$$$, Family Style Dining, Group Dining, Prix Fixe Menu, Romantic Dining, View Dining
The Empress of China is lauded internationally as one of the world's most beautiful Oriental restaurants. Holiday Awards and virtually every award of merit that is bestowed upon restaurants of exceptional quality has been conferred on us. The Empress features the distinctive cuisine of all China since the Age of the Five Emperors some 4,500 years ago. The elegant atmosphere reflects the classic beauty, color, and architectural form of the Han era (206 BC). Matchless city and bay views enhance leisurely dining.
Great food. Nice atmosphere. The restaurants is clean and great service. Food is delivered hot not cold. I will go backj to eat here again.
I recommend.
ana armijo
Posted 10/22/08 | Report Abuse
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Chinese food in San Francisco, how can you go wrong. But if you want the cream of the crop go to Empress. Authentic and super tasty.
Pricing is good, but if you really like chinese food like I do, price isn't the option, taste is!
Come try them out and then write your own review.
Posted 10/22/08 | Report Abuse
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Saturday nights are fabulous here. Great service, packed house,food was fantastic. I recommend one of the combination dinners for "two or more".
Weeks nights are a little more subdued. Service perfunctory but not as friendly as Saturday night.
Yes, this place is pricey compared to restaurants down on street level but dining on the top floor with fancy decor has it's price. Go here.
Posted 10/08/08 | Report Abuse
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This place was adequate. The service wasn't too great and the food wasn't as fresh as I would have expected. We ordered sea food and were very disappointed. We also weren't able to get parking close by, we were lucky that one of us had a handicap placard.
Posted 06/01/08 | Report Abuse
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as a tourist, this was all you could ask for in a chinese restaurant in china town, san fransisco. our whole family was able to sit together and we ate fairly cheaply for a group of fourteen. this place has been visited by dozens of celebrities, the interior is gorgeous, and the food is delicious - well worth it!
Posted 03/23/08 | Report Abuse
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This restaurant is a frequent banquet hot spot. I have eaten here too many times. There is almost no street parking available so you are forced to park far away or in a garage. The banquet room looks old and worn down. The food varies depending on what the hosts have ordered for the guests. Most people use chopsticks, but you can request forks. The drinks are usually tea, apple cider, and 7-up. If you want alcohol, you can request it.
Posted 11/25/05 | Report Abuse
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When I first sat down I could not help to notice the very dirty un swept floors. The table settings were literally thrown on the table. At first I thought we had just sat at a table that had been set very quickly, but when I looked around I noticed that all of the settings were thrown on the table with no care. Upon being seated a stuck up SA was sent over with a very dirty kettle that we were actually expected to drink out of.
The service from our waiter was decent just like the food. But when you're paying $15 for an order of curry chicken, decent doesn't cut it. When I was asked if I wanted rice with it I didn't really know how to respond. Later when I was glancing over the check, I noticed that they actually charge a $1.50 extra if you want rice with your CHINESE FOOD. Rice costs almost nothing. Who does that?
We had come in just before the dinner around 5, and our stuck up little SA started tossing wine lists on the tables not caring where they landed. It was very loud and shook the settings but it was obvious he did not care about the restaraunt or his job.
It was clear that they did not care if you came back. I can only speculate that the owners are distant and possibly inherited the restaurant somehow and have no interest in running it.
The view was pleasent, but not worth it. Avoid the Empress of China restaurant.
Pros: The water was refreshing
Cons: I was charged for RICE!!!!!!!!!
Posted 06/25/09
The food ain't great, but that's why you go straight to the bar. Order, as the review suggests, a Tsing Tao, grab the seat by the window, and enjoy one of the best views in Chinatown if not the city. The bonus: All the tourists hang out on the restaurant side, so you'll have the bar to yourself.
Posted 09/17/08
I went there couple weeks ago. The service was terrible and food was also terrible. One of seafood dish, they used 100 years old frozen shrimps. I could see that they had some freeze burn and dried out. Everything was tasteless. The waiter simply ignored us. We could see there were no local people. only tourists.So, the service was terrible. They just didn't think any of us would come back anyway. They didn't bother to serve us better. When we complained about the poor quality food, the waiter said "I am not a cook. I am just a waiter"
Terrible food. Terrible service. When we asked local people, this restaurant has very very bad reputation. We were so upset and hope nobody go there and get the same feeling.
Pros: None. everything was terrible
Cons: Everything. poor quality. poor service. Terrible taste of food. horrible place. I hated this place~!!!!!!
Posted 02/19/08
This is NOT Chinese food by any stretch of imagination - bland, overcooked and served lukewarm. The pseudo-elegance of the setting and service only adds to the disappointment. Avoid.
Pros: none
Cons: just bad pseudo Chinese food
Posted 01/28/08
This is a decent place to take visitors because the view is nice and the decor is nice, but the food is very overpriced and not anything exciting. There are much better Chinese food restaurants in the area if you want good food.
Posted 11/20/06
As a Chinese person from Asia, I find Chinese American restaurants dubious so I had 0 expectations at EOC. However, we were looking for a kitsch, old-San Francisco place to go at night, and boy this place exceeded expectations! The service must have improved since readers' last complaints, because we had top notch service (I overtipped). Food came on tiny silver platters with battered silver dome covers - very Singapore or Hong Kong circa 1970, back when this kind of restaurant was the height of style in Asia. It's like eating in a museum - go to catch a glimpse of what SF must have been like in the 70's. Or make that the 40's. Bring feather boa and your Vivienne Tam cheongsam. Flambed dessert on copper pan outstanding in appearance and weird in taste. As for the entrees - sure it is Panda Express, but edible. Perfect place to bring either elderly white relatives, or restless hipsters looking for something new and kitsch to indulge. I love the waiters rolling the service carts up to you and saying, with fluorish, "Dinner is Served!" It's not that expensive really, a candlelit dinner will set you back $25-30 per person but you don't leave hungry and anyway it would be twice as much at the "Western" equivalent. Who says Chinese restaurants have to be cheap, delicious and tacky? You are paying EOC for the unique museum feel. Will definitely go back again.
Pros: unique old style ambience, genuinely ornate decor
Cons: food is more Chinese American than "real Chinese"
Posted 09/09/06
As a tourist in Chinatown I was skeptical of where to eat. We stumbled on Empress of China and are so thrilled we did. The atmosphere was perfect with incredible city views. Everything I ate was amazing: from the egg roll and sizzling rice soup to the Shrimp with honey glazed walnuts and empress beef. I could say it was the best Chinese food I have ever had. The waitstaff was so friendly and charming and the decor was beautiful. I would return to eat here and would suggest it to anyone. Although it was a little pricey, it was worth every cent!
Pros: Food, Service, Ambiance
Posted 08/03/06
The Empress of China is a ridiculously overpriced Chinese restaurant that should be avoided at all costs. With miniscule portions and bland food, the restaurant disappoints on every level. The menu is comprised of unauthentic dishes like lemon chicken and sweet and sour pork, fare that one would order from Chinese take-out restaurant in South Dakota. Their dishes are less creative and flavorful than Panda Express, yet cost three times more. There was little doubt that the food was going to be dreadful as the only Chinese people in the restaurant were the employees. Unless you enjoy fake Chinese food at inflated prices, go elsewhere.
Pros: None
Cons: Food
Posted 07/24/06
The best thing to say about this restaurant perched high inside a high rise building in Chinatown is that it has some really great views of the city that come free of change with your meal. My praises of the establiehment end there, howerver. The service is not bad overall, but the food was nothing special, and whatever you do, avoid their Duck dishes, it was overcooked and tasteless.
Pros: View
Cons: Average food, Caters to tourist crowd
Posted 07/19/06
Went there for a banquet dinner, and thought food was really good, especially the peking duck. Waiters seemed friendly for a typical Chinese restaurant. The elevator staff greeted us with a smile, and was helpful. View is really nice!
Pros: Food, Location, View
Cons: Restroom-need more stalls
Posted 07/16/06
I should have known something was amiss when there was not one Chinese person eating here.$7.95 for 2 spring rolls should have been another clue.I think if McDonalds ever started to serve Chinese food it would be better than the food served here.Avoid this trap the way you would avoid the plague
Pros: none
Posted 04/08/06
Apparently this was a hot spot at one time, given the photos of 1970s-era celebrities on the wall who once dined there. But the glory days are long past. The food is awful. This is the worst place I've eaten in San Francisco, hands down. Avoid!!! You can find much better Chinese food elsewhere! Try Ton Kiang or Eliza's... both of those are MUCH MUCH BETTER.
Pros: view
Cons: terrible food
Posted 06/13/05
Behind the great gates of Chinatown the Empress of China is the most alluring restaurant - from the outside facade. However, after dining on Peanut Kung Pao (Chicken) and No Chicken Chow Mein in a dark and dank room with service from rude waiters to match...well you get the idea. If you want good eats, head down the street to a hole in the wall bakery. You won't miss it with the line flowing out of the bakery. Try the meat pies and the egg custard. Simply delightful! The egg custard had the best consistency of egg and moist flaky crust...
Pros: Ambiance, Location
Cons: Food, Service, Value
Posted 04/07/05
This tourist trap serves up terrible Chinese food. The place looks good initially, but once you're helped by the rude staff, you experience the terrible service, and you eat the disgusting food, you realize, first impressions lie! The place is super expensive for what it is. I've had better "chinese" at Panda Express.
Pros: Decor, Touristy
Cons: , Terrible food, Rude Service
Posted 03/29/04
The best Roast Quail in SF. Good service. Could do with some sprucing up and a menu refresh. However, the service is great and the food is pleasant for folks that are scared to try real chinese food. If you go here - you must have the Quail.
Pros: chinese food, quail, service
Cons: older
Posted 02/07/03
the food was tasteless, the view nondescript, the windows dirty and the service unnecessarily rude.
Pros: location
Cons: rude service
Posted 10/22/02
There is a nice view, but the food is pretty bad. If you want to pay for fancy artifificial decor, a view, and poor food this is your place.
Pros: The view
Cons: The food, The service
Posted 07/11/02
My boyfriend and I were searching up and down China town for a good restaurant. Up and down all looked dissapointing. When we saw the Empress front entrance we thought we would give it a whirl. we were both shocked and pleasantly surprised with the ambieance. We ordered our food and sat next to each other facing the ocean. The food is served on beautiful silver trays and serving pots. The food tasted great and was served hot with seconds at the table. I would return. I hear the peking duck is to die for!
Posted 05/27/02
"Price is about $24-$27/pp but that includes the entire prime rib package, ..."
