Ordered the Shrimp Egg Foo Young (two patties) lunch special which included "basic" egg, beansprout and green onion fried rice and one egg roll. I wanted rich but simple straightforward flavors for lunch and I got it. The egg foo young was not greasy or over-fried, had plenty of medium sized shrimp beansprouts and green onions. The rice was very good, each grain of rice was separate and lightly glazed in soy, had a slight smokey flavor from what i assume was a high heat wok. Simple ingredients and dishes but very complex umami rich flavors in the egg foo young and rice and both dishes had been perfectly cooked. Egg roll was basic and lacking enough filling in my opinion but still crispy and tasty. For $14 including tax and credit card service charge it was a good price. read more

Growing up down the street from this restaurant, Chef Shanri-La has been talked about many times around me and I've always wanted to try. 25 years later and I'm here haha they did not disappoint. The portion sizes, the flavors, the drinks(!) = all top notch! It's so unfortunate that I moved away or else I would be here significantly more often now. I had the Coco Loco drink and it blew my socks off. It was so refreshing and felt like I needed it on a beach. It tasted like a stronger Pina Colada. The drinks are $15 but I think they could potentially be worth it because of the amount of quality/size you get. Actually, the price of all the dishes were a bit much but you will definitely have leftovers for the next day. Good vibes. Thank you Chef Shangri-La, I'll be seeing you soon! Personal Review: 8.9/10 read more

Chef Shangri-La - Chinese Near Me - North Riverside, Illinois

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Chef Shangri-La is one of my favorite spots to go for a show and a fun night out. It's pure camp in the best way, one bar has that classic old-school Chicago feel, and the main room is full-on tiki paradise. The drinks are strong (like, really strong) and delicious, the Mai Tai is my go-to. The food is solid, especially the poo poo platter, though it's not my favorite Chinese food overall. But honestly, you don't come here just for the food, the atmosphere, service, and live shows make the whole experience. It's kitschy, nostalgic, and just a genuinely good time every single visit. read more

We live out of state and gather twice a year at Chef Shangri-La with former colleagues. The service is excellent, the food is good. They are always accommodating for our group. read more

The restaurant is very cute. The bar was even cuter. Service was very nice prompt. The food was good. We ordered family dinner for 2 and have lots of leftovers. The garlic broccoli was expensive at $6.95 for what it is. It's basically broccoli in jarred garlic. It was also cold. I think it should be served in the metal bowls to help keep it stay warm. Would probably not get it again. The veggie beef kow was good. Had a nice flavor. Lots of veggies which I love. I would get this again. The orange chicken was a no for me. Would not get it again. It was very orangey and not very crispy. The beef fried rice was lacking flavor. It was more white than fried. Tasted fine with soy sauce. The veggie lo mein was so very good. I would absolutely order again. The sauce was tasty and the veggies had a nice crunch. The starters were meh. I liked the shrimp. The egg roll was fine but wasn't out of this world. The crab Rangoon was good, but tasted like cream cheese more than anything. The dumpling thing was a no from me. I didn't like anything about it. The coconut ice cream was so creamy and delicious would have liked more lol. read more

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I don't know, this one is hard to rate. The drinks are legitimately amazing, but the main attraction is whatever celebrity impersonators they have doing their thing. The service is prompt but curt. What really holds this place back is the food. Dishes are generous but pricey, but all the food in the world won't make up for how generic and bland it is. Is the food edible? Yes, but I don't WANT to have to eat it. I think if the owners took some time (or even some help from a consultant) to rethink the menu, this place could easily reach for 4-5 stars. Disappointingly enough, as much as I praised the drinks, it seems like they've completely ditched the tiki glasses for generic (but tall) glasses. (don't be fooled by the tiki glasses pictured in the menu) Also, be warned, there is a $25/person minimum if you show up when there is a performer (which is really the main reason to show up). This in and of itself is not bad, but I didn't notice it before hand and I had to go research on Google to find the drink prices to make sure we were hitting the minimum. All things considered, this place IS worth visiting for drinks and the show, but skip on the meal. (I'd really love for that opinion to change, because this place is really fun, and I'd probably visit more often if I considered it as a dinner option) read more

Chef Shangri-La - Rick Anthony Cada, Elvis impersonator, really made it a great time! - Chinese Near Me - North Riverside, Illinois

This is a lovely hidden gem. My husband and I discovered it a few weeks ago as part of our Tiki Bar tour. Once we learned about the live entertainment, we started spreading the word to our neighbors and friends. Unfortunately, this is our third time here and we decided to check out the live entertainment for ourselves. Before the show even started, we kept feeling pressured by the staff to order item after item. Very uncomfortable and off putting. Not a pleasant experience. It was like we had to keep gorging on Chinese food just in order to not get kicked out. read more

Parking in their adjacent lot. We didn't have a reservation but we were accommodated rather promptly. Friday night entertainment, mostly oldies, not bad. Food okay, large portions. Egg rolls and egg foo yung were good, cocktails good. read more

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This place is seriously old school and Jimmy is still taking care of the bar and you can get your FONG cocktail. Food is good and they also do depending on the day a show of an Elvis Impersonator or Hawaiian Dancers... It's a fun place to check out and visit with friends. They have a parking lot and street parking read more

Chef Shangri-La - Chinese Near Me - North Riverside, Illinois

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Food was overpriced tough and bland. Service was attentive but not helpful. I'll explain why. The ambiance was great until we discovered a dead desiccated mouse in front of the koi pond. No apologies. No offers of discount for our bill. No explanations. Me and my family left disgusted and do not plan on ever returning. 170 dollar bill for a family of 4 for mediocre food, questionably cleaned eating area and zero customer service. read more

Chef Shangri-La - Dried up chuckie cheese in front of the koi pond - Chinese Near Me - North Riverside, Illinois

Love this place. The ambiance and service cannot be matched. I cant wait to come back.

Chef Shangri-La is a long way from our home. We decided to go with a dozen friends to hear a Tina Turner impersonator after dining on Hawaiian/Chinese food. When you arrive, you are taken back to the 1960s. The exterior of the restaurant uses the same time of gold and red designs, dragons, and red lanterns that I recall from so long ago. It turns out, they have a large bar and a Tiki-Bar, something I haven't been to forever. We were seated right away. I didn't get photos of the interior but did get a video of the performer I'll post where you can see parts. Similar to the exterior, the interior is reds and gold. There were four at our table and the rest of us were spread across other tables and booths. While this wasn't the best Chinese Food we've had, it was good. We had no appetizers or soup. We shared Szechuan Chicken and Beef Chow Fun. Their portions are enormous. There was no way we could finish our meals. The chicken was better than the Chow Fun. The vegetables were crunchy and fresh and so was the chicken. The dish was spicy, as it should be, but just enough for a mild burn. As for the Chow Fun, don't get me wrong, it was good - the beef was excellent and cooked to perfection. Unlike other Chow Funs I've had at other restaurants, they were heavy on the vegetables. That was something I really enjoyed. The Chow Fun noodles were a overcooked, so they were a little mushy and stuck together. Other than that one minor issue, their meal was quite good. The drinks - some of their drinks are stronger than others. My wife had a Pina Colada. She's not much of a drinker but said she couldn't finish it. It was large and it was strong. The Hurricane was delicious but it was not strong. When the entertainment came on, I decided to order a Mai Tai. The waitperson warned me it was stronger than my other drink. Mai Tais can be subtle. This one was no exception. I realized how strong it was when over half was gone. The entertainment was fun. She was a Tina Turner impersonator. She was also the current Miss Senior Illinois. She captured the mannerisms and the schtick of Tina Turner quite well and put on a good show. I think the entertainer made the trip more enjoyable. Since Chef Shangi-La is about an hour from our home, we will watch for another good entertainer before making the trek. read more

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This place is hysterical! Dated interior and fantastic food. The live entertainment was THE BEST. Elvis was in da house. People were really enjoying the show. I have never had such a good time at dinner. The fruity drinks are strong and they will sneak up on you. The food was fantastic. The service was very good, the waitresses were very attentive. We got a tofu lettuce wrap appetizer that was a bit spicy and super good. I got the spicy Mongolian tofu and rice and it was amazing. Did I mention Elvis was in the house!? Haha so good. The merchandise at the front of the store is hilarious. I had to get a t shirt for my husband. Can't wait to come back!!! read more

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Food was not edible. Our servers were carrying cleaning products, one was serving food with the other hand

Drinks were like straight alcohol. No flavor at all. Apps were just greasy. Seems to appeal to a sad crowd too read more

Can't believe I've never wrote a review. Been coming here for over 10 years when I have a taste for some good sit down Chinese and a good/strong Mai Tai. It's a Tiki Bar style restaurant with a full bar on one side and the restaurant on the other side. They have live entertainment on certain days of the week, which is pretty fun. I usually order the shrimp fried rice, orange chicken and egg foo young. All their food is made fresh to order. I've never had a bad order. Their Mai Tai's need to be named "call an Uber" because they are that strong. Service can sometimes be spotty but never bad. Great spot for family and friend dining out gatherings. Nice size parking lot which is convenient. Recommend if you want solid Chinese and good strong and very large drinks. read more

Chef Shangri-La - Chinese Near Me - North Riverside, Illinois

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A very interesting place to eat. I wasn't expecting the ambience to be a mix of Asian and Pacific Islander but I did enjoy the meal a lot. The service was very quick and responsive and were quick to take our drink order and then appetizer and then dinner orders. They moved quickly, so getting an order in quickly helped. We weren't in a rush, though. The food portions were huge and the flavor was right on - not too salty, good size pieces to the dish of veggies and proteins. For me, the food had a good level of spice as well. The downside for me was there seemed to be a lot of grease. Normal, but not what I wanted. Overall nice place though. Huge menu and would like to try some other dishes. read more

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It was our first time at Chef Sangrila to celebrate the hubs birthday on a busy Saturday night. We decided to bring in a cake and the hostess was so nice about it. No questions asked and served it to us after our meal at the end of the night. Staff was friendly and super nice! Food was awesome and delicious but the ENTERTAINMENT WAS PHENOMENAL! It was Michael Jackson impersonator night and he did such a great job! The show started at 7:30pm and lasted a good hour. He changed several times and not only he sang but he danced too. He was pretty good! I was very impressed and maybe because I grew up with all of MJ's songs, I sang along every song. MJ engaged with the crowd and during the song "Thriller" he pulled a few guest to dance the infamous zombie dance. It was soooo funny! Hahaha Everything was delicious. We ordered pot stickers, crab rangoons and beef teriyaki sticks. Crab rangoons was very meaty and not skimpy on the filling. The beef sticks was tender and flavorful. We also ordered mooshu pork, steamed white fish, Mongolian beef and chicken chow fun thick noodles. My favorite was the chicken chow fun. But everything was just wonderful and portions was huge. We had leftovers to bring home for dinner the next night! I had a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon and my hubby had the Dr. Fong. The entire restaurant has a tiki themed and it was such a wonderful time we can't wait to go back for the other entertainment such as Elton John, Lady Gaga, Tina Turner and more! *Make sure to call ahead to make a reservation because they do get busy because of their fantastic entertainment! read more

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Have been here twice now and this restaurant has quickly become one of our favorites. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but as soon as you enter the doors you are transported to a Polynesian tiki bar, albeit once from many decades ago. The decor is over-the-top and is very fun. We started with one of their massive Mai Tais, which was crazy strong, but the taste almost bordered on a bit sour. It could definitely be split between my hubby and myself and we also had a Coke, which seemed like the ratio was a bit off as it was overly sweet. The portions are huge and we had the Sesame Chicken and Tahitian Mango Passion Beef. Both were really good dishes with large chunks of meat and veggies. The beef dish was very sweet. The sweet from that along with the Coke was almost too much, though. We will definitely be back again read more

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Whenever I am at home visiting, me and my mom always have a meal at Chef Shangri-la. The kitchy Polynesian tiki decor is so fun and I love the atmosphere! Regardless if you love the dated decor or not, the food is excellent! We enjoy the authentic Chinese dishes and always order appetizers and 2 or 3 entrees, served in beautiful silver plates. It is such a treat when we visit chef shangri-la. we go for your "norm" options- egg rolls, spring rolls, wings, crab rangoon for apps, and for entrees, shrimp fried rice, vegetable fried rice, chicken chop suey, vegetable egg foo young, shrimp egg foo young, chicken and broccoli, beef and broccoli, chicken low mein, beef low mein, vegetable low mein, sweet and sour chicken. The list goes on. We always enjoy the items we order and go home with plenty of leftovers. Service is good, restaurant is clean and menu has a wide variety. If you are a drinker they have some fun polynesian cocktails with great names and that are unique. read more

We had a big group of 7 on a super busy Friday night. Excited to try a new place- SUPER EXCITED TO GO BACK! Our meals were fresh and delicious. The drinks were delivered quickly and sooooo good! Huge portions, tall drinks, very reasonable prices and a definite recommendation if you're considering it! The show was engaging and fun to sing along with. Staff pleasant, their shirts were so cool we bought a few and no issues with the bill at the end of the night even though we had multiple separate checks. Loved it! read more

Love this location! We often go here to see friends, enjoy the drinks, and love the atmosphere! We even had our baby-shower here because it was so homey, the kids loved seeing the turtle, fish tank, and koi pond. I will always come back for those eggs rolls too. The staff are so sweet :) read more

Chef Shangri-La - Chinese Near Me - North Riverside, Illinois

Great retro tiki bar vibes! We met up here for a friend's birthday dinner and the staff were prepared to host our large group. We didn't expect the amazing Elvis show during dinner, so that was a surprise. Good food and drink options. Prices were also reasonable. Washroom situation could use some help. Looking forward to another round of drinks in the side lounge. Will be back for the Elvis show! read more

My partner and I went on NYE, hoping that after the pandemic things had gone back to how it was before. My partner enjoyed his meal, and the portion sizes were very generous. However, the "cocktails" tasted like watered down juice, and after having two very large drinks, I didn't even have so much as a buzz. I didn't finish my meal because all I could really taste was fryer grease. We left earlier than we planned because I started feeling sick to my stomach. I think the culprit was that the food quality of my entree was on par with a cheap Chinese buffet. My partner's entree was much better, more restaurant quality. It's a shame because we were hoping to make this our new NYE tradition. read more

Chef Shangri-La has been around for a long time-we celebrated my MILs 80th birthday here last weekend , in part because she celebrated her mom's 80th there! She said it's changed a lot since then. So I thought the kitschy decor was fun and my toddler loved watching all the fish. The service was very good and they did a fantastic job managing our large party- about 20 of us including kids. The tropical drinks were fun but packed more of a sugar punch than a boozy one. If I went back I'd definitely opt for beer or wine. The food was all good- I tried the veggie fried rice, garlic broccoli, pepper beef, curry chicken, and the chicken lo mien, and the orange chicken. The only thing I didn't care for about as the orange chicken (and this was the general consensus at our table). There was too much breading and the sticky sauce was just too sweet and kind of boring without any veggies to break it up. We were there for the Billy Joel cover artist and he was great. He sounded excellent and brought tons of energy into the restaurant. My son (2) and his youngest cousin (3) had a blast dancing to his music and he was super cool about having a bunch of us dancing. I would totally go back and absolutely recommend having a party at Chef Shangri-La....just no orange chicken . read more

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Walking into this kitschy place I didn't know what to think! Lots of wacky decor and several rooms, kinda like a tiki inspired maze. We had a large party and took up a centrally located table area near the water feature. In front of that was a Billy Joel impersonator and he was pretty good! Food was average. Nothing spectacular but it wasn't bad. We ordered a pitcher of one of their specialty rum drinks which tasted good but reminded me of a punch you'd make for a kids party. Didn't taste any alcohol. The servers were all friendly and attentive. Overall, a unique and fun place. read more

Chef Shangri-La - Orange Chicken - Chinese Near Me - North Riverside, Illinois

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Food is tasty, wait staff is fast. Entertainment is way too loud if you plan on talking with your tablemates. Would be nice if they would use some of their profits to improve the bathroom situation. There is only one stall in the ladies room that works. The other one has been out of order for at least 6 months. Toilet is child-sized. read more

Was a supernatural experience....came in for a bite at 9p. The song shout was playing. Restaurant was packed. There was even a Michael Jackson impersonator there. With in 30 mins we were one of 3 tables and everyone was gone. Service was rushed. Even though they say 11p closing they were mopping at 945 and lady trying to grab my food with her dirty gloves. read more

Food 1/5 Service 4/5 (food came out within 10 minutes, very attentive staff!) Ambiance 4/5 To start off, I came here by invite from someone in the family, but I am Chinese and prefer authentic Chinese food. If you're looking for panda-express like American fusion with a sweet taste profile and thick consistency, this is your place. If you are looking for good Asian food, stay away. The dim sum was the only thing I ordered that was edible, hot and sour soup was WAY too sweet and extremely thick with starch, bokchoy had no leaves, only stems, egg rolls are very greasy, the ingredients were a little questionable, Mongolian beef with peapods? I've never seen it... read more

I have been going here for many years. The food has always been consistent. Not the most amazing but very good and consistent. They have fun drinks and when I was in my 20's we would come for the fruity strong drinks. Most recently my family booked their room for Christmas. We were a little disappointed by the lack of communication between the woman who was handling the planning and the reservation. She told us we could order off the menu, then the owner said no it has to be family style. Sure, that's understandable but let's communicate better. The woman told us they could use 4 credit cards to pay (we had 26 people) which was fine. Then the owner tries to say only one card. The woman lets us order egg foo young as one of the entrees and the owner says no, can't do that. So I think it would be best if everyone there knew the rules. The owner's delivery of the information was fairly rude to my aunt. And I certainly understand they are busy on Christmas and it is stressful, but it's also stressful trying to plan a dinner for 26 family members. All in all, we had a nice time and we had 2 People that couldn't make it out of the 26 and knew we would still have to pay for them and were happy to, but I really thought it was very nice of them to send us to go containers of everything for the 2 that couldn't make it. The food was good. We had egg rolls, crab Rangoon, chicken fried rice, orange chicken (instead of egg foo young), beef almond ding, and a veggie dish that I personally paid no mind to but our vegetarian enjoyed. The service was also very good. She was attentive and kind. Other than the mishaps with the owner, we really enjoyed ourselves. read more

excellent, authentic asian cuisuine!!! delicious, fresh, and hot!!! best mai tai ever!!! fast, polite service!!1 tiki room ambiance is fun and inviting!!! read more

I was there for first time this weekend. The food was awesome, way better than any Chinese restaurant I have been to . the service was awesome, I will definitely be going back and ordering take out !! read more

First time back since pre pandemic and all I can attest to at this time is the epic Mai Tai. It's gigantic and delicious. Going to try the Char Siu roasted BBq pork shoulder.... Stand by... well mixed reviews on the Char, good flavor on the sweet sauce, the meat is tough. Can't finish it. Love the Mai Tai!! read more

Chef Shangri-La - The insane large delicious mai tai - Chinese Near Me - North Riverside, Illinois

The food was very good. But the entertainment was outstanding. Fantastic service and a very good evening to enjoy with my spouse

Loved the live music, drinks were good, but the food was meh. Pretty much everything was either deep fried or buried in heavy brown sauce. Also, it took forever to get our order. They really need to have a show menu with limited items so the kitchen can keep up. read more

Today was the first time I tried this place and it wasn't disappointed. The place itself is very nice, it's clean and the Hawaiian theme gives it the right touch. Also on the weekends you can see an Elvis impersonator. He was very nice and very talented. The food was amazing. We order beef and chicken with broccoli, combination fried rice and the chicken chow fun. We had two coco locos and they were delicious. I liked the way the beef and chicken broccoli were presented. 10/10 for the presentation. The alcoholic drinks have the right amount of alcohol, but be careful the alcohol does sneak on you. I was tipsy after finishing mine, trust me the drinks are huge. The service was also 10/10. The server lady we got was very attention and very nice. She even joked with us when she card us for our drinks. She was very shocked we were of age. She thought we weren't old enough to drink, but thanks for the compliment that we look young. Definitely will be coming back with the rest of the family. read more

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Visited on a Friday night and had the chance to catch a very fun show . They had dancers of all ages and encouraged the audience to participate(prizes given out as well) . I went with a group of three so we all ordered a variety of drinks, my favorite was the coco loco! Pretty strong drinks for a affordable price!the very friendly owner walked Past our table and gave us recommendations as well. I would recommend the crab Rangoon appetizer & free egg roll if you check in which is a plus! Orange chicken , shrimp fried rice , and noodles all tasty Check out their website and go catch a show. read more

Chef Shangri-La - Coconut drinks - Chinese Near Me - North Riverside, Illinois

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Dinner and a show! Went on a Sunday night with friends and treated to a fine meal and the Barefoot Hawaiian Dancers! Hukilau and Kung Pao, an unbeatable combo! Food is delicious, atmosphere puts you in a South Pacific/Island mood, and the tropical drinks are the boozy whipped cream soaked cherry on top. Fun audience participation, talented dancers and an entertaining DJ. An enjoyable and memorable evening! read more

Tons of vegetarian options, drinks are fun and tropical. The live music is very entertaining. read more

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I've visited Chef Shangri-La many times over the last several years, and I have yet to be disappointed. The staff always goes above and beyond to make my dining experience an enjoyable one. The authentic Asian cuisine and wide array of drink options always hits the spot, regardless of the occasion or what I have a taste for. I've also attended a few times where they bring in live entertainment, from Elvis cover artists to classic rock bands, and I typically have found myself staying longer than I anticipated to watch the entire set. Can't recommend this business highly enough! read more

Chef Shangri-La - Chinese Near Me - North Riverside, Illinois