Originally Posted by
evergrn
I've researched both Summer Palace and Lippo Chiu Chow to the extent possible, but still having a hard time trying to decide between the two.
This time we're in town for only a few days, and we're only going to have time for one dim sum. So obviously we want it to be good. But Summer Palace is almost 2x the cost of Lippo Chiu Chow. Also I love Tim Ho Wan's chiu chow dumpling, and I've noticed that LCC has chiu chow dumpling on its dim sum menu. Then I realized LCC has chiu chow in its name!
I'd imagine it's unfair to compare the two when it comes to service and ambiance. But how would you compare the two in terms of food quality and overall value?
Lippo serves the normal dim sum, but also serves Chiu Chow specialties. The chiu chow dumplings are pretty standard in all dim sum restaurants, but there are also things like the vinegar-sugar noodles, Chiu Chow congee (rice in soup), fishball noodles (which Chiu Chow is known for), braised meats (lo shui), etc. that you'd probably only find at Chiu Chow restaurants like Lippo. Their vegetarian duck is really good too if you decide to go there. Portions are pretty good for the price.
Summer Palace serves the typical Cantonese fare, but their dishes more refined and a little more creative. You'd find them putting seafood such as scallops or shrimp in dishes that don't normally have them, or almonds in their sponge cake. Portions are also smaller than what you'd get at Lippo.
It's hard to compare the two since they both serve dishes you can't get at the other. But if I had to compare, I'd say the food at Summer Palace is generally better than at Lippo, but not enormously. I think Lippo is a a good balance between, price, quality, and service/atmosphere. I believe the Shangri-La also offers discounts on the bill if you pay with credit cards from certain banks (HSBC, I believe).