Imperial Garden Chinese Restaurant

2 out of 5 stars

Our first visit here was very interesting – Hubby ordered a seafood dish in a clear sauce, which was pretty tasty and I ordered steak and scallop dish called Empress Beef. He liked his but mine was disappointing for a dish which was so expensive. I wanted to return since the restaurant had good reviews and also that it seemed to have a menu which showed promise- I hoped that they would prove unique compared to the poor quality of many Chinese restaurants in the area.

But on our second visit we were not particularly impressed either. Hubby had volcano shrimp, which tasted predominantly of ketchup and had what looked like frozen diced corn and peas in it as well as some mushrooms. I ordered from the “House Delightful Dishes” section – sesame chicken. The chicken was quite typical, not particularly memorable. The rice we got with our meals wasn’t very fresh and they did not offer brown rice as an option (as most places don’t).

Considering the prices here are more expensive than other restaurants and this place does not deliver I’m not sure that we will return. I would hope some of the unique items on the menu have more flavor that is in the traditional ones. I was tempted to try the “PI PA TOFU (A blend of tofu and shrimp, fried in ball form and sauted in succulent sauce to blend a delightful taste.)” but am not sure that I would want to take the chance with what we’ve seen so far.

Imperial Garden
773 Lead Mine Rd, Ste 15
Raleigh, NC 27615
(919) 846-1988