Shang Palace (Shangri-La Paris) -- Restaurant Review

 

For information, reservations see their website, https://www.shangpalaceparis.com/

Rating Standards: 5-Stars = Extraordinary; 4-Stars = Excellent; 3-Stars = Average; 2-Stars = Fair; 1-Star = Poor 

€ = Inexpensive: 30€ and under; €€ = Moderate: 31€-49€; €€€ = Expensive: €50 -75; €€€€ = Very Expensive: more than €76 (prices based on minimum 2-courses)

1-Bell = Pleasantly quiet (less than 65 decibels); 2-Bells = Can talk easily (65-70); 3-Bells = Talking normally gets difficult (70-80); 4-Bells = Can talk only in raised voices (75-90); BOMB = Too noisy for normal conversation (90+)

4.50 - Star........................................€€€€.................................... 1 - Bells

There's no doubting, Shangri-la is one of the most beautiful elegant hotels in Paris. The views from the hotel overlooking the "Tour Eiffel" are some of the best. And, the interior and service is beyond reproach. 

I've been to the main restaurant that served more continental food years ago, and I remembered it was delicious and elegant. Believe it or not, Shangri-La Paris is a chain. This is Europe's first outpost. And, as of 2012, Shang Palace became the only Chinese restaurant in France, and I also believe in Europe to be awarded a Michelin star.

At the entrance at the main lobby there are staff to walk you to the elevators or show you to where you want to go. As an aside, this was also true for when you wanted to go to the restrooms, they would escort you to the location, since it was a little hidden.
 
We were celebrating 3 May birthdays so why not splurge a little. Shang Palace is known for their duck. We decided to get their pre-fixe lunch which was "Menu Découverte" priced at 78€ a person because it included "lacquered duck". The pre-fixe price was pas mal (not bad) for this caliber of restaurant.

AMUSE BOUCHE. Not on the menu was an amuse bouche of peeled cherry tomatoes in a light Yuzu sauce and a fried nibble of salmon.

Simple, uncomplicated, nothing out of the ordinary, but a great start.

SASHIMI OF SALMON

Our waiter told us to mix it and serve ourselves. I didn't have the heart to mess up the be beautiful presentation so I just scooped up some pieces of the salmon along with the fried onions and fresh veggies. I thought what a strange combination having a sesame sauce poured over the salmon; wouldn't it make it heavy and overpowering? Answer, yes and yes. It's definitely not your Japanese grandmother's sashimi, but nonetheless the vegetables did lighten up the dish and made it quite delicious. I liked it a lot, but don't expect it to be the traditional Japanese way of serving sashimi. 

FRIED LANGOUSTINES WONTON WITH SWEET AND SOUR YUZU SAUCE. 

I love fried wontons filled with anything. Nothing out of the ordinary. Only real difference from Shang's to a restaurant in Chinatown is that the wontons were not greasy. The Yuzu sauce gave it a nice citrusy taste, but I preferred just plain soy sauce and chili fermenting in oil as a dipping sauce.

SHRIMP DUMPLING, SHRIMP AND PORK DUMPLING, SHRIMP AND PORK DUMPLING WITH BEETROOT VEGETABLES AND MUSHROOM DUMPLINGS. 

We were all served individual bamboo steamer baskets with 4-types of dim-sum. 

The shrimp dumpling had a nice big shrimp in it. the pork shrimp dumpling, known as "sui mai" is very common and because it is an open dim sum it can dry out easily, but it was nice and moist. The "sui mai" with the beetroot and vegetable added another element and was a tad sweeter than the regular "sui mai". 

The dough was soft and chewy and not rubbery as it can sometimes can get. They were all very good and tasty. 

BARBECUED PORK WITH HONEY, ROASTED DUCK CANTONESE STYLE, FRIED RICE WITH BARBECUE PORK, EGGS, SHRIMPS AND VEGETABLES. 

The duck and pork dishes was our final savory course. the duck was delicious. Not peking duck, but more lacquered duck. The skin was very crispy and the meat was very moist. A hit with all of us.

The Pork was also delicious, not fatty as it can sometimes get, so I assume it was the tenderloin. Also delicious.

The fried rice, my staple breakfast food, was good. Maybe I'm jaded cause I grew up eating fried rice all the time that it was good, but nothing out of the ordinary. 

ALMOND JELLY WITH FRESH FRUITS AND BASIL SEEDS

Our finalé, and I have to say what a finalé it was. It was an almond jelly, which was covered in juiced dragon fruit seeds and cubes of fresh sweet mango. What a great way to finish a great meal. Not sweet, very fresh, and beyond refreshing, 

WINE, ANJOU RONCERAY 2021 

TASTING NOTES: "honeyed lemon, glazed mango, warm hay and barley flavors all buoyed by citrusy acidity and savory notes of dried thyme. A quinine kick marks the powerful, tension-filled finish." ~ wine spectator

 The wine list has some incredibly expensive wines by the bottle, and a very small selection of wines by the glass.

Jack, who prefers red to white wine, ordered a glass of the red Bordeaux  (there was only one red Bordeaux on the wine by the glass list) and was practically orgasmic when the sommelier came out with a Margaux rather than the vintner listed on the menu (Margaux is his favorite!!).  

SUMMARY

I don't know what took me so long to come to this restaurant. If I'm being honest, maybe psychologically, I had a hard time with the idea of paying a lot of money for Chinese food, since I grew up with it and I associated it with inexpensive "take-away" food. My bad. Well I'm glad I got over it, because the food was delicious and the service was beyond reproach. 

What separates this restaurant and a Chinese restaurant is huge. It's about the experience from when you first make the reservation to the when you walk out of the restaurant. It's about the atmosphere, the presentation, the service and the overall ambience. They hit all the right marks. I understand now why they got the Michelin star. So, chapeau. Will definitely go back, once I save my pennies.

For 5-pre-fixe meals, 2-bottles of wine, 2 glasses of red wine, our bill came to 640€ or 128€ per person. Interestingly, we were not charged for the 2-bottles of water. Now I wonder if that's normal or did they make a mistake.