Peter was born and raised in Wuhan, China and as a young adult moved to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, to study classical Chinese cooking. There, he discovered his love for Sichuan peppercorns, chilis, and pickles that make humble ingredients shine.

He came to Washington D.C. more than 20 years ago as the chef for the Chinese ambassador to the United States before building his empire of restaurants. Fans flock to his restaurants for his signature dry-fry cauliflower and seafood, mala-flavored dishes, and Wuhan sesame noodles, a dish from his hometown.