If there’s anywhere you’re going to find fine-dining Chinese food, it’s at the fancy Shang Palace at Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri.
Although it’s a smart restaurant, it feels a little odd having to walk through the all-day dining to get to it. Once inside it’s very red – and very bright. Tables feature lazy Susans (for prime access to the generous portions of food).
Meanwhile, in winter there’s a lovely terrace area boasting superb views across the water and to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in all its splendour.
We’re told that the Bejing duck is the most ordered dish, and we can see why – and coming in at Dhs170 it’s just as well. The duck is rich and meaty, and sliced into substantial strips rather than shredded. Pancakes are light and fresh – although we’d rather roll them ourselves, after all, that’s part of the fun.
Main courses don’t live up to expectations, however. The classic sweet and sour chicken is more oily batter than juicy meat, while the XO prawns don’t look too appealing, and sadly disappoint on taste. A serving of mixed veg is packed with tofu, which wasn’t one of our five a day the last time we checked, but it tastes fine.
With the bill coming in at a chunky Dhs486 (without drinks), we expect some of these dishes to have more wow factor.
The bottom line
Hit and miss. A bit disappointing.
