Lee Pin Kao, a good looking Chinese lad, in order to avoid being enlisted in the Chinese Civil Army, traveled to Sri Lanka in 1937 in a ship, against all odds, to start a new life in our motherland. Kao and his 3 brothers who traveled with him, as a family, formed a Chinese restaurant in Colombo Fort, mainly to feed the crews that were disembarking from ships. They were pioneers in the Chinese restaurant business in Sri Lanka and Shandong continues this legacy today. It was in Sri Lanka that he met and married a young and comely Sri Lankan lady, Pearl in 1945, with whom he proceeded to have 6 children. The Kaos reminisce on how their father used to cook up a storm in the kitchen during their childhood. The succulent dumplings were a firm favourite of the Kaos and a staple on the table during the Chinese New Year celebrations. The ‘Mantu’ or Chinese bread was also steamed in the bamboo steamers and the children would eat them with the local curries. Pearl recalls having a pot of soup always boiling away in the kitchen. Kao talks about at one point, how the whole family got involved in the noodle making process at home, where the family supplied freshly made noodles, to the local shops as well as to the Army. The kitchen was the ‘family room’ where all gathered to share their stories while enjoying the tantalizing Chinese fare. Friends of the Kaos would flock to the tiny kitchen to taste the dumplings, roast pork, vegetable chop suey and other ‘exotic’ fare that were unheard of, in the then small town of Bandarawela. Sharing the passion…. It was evident from the early years, that the Kaos had a passion for cooking Chinese food. Most of the family members are excellent chefs and to this day enthusiastically entertain their guests with the recipes that have been handed down to them, over the generations. It is in this spirit, that Shandong – TCK was formed. As homage to the province of the village of Mr. Lee Ping Kao, the restaurant is aptly named as Shandong. Just as everyone gathered around the kitchen to talk about their day around the kitchen tasting enticing flavours, we hope our loyal customers would also flock to and relax amidst a stylish yet homely ambience, tasting our mouthwatering cuisine made with recipes that are authentically Chinese that have been passed down over the years. We welcome you to enjoy our food cooked with love from our kitchen!
