Shanghai Lilly @ Mandalay Bay

I?m not sure if Shanghai Lilly has taken a severe turn for the worse or what, but I could not disagree more with most of the other positive reviews on this restaurant. Four of us went to Shanghai Lilly over the weekend on our first trip to Las Vegas. The menu seemed appealing to all, and really seemed right up our alley.

We started with the appetizer sampler which was actually pretty good, but unfortunately turned out to be the highlight of the meal. Regarding entrees, we ordered Mongolian Beef, General Tso?s Chicken, Honey Chicken, and a Kung Pao Chicken. All 3 of the chicken dishes were simply put?awful. The sauces seemed decent, but the chicken meat itself was just off. One comment at the table was, ?this could very well be a Chicken McNugget?. The Mongolian Beef wasn?t terrible, but certainly wasn?t good. We all also paired brown rice with each of our entrees. Once the check arrived, it was to our dismay that the brown rice was not included with the entree?!?! What Chinese restaurant doesn?t include rice with their entrees??!! This was the capper!

With all the options to dine in Las Vegas, I must admit that in my opinion, you should steer WELL CLEAR of Shanghai Lilly.

Pros: Service was good, nice ambience inside

Cons: Food quality, no rice with entree, didn't ask for liquor brand for gin and tonic

Posted 03/13/07

We had the pleasure of dining here on our honeymoon last week and were blown away. From the moment you arrive you're treated superbly, the decorations are lovely and most importantly, the food is wonderful. We started out with some delicious champagne (if only we could remember what kind it was), crab cakes, bbq pork, soup, prawns... just perfect. Dinner was spicy beef, fried rice, and large prawns with the most flavor we've ever experienced. We were just hoping we could eat it all but there was no way. Dessert was even more amazing. Cherry gelato, sweet cake, drunk cherries... and more. We can't wait to visit this little gem again. Romantic, impressive, just worth the money!

Pros: even the bathrooms were delightful!

Cons: make reservations and you're good to go

Posted 10/22/06

I went to this restaurant with the intent of having a nice dinner out for my last night on vacation with four friends. Between us, we ordered four different dishes, and each was the worst representation of standard Chinese dishes I've ever had. And what's worse is that the prices were ridiculous.

The atmosphere was lovely and the waitstaff was attentive, but it's SO not worth going to without decent food.

Posted 04/23/06

Nothing in Vegas is cheap any more. That said, if you are looking for good Chinese food, Shanghi Lilly will not dissapoint you.

My wife and I dined with our son and his friend before attending a concert at the House of Blues. Arriving without reservations worked out since we reached the resturant alittle after seven. I would reccomend reservations if dining later.

For appitizers we enjoyed coconut shrimp and tempura prawns. I enjoyed the coconut shrimp but found the tempura batter too thick. My son found the hot and sour soup tasty.

As usual, we ordered too much food for this type of resturant. Serving sizes easily serve two to three people.

I ordered the Mongolian Beef. Outstanding. Well prepared, crisp veggies, tender beef with a tasty spicy sauce. My son's beef tenderloin was outstanding.

Service was prompt and attentive.

Share and the prices are a good value.

Pros: food, atmosphere, service

Cons: price

Posted 11/03/05

3/10/2007 Ordered the Potstickers and Mongolian Beef again. The Potstickers are good and are cooked properly, but they are not plump like the ones in San Francisco. The beef, $26, was great as always except that my wife's order had some thick pieces where the meat was raw. This upset her appetite and is just not acceptable in a place of this caliber. It may be a sign of the beginnings of decline.

4/5/2005 I have eaten at many chinese places in search of a mongolian beef that is as good as Yangtze in Berkeley. It has been at 15 years. They either do not have the flavor right or the beef is not tender enough. I will have to say that the Lilly has got it right. It maybe twice as much as others, but it is worth the price because it is right on. The prawns were huge, but not very tasty. The Lilly does not believe in putting a lot of sauce on the plate. They gave us wonderful candied walnuts as an appetizer. The attention to detail by the wait staff is excellent. The one thing that really bothered me was the fact that they charged for steamed rice. At the prices they are charging a real classy place does not nickel and dime the customers.

Pros: Mongolian beef, waiters, atmosphere

Cons: Tasteless prawns, little sauce, petty with rice, raw pieces of meat

Posted 04/04/05

Even though the restaurant was operating at capacity we were treated as though we were the only one's there. Our reservation was at 8:30 and we arrived about 5 minutes early. I anticipated waiting at the bar for a drink but we were seated almost immediatly. The decor and ambiance were near perfect, and with comfortable spacing between the tables, we were able to experience the weekend buzz without the crowd on top of us. Friendly advice from the waitress, and a great meal to follow. Many old "favourites" with many unique dishes to select from. A must do while in Vegas.

Pros: Service, ambiance

Posted 09/30/04

Everything about this place is class and quality. I had more trouble deciding on this menu than I can remember.

Posted 01/12/03

This place is what Vegas is (or should be) all about. It is so convenient, yet a world apart. The ambiance was awesome...truely world class in terms of atmosphere, service and quality. The wine list was a real surprise- excellent, and our server was very well schooled. This place is the single best reason to come to Mandalay Bay!

Pros: atmostphere, food, value

Posted 06/04/02