For those in the GTA...

This is what we do on a typical Saturday morning ---- drink Chinese tea. This place is one of the branches of the chain that created Casa Imperial, Casa Victoria and Crown Prince Fine Dining. The branch is known for using the best ingredients in food markets for all their dishes, the impeccable service and the grand decor. This explains the difference in price from the regular Chinese restaurants. 

Angus beef tarts. Flaky and sweet on the outside, warm and savoury on the inside. I usually don't like well done beef, but this was cooked to perfection. The beef was tender and not chewy at all. This dish is a good fusion of Chinese and American tastes. 

Sticky rice. Not one of their best. This tastes the same as all the other places. 

Pumpkin and corn congee. You don't see this dish in a lot of places, but it did not taste as great as I expected from this chain. You can't really taste the pumpkin unless you're one of those super-tasters. This is supposed to be more sweet than salty, but it lacks sweetness. In the end, the corn and pumpkin just drowns in the salty congee. 

Deep fried bread sticks "ja leung" wrapped in rice noodles. This dish is a burst of flavours and textures. The taste and texture is well layered. This is worth a try. 

In many places, the rice noodles are often cold, hard and thick. But that is not the case here. Very silky, and the soy sauce brings out the rich flavour of rice.

Overall Review: 

Food: 9/10

Compared to the other restaurants from the same company, the dishes are more conventional overall (especially the flavours). Compared to the others, this did not leave that strong of an impression on me. 

Ambience: 7/10

The restaurant feels very empty (high ceiling and all), since it was originally an old banquet hall. There were no decorations and it kinda gives me a washed out prom feel. However, the arrangements on the tables is consistent with other branches. The service staff is in maid-like uniforms (formal ones, not the Japanese anime type). I like it because it gives a sense of unity and elegance to the restaurant, but it's not everyone's cup of tea. 

Service: 9.5/10

Because the restaurant was so big, it did not take long before we were seated. The staff is nice enough, but the only thing I'm not too happy about is that the food came a tad bit slow. 

Price: 10/10

Compared to other Chinese restaurants, this place is still a bit more expensive. However, you really get your money worth of food. However, since this place is considered fine dining, I think it is a reasonable price for Chinese food. Also there are early bird specials 7 days a week (if you order food before 11:30). 

Final verdict: 8.75/10

I would definitely recommend this place if you live near Hwy. 7. If not, I would go to Crown Prince instead if you're looking for the early bird special since they have the same thing but better ambiance and food in general. If not, I would recommend Casa Imperial. This is the original restaurant and in my opinion has the best ambience of them all. 

*note: each restaurant have their own set of menu depending on the chef's specialty. Things you eat at one place may not be available at the other ones. 


Address:
9019 Leslie Street, Richmond Hill, ON
L4B 4K3

(905) 709-1759

View Larger Map