A quiet force in the kitchen, Chef Chun blends culture, creativity, and care in every dish.
BY KYLE MARIE MCMAHON | PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHEF CHUN
At Brewery Bhavana, the dumplings are delicate, the flavors refined, and the ambiance unforgettable—but few patrons know the quiet powerhouse behind the kitchen: Chef Chun Shi. A woman whose story is as rich and layered as the dim sum she handcrafts, Chef Chun has been with Bhavana since 2017, shaping not just the menu but the heart of the operation.
Raised in China and steered toward a stable career in electrical engineering, Chun followed the practical path. After moving to the U.S. and earning a master’s degree in computer science at George Washington University, she worked in Maryland before her husband’s job brought them to North Carolina in 2007. “We were finally stable,” she recalls, “and he said, ‘Why not do what you really love?’” That encouragement led her to enroll in culinary school and intern at An in Cary—chosen alphabetically from a list of restaurants.
There, she trained under Executive Chef Steven Greene, who became a mentor and eventually recommended her to Brewery Bhavana. It turned out to be serendipitous. An closed the day after she quit.
In those early days, she worked from 8 a.m. until closing, making dim sum to order while training staff and helping the restaurant rise from a promising concept to an award-winning establishment. Now, Chun oversees the entire kitchen: hiring, ordering, prep, and operations at both the downtown Raleigh location and the new outpost at Fenton in Cary. She still helps create new dishes and seasonal additions, but her core menu—especially the dim sum—remains faithful to her roots.
Her expertise is hands-on and heartfelt. She learned to cook from her grandmother during Chinese New Year feasts and honed her skills with practice and study. During her time as a student, she cooked for fellow Chinese students on weekends; her reputation was such that parties formed around her food. Her talent stood out even in culinary school, where instructors called over other students to study the precision of her croissants.
At Bhavana, she has developed gluten-free versions of menu favorites and adjusted dishes to fit customer demand—like a vegetarian-only rangoon and new summer offerings like a cold noodle salad inspired by Wuhan street vendors. “When you step on the asphalt there in summer, your shoes stick,” she says with a laugh. “And all the street vendors are selling cold noodles, piled high with sauce.” The small kitchen at the Fenton location has inspired her to tweak diner favorites, such as the steamed fish, which will need to be fried.
Even after years at Bhavana, she’s not done learning. She dreams of returning to China for an extended culinary immersion, to master Sichuan dishes, hand-pulled noodles, and traditional mock meats.
Behind every great chef is a great support system, and for Chun, that includes her husband, Don. “He’s a white guy,” she says with a laugh. “He learned Chinese just to try and talk to me.” Now retired, Don is a vegetarian who still takes college courses and reads Chinese novels. The couple met through work as programmers, married after just a month, and have built a life that bridges cultures, careers, and cuisines.
Chef Chun may not seek the spotlight, but her steady leadership, deep knowledge, and passion for tradition make her one of the most influential voices in Raleigh’s culinary scene. At Brewery Bhavana, every handmade dumpling carries her signature—quiet, precise, and full of soul.
