Enjoy A Shangri-La Flavor at Home

By Eve Carr

It would be great to whisk yourself off to Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok or Beijing this summer and enjoy the tropical ambiance of the posh Shangri-La Hotels as you relax and sip a refreshing drink. For more than 30 years, Shangri-La hotels have been pampering guests and treating them with style.

From tea-infused martinis from Angelini, the award-winning Italian restaurant in the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok, to Mango Vodka-tini and Green Mango Martini served at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel, Manila, these trendy drinks can give you a taste of luxury. There are also a good range of non-alcoholic drinks such as Tibetan Tonic, which features a refreshing blend of watermelon juice, lime and lemonade.

These drinks are even more enjoyable because Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has hired renowned international designers to add even more vibrancy to their already dynamic restaurants. Commenting on the program, Shangri-La’s Group Director of Food and Beverage, Jean Michel Offe explains, “Today restaurants are theater. They are backdrops for the guess’t experience. Our guests have told us they want restaurants that offer an exciting ambiance and great food, and this is what we’re creating for them.”

A couple of years ago I visited to exquisite Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort in Kota Kinabalu and was impressed with its restaurant, which made you feel as if you were part of the ocean. Now, I understand, they have opened their new Coast restaurant and the new design is supposed to bring the beauty of the coast indoor even more, with floor-to-ceiling walls of windows overlooking the sea.

To start planning your trip, just visit www.shangri-la.com and make the difficult choice as to which Shangri-La you’ll visit. With 38 properties in Asia, the choice is not an easy one.

Here, until you can enjoy these drinks at their destinations, are some of their recipes to help you create a little bit of Shangri-La right in your own backyard.

China World Hotel, Beijing’s Chinese Start

  • 1 1/2 ounce Gin
  • 1/3 ounce Cognac VSOP
  • 1/4 ounce Grenadine
  • 2 ounces Grapefruit juice

Combine all ingredients and shake well with ice. Serve in a powdered sugar-rimmed Champagne glass. Garnish the rim of the glass with carambola (star fruit). Serve immediately.

Edsa Shangri-La Hotel, Manila’s Green Mango Martini

  • 1 shot Gin
  • 1 shot Green mango juice
  • 1/2 shot Triple Sec

Shake with ice. Serve in a martini glass and garnish with a mango wedge.

About the Author:

Eve Carr is a full-time food and travel writer and photographer who absolutely enjoys sharing with others her knowledge of food, wine and restaurants that she discovers on her national and international travel.

Article courtesy of Suite101.com.