Xi Shi Lounge

Chinese history lesson:
西施 is the Chinese name of the lounge, and is the name of a legendary woman of incredible beauty. So much beauty, she had the ability to sink fish.
She is one of the four legendary beauties of ancient China. In fact, a Chinese idiom (成語): 沉魚落雁閉月羞花, is in relation to the four intensely beautiful women. It’s basically a compliment on beauty, if you know how to deliver it with deft, but done poetically in a classical Chinese idiom.
~~~End of Chinese history lesson.~~~
So you wanna come to this lounge? Learn the above in Canto or Mando and see if you can impress a few ladies with it. If she knows her history, she’ll be impressed. Good luck. Failing that, go with some standard poetic recitals from Lord Byron, Stendhal, Flaubert, or maybe even Victor Hugo. Maybe learn a bit of Candide by Voltaire and study up some more literature.
That’s why language was developed. «To woo women» — quote from The Dead Poets Society. Chinese idioms are just another vehicle.
Don’t blame me if you end up creeping her out resulting in a huge flame out in front of a small intimate audience. Make sure she’s not holding a drink.
Before I forget, the lounge:
Modern décor and I quite liked the design. Drinks a tad pricier than other places I’ve been to. It was a loud night when I came. The DJ was blasting it.
Three stars for now.

The service was alright — a little bit forced, to be honest. Tea was EXCELLENT and the food (afternoon tea) was okay. Nothing spectacular, and at $ 44/​person. way overpriced.

Had a credit to use and grabbed a light meal here one night. Their popcorn is so good! She even brought us a giant bowl of it. :) had club sandwiches which come with fries and salad. Sandwich was excellent. Fries were good but would have been better if they were hot. The salad had a funky flavor-​probably from the enoki mushrooms on top? It almost had a fishy flavor. And I love enoki mushrooms! Food service is very slow because the food comes from upstairs-​explains the semi cold fries. They also make their iced tea to order-​nice touch! The piano player was cool. If we didn’t have a credit I would have felt like it was expensive, but that’s expected at these kind of hotels so not too surprised.

A beautiful lounge. I’ve come here a few times in the evening and I love their cocktails. I did the afternoon tea for the first time yesterday with 2 others. The server was absolutely lovely and there was a live person playing Jazz. My only complaint was that the 3 of us had a bad stomachache (mine and another friend’s started during the later part of the meal, while the other started having it after the high tea) and it lasted until the next morning for us. I wouldn’t call it food poisoning (or maybe it was a very light one), but it was unsettling for our stomachs. It was my first meal of the day so it couldn’t have been anything else, while the other friend had rendez-​voused with us at the restaurant, and the other came with me. We’re not sure what it was but one of them wondered if it could have been the smoked salmon. I wrote a note card to management about it, but I still wrote that their restaurant is lovely and I will continue being a patron. Maybe I’ll come for dinner next time instead of afternoon tea.
I’ve uploaded 2 photos so you can see how beautifully exquisite everything is at this lounge. The ambiance, the lovely purple bar, colorful table settings and plates, and the very polite staff make this place a treasure. Next time, I’ll be sure to give 4 or 5 stars when I dine again.

Went for high tea with kids aged 2 and 4 for Mother’s Day. It really felt chilled and special. Tables were great for the kids because they were low. Food was great — scones awesome. Kids shared a kids high tea which was super cute and included kid friendly items such at burgers and fries, waffles and other treats.
We even had a small show done for us by the server

Kind of a lame bar at night. They had a piano player during the daytime which would’ve been nice in the evening before our dinner reservations.
Instead they were removing the tables for a «dance-​club.» I think they referred to it as a disco.
Anyway, go find a different bar if you’re waiting on a reservation. The one on the 5^th floor at Market seems much better

High tea here was a great experience. The service was excellent and the ambiance was classy.
They had a «face changing» show and a kung fu show. Which I really do not think fits what we originally think of when we think «high tea.» The other people there really seemed to enjoy it though (they were white).
I really like the space. I would like to have a couple of drinks down there some time.

This review is only for the afternoon tea…
Brought my folks here for high tea so I look like a caring obedient child and walk away pretty satisfied with the overall experience!
First of all, XiShi Lounge’s afternoon tea set menu is seasonal; so make sure you check out their menu before heading over.
We were greeted with a polite lady who led us to our seatings. There weren’t that many people that Saturday afternoon and they had a live piano performance which makes the environment very relaxing. The décor is modern but pretty bland — I was expecting something with a mixture of classic/​modern and sophistication given that it’s Shangri-​la but it’s not essential.
They have a good choice of tea and they were good. The French pressed coffee was rich and delightful and they allow refills as well.
The food was average high tea quality — meaning they are good but nothing amazing. I think Secret Garden still remains my number 1 high tea place in terms of food in greater Van.
The service was courteous and friendly, reminding me of the ones I’d usually get in Asia.
Worth visiting!

Went to high tea here recently.
You can’t fault this place for it’s ambience. The servers were attentive and friendly. My sister was scowling when my Mom and I arrived because I was running late (as per usual) and the server smiled at my sister and reassured her. Thought that was mighty friendly of her. Our teapots were refilled regularly. The ambience was beautiful and the people attending were also eye candy.
But, the food was a hit or miss. I drove for forty-​five minutes from the Tri-​Cities hitting every red light and was agitated beyond belief. So I went in with the attitude of those better be the best damn tea service on the planet to make up for the drive here. So maybe I was in a bit of an unforgiving mood.
The first tier were sandwiches. The steamed bun with duck was delicious with a soft pillowy steamed bun. The mini bagel with smoked salmon, pear crème fraiche and tarragon were alright, but I didn’t taste the tarragon. I found pear to be an odd thing to pair with salmon because it was more there for crunch than anything. The egg salad sandwich was disappointing. I love little egg salad sandwiches but this wasn’t anything special and the bread had dried out when I started eating it.
The second tier were scones. The scones were delicious and my favorite was the golden raisin and orange zest scone. They were flaky, buttery, and crisp on the outside. Almost like a biscuit more than a scone.
By the time we got to the last tier, I was too full to eat. The last tier had a cheesecake with a yuzu jelly on top and a chocolate crust, mango pudding with a tapioca topping, an almond cookie, and a gingerbread loaf. I ate the mango pudding and liked the creaminess of the mango pudding highlighted by the creaminess and softness of tapioca pudding. I watched my sister eat the gingerbread loaf with a fork and as soon as she cut into it with her fork, I knew it was dry which she confirmed. I took the remaining desserts home. The almond cookie was also dry and tasteless. I only got to take a bite of the yuzu jelly dessert before my boyfriend ate the whole thing in one bite. The little bite I did eat was floral, sour, and creamy. Yuzu tastes similar to calamansi, a lime we use in the Philippines therefore I enjoyed that little morsel.
For tea, I had peppermint. I was too stressed out from the drive and quickly ordered sparkling wine. Thought it would be weird to drink tea with milk along with sparkling wine so kept it simple. I did try my sister’s tea which had the taste of rose petals which wasn’t overpowering and delicious.
Overall, I would come
give it a try again just for the ambience alone and the beautiful setting. Perhaps the second time around the food will meet the calibre of the setting.

The service was awful. The server’s had a hard time speaking and understanding English. We reserved a table for 4 where 2 of us ordered from the afternoon tea menu, and other two ordered off the lunch menu and for some reason they did not bring the food and afternoon tea tiers at the same time. It was literally, 15 minutes apart. So by the time my sister and I received the afternoon tea items, the other 2 people I was with finished their food and had to watch us eat ours.
My sister has a nut allergy and that was mis-​communicated with the wait staff due to the poor English skills. You would think that a high end hotel/​restaurant would hire people who could comprehend English better and be smart about brining food to the table all at once so all the parties had their food, especially with the high cost of things. Even restaurants like Boston Pizza or Red Robbins knows better.
Their tea selection was not that great either. They ran out of some varieties as well for the night before.
Very unorganized.

Oh well, came here with big group of friends, we ended up seated on a long table with high chairs. It’s so uncomfortable for high tea! And they gave us a big tea pot for us that ordered the same tea, it’s superb heavy and not thoughtful for customers! for a pricey high tea $ 38 plus tax, I won’t come back for the variety of high tea and service like this if with group of friends. the taste of food is good but won’t worth the bucks

I’ve not tried out the high tea here, but I enjoy visiting Xi Shi lounge and having some of the comfort food that the lounge offers. Without promotions, the lounge is pretty quiet and they have a pianist playing some light music in the background. I am compelled to write this review after an excellent experience that I recently had.
Today, I decided to get a mid-​afternoon snack (salmon plate and chocolate cake). The server, Julia, was extremely friendly and polite, and she quickly served us our water and popcorn, a treat that the lounge offers to all guests.
Anyway, chocolate cake took a LONG TIME to come… but what turned a potentially negative situation to something positive is the way how the staff dealt with it. Julia and another staff member, Natalia, were extremely apologetic about the delay and they even gave me more popcorn while I waited… I was planning to cancel my order since my parking time was almost up, but Natalia brought over a small sampler from Xi Shi Lounge’s high tea set, telling me that my chocolate cake will come soon. I felt that they had really gone beyond the level of service that I started to feel bad that they were so apologetic over a cake !!! I would say that this is the best service that I have received in a food establishment in Vancouver – extremely polished and gracious.
I highly recommend the chocolate cake… its so amazing and each bite is so warm and tasty… feels like chocolate larva! It also goes well with the ice cream that comes with it…

Shangri-La’s Xi Shi lounge has added an «artful addition» to its daily afternoon tea service.
Desserts on the top tier include baked blueberry yogurt, glazed pecan butter tart, cinnamon dusted doughnut with maple cream, and a Nanaimo bar. All were tasty and sweet, particularly the tart and yogurt.
A simple yet delicious highlight for everyone were the delightful crisp and moist scones with marzipan, whipped butter, and jam.
On the ground floor, the savouries featured some BC smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels, Montréal smoked meat sandwiches with sauerkraut and dijon mustard on rye bread, Canadian cheddar grilled cheese with dijon mustard, and Nova Scotia lobster salad on toasted brioche. They were all rich, filling treats.

Wish I could give 3.5 stars. Made a reservation for the CNY tea promotion and we were reassured that they would have a vegetarian option for my mom for early Monday afternoon…
Turns out they forgot about the dietary preference, and service was soooo slow as it got a little busier. We were a little short on time, so my mom told me to not bother asking them re: vegetarian option and she ended up just eating the desserts and I took over the savoury bit.
Some patrons even left after sitting down for awhile because they had to wait so long to even order their tea. It was hard to get the waitresses’ attention. Can I say tunnel vision?
I did enjoy the food. Both the the savoury and desserts were delicious, and they did a great job incorporating Chinese flavours into their selection. Highlight would have to be the green tea cake. The pork slider and tofu curry wrap was just okay. We packed up the egg tarts to give to my dad since we just weren’t interested in paying so much money to eat a typical (and easily accessible) Chinese dessert at high tea…
The food might get me to go back to give it another try, but being wary of the service it’ll take a second thought. But for the CNY promotion and the price we paid this time, I’m not too disappointed I guess.

Came here to try the Chinese New Year afternoon tea menu. Tea selection was on the smaller side but were quality teas. The quality and complexity of the teas are not as amazing as the Urban Tea Merchant but they were still good basic teas.
The Asian fusion food is much more westernized than Asian. If you keep that in mind, then the food was good. If you eat traditional Chinese food often, then some of the food items could be somewhat disappointing. The coconut rice cake was small and you can easily get a large pan of rice cake in an Asian bakery around Chinese New Year for a few dollars. The egg tart shell wasn’t the flaky variety you get at a restaurant serving dim sum. The egg custard was a denser texture as well. The BBQ pork in the brioche buns was below par for Chinese standards at a BBQ meat shop.
Highlights for me was the duck spring roll and scones. Spring roll was fresh and piping hot as it was the first item I ate. Scones were buttery and had a nice crispness on the outside and was soft and fluffy inside.
We left just as the live piano performance was about to start as we were done eating and sipping tea for 2 hours. Service was attentive and there was lots of staff as the place was almost full by 12:30pm on a weekend. Staff did not refill our teapots with boiling hot water the first round. They might have overhead our comments about the water temperature as the water during the second round refill was much hotter temperature.
The place was so busy that they ran out of their nicely decorated Japanese chinaware. Some tables were served with plain cups, plates and teapots. I think that takes away from the experience a bit as the decorated teapots, cups and plates are very nice and adds to the Asian feel. There were not enough of the 3 tiers towers to hold the food that some tables were receiving food on plates for the larger groups (e.g groups of 4 or more people). Those tables would have one 3 tier tower and rest of food served on plates. I think there should be 2 towers for groups of 4 for each pair of people as an example so everyone eats to eat from a tower. Also, they ran out of some tea flavours. Seems odd they did not have enough supplies. For the location and high end feel, they should try to stock up on everything especially on a weekend when it is busy. It might be busier than usual that they had to somehow accommodate the extra influx of people.
The $ 38 price tag is reasonable for the ambiance and experience. There is also a promotion for a free afternoon tea per table for anyone born at year of the horse this month. I did enjoy the experience and I think this is a good place to introduce people to Asian food who are not familiar with Asian cuisine. However, I prefer the afternoon tea service at the Urban Tea Merchant with the $ 48 Asian fusion menu instead but it costs extra depending on the tea you pick and is $ 10 more for the food alone.

Great ambiance, great service.
Interesting Chinese New Year afternoon tea service on now. If you are born in the Year of the Horse, ask them about the free CNY afternoon tea offer.
The CNY afternoon tea menu is quite interesting and has a few standout items, including a duck spring roll, green tea opera cake, and an understated-​looking coconut rice cake. $ 38

Went for drinks on a Saturday night. Bar tender over Over charged my card by $ 50. Called the lounge but the general manager will not return my calls to resolve.
Never again !!!

Went for High Tea. Was nice. The motif is fun, the tea was really good. I had the shakura. The sammiches and other edibles were tasty but nothing really special.
The one downside was that during the week/​day the bar tenders were practicing making drinks for the evening and making lots of noise in the meantime, not really appropriate for high tea hour.
Would recommend on the weekend when they have the piano player more so than during the week.

Xi Shi and I have had a tense relationship. She always tended to seemed stiff to my free flow energy.
Last night she came alive. It may have been the windows open with summer breeze filling the space, DJ Sam and Eileen powering their energies or that the crowd was in vibe.
Xi Shi and I have some exploring to do.
g

My favorite bartender in the city works here. MG is the man. He is amazing. His drinks are amazing. When you go, you’ll appreciate the ambiance and setting, especially if there is live music playing which is a real treat as these guys seem to hire some real talent. The drinks are delicious and decently priced for a fairly upscale bar, yet the service is down to earth while classy. I say it’s classy because there is real pride in service and attention to detail here. The bartenders wear uniforms, they make creation of drinks look like both a science and an art, and they’re quite knowledgeable and inventive.
I was here a couple months ago with a friend of mine as a stopover before heading to another event. Instead, we ended up staying a few hours after a fellow patron decided to join our conversation and cover our tab for the evening. We got to know the bartender throughout the night. Tonight when I returned to the bar, MG recognized me and amazingly remembered what I ate and drank the previous visit and details of our conversation that night. I know this is credit more to him truly getting to know his customers moreso than the possibility that we were exceptionally memorable. Unless he graciously omitted the part where I was drunkenly dancing on tables…
Of the drinks, my favorite is the Iron Lotus. They serve popcorn at the bar which is a nice touch. Only food I’ve tried here was the burger, and I recall it being great. Atmosphere itself is upscale modern. No over the top decorations. Bathrooms are convenient and tucked right around the corner from the bar. It’s a good amount of space for a mingler event if you were to host perhaps 30 – 50 people.