About Us

Harry graduated from William Smith High with honors. Right out of school, he moved to New York with his relatives who lived in China Town where there are multiple sought out Chinese restaurants who traditionally had the same type of menus. Shu started working for Jean Georges Vongerichten at Vong, the first upscale Chinese restaurant of its time.  From there, he went on to open Nobu as part of the original kitchen staff cooking with Morimoto, “The Iron Chef”.  Later, he became part of the opening kitchen staff at Jean -Georges, cooking alongside Wylie Dufresne and Dider Virot.  “I feel blessed to have started my career cooking with such iconic chefs and working in those 4 star kitchens really inspired me and taught me to respect the craft.”… Chef Harry Shu.

Chef Shu graduated from culinary school in Beijing, China and continued his training at the prestigious LeCordon Bleu in Paris, France. After graduation, he returned to China where he met his wife, who convinced him to open a restaurant in her hometown of Charleston, SC.

About Soup & Dumplings Restaurant:

Chef Shu utilizes five generations of recipes handed down through his family combined with his avant garde culinary training to create one-of-a kind dishes. His goal is to ensure all who visit his restaurant experience authentic Chinese cuisine reimagined for the modern diner. Chef Shu’s goal is to create life-long customers who crave for more Chinese cuisine in unique combinations. This, he hopes, when they leave Soup & Dumpling they’ll continue the practice of enjoying regular meals at the family table to enhance their communication and bonding with each other. Harry has become an established chef in his own right.  As a member of the BR Guest Group food critics are no strangers to him. One of his fondest memory is that William Grimes the NY times food critic at the time wrote, “(chef Shu)…uses the vast expanse of Asian cuisine as a palette of exotic colors.”

Harry has become an established chef in his own right.  As a member of the BR Guest Group food critics are no strangers to him. One of his fondest memory is that William Grimes the NY times food critic at the time wrote, “(chef Shu)…uses the vast expanse of Asian cuisine as a palette of exotic colors.”  

He’s had fun on TV as well. He competed on The Food Network’s Next Great Chef, and on Esquire’s Knife Fight (where he won a cheap knife!). He had the privilege being Anthony Bourdain’s guide to NY’s Chinatowns on the hit show No Reservations. Currently he has appeared on videos for Epicurious.com and Bon Appetit with millions of views and has been a judge on multiple episodes of The Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay”. He has won the YPX award from the Museum of Chinese in America and Best New Restaurant 2022 from Thrillist. 

His latest accomplishment is the release of his cookbook, “Today’s Chinese Cuisine” , Skyhorse Publishing.  A love letter to NYC’s Chinatown, with recipes and stories of Chinese food, dumplings and more.