For some reason, this gem of a restaurant often gets forgotten... likely because Chicago is a relatively tiki-rich city. Chef Shangri-La deserves a visit, as its drinks are spot-on, and the food is predictably and somehow appropriately mediocre. The place has a sort of almost neglected, run-down feel, but the bones are there, and there are tikis everywhere. The bar in particular has recently undergone a rare remodel that has improved the feel of the place.

Chef Shangri-La himself, owner Paul Fong, could often be found there before his passing in 2012. Before opening his own Polynesian restaurant, Fong was the chef at the now-defunct Shangri-La

history

Shangri-La

Chicago, IL

Bar & Restaurant

restaurant in Chicago.

The restaurant has a few Witco pieces, including a very large Ku that greets you immediately upon entry. These pieces are some of the last Witco items produced; Witco went out of business one year after Chef Shangri-La opened.

The bar and restaurant also includes a small gift shop.

Comments

Bdassell

Bdassell has visited Chef Shangri-La.

January 6, 2019, 3:58 PM

Some great potential, but the establishment seems to walk right past it. Felt more like a sports bar with football on TV, no music, and no tiki mugs at all. You are welcome to buy a plastic tiki mug (extremely cheap), or a glass tiki-esque fishbowl. The drinks are decent, but dont expect much more.

Kahiki Guy

Kahiki Guy has visited Chef Shangri-La.

April 26, 2017, 12:06 PM

Classic Chinese restaurant with a strong retro tiki vibe. Drinks were fair for what you'd expect. Food was good, but the kitschy decor is what makes this place worth the visit

Wiki Tiki

Wiki Tiki has visited Chef Shangri-La.

April 23, 2017, 3:30 PM

We visited in the middle of the afternoon, when the place was nearly empty. That meant we could get some nice pictures of the decor, which is a perfectly-preserved (or restored) time capsule of 1970s exotica. They have an extensive "tropical" drink menu, but most of them are not classic tiki drinks. They tend toward sweet fruit flavors. The soundtrack during our visit was Israel Kamakawiwoʻole and other Hawaiian music, from early 20th century to contemporary. This is a special place, and I appreciate the effort they are making to preserve the genre of old school tiki-fied Chinese restaurant.

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