The Dudes of Food

Shangri-La Bistro

3545 Canton Rd # 102
Marietta, GA 30066-7617

Shangri-La is a mythical valley west of the Kunlun Mountains. It represents happiness and perfection. It is a paradise where nobody has problems. It is the Fountain of Youth or Holy Grail of the Tibetans. Shangri-La Bistro, however, is not a myth but it comes pretty close to what I imagine the land of bliss to be.

Shangri-La bistro is a Tibetan restaurant in Marietta on Canton Road (and now with a branch in East Cobb). The first thing we noticed when we entered was that everything was for sale. Literally everything. I think one could probably purchase the tables. It was charming but not obnoxious. They even appeared to have an African mask for sale, which we found funny.

We noticed a printout on the wall saying special: shrimp and chive dumplings. They were recommended by our waitress and came as an appetizer. The dumpling had thin dough yet it was packed with a tremendous amount of shrimp and chives. It was then fried in more dough to form a pancake-like base. The cilantro garlic sauce that accompanied the dumplings was rich, thick,and had a subtle hint of garlic.

We asked our waitress for the Tibetan dishes. She gave us a quick response: the Spicy Crispy Beef (another special on the wall), the Tibetan Grilled Shrimp with Potato and Vegetables, the Tibetan Hand rolled Pancakes, and the Braised Lamb Lhasa Style.

-Crispy Beef
The heat was not overpowering and came in after the beef was eaten. The sauce was sweet, yet still savory from the garlic and pepper. It was coated with minced garlic which added an interesting texture. -Shrimp
A table favorite. This was light and surprisingly tasteful for the nature of the dish (stir fry of generally bland vegetables such as cabbage and carrots). When the dish arrived, I was expecting soggy vegetables, yet they were crispy. The potatoes (like in other dishes) were cut into thin slices and cooked until tender, which created a balance between the starch, the protein, and the fresh vegetables.- Lamb
As a light curry, it was a great combination of Indian and Chinese food, leaning more towards the Indian side. Again, the potatoes made the meal. The thick and sweet curry sauce added a different texture to the dish, and the lamb was soft and full of flavor. Whenever I wanted to say it was an Indian dish, a hint of East Asian flavors hit me, which makes this a dish worth trying-Pancakes
Although the stuffing was similar to mu shu, the pancakes themselves were Indian. They were similar to roti, which is a thick and fluffy bread. The plate was notable because of the pancakes, but the stuffing, or beef and vegetables stir fry itself, was nothing unusual. Be warned, it takes a few minutes to make the pancakes. Not a dish worth getting again, and coincidentally, one of the few that was brought home. Though it was delicious, it tasted like Chinese food found at any restaurant in the United States. What to get

If you go with any of the four dishes we tried you will have a great meal. On that note, we will go back to try new things. The owner told us that the yak meat had finally arrived from China, which could be interesting. We tried to stay away from the traditional Chinese (traditional American Chinese) dishes such as sesame chicken, but they are probably good as well. It is interesting to note that even though the flavors were clearly Tibetan, many ingredients, such as shrimp, are not found in Tibet, and most likely were used because they are found fresh in Atlanta. This, in our opinion, was a wise move, because it was a way to incorporate traditional flavors with the best produce available.

Also, this week, another Shangri-La Bistro with the same owner is opening up in East Cobb on Johnsons Ferry rd and Abernathy Road (according to the owner). That is our next stop.

Please email us if you try something noteworthy.