lifestyles and eating habits. Breakfast, the essence of daily meals, is diversified based on regions, specifically, the north, south, east, and west of China. A Chinese food documentary with hundreds of episodes, Breakfast in China, documented the most local breakfasts from different regions. And these stories and food should be told and shared across the border to the states.