The Peninsula group is one of the top destinations in Asia. Its restaurants in most parts of the world have quality and exquisite standards. However, the ST in Peninsula Chicago is the brand's most disappointing restaurant. When I was there, the only dish that met the usual Peninsula standard was the Peking Duck. Other dishes such as dumplings, Chinese-style beef (中式牛柳), and even fried rice were all sub-standards. Based on each dish's price, none of them were worth it. I used to frequent the restaurants in PH in Hong Kong before I moved here. I thought I would be treated to the taste of HK, but the experience was unsatisfactory, and I shall save my next visit to the real treat when I am back visiting HK. read more

Never has disappointed! Such a favorite for my family and I! No matter if we are stopping in as we are staying at the hotel or if we come just for the restaurant! We have quite literally tried everything on the menu! We have never been disappointed! Some of the best service in the city! Such a family/friend intimate setting! read more

Shanghai Terrace - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My wife and I came here for dinner with a couple of good friends. Everything was perfect: the seating, the outdoor space, the food, and the service. Jade, our server, was attentive and helpful throughout dinner. The food was very good, and generally authentic. I had a good laugh with the crab Rangoon, which is not authentic at all. But because it's the Peninsula, there was real crab in it. A couple words of advice, if you're open minded to hearing it: firstly, this is not the place to go if you're sensitive about spending money. We spent over $400 for the feast we had. Secondly, the dim sum plates were a real standout. If you come with three other people, it's perfectly portioned because each dim sum order comes with four pieces. They comped a cake for the birthday boy! What a nice treat. We will be back! read more

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I originally made a 1pm Saturday afternoon reservation about a month before my reservation date. We had so many issues getting a rideshare, so we ended up being over 30 minutes late. I tried calling the restaurant to let them know that I was going to be late, but the calls kept going straight to voicemail. I hate being late to reservations and was worried that there may be a long wait with us being so late. Thankfully, they still had a table available for us and we were seated pretty quickly. We contemplated our order for a while, but decided on the following: 1. Lobster and Chicken Dumplings 2. Chilean Sea Bass in Traditional Szechwan Sauce 3. Traditional Peking Duck (Half Order) I really liked all 3 dishes. My husband was the main one that ate the Chilean Sea Bass, but I wished I had ate more of it. This fish was cooked and seasoned perfectly. I probably would be the most likely to order to sea bass and dumplings again. Final Take- This restaurant has the luxe vibes that you would expect for being inside of the Peninsula Hotel. You could probably find comparable or better Peking Duck at some of the well known restaurants in Chinatown, but Shanghai Terrace is an ideal option if you want to treat yourself or change things up. read more

The food here was SO good and the presentation was impressive. We weren't too hungry so we only ordered two dishes and sides of steamed rice. We had the bok choy and the tofu with lotus root. Prettiest veggies I've ever seen haha! These were light and delectable. The tofu dish was pretty gingery which we really appreciated. Our lunch felt healthy and yet tasty. At first I thought this was pricy for dim sum but this is an upscale restaurant and our meal definitely reflected that. Would love to come back and try some of the non vegetarian options. Wish I'd taken pictures! You'll have to trust me on this one. read more

Located in the Peninsula hotel on Superior, Shanghai Terrace is an upscale Chinese restaurant that features a variety of Chinese dishes on the menu, set in a dining room with a classy, vintage 20th century atmosphere. The service is impeccable and the staff were super attentive to anything our party needed. We started off with the golden shrimp appetizer, which was perfectly crispy and came with a delicious walnut sauce. The main course I selected was the dong po pork belly, which was meticulously prepared in a pyramidal/pagoda-like structure. The pork belly slices were razor thin and melted in your mouth (I would have preferred the pork belly to be a little less fatty, but the flavor was good regardless). And finally for dessert, I had the yuzu mousse, which was a refreshing, citrusy way to cut the heaviness from all the pork belly I had earlier. The mojitos were also excellent and accompanied the dishes well. Would highly recommend and definitely looking forward to my next visit! read more

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Comfortable seating, service, and well-portioned menu fare. Family friendly, welcoming Chinese food in a five star, world class hotel. Our servers were especially great with accommodating the baby and dessert turned out to be the surprise highlight of the night. read more

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The terrace was so beautiful and fancy! The color red is everywhere and I felt like the space was evenly spread out so that people weren't sitting too close to one another. I sat at the bar while waiting for my table and the bartender was so nice. I got the mapo tofu which was so good but spicy, the duck dimsum, and bulgogi fried rice. Would def go back. Oh and they even gave us blankets bc we were shivering!! read more

Shanghai Terrace - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place was so good! We ordered a variety of dumplings and they were all delicious. Definitely on our list to come back just because of how good their dumplings are. We also ordered some drinks and they were light, refreshing, delicious, and dangerous. The one I tried had strawberries in it and I cant wait to try it again. Finally, I tried the duck based on all the reviews and OMG it was amazing! I usually am not one for duck but this one was succulent and the flavor was on point. Highly recommend ordering if you like duck! read more

Pretty similar experience and summary last night as the previous visit. This time we did sit on the outdoor terrace, which is really nice. It was kind of windy and got much cooler than we expected, though. They were sharing these red shawls with the guests, which was a nice touch. Food-wise this time around, the salt and pepper tofu was the best. Nicely spiced and loved the garnish/filling of spiced puffy rice. The kung-pao tofu was fine and the eggplant was fine. The happy red rice was a coarse rice, which didn't really meet expectations, but fortunately the waiter had offered us a small order. Last on here, though it was first when we ate it, the veggie dumplings were OK. Lastly, I'll add that I had indicated it was our anniversary in the reservation, and the restaurant was kind enough to surprise us with a complementary raspberry cake dessert. The taste was OK, but we really appreciated the gesture. Then lastly, the mini-almond cookies and chocolates I believe everyone gets at the end were also good. read more

I could sit here and write an hour review about our experience, the ambiance, the food, the service, the waiters and waitresses and I PROMISE YOU, it still would not do this place justice. This is hands down an absolute Gem of a place. Beautiful, upscale, delicious food, on and on and on. Please do yourself a favor and enjoy everything this place has to offer. I believe our party of 6 tried pretty much everything from dim sum to duck, a take on fried rice I've never seen and can't wait to have again, vegetables and desserts. And every single one of us absolutely loved everything. Next time we're in Chicago it's not even a second thought about coming here.. patron for life!! read more

Great dinner despite the patio being closed due to rainy weather. We had the pork soup dumplings which were fresh, soupy, and the wrapper was just right. The Peking duck was delicious. I enjoyed the wokhei (flavor when items are cooked in a hot wok) of the Shanghai noodles. Adding a little chili oil to a few bites made it even better! All went well with Tattinger champagne. read more

I went here over the summer and the whole experience was great. Definitely on the pricier end, but incredible food and if the weather is nice I highly recommend going out on the terrace! My favorite dish during the meal was the peking duck, it was very flavorful the vegetables are very fresh, and overall a delightful meal! read more

Shanghai Terrace - Traditional Peking Duck - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

To be honest, I came here for the rooftop views and ambience. I expected it to be pricey and that the food would be alright. I was actually pretty impressed with the food. Yes, it was pricey but it was good and worth the rooftop vibes. Definitely not a casual place I would eat at often, but I am happy to go here once in a while. We got some cocktails as well. The Nanjing road, Ning sling, and lost in Shanghai. We opted for more fruity and light drinks. The nanjing road or and lost in Shanghai were my favorites. The nanjing road was very aesthetic as well, with clear liquid and slices of strawberry. It was refreshing on a hot summer day. Food, loved the black truffle dim sum dish the most. I think it had a pretty unique flavor. The noodles are better value compared to the other items we got and they were good! read more

Shanghai Terrace - Lobster and Chicken Dumpling with Black Truffle Crab Siewmai with Fish Roe Shanghai Fried Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Located in the peninsula hotel ... this is truly a hidden gem with amazing food . Small , ornately decorated and simply beautiful . Vegetarian and vegan options available .. just ask . The servers are kind and attentive , my meal was delicious and the ambiance was perfect read more

Shanghai Terrace - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This restaurant is absolutely beautiful inside. You feel like you've been transported to a fancy restaurant in a busy Chinese city when you step in the doors. We went when it was cold this time, but I've sat on the patio before, and it's definitely an urban oasis. Service was quick here, and our waitress was very kind and knowledgeable. She suggested several menu items that we ended up ordering, and I'm glad we did because the dim sum here is fantastic. I got the lobster for my main course and it was really good. I also tried some of the Kung Pao chicken which was tasty as well. Overall I'm giving this place four stars instead of five because it is super pricey for the serving size. I'm all about paying for a great food, but this place was just a little too expensive for the portions and the overall taste. read more

Good Chinese food! Tried two times - very impressed each time. Always fully booked. Definitely reservation recommended. Will come back again! 5/5 lobster and chicken dumplings 5/5 beef pot sticker 5/5 pecking duck 4/5 Kung Pao chicken We ordered above food for two people. Each dish is very filling, so we didn't finish all. i would say if i ordered half duck or half king pao chicken would be perfect! read more

Shanghai Terrace - Lobster and Chicken Dumpling with Black Truffle, Spicy Beef Pot Sticker - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very tasty, but the portion sizes are very small! Shanghai Terrace is in the Peninsula Hotel. The dining room is cute and well decorated. Our service was pretty good - we were consistently checked in on. For lunch, we ordered the Peking duck (half portion), the steamed halibut, the vegetable and tofu, vegetable dumplings, and the steamed soup dumplings. The duck was very crispy and tasty, but there weren't that many pieces for the price. The halibut only comes with three pieces. I really enjoyed the soup dumplings. Overall, food was decent but I'm not sure the portion size is worth the price. read more

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We underestimated this place! We stayed at the Peninsula for the weekend and wanted an easy dinner after checking out and before heading home. Dimsum sounded easy and delicious so this was an optimal choice since it's conveniently located in the lower level of the lobby. I made reservation on Open Table and we were immediately seated towards the front of the restaurant with views of the terrace. Since it was rainy and chilly, they kept the terrace closed but it looked like it would be a nice space with the right weather. We started with some soup to share as well as some dumplings. The lobster and chicken truffle dumpling was very tasty. It had really strong truffle flavor and the dumpling was made very well. The bbq pork bun dipped in the hot sauce was an excellent combo! We also ended up ordering some hot and sour soup which tasted very authentic Chinese. We added some xiao long bao which was good but definitely has some potential. Not quite as good as the ones in Asia. The beef potstickers and mushroom dumplings were both excellent. I feel like the stars were definitely the fried rice and the Chilean sea bass. Both combined made a delicious flavor combo. Overall, this is a great place for folks that may be a little intimidated with Chinatown and not knowing what to order. They make this space very welcoming to Asians and non-Asians and they walk you through the menu to help ease any insecurities with Chinese food. Great spot and would come here again! read more

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The food was great, but the service was even better. Our server Paula was the best. She was very sweet and attentive, and genuinely made our night. 10/10! read more

Big no. $14 for 4 sad, anemic looking "crab wontons" that contained maybe 1 ounce of cream cheese and 1 teaspoon of crab meat dividing among 4 folded wonton wrappers. $88 Peking duck had quite a lot of fat still attached to the skin, which I had to painstakingly scrape off, and "Mandarin pancakes" looked identical to mini tortillas from Trader Joe's. Hardly the delicate, handmade pancakes one would expect for $88 (see Lao Sze Chuan). Missing from order was Hoisin sauce, the ONE sauce I wanted and was listed in the description. Thankfully I had some at home. To add insult to injury, this was a delivery order, so cost a fortune above the insane menu prices. Huge waste of money. From the menu: Traditional slow-roasted duck with tender meat and crispy skin. Served with mandarin pancakes, cucumber, scallion, hoisin & plum sauce. read more

Shanghai Terrace - Sad, overpriced crab wontons. - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had a superb dining experience here. Our waitress Ju as well as every other employee we encountered went above and beyond with attentiveness and kindness. It is apparent that this team truly cares about the food and the dining experience overall. Everything we ordered was delicious. Cannot recommend the spicy beef potstickers enough. read more

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Of course, Shanghai Terrace has gotta be top notch as it's part of the Peninsula Group right? I gotta say though this go round, top notch feels like an understatement. Been here several times before and have been wanting to go again several times in the past year and a half but kept having to cancel our reservations till one day we didn't. The service aspect was exceptional. I've never had any problems with service here but this time, they made what has already been fantastic service into exceptional. See, in the past while the service has always been top notch, there has always been this very slight robotic character to it; not this time. This time, their service did not feel robotic at all. They were very engaged, made fantastic recommendations and took care of us really well. The food I mean; there's nothing not to like about it. We had some vegetable dumplings which were simply out of this world. We had a salad which was terrific. We ordered the happy rice (God I need to find out which region of China that comes from and get a recipe. It is GOOOOOOOD) and the noodles with all the meats which too was just amazing. The only thing that was not on mark was the crispy tofu. The first round that came was a little undercooked so we had to send it back. While the second time was cooked right, the outer layer seemed very different than what they have done in the past. The seasoning was a bit off and the outer layer was just thicker and crispier. Other than that though, this place rocks. read more

Outstanding food, service and location. Portions were perfect. Temperature of the food was perfect. We had several apps which all were great. Main courses were top notch. Don't think twice. So good read more

Elite dining experience!!! We decided to celebrate my wife's birthday here and Shanghai Terrace did not disappoint! The Host was extremely comforting and helpful and actually moved us to the main dining room for a more "intimate experience". The food was impeccable as every plate (and drink) was expertly executed and delicious! We enjoy contemporary takes on cuisines and this really elevated dim sum for me! We will come back when it's warm so that we can actually enjoy the terrace vibe! read more

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Paid too much, left hungry Let's start with the decor. If they're trying to evoke 1930s Shanghai, there's a whole lot more they could do. It's small and lackluster inside. So it really is about the outdoor patio, set halfway up the high rise. Service was schizophrenic. When they were there, the servers were delightful. Then vast stretches of time would go by when we sat with empty drinks or awaited our next course. The food is just decent. We enjoyed our apps of different dumplings and golden shrimp. A couple of the entrees were OK (prawns, Peking duck). But the Szechuan green beans weren't remotely spicy, and the beef was well on its way to becoming jerky. Dessert went over well (chocolate cake plus cookies). It's the type of place where you can spend $150 and still leave hungry. It's crazy expensive for what you get (up to $70 entrees, $20 cocktails that were mediocre). Our party was literally eating rice just to fill our belies. For what you pay, there are so many better restaurants in the city where you can have an amazing meal. If you're in the mood for Chinese, I'd bet you'd get a more tasty meal pretty much anywhere else (even P.F. Chang's) -- and you'll pay a fraction of what you would at Shanghai Terrace. -- By the way, the restaurant responds to all of the reviews, requesting an email conversation, but they never reply. I think it is just to make people think like they care. read more

Mooncakes from The Peninsula are fabulous! Some of my closest girlfriends are from China, and take the mid-Autumn Festival seriously. We celebrate together, particularly these last three years, at the Peninsula with dinner and Mooncakes this time of year. They would order Mooncakes for my husband and I from the Peninsula, and stop by with them for a nice, little celebration. We loved both the celebration with them and the Mooncakes, and have kept with the tradition. Also, we have Mooncakes preordered for pickup to take home, and we preorder some for friends/family. The boxes are one size, so if you order 4 cakes for a family, there will be 1 cake in each compartment, when each compartment can hold 2 cakes. Just a heads up... They are delicious, perfectly sized, and a nice treat when home. The preordered cakes come in a box that holds a maximum of 8. They are individual sized cakes, so we usually get 2 boxes for our homes, each. read more

Shanghai Terrace - Mooncakes from the Peninsula since 1986. - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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One of the most amazing dining experiences I've ever had! The service is absolutely amazing and the food was incredible! We had to make a reservation quite a bit in advance to be able to eat there on the weekend but it's definitely worth it. We opted to sit outside since the weather was so nice and the patio atmosphere is beautiful. The highlight of the night was definitely the pork dumplings. They tested incredible and fresh and I would definitely get them again. read more

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Ordered: Seafood Fried Rice, Shanghai Fried Noodles, Kung Pao Chicken, Halibut. Dishes were all excessively sweet or salty and mediocre at best, especially considering the sky-high prices. Service is good, but would not return based on food alone. read more

Loved it!!! The appetizers/food were amazing, the drinks were amazing, and the waiter Max was amazing. Wish we were able to try everything on the menu. We went to celebrate our Anniversary and Max took great care of us. He overheard us about our Anniversary and surprised us with a dessert, that was also out of this world. Can't wait to go back and this time I will be saving my appetite, so we can order more. read more

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I came to eat here while visiting Chicago recently and was extremely impressed with not only the quality of food but also the excellent customer service from Jade, Max, and Pipat. We were blown away by the dim sum, peking duck, and egg plant. When we decided we couldn't have another delicious bite because we were so full, our incredible waiters insisted that we share some wine and have some sorbet. We were not disappointed. If you're visiting the Chicago area and are craving Chinese, look no further- this is the place you want to enjoy a dinner at!! Thank you for your impeccable hospitality. read more

Insanely delicious food. The noodles, the rice, the vegetable sides will all blow your mind. This place is a bit overly expensive. Service can be a tiny bit slow sometimes. You've got to come here!!!! read more

First night in Chicago and I heard this was the best place to eat Chinese food in the city. Once you get to The Peninsula it can be a bit difficult to find but staff are everywhere to help you find whatever restaurant you are looking for in the building and there are many. We were able to sit outside and with it being a beautiful 70 degree Chicago night, it could not have been more ideal. We started out with Rangoons and dumplings. The Rangoons are the best I have ever had. The menu is small and fairly uncomplicated but it all looked so good that I definitely had a tough time deciding. Wine selection is pretty decent here. The girls said this was the best desserts that they had the whole week so definitely save room for that as I wasn't anticipating anyone in our group wanting that and did not save any room. We were near the bar and our server/bartender was very attentive even though the bar was staying fairly active. Since we had been traveling the restaurant not only accommodated our luggage but also got us a table early. Just another great display of Chicago hospitality that we saw throughout the week. read more

I have been to Shanghai Terrace several times and always have a great experience with the food and service. The establishment has the best Chinese fine dining you can get in the city. I would recommend making a reservation in advance. The patio seating area is really nice in the spring/summer once open. As for food, you can't really go wrong with any of your favorite foods. You can tell they meticulously prepare the food with high quality ingredients. Dessert is probably my favorite course, they have seasonal options that rotate depending on when you go. One of my favorites is the jasmine creme brulee. read more

My wife and I were excited to try Shanghai Terrace. We had read great reviews and hoped for something worthy. The ambiance and service were certainly very good. The hotel is beautiful and you feel very comfortable at all times. While the service was the high point it wasn't the impeccable level that might be wished for at the highest end hotel restaurants. The food was a great disappointment. We had three appetizers that on their own were ok. Fresh ingredients but completely uninspired and lacking anything special. I had the Peking duck which on its own was tasty and well cooked. Sadly the requisite pancakes were essentially flour tortillas. I was hungry and ate them but would have preferred to eat the duck alone. My wife's kung pao chicken arrived with a bowl of rice. Both were warm. Is it too much to want hot food? The kung pao was a brown sauce with no chili/spicy notes. Presentation was pretty bad; it looked like a spoon of this was dumped onto the plate. The dish was just "nothing". While the food wasn't bad enough on its own to warrant a Two Star rating, when you factor the price for our meal it is lucky to receive this. Three appetizers plus two entrees (granted I had the half order duck) with a bottle of sparkling water and two Diet Cokes cost $210 including tip. We expect something that delights when we spend this amount (or more). I can go to many Chinese restaurants in the greater area and have this quality or better at a much lower cost. Be prepared and for yourselves able to justify the cost for something that is just ok/good. read more

Love this place. From the service to the atmosphere and most importantly the food is all exceptional! Great spot to enjoy at least once a year or more. read more

Shanghai Terrace - Dessert - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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If you're staying at the Peninsula this restaurant is decent (mostly because it's convenient, located in the hotel) but the food is overall underwhelming. I ordered the mapo tofu which is one of my favorite dishes and it was pretty bland. Szechuan food is typically very flavorful and spicy but here it was lacking. Complimentary cookies and chocolate are ver good though! However the outdoor area is very nice so would probably just recommend for drinks and maybe dumplings. read more

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Shanghai Terrace was definitely the highlight during our stay at the Peninsula. Since we booked the staycation package, we had the opportunity to participate in the food experience with the Chef de Cuisine, Elmo Han. I've been to numerous Michelin star restaurants, but Chef Elmo was by far the most humble and down to earth one. The traditional Peking duck was cooked to perfection. The meat was very lean and tender and the skin was very crispy. The hoisin and plum sauce complimented the dish very well. The three treasure fried rice consist of wagyu, chicken, egg, and taro --- what's not to love? For dessert, we had the pineapple coconut. The grilled pineapple, coconut ice cream, and angel food cake was such a phenomenal balance. Definitely a must try! All in all, if you're visiting Chicago -- Shanghai Terrace is such a golden gem and has made it's way to the #1 luxury Chinese restaurant in my books. Request the XO sauce, I've tried countless version in the US and Asia, but. Chef Elmo Han's recipe is so delicate yet flavorful. And if you live in the area -- pre order their mooncake. It's a 40 year + recipe and sells out really quick. I had the opportunity to purchase 4 boxes this year and EVERYONE loves it. read more

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Overall a solid experience, with great service, but quite average food. It's really not that authentic, so I'm confused by these reviews. The Peking duck itself is good, but the wraps and the accompanying condiments weren't at the same level. I ended up eating the duck by itself - but, still an okay dish at the end of the day. Hailbut filet was good if you like ginger, but without the ginger topping, it was flavorless. It was very tender and cooked in a good way, though! Pork belly was too sweet, quite creative but missed the mark. I was VERY VERY disappointed by the XLBs (soup dumplings). Barely ANY soup inside, quite small, and just overall literally wasn't even up to par with the microwaveable ones. Shumai was really good, actually. If you like ginger (I think this place is very ginger heavy) these shumai are delicious - tasted very clean as well. Wonton soup was okay, nothing special. Hot and sour was NOT good. A bit light and flavor and just overall not the hearty delicious flavors of a regular hot and sour. Ii REALLY wanted to love this place, but it's not really a Shanghainese restaurant - more of a fusion place - and its SO overpriced for what they serve. The people were super nice though!! They gave my brother a dessert because it was his graduation. Perhaps we ordered the wrong thing, but I would not recommend this place. Nice presentation but the food fails to match up. read more

I loved the food, the service, the drinks, the views, etc. I would definitely return again sometime. read more

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