Fourteen Ten are delighted to announce the launch of Three Uncles, a Hong Kong style Siu Mei kiosk opening in Holloway Road’s The Upper Place in mid-June.
Siu Mei is the Cantonese term for roast meats and childhood friends and chefs – Cheong Yew (Uncle Lim), Pui Sing Tsang (Uncle Sidney) and Mo Kwok (Uncle Mo) have taken a 300 square foot unit in the new food market to specialise in Cantonese Roast Duck, Crispy Pork Belly (Siu Yuk) and Char Siu Pork.
Inspired by their almost daily habit of spending hours at Siu Mei spots whilst growing up together in Hong Kong in the 1970s, the three uncles have worked on the project for 12 months developing recipes and sourcing equipment; the aim to serve traditional, chopped to order siu mei designed for London consumers.
“Siu Mei brings back treasured memories for us; growing up in Hong Kong in the 70s we would visit the famous roast meat cafes near Wan Chai market and watch the skilled chefs chopping delicious chunks of roast duck and char siu pork. Siu Mei remains one of the most popular types of food for everyday Hong Kongers, but in London you can only really find it in restaurants in Chinatown” says Uncle Mo. “We look forward to bringing this food out to the streets to make it available to all as you would find across the Far East”.
At the center of the kiosk will sit their Hong Kong imported round roasting oven, a shape that has been used for over 600 years to ensure heat distribution and elimination of steam (meaning crispier skin). At certain times during the day lucky customers will see Chef standing on a small stool to climb up and open the top of the oven to hang the meat inside. The three uncles have also imported traditional tools such as spiked mallets to perforate meat for more effective rendering as well as Chinese cleavers and the fondly remembered classic thick chopping boards.
The Three Uncles’ recipe combines the classic and laborious 6-step technique (marinate on the inside, rub on the outside, fan dry, roast, rest, and serve) with secret recipe marinades and preparation secrets that have been learned from Hong Kong chefs and the 20 years of Chinese cooking experience of the three uncles. The meats themselves have undergone 48 hours of marinating and preparation before even entering the oven.
“We’ve had techniques shared with us that have been passed down by Hong Kong 師傅 sifu (roasting masters)” adds Uncle Sidney “The roast meats are the star of the show, but the flavourful sauces, chillies as well as the cooking of the rice that accompanies the siu mei are just as important to the Cantonese”.
Both the Siu Yuk and Char Siu starts with British pork belly and collar respectively and duck has been sourced from Ireland’s Silverhill Farm selected for combining the best flavour, fat content and tender meat. To these meats a complex combination of herbs and spices are used to marinade: the Roast Duck consists of 17 elements, the Siu Yuk 14 and the Char Sui, 12.
The three uncles worked with London based creative agency Studio NinetyOne to develop branding and identity. The brand’s visual system and logo not only references the theme of repetition, abundant in Hong Kong’s neon street signs and high-rise buildings, but also the repetition of chopping and stacking that defines the Sui Mei cuisine. Sui Mei became popular in the 50s when the economy in Hong Kong started growing and the tradition developed from special occasion to every day.
“Hongkongese culture has been influenced by British culture due to colonisation resulting in a mix by both east and west. As a result of this most communication is subtitled or juxtaposed with icons to help illustrate the message.” says Sam Hextall from Studio NinetyOne. “This interesting combination of signs, languages and images helped inform the overall visual texture developed for this project.”
The menu will also offer Hainan Chicken Rice, Lo Mien Noodles and a small selection of Dim Sum as well as east-inspired fresh juices such as Pineapple with cinnamon and star anise.
All packaging is plastic free.
Editors Notes
Address
Three Uncles
The Upper Place at Nag’s Head Market
22 Seven Sisters Road
N7 6AG
Web & Links
instagram.com/three.uncles
threeuncles.co.uk
Opening Hours
Monday to Thursday: 11.45am to 10pm
Friday and Saturday: 11.45am to 11pm
Sunday: 10am to 10pm
Full Menu
Sui Mei
Char Siu: £7.95
Sui Yuk: £7.95
Roast Duck: £9.95
All dishes served with pak choi and steamed jasmine rice
Sui Mei Combo
Any two meats: £8.95
Any three meats: £10.50
All dishes served with pak choi and steamed jasmine rice
Hainan Chicken Rice served with Pak Choi: £8.95
Lo Mein (egg noodles)
Topped with Roast Duck & Char Siu: £9.50
Topped with Beef Brisket & Mooli: £8.95
Topped with Wonton & Char Siu: £8.95
Handmade Dim Sum
Char Siu Bao: £4
Veggie Bao: £4
Lamb Dumplings with Chilli Vinegar: £5.50
Pork & Prawn Siu Mai: £5
Wontons in Chilli Oil: £4.50
bout Studio NinetyOne
Studio NinetyOne is a London based creative agency with a focus on building brands with character. Through the use of strong strategy and bold creative direction the studio helps brands communicate and engage across print, interior and digital.
studio-ninetyone.com
Fourteen Ten is a creative UK PR agency specialising in global Food & Drink Brand PR and Alcohol Brand PR.