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Midtown Shangri-La Hangzhou and Cheng Zhong Restaurant (Hangzhou, China)

Lobby
Lobby
Chandelier and floral centerpiece
Lobby centerpiece

The other hotel I’ve stayed in Hangzhou was Midtown Shangri-La, Hangzhou. This Shangri-La hotel is the newest of the two in Hangzhou and interestingly this hotel is connected to the luxurious Kerry Centre Mall and about ten minutes to West Lake.

This stately and centrally located hotel is great. Check-in was speedy and for the most part the receptionists spoke English fairly well. I stayed at the Executive Club King room so my room is on the floor of that lounge.

View of West Lake from my room
View of West Lake from my room
My King bed Executive room
My King sized bed

My room was spacious with great natural light and a fantastic view of West Lake. If you look closely, you can even see the small dots of people crowding over the bridge. My king sized bed was a dream. Firm but too hard and I had a deep, restful sleep. The all marble bathroom was spacious and has a separate shower and bathtub. (Unfortunately, I didn’t have time for a soak in the tub.)

Executive Lounge seating
Executive Lounge dining/seating area
Setting at the Executive Lounge
Food service area at Executive Lounge
Afternoon tea spread at the Executive Lounge
Afternoon tea spread

I’ve visited the Executive Lounge several times since it was warm and I needed some non-alcoholic beverages (like a local plum tea and Hangzhou’s own dragon well tea) to hydrate myself and there’s snacks throughout the day besides breakfast. Their afternoon tea is a very decent spread of sliced fruits (even unexpected show of passion fruit and whole fresh figs), Western inspired savory bites like crab meat tartlettes and melon and prosciutto.

Chinese style cream buns and pork floss buns
Cream buns and pork floss buns for breakfast at the Executive Lounge
Breakfast spread at the Executive Lounge
Breakfast spread
Hangzhou Pian Er Chuan Noodles 片儿川
Hangzhou Pian Er Chuan Noodles 片儿川
Hangzhou style shrimp wontons in a clear seaweed and chicken broth
Hangzhou style shrimp wontons in a clear seaweed and chicken broth

Breakfast, in my opinion, is the lounge’s strong point with a lot of variety of Chinese, specifically Hangzhou dishes. The pork floss buns were freshly made and a good ratio of bun to pork floss. I really adored the made to order Hangzhou Pian Er Chuan Noodles (片儿川) and Hangzhou style shrimp wontons in a clear seaweed and chicken broth. Both soups were quite flavorful and the noodles/wonton were cooked perfectly.

Cheng Zhong restaurant
Dining room at Cheng Zhong
Foie gras shaped like cherries
Cherry-shaped foie gras

I’ve had lunch at Cheng Zhong restaurant that’s just outside of the main hotel corridor that connects Kerry Centre mall. The restaurant is spacious and the majority is filled with locals and tourists who aren’t staying at the hotel – and that is the goal of this restaurant. When I perused the menu, it’s definitely on the affordable end considering it is a hotel restaurant. While I had many dishes, here are my favorite or notable items of this meal.

We started off with the cherry-shaped foie gras that’s a copy of Da Dong restaurant (Da Dong started that trend first). It was the most luscious foie gras I’ve had in China. Though the cherry gelee flavor doesn’t quite pierce through the fattiness of the liver but I appreciate their sourcing of very good foie.

Braised and fried beef brisket

I forgot the actual name of this beef dish above but it’s braised, fried and tossed in a sweet-savory soy glaze so the result was delicately crisp on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.

The fried and braised freshwater fish with thick jelly noodles and vinegar gravy is a very local Hangzhou dish. I never encountered this dish before and I was impressed how delicious the fish was and the gelatinous texture of these noodles actually work.

Fried then braised fish with jelly noodles
Two-tiered service bowls of soup dumpling (the one you drink with a straw) and chicken, mushroom and goji berry soup
Two-tiered service bowls of soup dumpling (the one you drink with a straw) and chicken, mushroom and goji berry soup

The two-tiered serving bowl of a tangbao (汤包), think an oversized soup dumpling one would drink with a straw initially, and a wonderful double steaming (or dun ()) chicken soup with mushrooms, goji berries that I’ve truly enjoyed.

The unexpected tong sui (糖水) or dessert soup made of raw barley (the large orbs that tasted floral and toothsome textured) and ossmanthus flowers in a dark brown sugar soup. It’s an interesting experience and definitely something I won’t ever find in the United States.

Raw barley and ssmanthus flowers dessert soup
Raw barley and ssmanthus flowers dessert soup
  • My King bed Executive room
  • My King bed Executive room
  • Welcoming fruit
  • View of West Lake from my room's window
  • Executive lounge
  • Dragon well tea
  • Cappuccino in the light
  • Cheng Zhong restaurant
  • Cheng Zhong restaurant
  • Cheng Zhong restaurant
  • Smoked and fried fish
  • Lotusi room with peas and water chestnuts
  • Two-tiered service bowls of soup dumpling (the one you drink with a straw) and chicken, mushroom and goji berry soup
  • Two-tiered service bowls of soup dumpling (the one you drink with a straw) and chicken, mushroom and goji berry soup
  • Two-tiered service bowls of soup dumpling (the one you drink with a straw) and chicken, mushroom and goji berry soup
  • Cozy seat with a great view of West Lake
  • The morning fog at West Lake
  • Fresh passion fruit at the Executive Lounge
  • Setting at the Executive Lounge
  • Fried bananas at the Executive Lounge
  • Melon and prosciutto
  • Crab tartlettes
  • Afternoon tea spread at the Executive Lounge
  • Chandelier and floral centerpiece
  • Beer with a view of Hangzhou's Central Busines District at night
  • Executive Lounge seating
  • Making cappuccino
  • Chinese style cream buns and pork floss buns
  • Glutinous rice stuffed lotus root
  • Steamed buns
  • Fried fish and tea eggs
  • Quiche
  • Breakfast spread at the Executive Lounge
  • Ham and bell pepper omlette
  • Hangzhou style shrimp wontons in a clear seaweed and chicken broth
  • Hangzhou Pian Er Chuan Noodles 片儿川
  • Hot soy milk and Chinese cruller (or youtao) 油條
  • Morning haze over West Lake
  • View of West Lake from my room
  • Dragon well tea and a local plum tea
  • Raw barley and ssmanthus flowers dessert soup
  • Floral centerpiece at the lobby
  • Lobby lounge
  • Lobby
  • My King bed Executive room
  • View of West Lake from my room
  • Foie gras shaped like cherries
  • Fried then braised fish with jelly noodles
  • Braised and fried beef brisket
  • Dong po rou (東坡肉;) - Braised pork belly with quail eggs

Information:
Midtown Shangri-La Hangzhou

Official Website
6 Changshou Road
Kerry Central Hangzhou
Zhejiang, China, 310006
Google Map

Tina

I shoot, eat, and drink. My full time job is a hospital administrator. Moonlighting as a freelance photographer and food and travel writer.