For a moment, transport yourself to the 8th Century: precisely, the 8th Century in China and the time of Tang Dynasty, the same dynasty that gave the world gunpowder, printing and air conditioning.
However, our story does not begin in the now-fêted city of Beijing; Beijing was not even the capital city back then and besides, this story is one that is more the preserve of South China, and to be more specific, the coastal province of Guangdong.
Guangdong's coastal location made it a prime spot for trade and commerce, and amongst the many wares traded at this stop emerged (or so the legends say) a special piece of magic: the magic around the preservation and creation of roast meats.
.jpeg)
Generation after generation built on these traditions and techniques behind siu mei - a term that generally encompasses many forms of roast meats in the region - until the region became famous for such delicacies.
The threads of migration have always been key in the tapestry of humanity, and as we barrel through history we see these same chefs that so lovingly passed down recipe after recipe for the finest roast pork, duck and more, now take boats and planes across oceans to Malaysia, Myanmar, Cuba, Peru, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States... they settle all around the world.
With them always are these recipes that contain, between the lines and the marinades, over fourteen hundred years of history, fourteen hundred years of delicious moments of joy.
It is this epic legacy and tradition that exists in so many Cantonese restaurants in London - arguably the biggest hub in the UK for such cuisine - and one that a chain of restaurants in particular holds close to their mission. The restaurant is called Three Uncles, and their story is at the core of their love of food. In particular, siu mei.
They are very much three uncles: three friends from Hong Kong who had a dream. Mo in particular reflects on his father's own influence on his journey: "My father was a roasting chef in Hong Kong, I learnt a lot from him when I was younger and in a way he set the path for me to follow," he says. "Throughout my career I have had experience in many other departments in a Chinese kitchen, but overall my favourite is still the roasting section."
This joy they feel in roast meats in particular can be felt when stepping into any Three Uncles store. Popping into one of their newest locations - a bright stop in Saint Paul's painted in the chain's signature blue - the conscientiousness around how to both portray their enthusiasm for the cuisine in a way that touches others, becomes clear.
Bright signs in neon glow on the walls in a shout-out to the same signs you would see in a Hong Kong siu mei stall or restaurant, and the menus are clear and simple. Customers can pick from roast pork, roast duck, roast chicken or mixed meat options on rice, as well as lo mein (egg noodles) options, with some little all-day dim sum offerings as well. This simplicity is all by design.
"We have always believed in keeping a menu simple and by only putting in what we consider to be classic dishes," Mo tells us. "This makes it easier for the customer to choose, and us to operate at a high level, but we also have a lot of variations that they can make within that menu."
And that simple, bright and clear decor? Also a very deliberate shift from many peoples' stereotypes of what a Chinese or Cantonese eatery should look like.
"We wanted to create a clean and contemporary brand that is both rooted in Hong Kong tradition and also makes sense in London: without being cliché," Mo explains. "We like the minimalist approach as it draws attention to the food, which in our opinion should always be the star of the show."
Star of the show it is. Anyone who has enjoyed any Chinese cuisine from a takeaway - even a poor one - will identify how the real thing is nothing like the flaccid rice of a ready meal or the chewy, plasticky goo of a Pot Noodle.
A Three Uncles' meal is enough to ensure you never contemplate even going near any of these again. The plain rice that goes with the roast meats is just right: not too soft, not too hard. For conoisseurs of Hainanese Chicken Rice, the classic ginger aroma from the rice is as it should be, and their lo meins recall the same meals back in East and South East Asia so well that you feel inspired to learn how to hand make the same noodles yourself.
Not to mention the fine textures of the meats on offer, so well done that visitors from Hong Kong and Guangdong have sung its praises. The mark of good and authentic siu mei indeed.
But it is a painstaking process to create the precise meals that customers enjoy. The uncles detail how it is a two day journey, from cleaning, to marinating, to air drying before the final step: roasting.
"Is very labour intensive," says Mo. "The actual roasting oven itself needs skill to ensure an even colour and cook."
Many unfamiliar with Cantonese siu mei will, of course, still have their own favourite roast meat dishes, whether that be a Sunday roast or a Christmas dinner, or even just popping down to Nandos. However, siu mei diverges from them in more than just preparation.
"Siu mei is not cooked to order," Mo explains. "It’s cooked in advance and then chopped quickly and served quickly. It really is a traditional form of fast food, but without the junk."
As may be evident already, siu mei is ultimately, all about the meat. However, upon visiting their Saint Paul's location, there was a special soy chicken meal that featured some delightfully marinated tofu. This is not the tofu touted by some chefs asa recent bland superfood discovery for vegan and vegetarians: this is the type of tofu that has been marinated and enjoyed in many Asian communities as a delicacy in its own right for at least 2000 years.
Perhaps it is then fitting that this is the uncles' means to foray into vegetarian and vegan cuisine.
"There is a need to have vegetarian options on the menu, as there will usually be one vegetarian or vegan in a group of friends: it’s not very nice for them to be without choices," Mo says thoughtfully. "In principle we are not a fan of processed ‘meat alternatives’ and would much rather use natural, traditional ingredients such as our Mapo Tofu with mushrooms."
Back to that word again: tradition. 'Chinese cuisine' is far vaster than what most people experience in popular culture or through takeaways due to deeply different regional traditions, climates and histories
"All Chinese regional cuisines have quite unique tastes: from spicy and numbing to sour and sweet," Mo breaks down. "Cantonese food can probably be described as more ‘subtle’ (not to be mistaken for bland) as the spices and seasonings used are not as up-front as in regions such as Sichaun. This is because Cantonese believe in a balance of flavours – sweet, salty, spicy – and with a focus on tasting the freshness of the core ingredients cooked with a light-touch.
But the popularity of Cantonese cuisine worldwide has led to many dishes being bastardised and misrepresented in many countries. So sometimes it can be hard to find ‘authentic’ Cantonese food."
It was this dream, as well as deep personal memories this also connected to, that led them to pursue the venture to bring their precise vision around siu mei to life.
Yet starting up the very first Three Uncles was no easy feat. At first, they did not even dream as big as a restaurant: a small market stall at Holloway Road was enough, but roadblock after roadblock appeared. From licensing issues to money lost, it took them digging deep to push once more and try their luck on a small former bakery and sandwich shop in Liverpool Street.
"A trauma we will never forget is from our soft launch in Liverpool Street," recounts Mo. "We opened with 50% off all food and were lucky enough to see a queue of over 100 eager customers waiting outside.
At the same time our crispy pork roasting triggered a fire alarm breakdown and the very loud alarm went off every two minutes for the entire day. We had to have a member of staff permanently manning the fire alarm system control panel for the nine hours!"
They have come far since then. They now have Brixton Village, Camden Lock, Saint Paul's and a delivery unit in Bermondsey alongside the original Liverpool Street location, and with their Ealing London restaurant also opening very soon. They express hopes that they can one day expand beyond London and across the UK, such is their belief in their food; but of course, this comes one step at a time, especially since quality is very important to them ("quality is everything", they say to me).
That brings us back to the restaurant. A chat with any of their friendly staff will have you listening to the precise ingredients involved, memories they have regarding which dishes are popular with which clientele, and - if you are lucky enough to catch them during a quieter window - a lovely long chat about Cantonese food and cooking.
It seems the sky is the limit for the three uncles that make up Three Uncles, and the wonderfully friendly team that take care of each of their outlets. Whether you are a siu mei connoisseur, a traveller that is a little homesick, or someone that is encountering Cantonese cuisine for the very first time, Three Uncles offers a special and meaningful culinary experience. Comforting, balanced and skilful, as they themselves would call it.
"In truth," says Mo. "We are happy to push our cuisine forward and educate people on true Cantonese cuisine."
Three Uncles captures all this on the road to their Cantonese cuisine dream: It is tradition, it is heritage, it is heart.
.png)
