Bangkok: Jellyfish for lunch at Shangri-La in Chinatown

Chinatown in Bangkok is full of vendors selling cheap and very tasty Chinese street food, but there are also a number of more upscale Chinese restaurants located along the main street Yaowarat.One of them is Shangri-La and it didn’t take more than a glance at their very exotic menu, before I decided that I had to try this place. At Shangri-La you can indulge in Chinese classics such as shark fin soup and bird’s nest soup, but since I don’t think it’s ok to kill an animal just for its fin, and since I care too much for swallows to eat their nests, I decided on the less controversial jellyfish salad and a small portion of duck feet.

In the menu it said that the food was also available in snack-sized portions, which was what I wanted, but when placing my order, I was told that only full size portions were available that day. I couldn’t really see myself chewing up a big pile of duck feet or jelly fish, but I really wanted to try the jellyfish, so I ordered a portion anyway. However, I decided to skipped the duck feet and had a soup instead.

I am not sure, what I had expected, but the jellyfish looked a bit unappetizing, don’t you think? It’s probably supposed to look that way, I don’t know. I’m not a jellyfish expert, but just a stupid, curious tourist, so please, hard-core Chinese food lovers, don’t hate me:)

The jellyfish was cut in small strips and served with 2 different kinds of dressing, which you could pour over it. The sauce was good but the jellyfish itself tasted like seaweed and rubber, so I only managed to eat a few bites before deciding that Jellyfish really wasn’t for me. I was very happy that I had also ordered a soup. Next time I think I will try some of the restaurant’s more harmless-looking Chinese candy instead.

My blog about food and restaurants in Bangkok

Sampeng Lane – My guide to shopping in Chinatown in Bangkok