Suma opens in Yunnan
The Shangri-La Kunming hotel in Yunnan, China, has collaborated with Shingo Gokan’s SG Group to create destination bar Suma.
The bar opened on 30 April ahead of the hotel’s launch in late 2025.
Suma is inspired by Yunnan’s ‘rich biodiversity and cultural diversity’. SG Group consulted on the creative direction of the project, which is fully owned and operated by Shangri-La Kunming.
SG Group general manager Michael Chen said: “Suma is a love letter to Yunnan, and our work is a continuation of what we’ve always strived to do at SG Group, telling meaningful stories through flavour.
“In the process of immersing ourselves in Yunnan’s foodways and traditions, we reinterpreted these elements with respect and imagination, allowing ingredients, memories, and craftsmanship to come together to invite curiosity and connection.”
Suma – whose name means ‘azalea’ and ‘woman’ in the Yi language – is led by manager Frankie Zou.
The menu features 20 cocktails that ‘reinterpret local flavours through a modern lens’. It is divided into five sections: Spice, Fruity, Floral, Umami, and Bitter.
“Our goal was to create cocktails that don’t feel foreign or intimidating, and we wanted each drink to feel like an invitation to discover a part of Yunnan’s story,” said Zou. “Every drink began with a question: what memory, flavour, or tradition are we trying to evoke? The resulting cocktails in our menu were different articulations of that answer.
“Some are comforting, others are surprising, and many are playful, but all of them share one thing in common: being rooted in a sense of place.”
Each cocktail on the menu is intended to reflect a distinct facet of Yunnan.
The Nanpie Mule is based on a dipping sauce from Dai cuisine and features Ling-Lie Vodka and SG Kome shochu. Meanwhile, the Cucumber Salad is based on a Kunming dish, made with Wild Mist Gin, Kokuto De Lequio Yambaru Spiced Rum, cucumber, verjuice, lemongrass, and pineapple.
The Dianhong Bubble Tea is an alcohol-free cocktail that blends black tea, coffee honey, chai spices, Eisbock milk and boba.
Based on a tea ritual from the Shangri-La (Diqing) region, the Yak Butter Fashioned blends malt whisky and SG Group’s Mugi shochu with yak butter, roasted pu’er tea, and raw orange blossom honey.
“With Suma, we wanted our first step towards the grand opening of the hotel to be meaningful and encapsulate what guests can expect here,” said Cliff Tan, the hotel’s general manager. “Suma is a reflection of how we imagine our role as a hotel, as a cultural portal for guests from all over the world to experience a side to Yunnan and China as never seen before.
“From the ingredients to the storytelling, every aspect of Suma is deeply rooted in local culture. We hope that every detail would reflect the spirit of Yunnan in a way that resonates with today’s traveller.”
AvroKo – which is also behind Monica Berg and Alex Kratena’s new Barcelona bar – designed the space. Suma is a ‘multi-sensory environment’ that draws inspiration from Austrian-American botanist Joseph Rock’s expeditions through western China in the early 20th century.
Guests enter through a corridor ‘inspired by the rich heritage of Yunnan’s aboriginal tribes’. This features handwoven textile panels, engraved stonework, and wood carved with the Yi, Bai, Naxi, Lisu, Jingpo, and Hani languages.
The bar has a tented ceiling of patterned fabric, hand-painted floral panels, and woven textures. At the centre is a sculpture reminiscent of traditional Yunnanese lanterns.
Other spaces include the Spirit Lounge, featuring velvet banquettes and antique rug patterns. The Outdoor Lounge offers an open-air garden and fountain.
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