Disclaimer: In exchange for lunch at Shang Palace, Shangri-La Dubai, I am writing this review.
After a packed four days of networking, and moderating a panel on culinary tourism at the Arabian Travel Market event, Friday was the day to relax. As my flight was leaving in the evening, I had a few hours to dine at Shang Palace, Shangri-La Dubai.
The staple of worldwide Shangri-La hotels, Shang Palace restaurants offer a contemporary take on Cantonese classics, as well as a selection of choices from other parts of China. In spite of the fact that I was ironically flying to Hong Kong, since I rarely indulge in dim sum, it sounded appealing.
For a brief history of dim sum, it likely all started in the late 19th century at Guangzhou (formerly Canton) tea houses. That’s why tea is such a central component; order your tea first, then the small bites.
That’s how my lunch began at the Michelin recommended-Shang Palace, Shangri-La Dubai … except I ordered smoky Pu’er tea, a specialty of Yunnan province.
For the food, my host recommended the omakase, the Japanese word that has come to mean “let the chef decide.” I have to say, just about every decision the chef made was a good one.
Along with the Pu’er tea, up first was a king crab, avocado and mango salad with pomelo dressing:
Even though Dubai — and the United Arab Emirates in general — import most of their food, this salad was one of the most fresh-tasting ones I’ve come across in a long time. The dressing reminded me of yuzu more than pomelo, adding in a nice slightly sour note. The avocado was just right, and the sweetness of the King crab and mango helped make this a dish worth ordering again.
Although it’s only May, I may have found an entrant for my top five bites of 2024. Wasting no time to mention it, the chicken and shrimp truffle shumai — the black dumpling on the left — was excellent. Is this what I’ve been missing by not eating dim sum? Wow.
This isn’t to its neighbors aren’t worthy of mention. On the bottom right (the reddish one), shrimp cheung fun (肠粉), or rice noodle roll. Very crispy.
The green dumpling was filled with grilled vegetables, and finally, in the middle, a fried seafood spring roll.
The dim sum might have been far from home, but the flavor wasn’t.
In my book, sour is an underappreciated flavor profile. For example, I always add lemon juice to dilute the saccharine gulps of orange juice. Kochi, a Japanese city, sees its residents dipping katsuo in yuzu instead of soy sauce. Then we have hot and sour soup, a classic from Sichuan and the Beijing region.
Although the cornstarch adds an unusual goopiness to standard hot and sour soups, Shang Palace, Shangri-La Dubai’s example didn’t over do it. Just wish it had more heat! (That’s what I get for having lived in Mexico and Indonesia)
More seafood is always welcome on my plate. Here, we have a simple stir-fry of shrimp, red bell peppers, and asparagus, and a light plate of scallion-oil infused noodles (葱油拌面), a Shanghai classic.
Once the mains were over, it was dessert time.
But it wasn’t just dessert time. With Dubai being one of the epicenters of social media, the final dish was more of a concert, at which I had a front row seat (in reverse order):
Dry ice was poured in the moat around the sweet sago and mango with milk cream. All that was missing was a light show.
This dessert reminded me of something I could have at Hui Lau Shan, a Hong Kong chain specializing in mango, coconut, and herbal sweets.
* As a bonus, my colleague at the hotel sent some recent photos from the restaurant, for those of you who appreciate food stylists:
ETA: in July 2024, I was invited back to feast some more.
More dim sum this time, including sweet and sour chicken buns that look like watermelons, xiao long bao (xiǎolóngbāo/Shanghai soup dumplings), and spring rolls.
To the Shang Palace, Shangri-La Dubai team, I say job well done! The good service was there, the variety of flavors and textures was there, and the ambience was inviting.
The Shangri-La Dubai is close to Financial Centre metro station, along Dubai’s skyscraper row. It is open for lunch from M-F 12-15, for brunch Sat-Sun from 12-16, and daily for dinner from 18-23.
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