My friends and I wanted to try a tiki bar and selected this place for our culinary adventure. Like all tiki bars, the decor was fun and a bit on the trashy side. However, we didn't come here to look at the decor; we came here to eat. Being someone who has multiple food allergies, I alerted my server regarding my dietary restrictions. While she seemed a bit confused, she did write everything down for the chef. The chef did a good job at preventing me from ordering anything that could kill me. However, the chef did not make any suggestions as to what would be safe for me to eat. Nevertheless, after asking multiple staff members, I was able to hash together a meal. Overall, I found the food to be average, with the service to be adequate but not exceptional. read more

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

Fun ambience, good fun and drinks. Live entertainment makes it a fun date night and experience. read more

Had my birthday dinner with a group of 20. Pre reservations were made. Food and host and servers were great!

The show is entertaining, food used to be better. Service was good .Would return for entertainment.

Big menu. Very clean. Attentive wait staff. Huge tropical drink menu. Multiple soups and big bowls. The place has been open forever and it doesn't seem like it. Food was great. Wish I had come sooner. read more

Chef Shangri-La - First time here. Fun tropical drinks! Huge menu! - Chinese Near Me - North Riverside, Illinois

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good old school chinese with a tiki vibe. good specialty drinks and fun ambiance. no complaints here.

I loved the ambiance! They had a live singer that played all the Island music that fit the theme of this restaurant. The food was descent but my Mongolian Beef was not up to par . The rice however was great! The best part was the appetizers. The worst part was the Dessert ‍ the total bill for two (Family dinner) was okay. My coke was flat . The sauces were actually what made the food taste better! I'll give this place another try, hope not disappointing. read more

Chef Shangri-La - a table full of food - Chinese Near Me - North Riverside, Illinois

Never thought that I would ever write a bad review of this place but I have to. I have been going to Chef Shangri-La since it opened. The original owners were such nice people - warm and accommodating, great food and awesome drinks. Ever since Irv took over, it has gone downhill. I have ALWAYS ordered the same dish....Spicy Mango Tofu NO SPICE!!!!!! It was my favorite dish. I have ordered it so many times WITH NO SPICES that both he and whoever took my order knew how I liked it. This last time, I stopped in on my way home and Irv took my order. Not once BUT TWICE did I tell him NO SPICE! I get home (quite a distance away) and when I opened the container, I notice that it is oily and there are a ton of flakes. I tasted one and sure enough, SPICES! I cannot tolerate hot spicy food! I called them up and told what happened and the rude woman told me to drive all the way back and they would give me another order. Totally inconvenient but I did it. I told them AGAIN, NO SPICE! I brought the order back and showed her it and she immediately told me that it was hot because of the oil. I was given the new order. Jokingly (don't joke with them) I said you should throw in some vegetable rolls for the inconvenience and she said "We don't do that" So I drive all the way home, open the container and ONCE AGAIN there were hot flakes in it. I was flabbergasted and pissed. I called them right back and told Irv (who answered the phone) that they got my order wrong again, that there was spice in my food. He has the gall to tell me that they can't make it without spice (even though I have ordered this dish at least 50 times) I told him that I wasn't coming back to exchange and that I wanted my money back because I could not eat it. He then hands the phone to the rude woman who took my order back from before and she told me that they would refund the amount to my credit card (which they did) Needless to say, I will not be returning to Chef Shangri-La ever again. I spent a LOT of money there throughout the years but no more. Irv needs to learn how to treat his customers with more respect and to pay attention to what they order. I will patronize establishments that treat their customers well. read more

We went here after my Mom begged to try it for her birthday last week. They have family style dinners with heaping plates of food and sides. Food was good! Don't even get me started on the drinks, they were pure liquor! But I'm not complaining. We definitely got Fong'd after those. We will definitely be back! read more

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

I love tiki bars, and I got a recommendation to go to this place so it was going to happen eventually despite the distance from my home! A couple of friends and I made a pilgrimage last night. It's definitely worth seeing for the time warp factor if nothing else. The decor is casual but detailed, with some amazing lamps, a fish pond, huge arched doorways, even a tiki hut (where we ate!) Because we sat in the tiki hut, we were slightly removed from everything and it took a while to get service. Eventually it was the hostess who took our order, so that was slightly odd. Of course we had drinks! I had the Zombie, which was fruity but potent. One friend had the Dr. Fong and the Midnight Splash (the drinks aren't listed on their web site so I can't give you much detailed info about them, and in any case the descriptions in the menu there were sometimes a little vague); she preferred the latter, a dark purple concoction that was served in a highball glass shaped like a stalk of bamboo. (Oddly, most of the cocktails were served in plain water glasses, despite them showcasing and selling tiki mugs in the lobby...??) Our designated driver had a virgin pina colada which despite the lack of booze was still special. You will get a stupefying amount of food!! My coconut chicken could have fed three! One friend ordered the Thai coconut chicken curry which came in a serving bowl so big a toddler could have sat in it. My other friend cobbled her dish together from two appetizers: potstickers and crab rangoon. We'd had more crab rangoon for the table to start as well: a complex filling, not just a wad of cream cheese like at some places. It also came with a more nuanced sweet-and-sour sauce than the usual neon orange one you get everywhere. My coconut chicken was tasty and came with three sauces: a yellow one that tasted like pineapple (the best), something brown and soy-based, and a bright red one that somehow tasted like Christmas (I'm still not totally sure what this was). The menu said that it came with "macaroni salad," but it was like no mac salad I had in Hawaii (which were all mayo-based): this was more like a soup? The noodles were floating in a clear liquid, with broccoli and some other greens. Not what I was expecting. It was not a performance night (oddly, that's Fridays), so I can't review the entertainment, but they advertised Polynesian dancers and Elvis impersonators. Overall, a fun destination for a giant meal and powerful beverages in a quirky setting! Mahalo! read more

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We dined at Chef Shangri-La with friends and had a really fun and delicious meal. We started with dim sum and Tiki drinks before we had our main dishes. The decor was appropriately tacky and added to the ambiance. The dining area was immaculate and clean. read more

I contacted the restaurant and ordered lunch. My order was so wrong. Contacted the restaurant and was told I had to have placed the order through grubhub since it was delivered to my job. I ordered over $40 dollars worth of food and didn't get half of what I ordered. The lady on the phone was rude, had poor customer service and the food that was delivered (not what I ordered) was terrible. I didn't eat it, threw my portion away. My co-worker ate hers and just went home sick. (throwing up) I will never over from this place again. So disappointed! By the way, I checked my Grubhub account, Chef Shangri-La not even in my past orders. Of course not, I actually called the restaurant and placed the order over the phone. They did come within 25 minutes though. Too bad the food wasn't edible or what I paid for. Do not waste your money or time!!! read more

Yummy yummy yummy! Best Chinese food around. Drinks were fun and yummy! Honk Kong steak was amazing!!!!!!!!!! read more

The food was unseasoned bland horribleness almost unpalatable. They forgot my egg rolls but gave me the mustard for my egg rolls..

This is NOT fresh Sushi. I noticed a new sign outside that says "Fresh Sushi Daily". Thought I would give it a try. This is worse than grocery store sushi. The crunchy onions on top of the "crunchy dragon roll" are soggy from being in the refrigerator for who knows how long. The rice is the texture of grocery store sushi rice. I'm so sad. read more

Chef Shangri-La - Not crunchy. Not fresh. - Chinese Near Me - North Riverside, Illinois

Food 5 Fun atmosphere 5 Service 2 Tasty food with large portions and reasonable pricing. Much cheaper than a flight to Hawaii. Stronnnng drinks Service was atrocious. It was just before 5 on a sunday afternoon. The male waiter started out great. Friendly, Informative and Suggesting his favorites. Then a couple other parties came in. He was trying to be bartender, host and server to all. The food came out of the kitchen fast but we never saw our server again until we saw the check. He added a service charge for parties of 6 or more. We were 5. read more

Just kinda a meh Chinese-Hawaiian fusion place. Didn't like the Cantonese chow mein at all.

Shangri-La Dee Dah. This marks the first of many reviews where I'll be carrying on the tradition set forth by food critic James Ward (rest peacefully my man), in the form of 'Bread & Circuses'. Bread, of course, referring to the quality of food and Circuses equating to service and ambiance, each on a 1-5 scale where 5 is the best. So how does Chef Shangri-La measure up? Bread = 5 Circuses = 3.5* *atmo was a solid 5 but the service was a 2 :( I came here on a Tuesday night to celebrate 2 years of work as an engineer. The 'rents and I enjoyed several *strong* drinks in their bar area, most notably a Mai Tai and the infamous Dr Fong cocktail. The fishtanks were nice to see; thankfully there were TVs only in the bar, since the screens would clash with the low-key Polynesian decor in the restaurant. The dining area is a pure tropical paradise. Large resin Aku-Aku heads greet you by the entrance, and wooden tiki totems adorn the walls. There's even a cute little koi pond in the corner that fits in well with the theme. On select nights Chef Shangri-La features dancers and fire twirlers, and on others.....Elvis impersonators. YUP. In fact, I'm told that the Elvis nights are so insanely popular, one needs to make reservations ahead of time since it turns into a packed house. Super random, kinda cool. In the lobby, they had Hawaiian shirts on sale for $10. Ten bucks, people! We got a Pu-Pu platter to start (since my family relies heavily on bathroom humor for laughs, we absolutely had to order one for no other reason than to giggle about it like idiots). For around $18, it came with egg rolls [2], fried jumbo shrimp [4], crab rangoon [4], 'lava' wings [4], and teriyaki beef skewers [4]. All were delicious. It was good pupu. My dad enjoyed his hung soo pork while my mom and I dove into our bowls--my 'souper bowl' included wontons/pot stickers, egg noodles, bbq pork and jumbo shrimp in a light broth. For $9, it was a pretty decent deal, but the pork slices were sketch and mostly inedible. My mom's bowl came with a fried egg on top and looked a tad like corned beef hash. Once again, few complaints here. Waitstaff was a little bit too eager-beaver in clearing empties. Mere seconds after I had lifted the last remaining crab rangoon, I find a small asian woman whisking away the remnants of our sampler platter. She asked me if I was finished, to which I replied "not yet", and then proceeded to wait for me, awkwardly standing by our table. Also, there was confusion when our dinner came out; another server appeared with our entrees and asked "who had [the hung soo pork]?" I'm pretty sure it's written down as to who gets what, so why are you asking us? When it came time to clear the main courses, they did so haphazardly which sent a few renegade utensils flying my way, which was exciting. Even my dad raised an eyebrow at that point. The drinks are strong, the atmosphere delightfully kitschy. When you're in the mood for eclectic, look no further. read more

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Decent Chinese food with the new management. Weekends they have music and impersonators. Friendly and drinks to help you forget your week if that's what you're seeking. read more

4 stars for great and attentive service/servers, great value, good selection of menu items, great drinks and that Hawaiian feel. This place is a bit old and dingy from the outside but has that warm and home-y feeling in the inside. Their drink menu is phenom and they sure don't spare their liquor-- they were made pretty strong. I tried their Dr Fung, mango bango and dreamsicle and they're all duhhhlish! . Let's talk food... I tried their pork taco which had bbq pork in it for meat. I wasn't crazy about the pork itself but the veggies were fresh and had lots of flavor. Their Singapore noodles was delicious, I highly recommend this dish. I wasn't crazy about their egg roll and crab Rangoon. They were average. They had a Tahitian/Hawaiian show while we were there for the Yelp event and that was very entertaining. Overall I will most definitely come back for their drinks. Aloha! read more

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I don't care what anybody says... worth it for the vibe. Next to river grove's tiki establishment (he who shall not be named next to gene & judes) this place is in close quarters. Ask for Jimmy's Special if you're drinking - just don't ask for the price! Always going back love this spot. read more

We love the cocktails in service. Always a lot of fun. They have shows on the weekends go to their website and check it out.

Food was ok- a bit overpriced. Not my type of atmosphere. I'm sorry I will not return or recommend.

Wait staff was fine. Food however was mediocre at best. I ordered cashew chicken which was totally tasteless. Very few vegetables. My husband ordered governors chicken which has a "few" pieces of peppers. read more

Great place to eat, the food was amazing . We had a great time with the family and friends.Highly recommended !

Food is okay - pupu platter, egg foo young, ... windycity Elvis is always a great time! Great for kids of all ages. I can't wait to see some of the other artists. read more

This place was terrible. Bad service. It is out dated. The food was the worst. The drinks was ok. Over priced. Please do not waste your time or money in this fake fusion restaurant. read more

My husband and I decided to to get Chinese to go on July 4th. To hot to cook! Saw all sorts of great reviews but we thought the dood was awful. Bothe of us got shrimp dishes which were way, way overcooked. My shrimp dish was described as "lightly breaded" but there was twice as much breading as shrimp. Also the sauce was very salty. We will never order from this place again. A wasted $36 The morning after posting this review, I got a call from the Irv from the restaurant expressing his concern about the low quality of our dinner. He offered my husband and I a free dinner anytime we came in. We took him up on his offer and had fine dinners. But we didn't order any fried item. read more

Decided to give them a star because I went in yesterday and service was actually pleasant! We were there at 3pm and the only table so they may have been happy to have the business, but whatever it was it was much better than my last visit and would make me return! Didn't try anything new, but the food was still good. I've gotta go back a few more times before they get a 4 & I don't see them ever getting a 5 from me. Stranger shit has happened tho! read more

Tiki bar with a Kitschy but fun vibe. The cantonese cuisine was solid and in large portions. The decor was a blend of tiki and island luau. Live turtles in one of the ponds. Grab some drinks in fun glasses and split some entrees- food & dessert seem designed for tables sharing. Staff was friendly & went the extra mile to assist my wife when we needed to grab a lost item after hours. read more

Don't even come here. My boyfriend and I ordered 2 appetizers, Hawaiian bbq rib and hot sour soup. 2 drinks and 3 mains(friend rice, chow mein, and salt and pepper pork). There's literally only white people who came and dined. The food is not good. Even if it is Americanized Chinese food. It's most likely catered to white people's taste buds. The ribs and soup was overly sweet. The ribs were not bbq. It was char siu with sweet and sour sauce over it. The soup had no wood ear mushrooms, no red peppers flakes in it either, super sweet. I added a bunch of soy sauce and white pepper to just get the flavor. The drinks is overly sweet and no alcohol taste whatsoever. We never got our mains because we waited over 35 mins while people all around us who got there after us received their food already. DO NOT COME HERE UNLESS YOU PLAN ON GETTING DIABETES. They didn't fill my water unless I asked, seen them fill everyone's water around me. Also my total for 2 drinks and 2 appetizers was $50. read more

I cannot even begin to tell you how great the food, quality, service and portions are at Chef Shangri-La. It might not be the best environment for Posh, trendy, cool environments but the food really makes up for it! Whatever you order will be good, and you will get a lot of it! We came here with my family and thought we ordered enough for 6 adults and 4 kids. We really ordered enough for 12 adults! I've never seen Egg Rolls so long and large! The Hot and Sour soup was some of the best that I've ever had! The breading used on the Pork dishes is so good! It was the most surprising aspect of my meal. I'm now a huge fan of Pork and anything here! My family really enjoyed this place! There is a little cool fish pond for the kids to look at. Its also a pretty big place, probably busy on the weekends! They have a private lot and side street parking if the lot is full. I didn't even order one of their tasty Hawaiian cocktails which they are known for! I'll definitely be back, probably just order a quarter of what I ordered last time. Unless I'm hosting a large family event! read more

way overpriced for chinese food around the area, we dined in, food was ok last time, but the portions have shrunk, and the prices are up again, the drinks like the dr fong, simply terrible, its advertised on the menu as loaded with rum, however only thing it was loaded with was ice. $13 for the drink x 2 thats $26 plus tax for two of the worst drinks I have ever had in my life that were supposed to contain some booze, no special glass, no garnish,. not even a tiny piece of fruit, nothing! On the way home we stopped at Binny's and bought 2 fifth's for $26, skip the drinks here for sure, the booths are 25 years old? Maybe its time for some new springs? read more

Have been here many times, sure every restaurant has its ups and downs. We have always have had a great experience. We went for dinner Friday night, greeted at once, all the staff is great. The mai tais are the best around. The food was fantastic, so don't believe some of the negative reviews. Go and enjo read more

Horrible experience take out dinner. Food was over cooked and dry. Supposed to have vegetables, I counted four carrots and three mushrooms. Worst Chinese food I have ever had. I believe this place is not the original owner, person who took my order was unhelpful and unappreciative of my business. I think this is a place for tropical drinks and if you drink enough, you don't care about the quality of your food. Had Hong Sue Delux and I could not tell what I was eating, flavorless and dry. Many other Chinese restaurants much better than this . Food was overpriced... never going back! read more

If you are looking for ethnic food DO NOT go here. I'm a white dude who's in love with spicy and extremely flavorful foods. This place was flavorless, bland, and uninteresting. Ill start with the server. Pushy and unwanting to help. We took a while with the menu and she seemed impatient coming to our table a staggering four times to ask if we were ready. We took so long because they crossed off and no longer serve or are out of all of the best dishes. The food was extremely over battered and flavorless. This is something you can make yourself out of the freezer section. I'm not gonna say a lot because the photos so justice. I will say two last things. One photo is of our platter with how much batter was left over that I couldn't handle.....I choked down my fried chicken wings which had a shell. Like really? They were 'lava wings' warned to be extremely spicy. What a joke. Only BBQ sauce and one of four had a little strip of sriracha I kidd you not.....0/10. read more

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

Fun times at Elvis show and great food . Good value, large portions . I love the family dinners.

Best Dam Chinese restaurant in the Midwest, Great egg rolls, Mouth watering beef teriyaki, With a Mai Thai, or Dr.Fong, goes great together. Good place for cocktails, and dinner. Very relaxing. Paul V read more

This place is good for tiki style type of drinks and I've heard that the entertainment they sometimes feature has been good too, but the food is not great. read more