Shan — Restaurant in Bozeman

tl;dr The food was amazing. Will definitely order take-out from here again, but it's unlikely we'll dine in.

Let's start with the food. We ordered the Chicken Khao Soi and the Massaman Curry of Lamb (with the Tres Leches for dessert). Overall, the food was amazing--This is certainly a one-of-a-kind find. The menu offers a unique take on this cuisine, and I have a feeling there isn't a bad thing on the menu; I'm excited to try more. For both main dishes, they were both familiar and new in ways that really worked. This menu has obviously been constructed by a chef with a deep experience of both the Asian cuisine, but also the Montana roots it's trying to connect to. The Tres Leches wasn't bad, but it felt uninspired compared to the rest of the meal.

Additionally, I was surprised by the price. For such a unique menu and a great meal, this was an AMAZING value. One of the problems I've experienced in Bozeman is that it's very easy to pay a lot of money for a bad meal. What a relief to be surprised in the opposite direction for a change.

Now for the not-food: we had reservations for a Tuesday evening. We checked in, and then were told we were going to have to sit at the bar because 'some of the tables aren't getting up'. There was a big table in the corner who was finished eating before we sat down and was still there when we left. We would have enjoyed the experience more if we would have been able to get the table we had reserved. I know it's uncomfortable to ask people to clear the table when they are finished, but for a restaurant that is this popular and busy, that seems like the reality.

Additionally, when the waiter gave us an overview of the menu, there were multiple things that were unavailable. He told us that if we wanted those 'you need to get in here before 5 o'clock'. I think I would be more understanding if it been a crazy day and those items just weren't available or it was seasonable etc., but if those are your top items, and this is a daily occurrence, make a plan maybe? Who's making it dinner before 5PM on a Tuesday?

The restaurant is small and intimate (good vibes), but the music was much too loud. It was difficult to have a conversation, much less hear the waiter.

All-in-all, the food itself was without issue (which is undoubtedly the most important thing), but the experience still had a little bit of catching up to do. We will definitely return for the food, but we'll probably get it to-go and skip...

The second time going here, first time there was an event and they were booked. Upon entering a second time the atmosphere seemed just as nice and relaxed, but with some early 2000's hip hop playing in the background again was a pleasant surprise. We made a last minute reservation so were seated at the bar, but honestly enjoyed that experience more than we would have liked a table. The young gentlemen working the bar was on point, knowledgeable, and made the meal a joy. We got the Lazi - Ji chicken wings, pronounced "Lots-a-G" (Once again playing off the hip hop references, loved it.) Had a nice kick and the spice with the peanuts was an interesting combo that really works. Also to start was the Beijing cucumber salad. Simple, but well executed and the flavors matched great with the the wings and ribs we got. Sticky ribs were bomb, and you get a lot for your money. Last entree was the Lion's Head Meatball stew. Our least favorite, but still a delicious dish which speaks to our thoughts on the meal! It was good but did not have the explosive flavors of the other dishes. Like the cucumber salad it offered a nice balance to the other dishes.

They have used this space well, and it feels roomy and spacious for the actual size. Awesome beer and wine selection! (I assume sake too but I was not looking.) They have the Blackfoot single malt IPA on tap out of Helena which is my favorite MT IPA and a tough one to find! All in all for 2 people we had drinks and 5 dishes, more than we could finish, for around $100. Outstanding! Will be back for sure.

Last but certainly not least was their coconut tres leches. We saw the tres leches cake on the menu and it seemed so out of place we had to get it. But with the coconut milk, lime zest, and whipped topping, it was our favorite bite!

Do yourself a favor and check this out! Thank you...

I’m torn on this review, but I also don’t want people to experience what we did so hopefully it’ll help Shan to improve. My mom and heard rave reviews about Shan and decided to try it. Some things were expected and not a big deal, but as a whole, wasn’t a great experience at all. I’ll explain. We had a 5pm reservation and showed up on time, which we were immediately told they were not open yet and a door closed on us. 15 min later we went in, we were sat first and noticed there was no AC. IT WAS SO HOT. My app read 82° at the start and 86°at the end. Cute little place with the kitchen out in the open mostly. Three other tables were waited on before us, then a different guy took our app order of dumplings and gave us water while we waited for our server. He was very nice. While we waited the kitchen dropped 3 things so loudly everyone in the building jumped. It made our ears ring. Waitress finally came, wasn’t very thorough but nice, suggested the half chicken, something other than what we were going to get and took our main order. That food came up first, while the dark meat was tender, there was not much flavor and little Bones everywhere. The white meat was very dry. We soaked it in some cilantro sauce that was yummy, but it was hard to eat. Wouldn’t get that again at all. Dumplings came up, not much filling and tough chewy wrappers. Huge bummer. Our waitress disappeared and the other guy came to clear our table. We told him about the chicken. He apologized which was very nice. We Got our check and left. Not great quality or service so won’t go back, which is a huge bummer. Hopefully service will get better or maybe ours was a fluke that night. Who knows. To those who enjoy, I’m sure this won’t phase you but if your considering it, maybe...