Words: Tina Edward Gunawardhana
Photos: Manoj Ratnayake
The Shang Palace at the Shangri-la hotel Colombo, takes you on an epicurean voyage of Chinese gastronomy.
With its opulent interiors tinged in gold, one could be forgiven for thinking they have walked in to an extremely opulent ante room of a Chinese stately home. It is the rich aromas that waft from the open kitchen that make you realize you have walked in to one of Colombo’s most finest purveyors of Chinese cuisine. Housed in the Shangri-La hotel Colombo, the Shang Palace is one of their prized restaurants, to coin a phrase, it is their showpiece. The Shang Palace specializes in offering regional cuisine from Sichuan, Dongbei and Canton.
The interiors of the Shang Palace are inspired from Beijing’s traditional Siheyuan houses and blends beautifully with modern luxury. The centrepiece of the restaurant is a large show kitchen which recreates a hútòng atmosphere - that of an old Chinese city ally - by placing the cookery at the heart of the experience, surrounded by seats. Shang Palace also boasts a custom-made duck oven, where all duck orders are expertly cooked and then carved tableside.
The Shang Palace had laid on a spread for our guests. Dinner started with appetizers of four happiness dumplings, squid ink truffle prawn dumpling, deep friend bean curd roll with prawns, okra salad with soya vinaigrette and marinated cucumber with vinegar and chili. Our guests were unanimous in their opinion that the cucumber was by far the best closely followed by four happiness dumplings. The pumpkin soup with scallop and crabmeat was served in a delightful pumpkin shaped bowl and was very thick and creamy. As it was a tasting menu our guests were served five main dishes which consisted of braised imperial two head abalone with supreme oyster sauce, deep fried fish with black bean sauce, wok fried baby lobster with red bell pepper and chili, kung pao chicken with cashew nuts and green asparagus with garlic. These were accompanied by a seafood fried rice Fujian style. The lobster emerged as a firm favourite while the others all vied for equal attention. The meal ended with dessert which consisted of a seasonal fruit platter and deep-fried pineapple with vanilla ice cream and honey.
Our guests were impressed with the delectable menu offered by Shang Palace and commented highly on the taste of the food which was complemented by the visually pleasing presentation.
The calling card of the Shang Palace is not only the authentic taste of the food but the way in which they present their dishes. Attention to detail features high on the agenda closely followed by impeccable service. It is these aspects that contribute to the high regard its patrons have towards the Shang Palace.
Reservations
T: +94 11 7 888 288
E:shangpalace.slcb@shangri-la.com
W: www.shangri-la.com/colombo
