What to Eat at Shang Social – Jewel Changi Airport

Shang Social – Jewel Changi Airport is the Shangri-La Group’s first venture into a standalone F&B outlet outside a hotel.

I was in Terminal 1 Changi Airport in transit and wanted something light to eat before my long-haul flight to the USA.

I walked around to check out the dining outlets and found an appealing Chinese restaurant to which I was attracted.

I didn’t realize the significance of the Shang Social (香聚) name, but I decided to investigate.

What is Shang Social – Jewel Changi Airport?

Malaysians and Singaporeans are familiar with Shang Palace, the popular premium Chinese restaurant in the Shangri-La Hotel. Sh ng Palace is an authority in Cantonese cuisine and provincial specialties.

Shang Social is the Shangri-La Group’s first venture into an F&B outlet not set in a hotel for more visibility and accessibility.

You can find deliciously prepared seafood, tasty barbecued meats, noodles, casseroles, and various set menus.

Cuisine

Shang Social has a good selection of dishes that pays tribute to three distinctive Chinese cuisines –

• Cantonese
• Huaiyang
• Sichuan

You will be brought on a culinary journey conceptualized by three of Shangri-La’s highly acclaimed master chefs.

Menu

Shang Social menus have nearly 100 items, all curated with inputs from three of Shangri-La’s highly acclaimed master chefs.

Specialty

Shang Palace’s Michelin-starred Cantonese Chef Mok Kit Keung’s famed signature dish of Bamboo Noodles with Dark soy sauce (S$6) is available in Jewel.

Interiors

The restaurant’s layout is designed to cater to every dining occasion with three options.

The design is seamless, with the peppering of the Chinese motif that draws the space together.

Spaces

1. DINING (formal space)
2. MRKT (casual dining)
3. BAR

Space is split into three concepts, making it a one-stop destination for cheap, quick lunches, fancy dates, and casual drinks.

Shang Social DINING

The formal dining area is elegant and offers comfortable seats in a well-appointed space that is not too formal.

Shang Social MRKT

The MRKT is a lively space between the open kitchen and communal dining tables.

If you like the buzz of activity and are not bothered by people and food’s movement, this is where you will want to be seen.

Shang Social BAR

The art deco-style 18-seater bar is where you can sip cocktails or specialty Chinese tea and enjoy Chinese tapas, like smoked tea fish and deep-fried cuttlefish.

The area has an exciting and impressive feel, which was casual and inviting.

BAR menu offers

• Chinese Tapas
• Cocktails
• Mocktails
• Alcoholic Drinks

Naturally, since I was alone and wanted some quiet, I chose to sit at the bar.

Shang Social – Jewel Changi Airport is the Shangri-La Group’s first venture into a standalone F&B outlet outside of a hotel setting.

Shang Social MENU

The Manager recommended some of the popular best-seller items from the Dining Menu.

• Pan-Fried Pork Bun ($2.50 per piece) – MRKT Menu
• Stewed Beef Brisket Bamboo Noodles ($13) – MRKT Menu
• Seafood Broth with Rice ($18) – Dining Menu

Other items that look attractive are the variety of Fancy Chinese dishes.

• Deep-Fried Whole Boneless Chicken with Glutinous Rice ($78)
• Double Boiled Fish Maw Broth ($32)
• Sichuan Kung Pao Prawn ($32)
• Braised Black Marbled Pork ($26)
• Eight Treasures Tofu Pudding ($18)
• Seafood Broth Rice in Iron pot ($18)
• Deep-fried glutinous Rice Ball ($18)
• Signature Honey Pork Belly ($16)

Dim Sum Items recommended

• Deep-fried cuttlefish with Salt and Pepper ($10)
• Rice Flour Roll with Shrimp, BBQ Honey Pork, and Scallops ($8.80)
• Crispy Vermicelli Roll with King Scallop ($6.80)
• Dumpling with Vegetable and Century Egg ($5.80)

Dessert

• Snow Pear with Peach Gum & Aloe Vera ($8) Dessert Menu

You can order from the main Dining Menu if you sit at other restaurant sections.

The staff and service are friendly, and they will give you an estimate of the waiting time for the dishes from the Dining Menu.

Shang Social Dessert Menu

The Shang Social MRKT menu is a simple one-sheet affair serving as the order chit.

You can order from the main Dining Menu if you choose to seat at other sections of the restaurant.

Shang Social Menu

What did I order?

I wanted a light meal, and the barman recommended his favorites, now mine.

Eight Treasures Tofu Pudding $18

Tau Fu Fa, or Tofu Pudding, is an enjoyable comfort food and a Chinese snack made with exceedingly soft Tofu.

I’m used to eating Tau Fu Fa as a cold dessert dish.

This is a savory, prominent, healthy, versatile, delicious, and excellent snack for any mood.

It is traditionally made in a wooden bucket and sold as a bucket tofu pudding.

Tau Foo Fah is made by coagulating hot soy milk, a coagulant to achieve that velvety silken texture.

If you have a coagulant allergy, please note that commonly used ingredients may include any.

• Gypsum (calcium sulfate)
• Nigari (magnesium chloride)
• Glucono delta lactone (GDL)

I know which ingredients the restaurant uses or how the master chefs make this dish.

If you want to order, please check with the restaurant.

The soft Tofu Pudding is relatively neutral and matches sweet and savory tastes. Th  warm, soft Tofu topped with Soya Sauce and a variety of 8 piquant toppings

1. Mild Green Spring Onion
2. Chinese Chives
3. Stir-fried Minced Meat
4. Fried Dried Prawns
5. Sesame Seeds
6. Pickled Vegetables
7. Flavored chili oil
8. Meat Floss

I like custardy Tofu, so I took center stage and ate a few mouthfuls to taste the texture. In my second bowl, I tried soy sauce and flavored chili oil.

I tried each topping to get a different mouthful for each spoonful.

The verdict: The Eight Treasures Tofu Pudding stands on its own with a minimal topping of soya sauce and tastes lovely.

All the toppings came together with the crunch of fried tiny shrimp, sesame seeds, minced meat, pickled and fresh herbs.

Yunnan Ham Pu Er Ice Cream $5

I was initially surprised when I read the ice cream menu.

It would be good if Shangri-la incorporated Yunnan Ham and Pu Er with soft-serve ice cream.

I could taste the smokiness and salty notes of Chinese Ham in the innocent vanilla soft serve.

The Yunnan Pu Er has a strong bitterness with subtle floral notes.

Getting the Twist with both flavors in a cup was an excellent idea.  I tially, I could eat the other if I didn’t like one taste.

The verdict: The flavors complemented each other well.

The distinct bitter floral notes of the Yunnan Pu Er mask the savory flavor of the Yunnan Ham.

I like the combination and would return for seconds the next time I’m at the Jewel.

Review of Shang Social

Waiting Period

There is usually a wait outside the restaurant because people mill around at the entrance, trying to decide.

If you’re dining alone, there is usually no wait time. Ju t signal to speak to the staff.

The service is attentive, and the recommendations are sound.

Staff Recommendation

As I was alone in the late afternoon, the bartender could chat, gave me valuable pointers on the cuisine, and made excellent recommendations.

One of the things I value in a restaurant is that the staff can make recommendations based on the dishes they have tasted.

Classy Ambience

The restaurant is sophisticated and has a classy ambiance without being overtlypushyy.

Seating

Customers can choose where to dine. Visit the outdoor area for a great view of the rain vortex.

Good Service

The staff is friendly and attentive and periodically checks in if you require anything.

Some wait for the staff, so they may appear inexperienced initially.

They must get senior staff to attend to you promptly if unsure.

Pricing

For Malaysians, everything in Singapore is deemed expensive if you convert.

If you pay dollar for dollar, the meal is affordable because of the quality of the dishes in a restaurant with a good ambiance.

My meal cost for the Eight Treasures Tofu Pudding was $18.

A dessert of Yunnan Ham Pu Er Ice Cream for $5 (RM69)

This is a reasonable price for an Atas restaurant in Jewel Changi Airport.

If you’re considering buying a meal in MYR, all the restaurants are Atas.

Shang Social (香聚)
# 01-219 to 222 Jewel Changi Airport, 78 Airport Boulevard, Singapore 819666
Telephone: +65 6346 0260
Hours: Daily 9 am – 11 pm

Update: 12 October 2024 

Shang Social is permanently closed.