KAO Restaurant

Indulge yourself with the flavours and textures of the carefully prepared dishes from the Kao Soldeu team. From delicious steamed, boiled or fried Dim Sum to the exotic thousand-year egg, not to mention traditional Chinese soups or noodle and rice dishes with Eastern flavours. Without forgetting the house signature dish, the beyond-famous Kao family traditional Peking Duck.

The Kao Group was born out of the purest Chinese gastronomic tradition, thanks to the commitment, tenacity, love and expertise of the Kao family.

Its founder was Kao Tze Chien, a chef and pioneer of Chinese gastronomy in Barcelona since 1956 with the then newly opened restaurant Gran Dragón.

In 1964 he branched out on his own with the opening El Pekín, an establishment located on the corner of the renowned Avinguda Diagonal and Carrer de Córsega. In that elegant space he used to welcome his loyal customers, who at the time included bohemian artists, great sportspeople of the era and those who appreciated fine East Asian cuisine.

In 1976 he moved to what would become today’s Shanghai, located in the upmarket area of Barcelona, and brought in his two youngest sons, Jose María and Luis Kao.

The first as a chef, who has made it his speciality to create and innovate with new dishes made from local market produce adapted to the culinary techniques of the Asian continent.

The second as the sommelier in charge of selecting the wine list, which includes around 800 varieties in total.

Chef Jose María Kao has always been supported by his wife, Mercedes Santín, who is also responsible for the smooth running of Shanghai.

The Kao saga continues with Meilan and Nayan Kao, the daughters of Mercedes and Jose Maria, who have developed new concepts such as Kao Dim Sum and Mr Kao, adding a touch of the avant-garde without losing the essence established by the founder.  

In December 2018, four years after the opening of the Kao sisters’ first Dim Sum Club, they arrived in Andorra with their first international project at our hotel: a union where the objective is simply to share the very best of the Kao essence.