Shang Social 香聚 – Excellent Chinese Fine Dining Experience That Won’t Break The Bank, At Jewel Changi

I was wandering around Jewel Changi Airport on a lazy weekend afternoon wondering what to eat for lunch, when I spotted Shang Social. It looked like a pleasant Chinese restaurant and the menu looked quite appealing, so I decided to check it out.

Shang Social (香聚)

Shang Social is the very first Shangri-La Group restaurant located outside of a hotel setting and offers three Chinese cuisines: Cantonese, Huaiyang, and Sichuan.

The menu was created by three master chefs from the group, each specialising in one cuisine: Mok Kit Keung from Shangri-La Singapore (Cantonese cuisine), Joe Hou from Shangri-La Nanjing (Huaiyang cuisine), and Rick Du from Shangri-La Shenyang (Sichuan cuisine).

Chef Mok Kit Keung was also previously the head chef of 2 Michelin Stars restaurant Shang Palace in Shangri-La Hong Kong.

Three Dining Concepts

DINING section

MRKT section

BAR section

Shang Social is divided into three spaces: DINING for classy dining, MRKT for casual dining, and BAR for cocktails and drinks.

I was a little bummed when told that it’s not possible to cross-order. In the end we decided to eat at the DINING section because we preferred its menu items.

DINING Menu (Click to enlarge)

The DINING menu offers a good variety of fancy Chinese dishes.

Recommended dishes include the Deep Fried Glutinous Rice Ball ($18), Signature Honey Pork Belly ($16), Double Boiled Fish Maw Broth ($32), Sichuan Kung Pao Prawn ($32), Deep Fried Whole Boneless Chicken with Glutinous Rice ($78), Braised Black Marbled Pork ($26), Eight Treasures Tofu Pudding ($18), and Seafood Broth Rice in Ironpot ($18).

For dim sums, go for the Dumpling with Vegetable and Century Egg ($5.80) and Crispy Vermicelli Roll with King Scallop ($6.80).

A fancy dessert is The Double Boiled Snow Pear with Peach Gum and Aloe Vera ($8).

MRKT Menu (Click to enlarge)

The MRKT menu offers a wide variety of dim sum dishes.

Some of the recommended items are the BBQ Honey Pork Belly ($14), Dry Bamboo Noodle with BBQ Honey Pork Belly and Shrimp Wanton ($14), Pan Fried Pork Bun ($2.50) and Spicy Mapo Beancurd with Minced Beef ($18).

BAR Menu

The BAR menu offers Chinese Tapas, Cocktails, Mocktails, and Alcoholic Drinks.

Classy Ambience and Good Service

I really liked the classy ambience of DINING. The bright and sophisticated space is lined with plush pink banquettes and Chinese folding screens.

We sat indoors, but customers can also choose to dine in the outdoor area which offers a great view of the Rain Vortex.

The staff were friendly and attentive, and started fussing over us like we were VIP guests once we entered the restaurant.

One of them pulled out a chair for me, another laid a napkin on my lap, and we were promptly served with welcome teas once seated.

There were plenty of staff around so I didn’t have any problem getting their attention.

On the whole service was great, though a few of the staff did seem slightly inexperienced. But I guess they will gradually improve as the restaurant opens for a longer period of time.

We didn’t eat at the MRKT area, which exudes more of a casual vibe with its wooden communal tables and hanging horticulture.

The BAR area seemed like a nice fancy spot to sit down and enjoy some cocktails.

Signature Honey Pork Belly

Our food arrived very quickly after ordering. The Signature Honey Pork Belly ($16) was the first to arrive. This was our favourite dish at Shang Social!

This was probably the softest BBQ pork I had ever eaten, and it almost seemed to melt away in my mouth. The meat to fat ratio was perfect, and the pork had a lovely savoury taste that wasn’t too greasy.

This dish may well have ruined me for all other BBQ pork.

Seafood Broth Rice

The Seafood Broth Rice served in Ironpot ($18) was another highlight of our meal. This sumptuous dish consists of white rice topped with succulent prawns and tasty scallops.

The patient staff waited for our cameras to be in position before pouring a hot seafood broth into the iron clay pot. Crispy rice kernels were then sprinkled over the broth.

The result was a luscious cream-coloured broth mixed with rice. The dish had a dense and rich savoury flavour that was punctuated by the crunch of crispy rice kernels. The prawns and scallops were fresh, juicy and tender.

This was one satisfying dish!

And even though we spent some time taking photos before eating, the iron bowl managed to keep the dish hot.

Rice Flour Roll

The Rice Flour Roll With Shrimp, BBQ Honey Pork, and Scallop ($8.80) is a classic Cantonese dim sum item.

It’s hard to go wrong with this dish, and Shang Social does not disappoint of course. The rice roll skin had a slippery smooth texture, and was complimented nicely by the savoury sauce. The fillings were fresh and tasty.

I liked that the dish consisted of three rice rolls containing one filling each (shrimp, pork and scallop), so that we can try all three variants.

Crispy Vermicelli Roll with King Scallop

The Crispy Vermicelli Roll with King Scallop ($6.80) is another dim sum dish. The heap of fried vermicelli were crisp and crunchy to the bite, and beneath all that, the king scallops were very fresh and succulent.

Deep Fried Cuttlefish

So far, we had been impressed with all our dishes. The only one that didn’t blow us away was the Deep Fried Cuttlefish with Salt and Pepper ($10).

This “Chinese tapas” item had a pleasant savoury taste and was served on a pretty wooden stand, but it wasn’t quite as satisfying as the previous four dishes.

Conclusion

While Shang Social in Jewel Changi Airport may not be as posh as its sister restaurant Shang Palace at Shangri La Singapore, I still had a very pleasant dining experience here. I really liked the classy but non-pretentious atmosphere, and service was great too.

Surprisingly, the meal was relatively affordable, considering the quality of the dishes and the fancy ambience. I chose to eat at the DINING space, but if you are having a casual gathering with friends, the MRKT and BAR sections are great too.

Shang Social
Address: Jewel Changi Airport, 78 Airport Boulevard #01-219 to 222, Singapore 819666
Opening Hours: Daily 9am to 10pm
Phone: +65 6346 0260
Facebook: www.facebook.com/shangsocialsg