Best Chinese I have had in New Orleans without a doubt, the only other place I've been to that can give Royal China a run for its money is Mings, and the two places are pretty different from each other style wise anyway. The baby Bok choy with scallops is always my go-to, followed by the spicy squid. The noodles with clams are excellent too!
(4)
Laurie L.
The best Chinese food in New Orleans. All the people " in the know" eat here. It's not unusual to see chefs and restaurateurs dining here.
(5)
Free S.
This is the best Chinese restaurant in the city and beyond In fact it beats the NYC and San Francisco restaurants. All dishes are freshly prepared with fresh ingredients. What further separates this restaurant from all others are the amazing sauces. Each dish will have it's own unique sauce whether it's seafood, chicken, beef or vegetables offering. In addition the Dim Sum is also freshly prepared to superior standards. Very friendly staff with Shirley the owner there to assist you.
(5)
Jerry L.
One of the little secret places for Chinese Food in metro are of Metairie, La. This was one of Harry Lee's (local sheriff now deceased) favorite spots as well as several local news TV celebrities. Some of my favorite items here are: the shrimp fried rice, bbq pork ribs, marinated beef short ribs and the Hawaiian Delight. The latter is a half of fresh pineapple carved out and stuffed with veggies, chicken, beef, shrimp and chunks of pineapple that were carved out. Absolutely unique and exceptionally delicious. This is one of the very few places that features Dim Sum on a separate menu upon request.
(4)
Natasha M.
I've found my new happy place! Hadn't had dimsum since moving to NOLA 2 years ago so hubby (who's a native) brought us here. Restaurant interior hadn't been updated since the 80's (it seemed like) and the place smelled of commercial air freshener, w/c didn't appeal to me very much. But the food! It was just wonderful. We ordered the yang chow fried rice and hot and sour soup to go with the dimsum. Both were very good, especially the soup. Yum! As for the dimsum, we got the pork and shrimp shiu mai, beef shiu mai, shrimp toast, stuffed bean curd, chicken feet and the spicy squid. The bean curd was fantastic, as was the squid dish. Shiu mai was delicious and fresh, the chicken feet were seasoned very well although I am used to the really tender-fall-off-the-bone variety. Altogether, even with a growing 15 year old boy, we had more than enough food and took the rest of the fried rice to go. The bill came out to only $54 which was a rather pleasant surprise. I would definitely come here again, have more of that hot and sour soup, and try out the rest of the dimsum items on the menu.
(4)
Peter N.
Was craving for dim sum on a Sunday morning, so a friend took us here to try it out. It's a hidden gem that not much people speak of.. but the locals know.. it gets packed quick. It seems like an old restaurant that haven't been up to date with renovations much, but the food is decent. We had the following: - Shrimp toast - pretty huge and tasty - Fried chicken dumpling - first time having deep fried dumpling, had a hard texture, not bad - Taro cake - taste same as many other dim sum places - Spare ribs - nothing special, taste the same as many other places - Chicken feet - tender and flavorful - Siu Mai - decent, nothing to rave about Overall, its not bad for dim sum, I would probably come back if I crave for dim sum.
(3)
Huong H.
Probably the best dim sum! Everything so fresh! Love every ingredient! Staffs are so welcoming and very family like!
(5)
Momo B.
DIM SUM LOUISIANA STYLE After weeks of corresponding, this lunch marked our very first get together with New Orleans' very own Yelper Rice B. and her significant other. Har Kow... excellent size Crabmeat Shiu Mai... most unique Stuffed Bean Curd Shrimp... Momo's fav Shrimp Rice Noodke... authentic with big shrimps Pork and Shrimp Shui Mai... meal in themselves Spicy Beef Tripe... so tasty ! White Carrot Cake... good for the porcelain complexion Fried Stuffed Eggplant Shrimp... perhaps the highlight dish Baked Pork Bun... surprisingly filling Singapore Noodle... curry flavored with big shrimps BTW.... Owner Shirley Lee was most hospitable by spending time at our table to share some laughs, and as a local custom "lagniappe," she served us some fresh made delicious beignets. !.. watch out Cafe Du Mode. We were the first to arrive for lunch and the last to leave. Thanks Rice B. for the great time. Oh ! One more thing... Ms Shirley Lee lunch buffet is the real deal.
(4)
Brian K.
I asked my friend Mr. Chang where to find good dumplings in Metairie and he recommended Royal China. Arrived to discover a Dim Sum menu! (You might have to ask for it if its past lunchtime). Many delicious selections and fried rice is best around. By far the best dumplings Ive found on the eastbank.
(5)
Bil B.
On a recent trip to New Orleans, I had the misfortune of taking my family to this resturant on the evening of 3/26/15. Guess I must have gotten a bad piece of Salmon (sushimee) as I got food poisoning and missed out on the next 3 days of our coveted vacation. My kids were ok, so it was just the lack of proper sanitary practices that my physician stated, when we discussed my health issue. Many places will neglect the extra measures needed when handling raw meat products to ensure consistant quality. When I called Royal China Resturant to complain, I was placed on endless hold by a very rude lady. Please find some other place in the greater NOLA area for your sushi/sushimee.
(1)
Hector G.
What a find. We have been looking for fresh and delicious Chinese food and now we found it. We had the dim sum for our first visit and it was as good as any we have had in San Francisco The soup dumplings were wonderful and they were delicate The shrimp toast was the best we have ever eaten. The pork and shrimp dumplings were very good. The fried crab claws were full of crab and shrimp. No filler. Great shrimp fried rice. The pork ribs in black bean sauce were delicious. The hostess and waitress were wonderful. Full of information.
(5)
Haylee L.
Im new to the area and was looking for a place to replace my favorite spot back home. I ordered take out from here and when I went inside noticed it was very dated and dark. I ordered hot and sour soup, sesame chicken, and fried boneless chicken. These come with steamed rice only, had to pay extra for fried rice. Very large portions however I spent a lot of money on food I didn't really want to eat again later as leftovers. The sesame chicken was okay, my boyfriend didn't like it and said it tasted more like sweet and sour. The hot and sour soup smelled awful but it tasted okay. My fried boneless chicken was disappointing, not the usual flavorful light brown sauce I was used to, really had very little flavor at all. Overall it was okay but I won't be going back to pay as much money as I did for just okay food, $46 for two of us.
(2)
Hai L.
I came here because I heard they had dimsum. It's not traditional dimsum that's pushed on a cart but it was good enough. All together I had a good time and it didn't damage my wallet too much.
(3)
Iris T.
If you ask if they use MSG, you'll be told no. My allergic reaction says differently. Food is awesome if you don't react to MSG. Wish I could go back for more of their food!
(3)
Mike C.
3.5 stars Royal China has been a solid choice for Chinese food for several years now; especially if you're not looking to spend an arm and a leg. I'd like to set the record straight and address a few reviews that stated that Ms. Shirley (the owner) is rude. I'll admit that she may speak a little too loud and a little too fast, but she's running a fast paced business that does just as much, if not more in take out service than it does for patrons who dine in. I have yet to hear her be rude and I have eaten here no less than a dozen times; not to mention all the take out I've picked up. I have yet to have a bad meal here or a bad meal that I picked up to bring home. I don't stray too far from the basics here so I haven't had a lot of items on the menu. As far as the soups are concerned, I've sampled them all and there are no real surprises here. Nothing bad mind you, just exactly what you would expect. They offer plenty of ingredients are can almost be a meal to themselves. For appetizers the egg rolls are hot, fresh and chock full of goodness; and their home made duck sauce brings it ti another level. Don't settle for the imitaion stuff in the packets, even if you are picking up food to go, Insist on the home made stuff. You can't go wrong with the marinated beef short ribs or the paper shrimp either. For entrees, I've tried a few of the "Chef's Suggestions" but these are moderately priced and don't really excel over the basic staple items. I prefer the basics and have enjoyed the Moo Goo Gai Pan, Mandarin Chicken, Marinated Beed Short Rib entree, combination egg foo young and garlic scallops to name a few. Just an FYI that all poultry dishes are white meat. For all you vegans out there, there are over 17 vegetable offerings, including tofu. If you're a fan of green leafy vegetables, you have to try the baby bok choy or the yo choy, which is a little leafier. Both are so savory. Now let's talk fired rice. I've sampled the pork, chicken and shrimp varieties and they are some of the best I've ever had. Flavorful and almost fluffy wihout being overly doused in oil. If you are getting fried rice to go, Royal China has managed to defy the laws of physics and cram what seems like a never ending supply of rice in each container. I'm just going to dismiss this as some sort of Chinese magic and enjoy this "asian lagniappe"! The real treat here is the dim sum menu. Having lived in Los Angeles and enjoyed dim sum in Chinatown for 7 straight years, I know my dim sum. While the staff here doesn't push the dim sum around from table to table in the cool stainless steel carts, they do offer what I'd say is some mighty fine dim sum. The shrimp hai gow (har kow), pork shumai, beef flat noodles, shrimp flat noodles and chinese broccoli are among my favorites and Royal China's version did not disappoint. The only reason I give this place 3.5 stars is that the service is a little lacking, especially if they are busy. It seems that they just can not keep up once there is a full house. The decor is also a little dated but the food makes up for this. All in all, it's good Chinese food at a good price.
(3)
Brandon T.
This is a local frequent spot for most Chinese people. The other favorites in the area are Imperial Garden and Little Chinatown. Parking here is limited. Service is decent, but could be better. Environment is older and dated, but has that Chinese Restaurant feel. The dishes are good and you can order from the dim sum menu. They have a lunch buffet as well.
(4)
Rick F.
This iconic ittle place, better known to loyal legions as "Miss Shirley's", with it's tiny parking lot and worn-out interior decor, is a perennial favorite. Luckily for my, I was warned ahead of first-visit to ignore the buffet and the regular menu; both of which are OK but pretty standard fare; and to ask for the "Dim Sum Menu". Dim Sum at Shirley's is unusual in that each item is prepared only on-order. Tip: Order a soup with fried noodles FIRST, because the waits for specialty items are variable and may be long. The larger soups are enough for two plus a takee-outee pint. No tourists here, just always packed with happy regulars. For some unfathomable reason, Shirley closes daily from around 2:00 until 5:00 PM. Maybe she just likes to see the folks lined up outside, waiting for re-openings. And, most of the waitstaff are Honduran Spainsh-speakers; go figure ! Don't miss this dear near-dive with its fresh dim-sum and unique kind of "chique".. Rick
(3)
Tamia G.
As I said at check-in... "At 1st glance, kinda dingy, dark & in need of an HGTV makeover. Plus, the menus are badly stained & frayed. Hope the recommender is right..." The staff is super nice and this place has a family feel. There are several tables, some for large parties & equipped with "Lazy Susan's" as well. The table condiments look fresh & this place is actually cleaner than it seems at 1st glance. The atmosphere is fresh and cool and it smells like good food, vice bad grease. I came mid-week (Tuesday) and the place was more than half-full. It was abuzz with families enjoying one another and seemingly good Chinese food too! I waited with anticipation... I ordered the "Special Fried Rice" which includes chicken, pork and shrimp. $8.95. While awaiting my food, I noticed SEVERAL well-packed to-go bags & boxes being quickly shuffled from the kitchen to the front end. The portions...HUGE! Enough to feed 2-3 people -OR- just me, plus another big helping for lunch tomorrow! And thankfully, they didn't skimp on the shrimp (or pork or chicken). The meat & seafood were all stir fried quite nicely; tender & flavorful too. This would-be modest rice dish was nicely rounded out with fresh green & white onions & green peas and scrambled egg too. Overall, the food is great; the restaurant is roomy & clean; and, the staff is friendly & efficient. True, this spot is old & badly in need of TLC, but that's on par with every other New Orleans joint.
(4)
Whitney H.
Love Ms Shirley and my girl Nancy !!! Best Chinese in the city ask for the dim sum menu!!!!!
(5)
Andy S.
This is not your typical Chinese place. The food and service here is outstanding despite the unassuming appearance. Talk to your server about specials and save room for dessert. The bread pudding is a surprisingly good end to a Chinese meal.
(5)
Laura F.
I recently just gave Chineese food a second chance. Scarred after years of watching family members eat mystery meat, the smallest shrimp I've ever seen, and clear gel-like sauces, Chineese food was a huge turn off for me. That being said, I have really only eaten and thoroughly enjoyed the basics here. The Chineese wonton soup, shrimp fried rice, and spring rolls were really good, made with quality shrimp and veggies. I found Shirley to be quite pleasant, she was nice to me and other diners seemed to enjoy seeing/speaking to her. All of the food was hot and fresh. The place could use an uplift, but I was not bothered at all by it's current state.
(4)
Eric S.
Nice surprise going here, my wife has told me she was going to bring me here for a couple years. So we finally were around when we were looking for somewhere to eat and she remembered Royal China. So at first i nearly passed it up, i thought it was a shack or something but not a Chinese restaurant. As we walked in you could tell you were in the right place, they had the buffet as well as you can order off there menu. My wife decided to get the buffet but i wanted stuff off the menu. I ordered a Special Fried Rice to share and a subgum low mein. For appetizer i got some crab Rangoon, they were really good, i think they had real crab in it, very hot nearly burnt my tongue but i was impatient and very hungry. I had a few bites off my wifes plate as i waited for mine, i know its a no no but i was hungry and it looked really good. Didn't take long for my food, and wow it was allot, the rice was enough for four people and the noddle dish was enough for two people or a fat guy like me. I tasted the rice and i was great, lots of flavor but not over done or greasy tasted clean but really good. Then i tried my noodle dish, my wife was shocked i eat so much veggies, they were good. The meat was so tender and lots of flavor. I had to get 2 togo boxes since i had so much food leftover. while waiting i thought he was the owner, but i think a relative owned it, he is harry lee brother. He told us all kinds of info about Chinese culture, how he started and family stuff, He must have talked with us a good 20 mins, it was in between lunch and dinner so there wasn't anyone else in there. It was really nice of him to chat with us. When we left my wife and i both agreed we had a great time and look forward to going back and trying a bunch more stuff off there huge menu.
(4)
G F.
Best Chinese food in New Orleans. Staff is always nice. Never had a bad meal or bad service!! Try the sister shell crab or the shrimp and asparagus. The tuna appetizer is another favorite. The food is always fresh and a lot of seafood and meat dishes. The owner is almost always there and the whole family works the kitchen. Dim sum menu is very large and all that I have had were great. The hot and sour soup is as good as I have had anywhere.
(5)
Monique L.
I must echo Liz R's review: the roach motel/dirty water/disinfectant smell while you are trying to eat is a turnoff. The dim sum is hyped by locals as "authentic," but honestly, it wasn't that great. I had much better dim sum at the place next to Hong Kong market. At Royal China, I had the crab rangoon (which, as someone said below, is more like a cream cheese empanada). It did not have a homemade flavor but was adequate enough, I guess. Shrimp toast suffered from an overpowering coating of sesame seeds on top. Props for offering chile sauce. I saw a couple of Asian families seated next to us, noshing on what looked to be marinated and grilled pork chops. That looked to be a better bet. I won't initiate any future visits, though.
(2)
Eleni F.
I'm not really a fan of American style Chinese food (such as sweet and sour chicken and other saucy sweet dishes) but my BF loves all Chinese food. Looks like Royal China might be a good compomise for us :) The outside looks like a shack but the inside is warn, but nice. And the menu is huge with dim sum and other things not typically found at other Chinese restaurants around town. We got the dragon dumplings (outstanding, but didnt arrive until after our main course), shrimp dumplings (not very flavorful, but the sauce was good), duck wrap *at the reccomendation of our server* (this was just plain weird)Mr. Brown's chicken (loaded with chicken, shredded veggies in a light sauce, not my favorite flavor but my BF liked it) and baked tofu with veggies and brown rice in a black bean sauce (the black bean sauce was kind of bland but the veggies and tofu made up for it, lots of bok choy, carrots, snow peas, peppers and broccoli and no freaky canned stuff like water chest nuts and baby carrots). The portions were gigantic, enough for at least 3-4 meals a peice. Prices were good when you considered the size of the entrees, and over all a good experiance. Lots of stuff on the menu I want to go back for.
(4)
Godwin C.
What do you do if you have a dim sum craving and it's not Saturday or Sunday afternoon? In New Orleans, the answer is simple: go to Royal China. Sadly, no other Chinese restaurant in the city (at least that I know of) serves dim sum on the weekdays. FOOD: Middling authentic fare. Royal China has your standard duo of Chinese-cuisine-in-US-city selection of regular Americanized fare paired with more authentic items to choose from such as the dim sum plates. Since we were craving dim sum we pretty much ignored the Americanized food with the exception of one chicken dish that was decent enough but ultimately so forgettable that I've already forgotten the name of the plate. The dim sum had its ups and downs. On the one hand, it's clear that Royal China uses inferior product such as lower-grade dumpling skins and cheaper rice noodles. Whether it is because they can't afford the better ingredients or they simply think people won't be able to tell the difference, the result is that no matter how good the cooks prepare the food, they can never make it taste good enough to compete with dim sum in other cities with larger Asian populations and more dim sum houses. In a sense, Royal China is lucky that they basically only have themselves to compete with, and that people like myself would probably go eat their dim sum regardless of quality (as long as it wasn't, you know, vomit-inducing or anything) simply to satisfy cravings. On the other hand, the cooks actually show decent execution given what they have to start with. For example, while the shrimp dumplings may have inherently been a little thick given the quality of the skins, they were wrapped very well and stayed together well. They weren't over- or under-boiled as could easily happen with such delicate dim sum pieces so they maintained the perfect amount of moisture. The small squid plate we ordered was cooked to the perfect texture, with just the right amount of chewiness but still somehow maintaining softness. These weren't just one-time lucky breaks either, as we've basically had the same consistent quality execution on every visit, regardless of product quality. A bonus for all you loose-leaf tea fans: Royal China is all loose-leaf, and not just one type either! They had oolong, polei, chrysanthemum, jasmine, and a couple others that I can't remember. Now if only their tea pots weren't so obnoxiously poorly designed...I literally spilled half of each pot onto the table trying to pour for us. SERVICE: A giant middle finger to Western service norms. No uniforms. No assigned tables for servers. No standard methods for any procedure throughout the entire meal. All would be fine if it wasn't for the poor leading-by-example practices of the owner. For example: Their credit card swipe machine was down on a recent visit so they had to manually type in everything. In this age of identity theft, it is normal for people to be worried about having their entire credit card number written out on a ticket that they were going to keep. When I expressed my concern to the owner about this, she gave a wave of dismissal and said there was nothing she could do and that if I was worried I should just pay cash. Like somehow I WAS INCONVENIENCING HER when I asked about the issue. Seriously? Rick F, Miss Shirley may be very busy, but no amount of busy-ness covers up her inherent rudeness. No excuses. Sure, it's not all her fault, as Eastern serving practices are much different than in the West. You'll find a lot more curt, to-the-point, no-nonsense servers in Asian restaurants as opposed to American restaurants, simply because that's what they were used to growing up for service and they don't necessary understand right away the difference between the cultures in terms of food service. Miss Shirley's been here awhile now though. She should know better at this point. Fortunately you are right about the rest of her staff being friendly. AMBIENCE: Dingy but improving! The place clearly needs work, but they seem to be addressing the issues with the dining space. The walls had all been repainted since my last few visits, they had new tables and chairs, and they were in the process of redoing the floors. Unfortunately, they had only taken out the old carpet and had not yet put the new stuff in yet, so the floor was very sticky from the adhesive material left behind. Hopefully this will be completed by the next visit. OVERALL: Three stars with a bullet. If you absolutely must have dim sum during a weekday, Royal China will satisfy the desire as long as you aren't expecting top-notch cuisine. It's simple Chinese dim sum and simple Americanized Chinese lunch/dinner, nothing more and nothing less, but it'll get the job done. Just try to avoid the owner and your experience should end with at least a mild thumbs up.
(3)
Shannon S.
They have a lot of things on the menu that many other local Chinese places don't such as some dim sum. The main draw for most local folks here seems to be their lunch buffet. They might possibly have one of the most unhealthy selections of food of any buffet in the area as the majority of things are all deep fried but they all taste really good. The egg rolls here are pretty fantastic and are chock full of huge chunks of goodness. They also have a great hot & sour soup which they unfortunately never have on the buffet (they only have egg drop and won ton soup on the buffet). They will often have shrimp or crawfish in the buffet selection and it usually seems there is almost always a spicy bean sauce as the base for one of the entrees. The menu has a lot of choices and is always is great option at dinner or if you don't want the buffet at lunch. The food tastes great but I do my best to eat the buffet rarely as you won't live to be very old if you eat it often.
(3)
Allen G.
Awesome family run Chinese restaurant on the edge of Metairie. Great food with generous portions served by attentive and courteous staff. They get busy so show up before there is a huge dinner crowd. Most importantly, they serve the BEST Hot and Sour soup in the city, can't recommend it enough.
(4)
Russell W.
I cannot believe this place only has an average of three stars. Wow. To me there are three category's of Chinese: cheap and edible (like mall Chinese), good Chinese ( like five happiness and changs) and the the best Chinese food ever (royal!!). We order mandarin chicken, combo fried rice, and egg rolls. It's enough for two people twice and if you order this and leave less than five stars then you must not like good food.
(5)
Tuna D.
I have to say that Royal China has some damn good dim sum and some damn bad service. It never fails each time I go to this place, how fuckin rude that Chinese woman is. She's annoyingly loud and she's fuckin prejudice. Ok I wont curse anymore but I just had to get that off my chest. Parking is limited and it's located on the strip of Veterans in Metairie not too far from Dorignac's. Cash and credit card is accepted. The best thing about this place is that it could be 9 o'clock at night and I could still get dim sum. Cant lie but their dim sum is good. The steam garlic ribs, the chicken feet(yeah i eat them-so what), the taro turnover cakes, and the awesome korean short ribs. Off the damn chain. But now that I hear from lotsa other people how rude she is--Im going to try to not go there since I live closer to a different alternative. However, if you like in Metaire and you want some dim sum...this is the place to go. The wait is never long and they are super fast--not to mention prejudice. ---I just want to laugh. Some of the reviewers sound like they are making excuses for the owner who is straight up rude and racist. If you spoke Cantonese and understood what she was saying, you'd think otherwise. I have to say the filipino waitress who has been working their longer than the others is starting to act like her too. The hispanic workers are all nice. Just because you're chinese, your daughter is smart and probably attended an ivy league college doesnt make you any better than us Ms. Shirley.
(3)
mel g.
my husband and i were planning to move to new orleans in 2008. when i found royal china in the New Orleans magazine i told my hubby that yes, we could indeed move to NO because there was dim sum available. ;) i LOVE dim sum. we moved here from San Francisco and that is a dim sum diner's delight! Royal China appears to be the only place in the NO area that serves dim sum 7 days a week. their dim sum is pretty good - not as good as my fave spot in SF (Yank Sing) but it definitely meets my dim sum cravings. They don't serve via carts - instead you order from the menu and each dish is brought out as it is prepared. everything you order is freshly cooked and comes to you steaming hot. they have a large dim sum menu and most of everything i've tried is good. their shu mei leaves a lot to be desired, as does their steamed and baked bbq pork buns (the bbq pork in both buns is delicious, but i find the dough to be not that good). their hot & sour soup is delicious, but you can only get a huge bowl of it; they don't serve it by the cup. the bowl is more than enough for 2-3 people and sometimes i'll get the big bowl at lunch and bring the rest home for dinner. i personally find that their non-dim sum items aren't that great. i've ordered a few dishes to take home and we really haven't enjoyed them. i rely on Royal China for dim sum and hot & sour soup and nothing else. the interior is classic chinese restaurant decor. it's a reasonably-sized place - not cavernous so the noise level doesn't get too bad. i've only been for lunch, though. when there is a wait for a table it's pretty short. one of the waitresses is absolutely lovely. the owner, shirley, runs hot and cold, leaning towards cold most of the time. i've been a regular there for two years now (i go about once a month) and she always treat me as a stranger. at other dim sum places in SF where i've been a regular the staff has always greeted me pleasantly and familiarly so her attitude is a little surprising. i guess she just really likes some people and treats others with cool politeness. overall, good spot to meet your dim sum and hot & sour soup needs!
(4)
John K.
worst chinese food I have ever had.... please note I am asian, but this place is absolutely disgusting (decor, food, and service).... the good: easy to find the bad: the place looked like a shack parking sucks (parked next door at the animal hospital) I have never been to a restaurant where they didn't have central air and heat..... they have window units throughout the restaurant..... the tables and chairs had food stains all over them (thinking they brought out the old tables and chairs from the House of Lee) service sucks (didn't get a napkin until I finished eating although I tried several times to flag down someone anyone to come help us) food is awful.... ordered the honey shrimp (the shrimp was way over fried, it hurt trying to bite into the shrimp) seafood something (it was so bad I forgot the name) orange chicken (again over fried) and an order of moo shoo beef (again nasty)...... this place is just awful all around..... and to say this is one of the better chinese restaurants in the New Orleans, says alot of the quality of chinese food in the metro area.... first thing on my mind as soon as we sat down was should I suggest we go to somewhere cleaner.... but family members said this is one the best in town.... and the whole place had this tacky decor of Harry Lee pictures throughout the place.... who cares, the man is dead, it's not liked he owned the place..... awful awful awful awful awful.... only thing I can think of that best describe the place...... although food, service, and prices sucked for the quality of food you get there, at least I enjoyed the company I was with.....
(1)
Laura N.
It is a small restaurant . Inside and outside of the restaurant is old and has a eeky feel to it. But other then that since the food is so good it make up for it. We usually order Dim sum that is usually on a menu that u have to request for. I have eaten alot of Dim sum in my life time and this place is pretty alright. Considering it there really any in New orleans. But we come here once every few month to get our fixing. When we come for dinner even though it look like a dump. This place get really pack and all the table are taken up. So that a sign that this place food is good. On the other hand directly across the street there King buffet and that place is always empty.
(4)
Catherine B.
Royal China is a friendly, casual restaurant, with very good service. The crab meat wonton appetizer was terrific, but the sesame chicken sauce was somewhat sour tasting. The pepper steak entree that my co-worker had was good, and the brown rice I had was delicious. The service was incredibly fast, and friendly. The restaurant was quite full, too, for a somewhat hard to spot storefront on Veterans Memorial. Overall, it was a good, affordable option for a dinner out.
(3)
Cindy A.
Royal China was recommended to me by a co-worker. I'm not usually a big fan of Chinese, but I wanted something different. The inside is very nice - not fancy schmancy, but warm and inviting. Our server was very nice and friendly and was kind enough to offer that sharing one large bowl of the best won-ton soup I've ever had was a much better deal than buying two small bowls. We had spring rolls, which though perfectly fine, were pretty run-of-the-mill. We also had cashew chicken and I'm giving it mixed reviews. Thumbs way up for very fresh veggies (which were not overcooked), and for a nice-sized portion. Thumbs down for lack of flavoring and so few cashews. It also came with a very small bowl of rice. We had to ask for more rice, but they were very accommodating and didn't not nickel and dime us on that one. It was a tad expensive, but not outrageous for getting fresh food, nice environment, great service and did I mention the fantastic wonton soup??? Overall, it was a great experience. I absolutely will go back and will try something different next time. Due to small signage, the building itself, even though it is on Vets, was difficult for to me find and. At first, I mistakenly went across Vets to the China Buffet place. I had to call Royal China for help.
(5)
Clarice J.
Mrs. June is the owner, she's always nice,and polite. I always get the shrimp sack which is loaded with flavor. Good,and fast service.
(2)
Michael K.
I don't understand why this gets a low rating in anyone's book. This is by far the best Chinese food in Metry, and certainly rivals Five Happiness if not equals. I'm a huge fan of both and my entire family (mother, father, sister, cousins) and friends have been eating at both restaurants for years. It is good for dine-in, family, date night, and take out, whether it is lunch or dinner. And very good re-heat for leftovers. I'm a huge fan of the hot and sour soup as well as the chicken lettuce wraps. My wife routinely gets the tofu with vegetables which has a nice sauce to it.
(4)
James G.
I picked up a to go order for lunch earlier this week- I got sweet-and-sour chicken, two orders of mixed rice and a egg drop soup. The sweet-and-sour chicken was atrocious, I actually felt sick after eating a few bites but assumed it was because I hadn't eaten much for the day. Later on I went back to the to go box and examined a few pieces of the chicken and it was entirely breading and fried matter, i'm not exaggerating when I say the pieces of chicken inside the fried matter were literally the size of half of a dime or less, in each piece. Also, When I picked up the order (which was ready when I walked in, 10 minutes after calling) a woman (who I assume is the owner based upon photos of her on the wall with local celebrities), handed me my order and took my credit card , she then spent about three minutes casually talking with someone dining in the restaurant while I just sat there with my food waiting for my credit card to come back. This was occurring 2 feet from where you stand so I was just standing there looking at them talking, waiting.... not a big deal but I thought it was kind of rude. I won't be going back to Royal China nor picking up to go again. Five happiness is still the best in my book.
(1)
Wayne R.
The food and service at Royal China is top notch! I would definitely rank them above both 5 Happiness (NO) and Trey Yuen (Mandeville). I have yet to try a dish and not like it, and I have been working my way through the menu. One of the best things you can do is to order several different selections from the dim sum menu. (Try the paper shrimp.) In addition to the quality of the food, the quantity is also great. I can't finish an entree, and my two hungry sons always have fried rice for the next day. Royal China rocks.
(5)
Jeremy J.
Not sure why there are low reviews for this place. Number one: Ask for the Dim Sum menu. Choose a couple big dishes on the main menu to split (Shrimp Fried Rice is excellent), and order a bunch of Dim Sum. The staff is always courteous and nice. This is the best Chinese in New Orleans. Just hop out of your hipster shell and get out to Metairie. You will need something other than a bike to get here.
(5)
ME C.
Once was enough in August 2012. Dark, dirty and the woman at next table kicked off her shoes and crossed her legs under her so I got to see the bottom of her filthy foot. No " to go" box for me, just let me go, plus I couldn't identify the crap anyway.
(1)
Reggie S.
The lunch buffet is a value, but don't overlook ordering from the menu. I've always enjoyed what I've ordered from the kitchen. The staff is very friendly. Parking can be a little difficult at peak times, but otherwise easy to get to. Dining room could do with an update, but is certainly accommodating. Nice crowd.
(4)
Eliza T.
BAD BAD BAD. Do not come here for Dim Sum!!! I've been eating dim sum or the last 30 years all on three different continents and Royal China's isn't what dim sum is supposed to taste like! All the dumplings (har gow and other steamed dumplings...tried 3 different kinds) covering have firm texture and starchy taste = NOT adjectives desired on any dumplings! Spicy squid: Over cooked chewy squid that is NOT spicy...and the stir fry "liquid" is starchy! Stuffed eggplant: flavor is ok, but again, the sauce is starchy tasting. Seems like the cook believes that cornstarch is miracle fairy dust or something because almost every dish had the same problem!!! One star for friendly service. One star for the fried taro balls, which are actually tasty (if a bit greasy)...but are way overpriced at $4.95 for two balls per order. I really hope the other dim sum place in New Orleans have better food to offer because this dim sum made me sad and homesick! :(
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Divey Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Steve S.
Best Chinese I have had in New Orleans without a doubt, the only other place I've been to that can give Royal China a run for its money is Mings, and the two places are pretty different from each other style wise anyway. The baby Bok choy with scallops is always my go-to, followed by the spicy squid. The noodles with clams are excellent too!
(4)Laurie L.
The best Chinese food in New Orleans. All the people " in the know" eat here. It's not unusual to see chefs and restaurateurs dining here.
(5)Free S.
This is the best Chinese restaurant in the city and beyond In fact it beats the NYC and San Francisco restaurants. All dishes are freshly prepared with fresh ingredients. What further separates this restaurant from all others are the amazing sauces. Each dish will have it's own unique sauce whether it's seafood, chicken, beef or vegetables offering. In addition the Dim Sum is also freshly prepared to superior standards. Very friendly staff with Shirley the owner there to assist you.
(5)Jerry L.
One of the little secret places for Chinese Food in metro are of Metairie, La. This was one of Harry Lee's (local sheriff now deceased) favorite spots as well as several local news TV celebrities. Some of my favorite items here are: the shrimp fried rice, bbq pork ribs, marinated beef short ribs and the Hawaiian Delight. The latter is a half of fresh pineapple carved out and stuffed with veggies, chicken, beef, shrimp and chunks of pineapple that were carved out. Absolutely unique and exceptionally delicious. This is one of the very few places that features Dim Sum on a separate menu upon request.
(4)Natasha M.
I've found my new happy place! Hadn't had dimsum since moving to NOLA 2 years ago so hubby (who's a native) brought us here. Restaurant interior hadn't been updated since the 80's (it seemed like) and the place smelled of commercial air freshener, w/c didn't appeal to me very much. But the food! It was just wonderful. We ordered the yang chow fried rice and hot and sour soup to go with the dimsum. Both were very good, especially the soup. Yum! As for the dimsum, we got the pork and shrimp shiu mai, beef shiu mai, shrimp toast, stuffed bean curd, chicken feet and the spicy squid. The bean curd was fantastic, as was the squid dish. Shiu mai was delicious and fresh, the chicken feet were seasoned very well although I am used to the really tender-fall-off-the-bone variety. Altogether, even with a growing 15 year old boy, we had more than enough food and took the rest of the fried rice to go. The bill came out to only $54 which was a rather pleasant surprise. I would definitely come here again, have more of that hot and sour soup, and try out the rest of the dimsum items on the menu.
(4)Peter N.
Was craving for dim sum on a Sunday morning, so a friend took us here to try it out. It's a hidden gem that not much people speak of.. but the locals know.. it gets packed quick. It seems like an old restaurant that haven't been up to date with renovations much, but the food is decent. We had the following: - Shrimp toast - pretty huge and tasty - Fried chicken dumpling - first time having deep fried dumpling, had a hard texture, not bad - Taro cake - taste same as many other dim sum places - Spare ribs - nothing special, taste the same as many other places - Chicken feet - tender and flavorful - Siu Mai - decent, nothing to rave about Overall, its not bad for dim sum, I would probably come back if I crave for dim sum.
(3)Huong H.
Probably the best dim sum! Everything so fresh! Love every ingredient! Staffs are so welcoming and very family like!
(5)Momo B.
DIM SUM LOUISIANA STYLE After weeks of corresponding, this lunch marked our very first get together with New Orleans' very own Yelper Rice B. and her significant other. Har Kow... excellent size Crabmeat Shiu Mai... most unique Stuffed Bean Curd Shrimp... Momo's fav Shrimp Rice Noodke... authentic with big shrimps Pork and Shrimp Shui Mai... meal in themselves Spicy Beef Tripe... so tasty ! White Carrot Cake... good for the porcelain complexion Fried Stuffed Eggplant Shrimp... perhaps the highlight dish Baked Pork Bun... surprisingly filling Singapore Noodle... curry flavored with big shrimps BTW.... Owner Shirley Lee was most hospitable by spending time at our table to share some laughs, and as a local custom "lagniappe," she served us some fresh made delicious beignets. !.. watch out Cafe Du Mode. We were the first to arrive for lunch and the last to leave. Thanks Rice B. for the great time. Oh ! One more thing... Ms Shirley Lee lunch buffet is the real deal.
(4)Brian K.
I asked my friend Mr. Chang where to find good dumplings in Metairie and he recommended Royal China. Arrived to discover a Dim Sum menu! (You might have to ask for it if its past lunchtime). Many delicious selections and fried rice is best around. By far the best dumplings Ive found on the eastbank.
(5)Bil B.
On a recent trip to New Orleans, I had the misfortune of taking my family to this resturant on the evening of 3/26/15. Guess I must have gotten a bad piece of Salmon (sushimee) as I got food poisoning and missed out on the next 3 days of our coveted vacation. My kids were ok, so it was just the lack of proper sanitary practices that my physician stated, when we discussed my health issue. Many places will neglect the extra measures needed when handling raw meat products to ensure consistant quality. When I called Royal China Resturant to complain, I was placed on endless hold by a very rude lady. Please find some other place in the greater NOLA area for your sushi/sushimee.
(1)Hector G.
What a find. We have been looking for fresh and delicious Chinese food and now we found it. We had the dim sum for our first visit and it was as good as any we have had in San Francisco The soup dumplings were wonderful and they were delicate The shrimp toast was the best we have ever eaten. The pork and shrimp dumplings were very good. The fried crab claws were full of crab and shrimp. No filler. Great shrimp fried rice. The pork ribs in black bean sauce were delicious. The hostess and waitress were wonderful. Full of information.
(5)Haylee L.
Im new to the area and was looking for a place to replace my favorite spot back home. I ordered take out from here and when I went inside noticed it was very dated and dark. I ordered hot and sour soup, sesame chicken, and fried boneless chicken. These come with steamed rice only, had to pay extra for fried rice. Very large portions however I spent a lot of money on food I didn't really want to eat again later as leftovers. The sesame chicken was okay, my boyfriend didn't like it and said it tasted more like sweet and sour. The hot and sour soup smelled awful but it tasted okay. My fried boneless chicken was disappointing, not the usual flavorful light brown sauce I was used to, really had very little flavor at all. Overall it was okay but I won't be going back to pay as much money as I did for just okay food, $46 for two of us.
(2)Hai L.
I came here because I heard they had dimsum. It's not traditional dimsum that's pushed on a cart but it was good enough. All together I had a good time and it didn't damage my wallet too much.
(3)Iris T.
If you ask if they use MSG, you'll be told no. My allergic reaction says differently. Food is awesome if you don't react to MSG. Wish I could go back for more of their food!
(3)Mike C.
3.5 stars Royal China has been a solid choice for Chinese food for several years now; especially if you're not looking to spend an arm and a leg. I'd like to set the record straight and address a few reviews that stated that Ms. Shirley (the owner) is rude. I'll admit that she may speak a little too loud and a little too fast, but she's running a fast paced business that does just as much, if not more in take out service than it does for patrons who dine in. I have yet to hear her be rude and I have eaten here no less than a dozen times; not to mention all the take out I've picked up. I have yet to have a bad meal here or a bad meal that I picked up to bring home. I don't stray too far from the basics here so I haven't had a lot of items on the menu. As far as the soups are concerned, I've sampled them all and there are no real surprises here. Nothing bad mind you, just exactly what you would expect. They offer plenty of ingredients are can almost be a meal to themselves. For appetizers the egg rolls are hot, fresh and chock full of goodness; and their home made duck sauce brings it ti another level. Don't settle for the imitaion stuff in the packets, even if you are picking up food to go, Insist on the home made stuff. You can't go wrong with the marinated beef short ribs or the paper shrimp either. For entrees, I've tried a few of the "Chef's Suggestions" but these are moderately priced and don't really excel over the basic staple items. I prefer the basics and have enjoyed the Moo Goo Gai Pan, Mandarin Chicken, Marinated Beed Short Rib entree, combination egg foo young and garlic scallops to name a few. Just an FYI that all poultry dishes are white meat. For all you vegans out there, there are over 17 vegetable offerings, including tofu. If you're a fan of green leafy vegetables, you have to try the baby bok choy or the yo choy, which is a little leafier. Both are so savory. Now let's talk fired rice. I've sampled the pork, chicken and shrimp varieties and they are some of the best I've ever had. Flavorful and almost fluffy wihout being overly doused in oil. If you are getting fried rice to go, Royal China has managed to defy the laws of physics and cram what seems like a never ending supply of rice in each container. I'm just going to dismiss this as some sort of Chinese magic and enjoy this "asian lagniappe"! The real treat here is the dim sum menu. Having lived in Los Angeles and enjoyed dim sum in Chinatown for 7 straight years, I know my dim sum. While the staff here doesn't push the dim sum around from table to table in the cool stainless steel carts, they do offer what I'd say is some mighty fine dim sum. The shrimp hai gow (har kow), pork shumai, beef flat noodles, shrimp flat noodles and chinese broccoli are among my favorites and Royal China's version did not disappoint. The only reason I give this place 3.5 stars is that the service is a little lacking, especially if they are busy. It seems that they just can not keep up once there is a full house. The decor is also a little dated but the food makes up for this. All in all, it's good Chinese food at a good price.
(3)Brandon T.
This is a local frequent spot for most Chinese people. The other favorites in the area are Imperial Garden and Little Chinatown. Parking here is limited. Service is decent, but could be better. Environment is older and dated, but has that Chinese Restaurant feel. The dishes are good and you can order from the dim sum menu. They have a lunch buffet as well.
(4)Rick F.
This iconic ittle place, better known to loyal legions as "Miss Shirley's", with it's tiny parking lot and worn-out interior decor, is a perennial favorite. Luckily for my, I was warned ahead of first-visit to ignore the buffet and the regular menu; both of which are OK but pretty standard fare; and to ask for the "Dim Sum Menu". Dim Sum at Shirley's is unusual in that each item is prepared only on-order. Tip: Order a soup with fried noodles FIRST, because the waits for specialty items are variable and may be long. The larger soups are enough for two plus a takee-outee pint. No tourists here, just always packed with happy regulars. For some unfathomable reason, Shirley closes daily from around 2:00 until 5:00 PM. Maybe she just likes to see the folks lined up outside, waiting for re-openings. And, most of the waitstaff are Honduran Spainsh-speakers; go figure ! Don't miss this dear near-dive with its fresh dim-sum and unique kind of "chique".. Rick
(3)Tamia G.
As I said at check-in... "At 1st glance, kinda dingy, dark & in need of an HGTV makeover. Plus, the menus are badly stained & frayed. Hope the recommender is right..." The staff is super nice and this place has a family feel. There are several tables, some for large parties & equipped with "Lazy Susan's" as well. The table condiments look fresh & this place is actually cleaner than it seems at 1st glance. The atmosphere is fresh and cool and it smells like good food, vice bad grease. I came mid-week (Tuesday) and the place was more than half-full. It was abuzz with families enjoying one another and seemingly good Chinese food too! I waited with anticipation... I ordered the "Special Fried Rice" which includes chicken, pork and shrimp. $8.95. While awaiting my food, I noticed SEVERAL well-packed to-go bags & boxes being quickly shuffled from the kitchen to the front end. The portions...HUGE! Enough to feed 2-3 people -OR- just me, plus another big helping for lunch tomorrow! And thankfully, they didn't skimp on the shrimp (or pork or chicken). The meat & seafood were all stir fried quite nicely; tender & flavorful too. This would-be modest rice dish was nicely rounded out with fresh green & white onions & green peas and scrambled egg too. Overall, the food is great; the restaurant is roomy & clean; and, the staff is friendly & efficient. True, this spot is old & badly in need of TLC, but that's on par with every other New Orleans joint.
(4)Whitney H.
Love Ms Shirley and my girl Nancy !!! Best Chinese in the city ask for the dim sum menu!!!!!
(5)Andy S.
This is not your typical Chinese place. The food and service here is outstanding despite the unassuming appearance. Talk to your server about specials and save room for dessert. The bread pudding is a surprisingly good end to a Chinese meal.
(5)Laura F.
I recently just gave Chineese food a second chance. Scarred after years of watching family members eat mystery meat, the smallest shrimp I've ever seen, and clear gel-like sauces, Chineese food was a huge turn off for me. That being said, I have really only eaten and thoroughly enjoyed the basics here. The Chineese wonton soup, shrimp fried rice, and spring rolls were really good, made with quality shrimp and veggies. I found Shirley to be quite pleasant, she was nice to me and other diners seemed to enjoy seeing/speaking to her. All of the food was hot and fresh. The place could use an uplift, but I was not bothered at all by it's current state.
(4)Eric S.
Nice surprise going here, my wife has told me she was going to bring me here for a couple years. So we finally were around when we were looking for somewhere to eat and she remembered Royal China. So at first i nearly passed it up, i thought it was a shack or something but not a Chinese restaurant. As we walked in you could tell you were in the right place, they had the buffet as well as you can order off there menu. My wife decided to get the buffet but i wanted stuff off the menu. I ordered a Special Fried Rice to share and a subgum low mein. For appetizer i got some crab Rangoon, they were really good, i think they had real crab in it, very hot nearly burnt my tongue but i was impatient and very hungry. I had a few bites off my wifes plate as i waited for mine, i know its a no no but i was hungry and it looked really good. Didn't take long for my food, and wow it was allot, the rice was enough for four people and the noddle dish was enough for two people or a fat guy like me. I tasted the rice and i was great, lots of flavor but not over done or greasy tasted clean but really good. Then i tried my noodle dish, my wife was shocked i eat so much veggies, they were good. The meat was so tender and lots of flavor. I had to get 2 togo boxes since i had so much food leftover. while waiting i thought he was the owner, but i think a relative owned it, he is harry lee brother. He told us all kinds of info about Chinese culture, how he started and family stuff, He must have talked with us a good 20 mins, it was in between lunch and dinner so there wasn't anyone else in there. It was really nice of him to chat with us. When we left my wife and i both agreed we had a great time and look forward to going back and trying a bunch more stuff off there huge menu.
(4)G F.
Best Chinese food in New Orleans. Staff is always nice. Never had a bad meal or bad service!! Try the sister shell crab or the shrimp and asparagus. The tuna appetizer is another favorite. The food is always fresh and a lot of seafood and meat dishes. The owner is almost always there and the whole family works the kitchen. Dim sum menu is very large and all that I have had were great. The hot and sour soup is as good as I have had anywhere.
(5)Monique L.
I must echo Liz R's review: the roach motel/dirty water/disinfectant smell while you are trying to eat is a turnoff. The dim sum is hyped by locals as "authentic," but honestly, it wasn't that great. I had much better dim sum at the place next to Hong Kong market. At Royal China, I had the crab rangoon (which, as someone said below, is more like a cream cheese empanada). It did not have a homemade flavor but was adequate enough, I guess. Shrimp toast suffered from an overpowering coating of sesame seeds on top. Props for offering chile sauce. I saw a couple of Asian families seated next to us, noshing on what looked to be marinated and grilled pork chops. That looked to be a better bet. I won't initiate any future visits, though.
(2)Eleni F.
I'm not really a fan of American style Chinese food (such as sweet and sour chicken and other saucy sweet dishes) but my BF loves all Chinese food. Looks like Royal China might be a good compomise for us :) The outside looks like a shack but the inside is warn, but nice. And the menu is huge with dim sum and other things not typically found at other Chinese restaurants around town. We got the dragon dumplings (outstanding, but didnt arrive until after our main course), shrimp dumplings (not very flavorful, but the sauce was good), duck wrap *at the reccomendation of our server* (this was just plain weird)Mr. Brown's chicken (loaded with chicken, shredded veggies in a light sauce, not my favorite flavor but my BF liked it) and baked tofu with veggies and brown rice in a black bean sauce (the black bean sauce was kind of bland but the veggies and tofu made up for it, lots of bok choy, carrots, snow peas, peppers and broccoli and no freaky canned stuff like water chest nuts and baby carrots). The portions were gigantic, enough for at least 3-4 meals a peice. Prices were good when you considered the size of the entrees, and over all a good experiance. Lots of stuff on the menu I want to go back for.
(4)Godwin C.
What do you do if you have a dim sum craving and it's not Saturday or Sunday afternoon? In New Orleans, the answer is simple: go to Royal China. Sadly, no other Chinese restaurant in the city (at least that I know of) serves dim sum on the weekdays. FOOD: Middling authentic fare. Royal China has your standard duo of Chinese-cuisine-in-US-city selection of regular Americanized fare paired with more authentic items to choose from such as the dim sum plates. Since we were craving dim sum we pretty much ignored the Americanized food with the exception of one chicken dish that was decent enough but ultimately so forgettable that I've already forgotten the name of the plate. The dim sum had its ups and downs. On the one hand, it's clear that Royal China uses inferior product such as lower-grade dumpling skins and cheaper rice noodles. Whether it is because they can't afford the better ingredients or they simply think people won't be able to tell the difference, the result is that no matter how good the cooks prepare the food, they can never make it taste good enough to compete with dim sum in other cities with larger Asian populations and more dim sum houses. In a sense, Royal China is lucky that they basically only have themselves to compete with, and that people like myself would probably go eat their dim sum regardless of quality (as long as it wasn't, you know, vomit-inducing or anything) simply to satisfy cravings. On the other hand, the cooks actually show decent execution given what they have to start with. For example, while the shrimp dumplings may have inherently been a little thick given the quality of the skins, they were wrapped very well and stayed together well. They weren't over- or under-boiled as could easily happen with such delicate dim sum pieces so they maintained the perfect amount of moisture. The small squid plate we ordered was cooked to the perfect texture, with just the right amount of chewiness but still somehow maintaining softness. These weren't just one-time lucky breaks either, as we've basically had the same consistent quality execution on every visit, regardless of product quality. A bonus for all you loose-leaf tea fans: Royal China is all loose-leaf, and not just one type either! They had oolong, polei, chrysanthemum, jasmine, and a couple others that I can't remember. Now if only their tea pots weren't so obnoxiously poorly designed...I literally spilled half of each pot onto the table trying to pour for us. SERVICE: A giant middle finger to Western service norms. No uniforms. No assigned tables for servers. No standard methods for any procedure throughout the entire meal. All would be fine if it wasn't for the poor leading-by-example practices of the owner. For example: Their credit card swipe machine was down on a recent visit so they had to manually type in everything. In this age of identity theft, it is normal for people to be worried about having their entire credit card number written out on a ticket that they were going to keep. When I expressed my concern to the owner about this, she gave a wave of dismissal and said there was nothing she could do and that if I was worried I should just pay cash. Like somehow I WAS INCONVENIENCING HER when I asked about the issue. Seriously? Rick F, Miss Shirley may be very busy, but no amount of busy-ness covers up her inherent rudeness. No excuses. Sure, it's not all her fault, as Eastern serving practices are much different than in the West. You'll find a lot more curt, to-the-point, no-nonsense servers in Asian restaurants as opposed to American restaurants, simply because that's what they were used to growing up for service and they don't necessary understand right away the difference between the cultures in terms of food service. Miss Shirley's been here awhile now though. She should know better at this point. Fortunately you are right about the rest of her staff being friendly. AMBIENCE: Dingy but improving! The place clearly needs work, but they seem to be addressing the issues with the dining space. The walls had all been repainted since my last few visits, they had new tables and chairs, and they were in the process of redoing the floors. Unfortunately, they had only taken out the old carpet and had not yet put the new stuff in yet, so the floor was very sticky from the adhesive material left behind. Hopefully this will be completed by the next visit. OVERALL: Three stars with a bullet. If you absolutely must have dim sum during a weekday, Royal China will satisfy the desire as long as you aren't expecting top-notch cuisine. It's simple Chinese dim sum and simple Americanized Chinese lunch/dinner, nothing more and nothing less, but it'll get the job done. Just try to avoid the owner and your experience should end with at least a mild thumbs up.
(3)Shannon S.
They have a lot of things on the menu that many other local Chinese places don't such as some dim sum. The main draw for most local folks here seems to be their lunch buffet. They might possibly have one of the most unhealthy selections of food of any buffet in the area as the majority of things are all deep fried but they all taste really good. The egg rolls here are pretty fantastic and are chock full of huge chunks of goodness. They also have a great hot & sour soup which they unfortunately never have on the buffet (they only have egg drop and won ton soup on the buffet). They will often have shrimp or crawfish in the buffet selection and it usually seems there is almost always a spicy bean sauce as the base for one of the entrees. The menu has a lot of choices and is always is great option at dinner or if you don't want the buffet at lunch. The food tastes great but I do my best to eat the buffet rarely as you won't live to be very old if you eat it often.
(3)Allen G.
Awesome family run Chinese restaurant on the edge of Metairie. Great food with generous portions served by attentive and courteous staff. They get busy so show up before there is a huge dinner crowd. Most importantly, they serve the BEST Hot and Sour soup in the city, can't recommend it enough.
(4)Russell W.
I cannot believe this place only has an average of three stars. Wow. To me there are three category's of Chinese: cheap and edible (like mall Chinese), good Chinese ( like five happiness and changs) and the the best Chinese food ever (royal!!). We order mandarin chicken, combo fried rice, and egg rolls. It's enough for two people twice and if you order this and leave less than five stars then you must not like good food.
(5)Tuna D.
I have to say that Royal China has some damn good dim sum and some damn bad service. It never fails each time I go to this place, how fuckin rude that Chinese woman is. She's annoyingly loud and she's fuckin prejudice. Ok I wont curse anymore but I just had to get that off my chest. Parking is limited and it's located on the strip of Veterans in Metairie not too far from Dorignac's. Cash and credit card is accepted. The best thing about this place is that it could be 9 o'clock at night and I could still get dim sum. Cant lie but their dim sum is good. The steam garlic ribs, the chicken feet(yeah i eat them-so what), the taro turnover cakes, and the awesome korean short ribs. Off the damn chain. But now that I hear from lotsa other people how rude she is--Im going to try to not go there since I live closer to a different alternative. However, if you like in Metaire and you want some dim sum...this is the place to go. The wait is never long and they are super fast--not to mention prejudice. ---I just want to laugh. Some of the reviewers sound like they are making excuses for the owner who is straight up rude and racist. If you spoke Cantonese and understood what she was saying, you'd think otherwise. I have to say the filipino waitress who has been working their longer than the others is starting to act like her too. The hispanic workers are all nice. Just because you're chinese, your daughter is smart and probably attended an ivy league college doesnt make you any better than us Ms. Shirley.
(3)mel g.
my husband and i were planning to move to new orleans in 2008. when i found royal china in the New Orleans magazine i told my hubby that yes, we could indeed move to NO because there was dim sum available. ;) i LOVE dim sum. we moved here from San Francisco and that is a dim sum diner's delight! Royal China appears to be the only place in the NO area that serves dim sum 7 days a week. their dim sum is pretty good - not as good as my fave spot in SF (Yank Sing) but it definitely meets my dim sum cravings. They don't serve via carts - instead you order from the menu and each dish is brought out as it is prepared. everything you order is freshly cooked and comes to you steaming hot. they have a large dim sum menu and most of everything i've tried is good. their shu mei leaves a lot to be desired, as does their steamed and baked bbq pork buns (the bbq pork in both buns is delicious, but i find the dough to be not that good). their hot & sour soup is delicious, but you can only get a huge bowl of it; they don't serve it by the cup. the bowl is more than enough for 2-3 people and sometimes i'll get the big bowl at lunch and bring the rest home for dinner. i personally find that their non-dim sum items aren't that great. i've ordered a few dishes to take home and we really haven't enjoyed them. i rely on Royal China for dim sum and hot & sour soup and nothing else. the interior is classic chinese restaurant decor. it's a reasonably-sized place - not cavernous so the noise level doesn't get too bad. i've only been for lunch, though. when there is a wait for a table it's pretty short. one of the waitresses is absolutely lovely. the owner, shirley, runs hot and cold, leaning towards cold most of the time. i've been a regular there for two years now (i go about once a month) and she always treat me as a stranger. at other dim sum places in SF where i've been a regular the staff has always greeted me pleasantly and familiarly so her attitude is a little surprising. i guess she just really likes some people and treats others with cool politeness. overall, good spot to meet your dim sum and hot & sour soup needs!
(4)John K.
worst chinese food I have ever had.... please note I am asian, but this place is absolutely disgusting (decor, food, and service).... the good: easy to find the bad: the place looked like a shack parking sucks (parked next door at the animal hospital) I have never been to a restaurant where they didn't have central air and heat..... they have window units throughout the restaurant..... the tables and chairs had food stains all over them (thinking they brought out the old tables and chairs from the House of Lee) service sucks (didn't get a napkin until I finished eating although I tried several times to flag down someone anyone to come help us) food is awful.... ordered the honey shrimp (the shrimp was way over fried, it hurt trying to bite into the shrimp) seafood something (it was so bad I forgot the name) orange chicken (again over fried) and an order of moo shoo beef (again nasty)...... this place is just awful all around..... and to say this is one of the better chinese restaurants in the New Orleans, says alot of the quality of chinese food in the metro area.... first thing on my mind as soon as we sat down was should I suggest we go to somewhere cleaner.... but family members said this is one the best in town.... and the whole place had this tacky decor of Harry Lee pictures throughout the place.... who cares, the man is dead, it's not liked he owned the place..... awful awful awful awful awful.... only thing I can think of that best describe the place...... although food, service, and prices sucked for the quality of food you get there, at least I enjoyed the company I was with.....
(1)Laura N.
It is a small restaurant . Inside and outside of the restaurant is old and has a eeky feel to it. But other then that since the food is so good it make up for it. We usually order Dim sum that is usually on a menu that u have to request for. I have eaten alot of Dim sum in my life time and this place is pretty alright. Considering it there really any in New orleans. But we come here once every few month to get our fixing. When we come for dinner even though it look like a dump. This place get really pack and all the table are taken up. So that a sign that this place food is good. On the other hand directly across the street there King buffet and that place is always empty.
(4)Catherine B.
Royal China is a friendly, casual restaurant, with very good service. The crab meat wonton appetizer was terrific, but the sesame chicken sauce was somewhat sour tasting. The pepper steak entree that my co-worker had was good, and the brown rice I had was delicious. The service was incredibly fast, and friendly. The restaurant was quite full, too, for a somewhat hard to spot storefront on Veterans Memorial. Overall, it was a good, affordable option for a dinner out.
(3)Cindy A.
Royal China was recommended to me by a co-worker. I'm not usually a big fan of Chinese, but I wanted something different. The inside is very nice - not fancy schmancy, but warm and inviting. Our server was very nice and friendly and was kind enough to offer that sharing one large bowl of the best won-ton soup I've ever had was a much better deal than buying two small bowls. We had spring rolls, which though perfectly fine, were pretty run-of-the-mill. We also had cashew chicken and I'm giving it mixed reviews. Thumbs way up for very fresh veggies (which were not overcooked), and for a nice-sized portion. Thumbs down for lack of flavoring and so few cashews. It also came with a very small bowl of rice. We had to ask for more rice, but they were very accommodating and didn't not nickel and dime us on that one. It was a tad expensive, but not outrageous for getting fresh food, nice environment, great service and did I mention the fantastic wonton soup??? Overall, it was a great experience. I absolutely will go back and will try something different next time. Due to small signage, the building itself, even though it is on Vets, was difficult for to me find and. At first, I mistakenly went across Vets to the China Buffet place. I had to call Royal China for help.
(5)Clarice J.
Mrs. June is the owner, she's always nice,and polite. I always get the shrimp sack which is loaded with flavor. Good,and fast service.
(2)Michael K.
I don't understand why this gets a low rating in anyone's book. This is by far the best Chinese food in Metry, and certainly rivals Five Happiness if not equals. I'm a huge fan of both and my entire family (mother, father, sister, cousins) and friends have been eating at both restaurants for years. It is good for dine-in, family, date night, and take out, whether it is lunch or dinner. And very good re-heat for leftovers. I'm a huge fan of the hot and sour soup as well as the chicken lettuce wraps. My wife routinely gets the tofu with vegetables which has a nice sauce to it.
(4)James G.
I picked up a to go order for lunch earlier this week- I got sweet-and-sour chicken, two orders of mixed rice and a egg drop soup. The sweet-and-sour chicken was atrocious, I actually felt sick after eating a few bites but assumed it was because I hadn't eaten much for the day. Later on I went back to the to go box and examined a few pieces of the chicken and it was entirely breading and fried matter, i'm not exaggerating when I say the pieces of chicken inside the fried matter were literally the size of half of a dime or less, in each piece. Also, When I picked up the order (which was ready when I walked in, 10 minutes after calling) a woman (who I assume is the owner based upon photos of her on the wall with local celebrities), handed me my order and took my credit card , she then spent about three minutes casually talking with someone dining in the restaurant while I just sat there with my food waiting for my credit card to come back. This was occurring 2 feet from where you stand so I was just standing there looking at them talking, waiting.... not a big deal but I thought it was kind of rude. I won't be going back to Royal China nor picking up to go again. Five happiness is still the best in my book.
(1)Wayne R.
The food and service at Royal China is top notch! I would definitely rank them above both 5 Happiness (NO) and Trey Yuen (Mandeville). I have yet to try a dish and not like it, and I have been working my way through the menu. One of the best things you can do is to order several different selections from the dim sum menu. (Try the paper shrimp.) In addition to the quality of the food, the quantity is also great. I can't finish an entree, and my two hungry sons always have fried rice for the next day. Royal China rocks.
(5)Jeremy J.
Not sure why there are low reviews for this place. Number one: Ask for the Dim Sum menu. Choose a couple big dishes on the main menu to split (Shrimp Fried Rice is excellent), and order a bunch of Dim Sum. The staff is always courteous and nice. This is the best Chinese in New Orleans. Just hop out of your hipster shell and get out to Metairie. You will need something other than a bike to get here.
(5)ME C.
Once was enough in August 2012. Dark, dirty and the woman at next table kicked off her shoes and crossed her legs under her so I got to see the bottom of her filthy foot. No " to go" box for me, just let me go, plus I couldn't identify the crap anyway.
(1)Reggie S.
The lunch buffet is a value, but don't overlook ordering from the menu. I've always enjoyed what I've ordered from the kitchen. The staff is very friendly. Parking can be a little difficult at peak times, but otherwise easy to get to. Dining room could do with an update, but is certainly accommodating. Nice crowd.
(4)Eliza T.
BAD BAD BAD. Do not come here for Dim Sum!!! I've been eating dim sum or the last 30 years all on three different continents and Royal China's isn't what dim sum is supposed to taste like! All the dumplings (har gow and other steamed dumplings...tried 3 different kinds) covering have firm texture and starchy taste = NOT adjectives desired on any dumplings! Spicy squid: Over cooked chewy squid that is NOT spicy...and the stir fry "liquid" is starchy! Stuffed eggplant: flavor is ok, but again, the sauce is starchy tasting. Seems like the cook believes that cornstarch is miracle fairy dust or something because almost every dish had the same problem!!! One star for friendly service. One star for the fried taro balls, which are actually tasty (if a bit greasy)...but are way overpriced at $4.95 for two balls per order. I really hope the other dim sum place in New Orleans have better food to offer because this dim sum made me sad and homesick! :(
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