Peony Seafood Restaurant

Peony is one of the Bay’s few Chinese banquet halls. So, naturally, it’s where you'll end up for the massive wedding reception of some extended family, or when your aunt decides to "get everyone together." The Cantonese restaurant on the top floor of the Pacific Renaissance Plaza is a grandiose, multi-room maze with big round tables and red cushioned chairs. And there are the requisite lazy susans, which you should top with plates of lobster or abalone, honey walnut shrimp, and pan-fried noodles. This place is slightly better at lunch, when the dining room is more energetic and they offer dim sum (what Peony does best) like baked barbecue pork buns, cheong fun, and adorable pig-shaped jellies. 

photo credit: Andria Lo