Shang Palace — Restaurant in Da'an District

I was actually looking forward to enjoying a roasted half duck, but I was informed that this had to be ordered a day before. I thought that this only concerned the full cherry roasted duck served in two courses.

I ordered:

A full portion of shrimps in mango/passion fruit sauce Half portion of roasted pig Half portion of vermicelli with crab One sago mango pana cotta with pomelo

The food was extremely disappointing and so overpriced for what it was! After eating in Shang Palace in Paris, Hong Kong and Singapore, the Taipei restaurant falls short in value for money and food quality. I honestly had better food in small and traditional restaurants in Taipei.

The shrimps were ok but needed more sourness and acidity (from passion fruit) to balance the flavor, the roasted big was difficult to eat it by itself, the vermicelli were tasteless and the sago mango was basic and too small. The staff was unable to prove advices, suggestions and their English was below mediocre. Next to me there was a Japanese couple who was trying to explain to the staff what a spring roll was… The staff is not professional at all and they need to improve their English. The biggest disappointment was however when I received the bill!! The staff billed me for the roasted duck (I never had!) and for a full portion of roasted pig (instead of half portion!) After complaining, they provided the correct bill. I have also contacted directly the restaurant and let them know how wrong the dinner went. No answer received from Shang Palace Taipei. So...

The price and setting suggested fine dining, but the experience was anything but. Arrived promptly for my reservation and saw a lot of staff scurry by, but no one greeted me and others waiting for our table. Tho the setting is elegant, there is no dress code so there’s guests with ball caps, shorts, and T-shirts mixed among the more smartly dressed parties. Music is 2 notches too loud for an elegant and relaxed meal, and also too uptempo. Table set with a knife that had dried food stuck to it. All other tables around received tea upon seating but not me.

Most underwhelming set menu. Served very promptly. Three appetizers all good, none exceptional. Soup was wonderfully flavorful and the ingredients had great texture. Beef course was special — exceptional texture and subtle flavor to the sauce. Abalone course had perfect vegetables and superb tofu. Fried rice course too greasy, did not finish. The fruit platter I could have assembled myself. “Chilled sago and panna cotta in mango sauce” had sago but no panna cotta. Perplexing.

Wish the food and experience lived up to the price (just under NTD$3,500 per person). Would not return. So glad this wasn’t a special meal...

We’ve been staying at the hotel for several days. We wanted to have a nice meal without leaving the premises. We made a reservation two hours in advance. Our arrival should not have been a surprise. We were seated. We were given one menu for three people. Not a problem. We flagged someone down for additional menus. It was 15 minutes before anyone took our drink order (after begging them to come to our table). Twenty minutes to get water. No one returned to get our food order. My daughter is Type 1 diabetic and had already injected insulin as she had ordered a fruit drink. Half our later and no drink. For a diabetic, this is very dangerous. We left with nothing after a half hour (staff asked us loudly if we were just going to the restroom!). The hotel manager only offered that we could return to the same restaurant and walk back in embarrassed after everyone watched us leave. I am extremely disappointed with the lack of resolution after we have spent so much money at this hotel. We paid for service. This is not good service. If there were an option for zero stars, that is what they deserve (zero equal to the food and drinks we...