Last updated on January 15th, 2025

Every year I visit Chicago to see my family. Normally, I stick to the local favorites that are hard to get around the world like deep dish pizza, Chicago dogs and of course Italian beefs. However, on my most recent trip, I decided to give the Shanghai Terrace restaurant a try which is located inside the Peninsula hotel. We made a reservation for 7pm on a Sunday night. I assumed that the restaurant would be empty but was actually shocked because when we walked in, there was a full house. This will give you a hint about the quality of the food.

The restaurant design is fairly straightforward and offers a darker and more intimate dining experience.

I was just in Shanghai so I had a good baseline to judge the food. To get the evening started, we had hot and sour soup. This was something unique because it had lobster! The second round of food that came was the dim sum 3 way sampler. This was a mix of various items and I was really impressed, especially with the spring roll. It was perfectly flaky and the taste was incredible!

I was really appreciating the warm-up but it was time to get down to business with the main event. To accompany our main courses, we went with a drink called the Cucumber Haze which is one of their signature cocktails. Brilliant!

Favorites of the evening were the beef tenderloin, the spicy sweet chili prawns and the fried noodles with shrimp, pork and chicken. The meat was cooked perfectly and just melted in my mouth. The sauce of the prawns was just the right amount of all of the spices to create a perfect harmony of flavors!

Soon it was then time for dessert. For dessert we went with the Strawberry and Chrysanthemum Pavlova and the Chilled Mango Sago Cream with Seasonal Fruits. The first was so refreshing and light but quite sweet as well. I also really enjoyed the fruit and cream. A cup of coffee and a few small sweets later and the night ended with success!

The Shanghai Terrace in Chicago is absolutely breathtaking. The staff was very attentive throughout our entire meal and very enjoyable to interact with. The food rivaled many dishes I’ve had in China and made me want to do a little dance because they were so tasty! I would highly recommend you to try the Shanghai Terrace which is my new favorite Chinese restaurant in Chicago!

Shanghai Terrace

Restaurant

The Peninsula Chicago, 108 E Superior St, Chicago, IL 60611

Phone: +1(312) 573-6744