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Midtown Shangri-La
Categories: Restaurants Chinese Dim Sum Restaurants Sushi Bars Dim Sum, Sushi Bars [Edit]
4710 Cass AveDetroit, MI 48201
Neighbourhoods: Midtown, Cass Corridor, Wayne State
(313) 974-7669
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Hipster, Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
65 reviews for Midtown Shangri-La
Review Highlights
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"Curry chicken pastry, bbq pork buns, and dumplings were..." In 4 reviews -
"Also love their bubble tea." In 5 reviews -
"...Fried Corn Cake with Shrimp Paste (two medium-sized cakes..." In 2 reviews
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65 reviews in English
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Review from Shauna N.
4/3/2012
Holy delicious dim sum.
My only complaint is this place doesn't bring the carts around (you order off a picture-less menu). This means I usually stick to what I know instead of trying new things.
Not the friendliest staff, but they're efficient
But, holy delicious dim sum. -
Review from Kevin R.
Detroit, MI
5/14/2012
I don't know man. I don't know if its "dumbed down" for Detroit or whatever. The run of the mill ghetto chinese is a step up for sure. I can't even remember what I had (bad sign) but it was decent. Look, it's like this... its a step above ghetto chinese (aka extra gravy, fried hard) but its not memorable at best. Ambience is nice for sure. Nice date place but don't be prepared to be wowed by the food. Service sucked hard. My guy came to the table ONCE. I needed to take a leak after the tea and he was sitting down eating dinner at 7pm. I've worked in restaurants pretty much half my life and this is unacceptable. I mean I didn't front on him cause you know he probably making shit wages and super college /detroit shit tips on top. I can't front on the guy. I would probably do the same.
There was a table of big wig landowners next to us that got 2 servers attention. It really pissed me off, but I know the servers are just trying to make loot. But I'm paying too. I asked one server (remember that our server only came to our table once) for a bowl cause I think I'm Asian and I can't eat my rice without one. She looked at me sideways 3 fucking times. "I JUST WANT A BOWL"
I'd go back though... nice chill place to go with the lady. Food, forgetable at best, service shit, tea... good. Romantic yes, but was so was Twingos... -
Review from Athena K.
3/30/2012
My experiences here have been decidedly mixed.
Really I'm just still so sad that Twingo's closed and that this space became Shangri La, I'm still adjusting to the change and it's hard to accept Twingos is gone forever.
That being said, I was excitied when I first heard that a dim sum place was opening in our area. Dim sum is my all time favorite food.
But the food here, it's just okay. It's not great. It's not bad. It's just okay.
The service is "luck of the draw" - sometimes great, most times horrible. For example, last time I waited 25 minutes for hot musturd, by the time it arrived I'd already eaten my shui mai and was ready to pay the bill.
There's so much more they could do with this place, it's sad that they don't really try to make it work. -
Review from Tyra N.
Midtown, Detroit, MI
5/23/2012
I enjoy everything from the sushi, to the dim sum, to the drinks, to the dessert to the classic fried rice and chicken. I appreciate the variety in their menu. Korean, Japanese, Chinese etc. I mean real Chinese rice porridge not just fried rice and meat. Great for meetings. Excellent service. Only thing is the tables are too close together and the chairs are a bit small.
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Review from Bob N.
Updated - 5/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Time to go 5 star. Ordered a delivery using Hot-Spokes. I ordered General Chicken and a extra order of spring rolls. Wowww the General was hot and spicy, and very little breading on the chicken, yeaa. Fried rice was good with noticeable pieces of egg. The spring rolls were crunchy and still hot.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/18/2011
Does it get any better than finally being able to have dim sum for lunch in Detroit? Nope. I'm so… Read more »
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Review from Andrew B.
San Francisco, CA
5/23/2012
Shangri-La in WB is a world class Dim Sum restaurant, the only real contender in Michigan. This may be an outpost, and maybe they aren't fully 100% up to their game yet, but we are so very lucky they decided to open in this location.
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Review from Lauren C.
Grosse Pointe, MI
3/3/2012
Meh is right. I visited Shangri-La on a Thursday night. I wouldn't say it was slow, but the place wasn't packed to the brim either. And yet, our servers were sporadically available at best - several times we all ran out of drinks - and the food came out in this weird staggered pace.
We'd been there for an hour and were still missing items from our order. When we asked the waitress about the item, as she did not mention anything about the soup taking a bit longer than our other food, she snapped at us saying it would be out when it was ready. There was also an item we were told was taken to the wrong table and forgotten entirely. And the food was pretty mediocre. If I'm in the area, I'll probably try out one of several other restaurants in the area and not come back here. -
Review from Sarah C.
12/10/2011
For Detroit this place probably deserves 5 stars but overall it is a 3. From the outside it doesn't look like much but it looks better than those fast food Chinese places I see around town.
The decor inside I must admit was quite a surprise. It is clean and well there is actually a decor. Plenty of seating with an upstairs. There is also plenty of booze. The menu isn't too bad but it is more of an Asian restaurant than a Chinese restaurant. They have sushi and thai food in addition to the regular Chinese dishes and dim sum.
I ordered off the regular menu and well they give you a decent amount of food but the quality is =[ and it didn't come out hot!
We got charged for tea and they write down what they think you should give for tip on your bill. 18%. They are pretty accommodating to filling out separate bills.
I didn't try the dim sum but I would like to. I would come back just because it is clean and probably the best place to get some Chinese food in the area. -
Review from Brian P.
1/6/2012
Hm. Kind of an excuse for really authentic chinese food. As far as Asian American food goes, this isn't bad.
Dim Sum, sure, is available but the standards are kind of mediocre from on an authentic food scale
Of course, this place doesn't pretend to be much more than what it is.
The hainanese chicken & rice was disappointing (boiled instead of lightly steamed? no discernable signs of having been the right cuts of bone-in chicken breast?). Singapore noodles were fairly curried but nothing to write home about. Stuffed eggplant wasn't terrible (not sure if it was a microwave and wok-fry job though). Steamed pork buns were only OK, if not a bit metallic tasting on first bite.
It's college fare and that's why it's next to wayne state. Next. -
Review from Kevin J.
Detroit, MI
2/23/2012
I work at a nearby restaurant which shall remain nameless (try and use the process of elimination to figure it out if you're really bored) and at least twice a week I find a co-worker or two munching on Shangri-La in the server area. I've even joked about us starting a tunnel to Shanghri-La. So, obviously, that bodes well for the place.
The sushi is yummy, with many creative and mouth-watering varieties. The Thai is decent, especially for a place that doesn't focus solely on Thai. I once had the minced beef and that wasn't so hot, but other than that I've never had a bunk meal here.
Service is prompt and friendly. The layout seemed to suit Twingo's better somehow, but they use the space quite well. They've even got a full bar for all you boozehounds out there.
Shangri-Yum! -
Review from Julie J.
Beverly Hills, MI
10/24/2011
If you like good dim sum, this is the place to go. They offer a nice selection without getting too freaky....(i.e. chicken feet or crap like that) The atmosphere is cute....anyone over the age of 40 who is reading this may remember when Twingo's was located here.
The other chinese dishes I have tried have all been very good and the staff is friendly and very efficient. Try the fried calamari...it's on the dim sum special menu and is incredible! Large pieces but the flavor and spiciness is out of this world! I love coming for lunch and seeing all the Wayne Staters! -
Review from Jessica S.
Detroit, MI
I was SO SO SO happy to hear that a great place to get Dim Sum would be opening within the Detroit city limits, as the drive to the other location wayyyy out in the suburbs was a little killer at 45 minutes each way.
Favorites for our group:
-Deep-friend softshell crab
-Deep-friend squid with spicy sauce
-Shrimp Kau
-Shu Mai
-Shrimp Balls
-Lo Mai Gai
-Bean Curd Skin Roll
-Rice Noodle Rolls
-Mango Pudding
The list goes on and on! Sushi is also offered at Midtown Shangri-La, which has yet to disappoint!
Helpful hints: We once arrived at 8:05pm only to be told that they stop serving Dim Sum at 8pm sharp. Plan accordingly! Also: This Shangri-La is closed on Sundays, so if you're hard-up for a dim sum fix on a Sunday, you'll have to make the trek out to the other location.
Great for groups, as Dim Sum tends to be one of those 'order a bunch of different stuff and share' scenarios. Parking is available in a paid lot on the side of the building, or via regular metered street parking. -
Review from Liz R.
7/3/2011
Finally got to try a meal of just dim sum (vs the piece here or there you can get at a Chinese restaurant, or God forbid, a buffet). Ohhhh so good! Restaurant is easy to find with a fair amount of cheap parking. Friendly staff is more than willing to show and tell.
Stand outs included Shrimp Kau (four soft dumplings stuffed with large pieces of shrimp in a garlic-buttery type sauce), Pan-Fried Corn Cake with Shrimp Paste (two medium-sized cakes holding chopped shrimp and corn) and Deep-Fried Squid with Spicy Salt (curled fillets of squid coated in the most delicious batter, served with tiny chopped onions and peppers). Nothing needed a dipping sauce or soy, which was a pleasant surprise.
Second tier ( = 4 stars) were Sticky Rice Wrapped (two large squares of sticky rice studded with sausage, wrapped in what I think were lotus leaves - imparting a delicate tea flavor to the rice), and Pan Fried Dumplings (three large potstickers stuffed with cabbage, meat and veggies, served with a vinegary dipping sauce).
Lowest tier ( = app 3 stars) were Steamed BBQ Pork Bun (four golf ball sized dim sum with sweet BBQ pork inside and what appeared to be white bread wrapped around the pork - I know this wasn't the case, but for being the reason we came... I was disappointed) and Curry Chicken Pastry (two flaky pastries with a small amount of not-curried enough chicken filling inside).
We were both very (very) pleased with our first Midtown Shangri-La experience. I can easily see us bumping our rating to 5 after our next visit. Which, I hope, will happen next Saturday because I'm already thinking about those first three dim sum. -
Review from Jenny C.
7/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Deeee-licous!
Grab a group of friends and go. This is definitely the place where you want to order a variety of food and share with everyone. Especially the dim-sum, which is served all day. If yr a vegetarian, order the "veggies" option as opposed to the tofu. The tofu is pretty much served straight out of the box, its decent, but with the "veggie" option you get so much more flavor!
BIKES::: lock up to the bus-stop-sign. -
Review from Alanna S.
Detroit, MI
7/14/2011
I'm ashamed to admit it, but this was my first dim sum experience. I know, I know-- how can I can myself a foodie?
But it was a really enjoyable dim sum experience. I came here with some colleagues and we ordered a few dim sum dishes to try as appetizers and they were all really tasty. (I'd give the dim sum 5 stars.)
We also ordered full entrees, and here's where Shangri-La lost a star. I ordered the Pad Sei Ew and wasn't horribly impressed. The noodles were great and the Chinese broccoli beyond fresh, but the sauce was just... bleh. I guess I like my Pad Sei Ew with much more flavor. Richer. Spicier. That sort of thing.
The service was also a bit spotty (hence the three stars) We all ordered a beverage and a water and despite repeatedly asking for the waters, never received them. Our dishes were also delivered as they came out of the kitchen, which I'm not necessarily against, but prefer to eat as my dining companions do. Some better planning on the part of the kitchen could have prevented that. However, the service issue could also be due to the fact that we were there during the lunch rush. I'd like to go back and see for sure.
Next time I'd like to come back just for dim sum. -
Review from Brandie D.
Midland Township, MI
6/27/2011
My fiance and I were looking for a place to grab some pre-concert sushi in the Midtown area and stumbled upon Shangri-La via Yelp. The reviews were great, and there was dim sum on the menu, so that made up our minds with ease.
This place is fabulous!! Great atmosphere, super friendly staff, reasonable prices and food that exceeds expectations!!! The sushi was fresh and some of the specialty rolls were pretty creative...the Detroit Roll with baked salmon was my fave! I'm a non-seaweed eater and always have to ask for Soy Paper, but Shangri-La has a box specifically for the soy paper people...bonus points!!!
The dim sum...wow! Curry chicken pastry, bbq pork buns, and dumplings were some of the best I've ever had!!! I would've eaten myself into a food coma if I wasn't about to go dancing around at the Matt & Kim show at the Magestic.
For eating and drinking ourselves silly, the bill for two was $40!! Not too bad! -
Review from Nick B.
Royal Oak, MI
8/12/2011
We were going to see the Friday Night Jazz series at the DIA and wanted something yummy near the museum. This seemed like a good place based on location and I got excited for Dim Sum.
I have to admit, the service was really bad and the atmosphere was really lacking. The food was ok but I think what we had was tainted by the lack of attention from the staff and the shabbiness of the restaurant. We went on an off time (Friday night) for Dim Sum so only saw one of the trays come around. However, we did order some from the menu and it took a little longer than we would have liked.
They did have a full bar which was nice. All in all, I wouldn't recommend it for Chinese but if you are in the area, it isn't all bad. -
Review from Amanda J.
East Rockaway, NY
7/1/2011
This is definitely the best Chinese food I've had in Detroit since I got here. They have an extensive menu offering dim sum, sushi, and Chinese fare running the gamut from congee to curry. Their dim sum is the real deal, and they have tons of interesting vegetarian options all over the menu. The sushi is really tasty, too.
The help is really friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere is pleasant. It's my understanding that they do a Twin Peaks viewing on Monday nights with themed drinks. I haven't done that yet, but that sounds like a must. If you're in the midtown area, you should definitely give Shangri-La a try! -
Review from Michelle I.
Farmington, MI
11/15/2010 ROTD 11/18/2011
This completes my trifecta of Shangri-La reviews. Just like in horse racing, there is a clear 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for each location of this well-known Chinese restaurant. And the clear winner (no photo finish needed) is Shangri-La Midtown!
The reason why this location is the clear-cut winner? Ummm, Hello? Dim Sum (Hell, I want some now!) The Shangri-La name is known for its Dim Sum, and I am super glad to see it being served at this location and served well! After a few indulgent feasts consisting of their Dim Sum, I am quite certain that their Dim Sum tops the West Bloomfield location, along with most of the Dim Sum I had in Chinatown in NYC (now, that's saying a lot). My favorites include the shrimp dumplings, the scallop dumpling thing, shrimp wrapped in fried bean curd and the curried baby squid. Accompany this feast with some Chinese broccoli and hot tea...now you have a fantastic meal!
I have yet to try the sushi, but I imagine its pretty good if its anything like their Shangri-La Garden location...however I expect it be pricey, as it is at the aforementioned location. They also have a Thai menu, an impressive drink menu and bubble tea. The bubble tea was decent here, not the best as the tapioca balls were of an interesting consistency, kinda hard and almost too chewy vs. the softer consistency I prefer.
Other reasons that this location is pure win: Great service. Our server was nice and attentive. We also received a super warm welcome when we first got into the restaurant and a sweet send-off when leaving. They also boast some great happy hour and drink specials that I know I will just have to check out some time real soon!Listed in: Detroit-a-licious
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Review from Lisa S.
Detroit, MI
11/14/2010 2 Check-ins Here
You'll know the owner immediately -- the super aggressively friendly guy who wants to make sure you enjoy your meal to the fullest. On our last visit, he gave us takeout menus of the dim sum and sushi lists to browse at home and to come back with any questions we had -- love this dude. :)
Food is high quality. Got the BBQ pork buns after all the Yelpers before me suggested, very satisfied. The red bean buns were just like being back in SoKo(rea), mmmmmmmm!
Some of the other stuff was a little lacking in flavor and a little heavy on grease, but not bad and still filling. Usually I'm on the sushi train when I dine here, and I've never had a bad roll (my only complaint are the prices, eeeks).
OH -- got super jazzed to find out that they serve boba.. a little disappointed when it came, the mango jellies were tiny and the mix was a little too thick, but that could totally be my weird bubble tea prefs rearing their ugly tapioca heads. Instead of the boba, find out what the drink specials at the bar are -- $2 wells on a Friday night is not too shabby!! -
Review from Alina H.
Belleville, MI
12/6/2010
Really awesome food in this place!!
Service is ok. Unless you're getting the cute server from El Salvador...
It's close to Science Bldg so we go here quite often.
Atmosphere for lunch is nice and quiet. The food... is really good. Ok, at least what I had...
First time, I really wanted to try something different than fried tofu and stir fry vegetables in brown rice... so I had the Peapod leaf with garlic and steamed tofu. Ah! Amazing!!! Subtle garlic flavor, the leaves were... well, I'm not sure how they're supposed to be... but they were yummy on my plate.
Second time I had Ma Po Tofu with pickled vegetables. I don't know about your palate but mine was completely satisfied after this dish. :D
You gotta try this place if you're into something a little different than the classic Chinese dish that you always have. ;) -
Review from Sara A.
Detroit, MI
10/7/2010 ROTD 3/3/2011
It seems not a week goes by where I don't find myself hopping over to Shangri-la in Midtown for either a bite to nosh on or a cocktail.. Situated on Cass Ave just down from Wayne State University, this dim sum joint offers a menu of wide variety from sushi to noodle dishes to soups.
The food has always been consistent and flavorful whenever I've eaten here which is nice. Also, the staff is always friendly and helpful. As a vegan, they are great with making sure I have a dish that makes me happy-adding or omitting ingredients as needed. I'm a die hard fan of the rice vermicelli with tofu. The curry gives a nice balance of sweet and hot, and the vegetable are cooked to maintain a bit of a crunch to them. It's always frustrating when veggies are cooked to mush and are left without any kind of flavor. Not at Shangri-La. In addition, the seaweed salad and miso soup are a must try.
The also offer a great selection of sake, Asian, beers, and liquors. They always have drink specials and bartenders that are willing to school ya if you're not an expert at sakes. They never try to upsell and are dedicated to giving great customer service. Also, there's a small patio area to lounge on in the warmer months. In 2010, this place was awarded Best Chinese restaurant in Wayne County by Metro Times readers, come see why.Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Michael D.
Redford, MI
11/1/2011
This is the best place to eat anywhere. Anything on the menu is golden. The wait staff is always very warm and welcoming. But beware: if you eat here you WILL get obsessed.
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Review from Sally B.
8/3/2011
Should I be embarassed to admit that I've now eaten at Shangri-La three times in one week? The dim sum was the best I've had outside of Windsor, so I had to go back to try that just to be sure that's what I tasted the first time. And I met a WSU friend there for lunch and tried the green curry. Everything I had was excellent. And there's still a lot on the menu to try. The service is very good and everyone is very pleasant. It's still as inviting as Twingo's, so that's nice too. Oddly, I didn't associate this mid-town spot with its W. Bloomfield location. For some reason, everything just seems so much tastier here than in W. Bl.
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Review from Helen L.
Garden City, MI
8/21/2011
Man this place was a disappointment. Props for decor, but it's not the best dim sum place. Even Great Lakes Dim Sum in Ann Arbor is better than this place. They have very limited dishes. Food was lukewarm-cold. Place is pretty small. just very disappointing.
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Review from Fen Z.
11/4/2009 5 photos
Where can you find good, authentic Chinese cooking? Hint: NOT at Shangri-La Midtown (SLM.)
The sheer fact that the restaurant calls itself a Chinese restaurant is rather insulting since it's more of a Pan-Asian fare -- with a side of dim sum (which I'll admit was my initial impetus here even at 7 in the pm.)
A grease-laden, cabbage-centric egg roll start to our dinner did not bode well. Our entrees were equally poorly executed. The green curry chicken was bland and measly pieces of chicken and eggplant were floating on a sea of green soup. Oh, my apologies. They call that green curry sauce here at SLM. The szechuan beef was another flop, as the szechuan sauce translated to brown sauce with a liberal sprinkle of chili seeds. The beef tendon noodle soup I ordered was the saving grace, as the meats contrasted nicely with the light noodles in a flavorful broth.
Despite having come here to check out the dim sum menu, I only opted for the -- what I had initially thought -- were pineapple buns (bo lo bao) from the menu. What was brought to the table, however, were steamed custard buns. They were delicious nonetheless.
The newness of SLM may be blamed for its shortcomings, although I personally don't see why as this is the sister branch of the other Shangri-La in the city. When the table next to ours inquired about available alcoholic beverages, they were told that the restaurant was on its way to obtaining a liquor license. Service was attentive to the point that I would label it obsequiously attentive. My party constantly felt as though we were under the watchful eyes of the owner and five other servers.
My biggest gripe about SLM is that the prices did not reflect the quality nor the preparation of the food. However, if the restaurant were to market itself as Pan-Asian instead, I can see the prices being justifiable. Somewhat. Just don't skimp on the protein for goodness' sake! -
Review from Barb C.
Hamtramck, MI
10/17/2009 ROTD 1/16/2010
I know it's very trendy now to rate "ethnic" restaurants on whether the menu has been Americanized, whether or not the restaurant claims to be "authentic." I find this trend disturbing on many levels, not the least of which is the apparent disregard for the restaurant owner's business plan, and a lack of knowledge of what it takes to run a profitable restaurant.
The desire for "authentic" ethnic cuisine is a fairly recent trend in the U.S., fed in large part by cooking and travel TV. Thankfully, the owner of Shangri-La is hitting that trend at a good time with its Dim Sum menu. In fact, even though I am familiar with reasonably authentic Dim Sum (as experienced in Honolulu's China Town), I found this menu sometimes pressed a little outside of my comfort zone.
For instance, when ordering deep-fried battered shrimp, I am unaccustomed to seeing their eyes and legs underneath the batter, and biting into the shell. Personally, I would have preferred that a little more prep work be done up front. However, I have to acknowledge that the taste was outstanding and the shell was not too troublesome. It was the eyes that got me. The problem was me, not the food.
The other outstanding menu item for me was the egg tart, served hot from the oven or steamer. The filling was soft and eggy, not at all rubbery, the tart shell flaky and tender. Other Dim Sum pastries were equally well done, combining sweet and savory tastes with a yeast dough that reminded me of brioche.
It's true that the regular meal menu features less "authentic" offerings, and I think it was smart of the owner to do this. Meals range from the tame to the adventurous, giving the staff more opportunities to please, and the restaurant more opportunities to survive.
I am grateful for a couple of things. Mainly, I'm grateful that the closest Dim Sum is no longer Wah Court in Windsor. I love Wah Court, but trekking back and forth across the border can be a little tiresome. (The owner of Shangri-La, BTW, has his business roots in Windsor's venerable Asian restaurant scene, having trained people who eventually went to that city's Wah Court and Lucky Kitchen.)
I'm also glad this little gem wasn't around when I was attending Wayne State. My diet surely would have gone off the rails at a much earlier age. -
Review from Dea A.
The Chinese food around Wayne State is ... well, Detroit-ified. There's ABC, and you get your food with crackers. Surprisingly, Shangri-la acknowledged the unusually large Chinese and Asian population surrounding Wayne State (chemistry, physics, engineering, etc).
Inside, I'm told this place still looks like Twingo's with some soothing Chinese garden scenery to help put you in the mood. But it doesn't really accomplish this. The atmosphere is dismal, tentative, and it doesn't quite feel like a restaurant as much as it feels like a small coffee house. The place is broken up all wrong, there's no fluidity to the room, there's no one center area, and the seating is a bit awkward. On top of that when you sit down, you get silverware. Not chopsticks. You ask for chopsticks. And if you want hot sauce? You ask for hot sauce. If they are eager to please, they will give you the standard chili sauce or they will even give you some Louisiana hot sauce. The servers as a whole are great, and very attentive. Very eager to please, and I have to admit -- I like that.
Strange atmosphere aside, the food is pretty damn tasty. The roast duck is phenomenal. But everything else on their menu is generic sounding. There were a few interesting things, but for the most part it's Americanized Chinese food with some Thai thrown in. I had the lo mein one day, and it's nothing to write home about -- if anything it was bland. But I guess lo mein naturally comes as bland.
Dim sum is served daily from opening until 4pm. But the catch is there is no cart. They are happy to show you the dishes they have prepared already (like baked dumplings, or custard tarts), but you just can't DO a dim sum cart in this space. Not enough people and well, like I said, the space is awkward in general. So that makes me sad, it really takes out the spontaneity of point and eat out of dim sum.
We tried nearly everything on that menu that had shrimp or pork in it. I loved the fried dumplings way more than the general pan-fried dumplings. Yeah, there's a difference. The spare ribs were chewy and a little funny in texture for my American palate. The shu-mai are on the dot, as are all the other little dumplings. But my beloved steamed pork buns ... something was off. Maybe they were old, but the bread part tasted stale or something. It just wasn't quite right. Another FTW is the pork pastry -- that almost made up for the steam pork bun fail. Flakey buttery crust, with some delicious BBQ'd pork meat in the middle. Delicious!
The food ranged from not bad to pretty tasty. Nothing blew my mind, but maybe they will add more adventurous goodies to their new menu. As it stands right now, the regular menu is pretty generic.
Entrees reasonbly priced: $8-16
Dim sum starts at $3
Shangri-la, welcome to Midtown. You are a keeper! Now just fix that sad looking fence in the front, it looks terrible.Listed in: gems of the D
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Review from Dil F.
5/23/2010
Pretty tasty dim dum, nice atmosphere, quick service.
The first time I was here, I was blown away. It seemed like we were being treated to food that we hadn't seen in Detroit previously, esp. the dim sum. And, though some of the dim sum is a little inventive, it's really flavorful. I tried the chicken curry, the BBQ pork, the shrimp and cilantro, and the veggie dim sum - all to great delight. I've also had the BBQ hot bun, which was delicious.
A few months after my first visit, I had (a strange) reason to eat here three times in the course of a week... I'll confess that the food selection got a little old after the third day, and I kind of burnt out on Shangri-La and haven't been back.
SO, I think it's a solid 3.5, but I'm rounding up because at least on your FIRST experience, I think you'll find Shangri-La is probably the best Chinese food we can get in the city. After your first or second visit, the menu might be a bit short on options. -
Review from Meredith E.
Rochester, MI
6/20/2010
As a guest to Detroit on a busy Saturday night, we made reservations at Shangri-La. The host seemed shocked by our request. When we arrived the restaurant was about 1/3 full.
Shangri-La has a wide variety of saki choices and the waiter was very helpful at chosing the best fit for my taste.
The dim sum was amazing! I highly recommend the stuffed eggplant.
The sushi was good. The mexican salmon had a perfect lingering spice.
The entree was disappointing. It was basic, simple Chinese. The al dente green beans were good, but did not compare to the amazing dim sum.
When I return, I will order a full meal of dim sum. -
Review from Billy H.
Ferndale, MI
10/26/2009 1 Check-in Here
Had lunch there on Friday 23/10/2009 -- it is the best Chinese ever!
The menu is large with lots of interesting choices. We had Dim Sum: baby squid in curry, pork, shrimp, and steamed bbq pork buns. All was fresh, nicely spiced, and good size portions.
The service is excellent. I was greeted when I walked in by a super friendly host! Our waitress was knowledgeable and friendly. She even showed us the proper way to use chop sticks. Our drinks never went empty. Everyone was so attentive.
I'm want more today! -
Review from Wissam F.
Detroit, MI
12/18/2010 5 Check-ins Here
Lose the Sushi man!
I really don't like it when a restaurant fails at fusion, stick to DIMSUM which are awesome by the way, and add a little more vegetarian specialties. -
Review from Duke A.
Detroit, MI
10/5/2009
The best Chinese food you can get in midtown Detroit without a question, because other places are cheap ghetto carry-outs.
However, I have to say the overall experience didn't wow me. It made me feel like maybe the place opened in haste, when it wasn't quite ready.
The interior decor hasn't changed much from the previous Twingo's era, just a little touchup of silver and gold paint on the walls. The wait staff was pleasant and friendly, but seemed to be still figuring out the menu and how to serve it right. The food we tried (it was a Friday non-dim-sum night) was just OK - maybe one notch above carry-out quality.
I would try dim sum next time, and see if my opinion changes then. -
Review from toni b.
Royal Oak, MI
4/21/2011
The people here are SO SO nice! The food was really good too. I had never had dim sum before, but the dumplings were fantastic. The sushi was not the best, but the noodle thai dishes were amazing! Free wi-fi and fun upbeat music playing all day long! Great downtown detroit spot!
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Review from David D.
Detroit, MI
8/5/2011
I really want to like Shangri-La, and really do like a lot of the dim sum, but the service is so spotty that I really can't give it more stars. Multiple times we've been completely forgotten about and had to flag down random employees to get any attention. I also think the sushi's kinda so-so. But if you go with a group to share a bunch of dim sum and get a good person to wait on you, it can be a really good meal and a lot of fun.
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Review from Jean K.
5/14/2010
The restaurant was nice and it felt like a really classy and comfortable place to have dinner. However, the food was not memorable either as Chinese food, pan-Asian food, or fusion food. Which every way you want to classify it, it was just okay. I understand that there may not be a lot of options for Chinese food but I would much rather cook Chinese food for dinner than both to come back here. But I guess in Detroit that they may have to cater to more mainstream tastes and preferences.
Gripes in particular, what's with the gigantic dumplings? I think dumplings, like sushi, should be eaten in one or two bites. These were gigantic and it was not an improvement. The dough was too thick and chewy and the meat inside was overdone.
Overall, the food was not bad, but not great either. Meh. I would pass on Shangri-La the second time around. -
Review from Therran O.
Detroit, MI
3/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very Midtown Detroit flavor with the people and atmospere. Surprisingly good sushi and the only quality sit down Chinese this side of 8 mile. If you're in Detroit and enjoy all types of authentic Asian cuisine then this spot will set you out with the type of dinig experience you will enjoy.
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Review from Annick B.
Madison Heights, MI
2/19/2011
I love Shangri-La. I've always had very attentive service. The food is served quickly and they always have the freshest ingredients (especially the vegetables, which is important to me). I had the sushi once and it was okay. I always go for the N2, the Pad See Eiu. SO good!
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Review from Derek C.
Warren, MI
5/4/2011
We (my wife and I) went here between Part 1 and Part 2 of "The Cider House Rules" at the Hilberry Theatre and thought it was great. I can't say much about their Chinese selection, as we were in the mood for sushi, but it was all very tasty.
The Wonton Soup was great and came in very large portions even though we each got the smaller size. We also got an order of Crab Rangoon (we can't help ourselves when it comes to these things), which were very good by Crab Rangoon standards. They also served us some Wanton Chips with a sweet and sour sauce (not sure what it came with or if they just serve them there) which was pretty basic, but the sauce was pretty good. Finally, the sushi was great, we got two rolls. Unfortunately, I can't remember what the first one was, but it was the better of the two in my opinion. The second was a "Michigan" Roll, which I thought was somewhat strange as far as sushi goes, with a cream cheese, jalapeno, and scallion topping. It was still good, though.
We also got a pot of loose leaf jasmine tea that was delicious. I honestly couldn't get enough and we sat and finished the pot after we were done eating.
Now, about the service... I can't say it was bad, in fact it was almost too good. We ended up getting sort of triple teamed by the two waitresses handling our portion of the restaurant and the host. One woman brought us our drinks after the host sat us, and when we weren't ready to order she went and did something else, and then she came back, we still weren't ready, and then we eventually gave our order to the host who came over to see if we were ready to order. I don't think all of this attention was as a result of busyness because it wasn't busy at all when we got here, but just a real attention to their customers, which is definitely a good thing. Even with all that attention while we were there, with three people checking on us at different times, they managed to not be intrusive at all and didn't seem like they were hovering or anything like that. The only problem I ran into was very minor: they brought everything out VERY quickly. Before we had finished our soup, we had our crab rangoon and wanton chips sitting in front of use, which I thought made sense at first since they're both appetizers. But then, as we were finishing our soup, hadn't even touched the crab rangoon really, they brought out the first sushi roll (the second came a little later, when we had more room on the table, which I also found strange). And here we are sitting at a very small, two person table. Things were starting to get cramped and, despite having 3 hours to kill between shows, I felt myself rushing through my meal a little, simply to make room on the table. We made up for it by relaxing with the pot of tea at the end of the meal.
All in all, it was a pretty minor complaint as the food was great and our servers were all very friendly and helpful. A hot cup of tea (no handle), slipped out of my hand because I was picked it up too gingerly and spilled everywhere, but they were very helpful and friendly about it. We had a good time and we'll definitely be back.
Oh, and I almost forgot! My wife decided to get desert and, after a short chat with one of the waitresses, decided on the Cheesecake Tempura (if I remember correctly), which is, obviously, fired cheesecake. It was delicious, of course, with a chocolate sauce drizzled over the top. -
Review from James W.
Detroit, MI
3/8/2011
Great sushi, love the "Detroit Roll." Tons of variety with sushi, dim sum, and regular Chinese menu. You're sure to find something you'll enjoy.
