Chinese Imperial Inn
11042 Reading Rd, Cincinnati, OH, 45241
Chinese Imperial Inn Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Cincinnati for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Cincinnati for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Cincinnati for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
11042 Reading Rd
Cincinnati, OH, 45241 - Phone (513) 563-6888
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Opening Hours
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Divey, Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
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.
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Trinh T.
my family and I have been coming here for years. they are family owned and operated which makes it more appealing for me to go here. I like to support smaller businesses and they are definitely one of my favorite places for the most authentic Chinese food around this area. some of my favorites are the lobster, crabs, and tofu. of course, everything is delicious so if you get a chance try everything! it is a very small space but so cozy. their service is excellent and I have never been disappointed the many years I have come here!
(4)Mike S.
Well, this restaurant really was a pleasant surprise! A group of eight of us stopped in for lunch today and were able to be seated immediately. While the service overall was a little slow, no one complained as the quality and quantity of food offered compensated well. We tried the jellyfish appetizer (surprisingly not too bad), had rounds of soup and very large meals. The Ma Po Tofu was quite good. They don't take Amex so make sure you have cash/other cards. This will make the lunch rotation again!
(4)Raven J.
First: the food is great: let that be clear. I've been here a lot and this is what seems to be consistent: 1) they are VERY understaffed. If you're coming for lunch prepare at for more than 1hr. UNLESS 2) you are ordering from the Chinese menu with a large party of other Chinese people. I hate to pull the race card, but they openly discriminate. I've watched time and time again as their food comes out in 2,3,4 phases before you even get soup. But hey... The food is worth the wait, but maybe not the frustration.
(3)Matthew A.
This place is easy to overlook because the building is tucked away in the small town. I always get carry out from this place because the portions are ample and the egg rolls are HUGE and delicious. I have never been disappointed.
(4)Krystal U.
This Chinese restaurant is the best! My grandparents have been eating here for years. Even when the management changed. They know the owners an servers by name and always says hi. Imperial inn has the BEST chicken fried rice. I have yet to find a Chinese restaurant that has better chicken fried rice. And they are fairly cheap. The chicken fried rice I get I usually take home most of it and get two more meals out of it. Plus me and my 6 relatives go there and never spend more than $50 AND we always have leftovers to spare. It's a great place and very yummy! I go see my grandparents just to go here.
(5)Jake W.
Ordered takeout, got the best Chinese I've had. Chicken fried rice and steamed flounder filet(whole fish available) from the specials menu. The chicken fried rice was pretty big(ordered a large) and there was a pretty good helping of flounder( could barely finish it and I was hungry!). The total price was under 20 and included a big carton of rice. All food was nice and hot and cooked quickly. Interior is quaint but not dirty or unappealing to me. I will certainly be back soon to try the dim sum!
(4)Eddie A.
Best egg roll ever!!!!!!! I have had many dishes and all are fantastic. Plus you can also order some crazy seafood dishes. Great takeout but also nice place to eat in. Not your typical takeout place.
(5)Greg S.
I have lived within a couple of miles of this place for nine years. I have driven by it literally hundreds of times. I have eaten at The Blue Goose next door at least a dozen times. I knew it was there. I finally stopped in when I saw it on-line on enjoymenu.com , an on-line ordering site, which showed pick-up and delivery was available. I ordered from the extensive dinner menu, and headed out for my pick-up. Since the verification notice did not include any particulars, I called to verify the restaurant received it. They had not. I was told they have no on-line presence at all. Hmmm.... I placed my order the old fashioned way. CII serves dim sum, but apparently only on the weekends and at lunch. Even so, they have the greatest selection of items I have seen in a long, long time. I understand this is a favorite of the Asian locals. That's always a good sign. They have a fresh fish tank in the back, which says a lot. I ordered the Hot & Sour Seafood Soup, Chicken Egg Drop Soup, Fried Won Tons (8), Chicken and Green Beans, and Chinese Eggplant in Garlic Sauce. The last two come with Steamed Rice. I was told 20 minutes, and when I arrived 20 minutes later - it was ready. The young lady was very friendly, and seemed appreciative when I showed her where the on-line menu could be found. She apologized as some prices had gone up from what the website said (by about 8% or so). The food was well packed, remained hot during the 20 minute ride home, and was found to be as follows: The Won Tons (8 in an order) followed the latest trend of being wrapped up like Tortellini, and the same small size. It seems that the days of the little handkerchief fold, homemade Won Tons are gone. Except when I make them at home. They were overcooked, and a little bit hard and chewy. The accompanying Sweet & Sour sauce was pretty good though. I wouldn't order them again. I liked the Hot & Sour Seafood Soup for its flavor, but it wasn't very spicy, at least not to me. Not too much Seafood in there, and for the price difference from regular H&S Soup, I don't think it was worth it. The Chicken Egg Drop Soup was pretty good. No complaints there. I enjoyed the Chicken and Green Beans quite a bit, but I will ask for either the garlic sauce or some extra spice in there next time. It needed just a little something extra. The chicken was sliced all-white chicken breast, and I found it to be very tender. The green beans were sautéed perfectly. A 4.5 out of 5 dish. Lastly, the Chinese Eggplant in Garlic Sauce cold have used a touch of heat, or a little more garlic in the sauce, too. The accompanying vegetables were nicely cooked, and the eggplant was excellent. Soft, yet firm enough to be easily grasped by a set of chopsticks. I would say another 4.5 out of 5 dish. I was given an entire large container of steamed rice. There must have been 2 pounds of it in there. And it was - well - rice. Oh, and it was steamed. Overall a reasonable experience. A little hit, a little miss. I would give it a 3.5/5, if I could, so I'll bump it up on good faith to a 4. I will definitely return though, if nothing else to try some of the more unusual items on the dinner menu, such as the Jellyfish in Sesame Oil, Fish Belly or Clam & Winter Melon Soup, Blue or Dungeness Crab, Manila Clams, Lobster, Shrimp w/Ginger, Sautéed Frog or Seafood Casserole - Yum. Perhaps the Shrimp, Scallops and Squid in Garlic Sauce? Hmmmmm.....
(4)Kelly G.
Was told they would deliver within 10 mile radius. We live 3 miles away. Called after gathering order and was told we were outside delivery area. Haven't tried the food so this is only a service review, but the only reason I eat Chinese is when it's delivered. Looks like I'm out of ruck.
(2)K R.
First night in Cincinnati, we came here based on reviews. Egg roll was decent, wonton soup ok - not great, and food was edible (barely)but not good. We were the only people in the restaurant, which should have been an indication. Decor and restaurant were not very clean. Worst part of the evening was the worker who was coughing and sneezing everywhere (luckily not our waitress) but listening to it and seeing her wipe her nose was enough to put me off my food.
(1)Steve M.
This is another one of the small restaurants that I love to go to! The seafood is fresh and they have water tanks of crabs in the back (although they are a little filled to the brim). Although the service is a little bit slow, it still gives off that "family" feeling. The egg rolls are delightful, the egg drop soup is awesome, and the Hunan Shrimp is superb. Whats really cool is back in the day (summer '04/'05), When I used to work at Jungle Jims, I ran into the front server/host of the Chinese Imperial Inn! -Steve-
(4)Liz A.
i am on a dim sum quest lately. when i lived in new york, i ate dim sum practically every sunday at the best (and cheapest) places in chinatown and flushing. cart after cart of glistening dumplings and wobbly buns and wiggly jellyfish rolled by and you could eat to your heart's content for like $10. it was awesome. here in cincinnati good dim sum is hard to find. i have tried grand oriental, king wok, and casual wok and found them all acceptable but nothing amazing, and also more expensive than i would like. today i went out to chinese imperial inn in sharonville with some friends and we tried our luck there. the dim sum was good. not awesome but good. no carts so if that is what you need for a satisfying dim sum experience, you might be a little disappointed. however, it was better than a lot of other local dim sum and the best part was that it was cheap as hell. there were six of us and we ordered about 20 dishes to start, plus 2 kinds of tea (they have chrysanthemum tea which i love) and then 5 more dishes, and the total bill including tax was only $52. that is dirt cheap. service was very friendly and helpful (they explained certain dishes to us and also brought us lots of water, which can be hard to get at dim sum). parking is easy. the place is basic but clean. i definitely recommend it.
(4)Kevin B.
After all this time, I think I finally found the Chinese restaurant I've been looking for. It's cheap, it's good, and the servings are huge. As you first enter, we are seated and given a tea pot and two cups. The tea is free so feel free to start drinking it all you want. I'm not a big fan of tea, but it is pretty weak so it tasted fine to me. They also give you chopsticks, but don't worry, a fork, knife, and spoon are on the way. They have the americanized Chinese menu plus a dim sum menu. I ordered the General Tsao's chicken which came with fried rice, an egg roll, soup, and 7 pieces of broccoli all for 6 dollars. Did I mention this is cheap...and the portion is huge. I got the wonton soup. It had two wontons which tasted fine, but the wontons were the only thing in the broth, still good though. The chicken is all white meat and tastes good. The sauce was sweeter than i expected from general tsao's. There is a small spice to it but not really noticeable. They do have a jar of hot oil that you can add to put a little more spice in your chicken. They give what seems like 2 cups of fried rice on the plate plus a fat egg roll. Btw, I did find some bits of shrimp in the egg roll so if you don't do shellfish, you have been warned. So it seems I found my spot for cheap Chinese food, but I'll keep looking around. So in summary, its cheap, its good, and they give you a lot of food. Come for lunch.
(4)Kara C.
I have been going to this restaurant since I was very little. I used to call it "The Low Ceiling Chinese Restaurant" because of its size. My family, to this day, still refers to it as that. It is a small, family-owned business with great food and service. I always start with a bowl of egg drop soup and sometimes want another because it is so good, especially with the crunchy noodle things they bring to the table. Their beef teriyaki appetizer is also delicious and never disappoints. I am quite the picky eater so I have not ventured far from my usual order but my family has tried a variety and loved it. Their portion sizes are generous and food is served on a lazy susan in the middle of the table so everyone can share. There are tanks in the back full of living sea creatures (the type you eat) that are very disconcerting to me. I have never ordered seafood here because I do not like the idea of eating something that is killed immediately before (I know it doesn't make sense). I also feel that the tanks are overcrowded and they are sad sea creatures. Now that I'm done hugging a tree...the service is always friendly and helpful. This place isn't fancy but it is clean and has a lot of charm. They serve pop in the can with a glass of ice; for some reason I like that. I highly recommend Chinese Imperial Inn!
(4)Keith W.
Very good Americanized Chinese food And on a side not they seem to have two menus One for the fat Americans -- me :) One for the Engrish crowd
(4)Jessica B.
The food is great and cheap, especially for lunch. You get a huge amount of food and a giant eggroll for $5.00. You can also get a big container of fried rice for about $3.00. The quality of the food and the prices are great. They also have very authentic Chinese food, which is also really great. This place should be for carry-out only, though. The inside is very unappealing and seems pretty dirty. You have to forgive that though for the quality of the food - it's very surprising. Go here for lunch!
(4)Shay T.
It's is very good. I have been there many times. I'm very fond of the rock salt chicken there. Yummy.
(5)Andrea C.
This place was amazing. We were served hot tea with our meal which was an added bonus! My mom and I split the orange chicken entree and it was plenty of food for two people. Our bill was $8.50. You can't beat it!!
(5)Good Eats S.
We drove down from Dayton on the basis of an incredible review in Cincinnati magazine---methinks the reviewer was smoking something. Exterior dark, dirty and off-putting, but I was hopeful when I saw we were the only Caucasians in a fairly fully restaurant. Hey, when people who should know Chinese food are piling in---it's gotta be right, yeah? Interior unprepossessing---but DH says the places with the dirtiest bathrooms have the best food. (He later used the facilities and told me under no circumstances to go in there or I would be UNHAPPY!) We stood for about five minutes by the door, and when no appeared to seat us, we finally selected our own table. After another four or five, a server appeared. We ended up calling her "The Angry Waitress". Not that she was bad---but she did not exude any kind of warmth, didn't make eye contact, uttered about 5 words to us thru-out the whole meal---but service was fairly brisk and no one dropped a plate in our lap, and I also can't stand those big-smile servers who practically become your best friends. (Hi, I'm Mitzi and I'll be serving you tonight---let's be BFFs!) The roast pork wonton soup was recommended and that's what I got---the broth was delicious. The wonton skins were way thicker then I was used to--didn't care for that, but the soup part was YUM! DH said he would have ordered if he had known would not have the layer of grease that shimmers on the wonton soup at our favorite Dayton Asian eatery. DH had been hungering for the Mongolian Chicken that was tantalizingly described in the Cinci Mag article but it was not on the menu---so he ordered Hunan Chicken--extra spicy. I ordered the Twice Cooked Pork. And they were both...okay. Just a trace of spiciness, not the tongue tingling firecracker Cinci Mag promised. Nothing drool-worthy, nothing to take notes about, and nothing for which we would have driven 40 minutes. We ate, got checked out by a ten year who would have cost the restaurant about $30 if the customers had not been honest, and left. So, we had a bit of adventure---woo-hoo, road trip to Cinci---and went home. I have traveled Taiwan, Korea, et.al ...I have had incredible Asian Chinese food and I have had American Chinese and this was average American Chinese for the most part---but boy, that [ork broth in the wonton soup was good. And they did give you a free pot of tea and friend wonton skins to snack on, which was very nice. And prices were quite reasonable. So...I am sure it is a great place for folks who live within 5 or 10 minutes.
(2)Jennifer N.
This restaurant is a runner up to my favorite Chinese restaurant in Cincy. The seafood is fresh and delicious, in particular, their fried fish. Service is a bit slow and the area is a bit sketch.
(4)Paulina T.
My family loves coming here for their authentic Chinese menu and their prices for their dishes. Everything is cooked with the right taste. Fish maw soup is a little too thick (heavy handed with cornstarch), but throw some red vinegar and white pepper and drink it down, all the flavors of the seafood soup will be mind blowing. We usually order a Chinese vegetable dish whatever they have available at the time. It usually is cooked in a garlic stir fry or steamed. We also usually get the steamed sea bass, steamed oysters, and rock salt pork chops. The steamed items are usually cooked just right, and steamed with ginger and garnished with cilantro. Rock salt pork chops come with a lot of meat, and fried to a good crisp, not too salty at all. Recently they changed their style of black bean clams, to a weird overly sweet dark thick sauce. My family was picky and couldn't eat any of the new black bean dishes with the new sauce. The new sauce isn't the authentic flavors that they had enjoyed in the past. Pros: staff is nice and attentive, majority of the time food is good, a great selection of dishes Cons: the new black bean sauce Overall, a very good place to get a Chinese style seafood dishes at a affordable price. Fresh ingredients and flavorful.
(4)Sarah C.
Cincinnati isn't really known for its irresistible, cheap, delicious Asian food, and definitely not Chinese food. Imperial Inn is pretty popular among the local Chinese community and really is a good central location for big family or group gatherings. It's your typical traditional Chinese dining locale in Sharonville. It's small but cozy, but it misses the mark on a few things. First, if you want to eat here for a quick bite, this isn't your place. Second, if you're looking for simple, authentic Chinese food, tbh you're not going to find it that easily here in Cincinnati. Third, if you're not that open minded and you're not Asian, this place definitely won't float your boat. It's good and the price point is decent. They are very heavy on the seafood, with lobster, shrimp, and boiled fish galore. I've never ordered anything for myself as an individual here, only been here several time for big group celebrations and remember that it's all family style. So if you don't like sharing, check out their other options, but be prepared to not be blown away.
(3)Yasushi F.
My Chinese friend and I ate dinner here tonight for the first time. And it was a pleasant surprise! It's a really authentic Chinese restaurant has got a stump of approval from a naive Chinese. The steam fish (flounder) with ginger I ordered was cooked to perfection. Braised tofu he ordered reminded me of the same dish I had in mainland China. This is a hole on the wall type of small establishment with basic service which of expected in advance. I will definitely return!
(5)帥翔
best food in cincinnati!#######################################Â##################################################Â##################
(5)Eddie A.
Best egg roll ever!!!!!!! I have had many dishes and all are fantastic. Plus you can also order some crazy seafood dishes. Great takeout but also nice place to eat in. Not your typical takeout place.
(5)K R.
First night in Cincinnati, we came here based on reviews. Egg roll was decent, wonton soup ok - not great, and food was edible (barely)but not good. We were the only people in the restaurant, which should have been an indication. Decor and restaurant were not very clean. Worst part of the evening was the worker who was coughing and sneezing everywhere (luckily not our waitress) but listening to it and seeing her wipe her nose was enough to put me off my food.
(1)Steve M.
This is another one of the small restaurants that I love to go to! The seafood is fresh and they have water tanks of crabs in the back (although they are a little filled to the brim). Although the service is a little bit slow, it still gives off that "family" feeling. The egg rolls are delightful, the egg drop soup is awesome, and the Hunan Shrimp is superb. Whats really cool is back in the day (summer '04/'05), When I used to work at Jungle Jims, I ran into the front server/host of the Chinese Imperial Inn! -Steve-
(4)Kevin B.
After all this time, I think I finally found the Chinese restaurant I've been looking for. It's cheap, it's good, and the servings are huge. As you first enter, we are seated and given a tea pot and two cups. The tea is free so feel free to start drinking it all you want. I'm not a big fan of tea, but it is pretty weak so it tasted fine to me. They also give you chopsticks, but don't worry, a fork, knife, and spoon are on the way. They have the americanized Chinese menu plus a dim sum menu. I ordered the General Tsao's chicken which came with fried rice, an egg roll, soup, and 7 pieces of broccoli all for 6 dollars. Did I mention this is cheap...and the portion is huge. I got the wonton soup. It had two wontons which tasted fine, but the wontons were the only thing in the broth, still good though. The chicken is all white meat and tastes good. The sauce was sweeter than i expected from general tsao's. There is a small spice to it but not really noticeable. They do have a jar of hot oil that you can add to put a little more spice in your chicken. They give what seems like 2 cups of fried rice on the plate plus a fat egg roll. Btw, I did find some bits of shrimp in the egg roll so if you don't do shellfish, you have been warned. So it seems I found my spot for cheap Chinese food, but I'll keep looking around. So in summary, its cheap, its good, and they give you a lot of food. Come for lunch.
(4)Kara C.
I have been going to this restaurant since I was very little. I used to call it "The Low Ceiling Chinese Restaurant" because of its size. My family, to this day, still refers to it as that. It is a small, family-owned business with great food and service. I always start with a bowl of egg drop soup and sometimes want another because it is so good, especially with the crunchy noodle things they bring to the table. Their beef teriyaki appetizer is also delicious and never disappoints. I am quite the picky eater so I have not ventured far from my usual order but my family has tried a variety and loved it. Their portion sizes are generous and food is served on a lazy susan in the middle of the table so everyone can share. There are tanks in the back full of living sea creatures (the type you eat) that are very disconcerting to me. I have never ordered seafood here because I do not like the idea of eating something that is killed immediately before (I know it doesn't make sense). I also feel that the tanks are overcrowded and they are sad sea creatures. Now that I'm done hugging a tree...the service is always friendly and helpful. This place isn't fancy but it is clean and has a lot of charm. They serve pop in the can with a glass of ice; for some reason I like that. I highly recommend Chinese Imperial Inn!
(4)Keith W.
Very good Americanized Chinese food And on a side not they seem to have two menus One for the fat Americans -- me :) One for the Engrish crowd
(4)Jessica B.
The food is great and cheap, especially for lunch. You get a huge amount of food and a giant eggroll for $5.00. You can also get a big container of fried rice for about $3.00. The quality of the food and the prices are great. They also have very authentic Chinese food, which is also really great. This place should be for carry-out only, though. The inside is very unappealing and seems pretty dirty. You have to forgive that though for the quality of the food - it's very surprising. Go here for lunch!
(4)Shay T.
It's is very good. I have been there many times. I'm very fond of the rock salt chicken there. Yummy.
(5)Andrea C.
This place was amazing. We were served hot tea with our meal which was an added bonus! My mom and I split the orange chicken entree and it was plenty of food for two people. Our bill was $8.50. You can't beat it!!
(5)Good Eats S.
We drove down from Dayton on the basis of an incredible review in Cincinnati magazine---methinks the reviewer was smoking something. Exterior dark, dirty and off-putting, but I was hopeful when I saw we were the only Caucasians in a fairly fully restaurant. Hey, when people who should know Chinese food are piling in---it's gotta be right, yeah? Interior unprepossessing---but DH says the places with the dirtiest bathrooms have the best food. (He later used the facilities and told me under no circumstances to go in there or I would be UNHAPPY!) We stood for about five minutes by the door, and when no appeared to seat us, we finally selected our own table. After another four or five, a server appeared. We ended up calling her "The Angry Waitress". Not that she was bad---but she did not exude any kind of warmth, didn't make eye contact, uttered about 5 words to us thru-out the whole meal---but service was fairly brisk and no one dropped a plate in our lap, and I also can't stand those big-smile servers who practically become your best friends. (Hi, I'm Mitzi and I'll be serving you tonight---let's be BFFs!) The roast pork wonton soup was recommended and that's what I got---the broth was delicious. The wonton skins were way thicker then I was used to--didn't care for that, but the soup part was YUM! DH said he would have ordered if he had known would not have the layer of grease that shimmers on the wonton soup at our favorite Dayton Asian eatery. DH had been hungering for the Mongolian Chicken that was tantalizingly described in the Cinci Mag article but it was not on the menu---so he ordered Hunan Chicken--extra spicy. I ordered the Twice Cooked Pork. And they were both...okay. Just a trace of spiciness, not the tongue tingling firecracker Cinci Mag promised. Nothing drool-worthy, nothing to take notes about, and nothing for which we would have driven 40 minutes. We ate, got checked out by a ten year who would have cost the restaurant about $30 if the customers had not been honest, and left. So, we had a bit of adventure---woo-hoo, road trip to Cinci---and went home. I have traveled Taiwan, Korea, et.al ...I have had incredible Asian Chinese food and I have had American Chinese and this was average American Chinese for the most part---but boy, that [ork broth in the wonton soup was good. And they did give you a free pot of tea and friend wonton skins to snack on, which was very nice. And prices were quite reasonable. So...I am sure it is a great place for folks who live within 5 or 10 minutes.
(2)Jennifer N.
This restaurant is a runner up to my favorite Chinese restaurant in Cincy. The seafood is fresh and delicious, in particular, their fried fish. Service is a bit slow and the area is a bit sketch.
(4)Liz A.
i am on a dim sum quest lately. when i lived in new york, i ate dim sum practically every sunday at the best (and cheapest) places in chinatown and flushing. cart after cart of glistening dumplings and wobbly buns and wiggly jellyfish rolled by and you could eat to your heart's content for like $10. it was awesome. here in cincinnati good dim sum is hard to find. i have tried grand oriental, king wok, and casual wok and found them all acceptable but nothing amazing, and also more expensive than i would like. today i went out to chinese imperial inn in sharonville with some friends and we tried our luck there. the dim sum was good. not awesome but good. no carts so if that is what you need for a satisfying dim sum experience, you might be a little disappointed. however, it was better than a lot of other local dim sum and the best part was that it was cheap as hell. there were six of us and we ordered about 20 dishes to start, plus 2 kinds of tea (they have chrysanthemum tea which i love) and then 5 more dishes, and the total bill including tax was only $52. that is dirt cheap. service was very friendly and helpful (they explained certain dishes to us and also brought us lots of water, which can be hard to get at dim sum). parking is easy. the place is basic but clean. i definitely recommend it.
(4)Trinh T.
my family and I have been coming here for years. they are family owned and operated which makes it more appealing for me to go here. I like to support smaller businesses and they are definitely one of my favorite places for the most authentic Chinese food around this area. some of my favorites are the lobster, crabs, and tofu. of course, everything is delicious so if you get a chance try everything! it is a very small space but so cozy. their service is excellent and I have never been disappointed the many years I have come here!
(4)Mike S.
Well, this restaurant really was a pleasant surprise! A group of eight of us stopped in for lunch today and were able to be seated immediately. While the service overall was a little slow, no one complained as the quality and quantity of food offered compensated well. We tried the jellyfish appetizer (surprisingly not too bad), had rounds of soup and very large meals. The Ma Po Tofu was quite good. They don't take Amex so make sure you have cash/other cards. This will make the lunch rotation again!
(4)Paulina T.
My family loves coming here for their authentic Chinese menu and their prices for their dishes. Everything is cooked with the right taste. Fish maw soup is a little too thick (heavy handed with cornstarch), but throw some red vinegar and white pepper and drink it down, all the flavors of the seafood soup will be mind blowing. We usually order a Chinese vegetable dish whatever they have available at the time. It usually is cooked in a garlic stir fry or steamed. We also usually get the steamed sea bass, steamed oysters, and rock salt pork chops. The steamed items are usually cooked just right, and steamed with ginger and garnished with cilantro. Rock salt pork chops come with a lot of meat, and fried to a good crisp, not too salty at all. Recently they changed their style of black bean clams, to a weird overly sweet dark thick sauce. My family was picky and couldn't eat any of the new black bean dishes with the new sauce. The new sauce isn't the authentic flavors that they had enjoyed in the past. Pros: staff is nice and attentive, majority of the time food is good, a great selection of dishes Cons: the new black bean sauce Overall, a very good place to get a Chinese style seafood dishes at a affordable price. Fresh ingredients and flavorful.
(4)Raven J.
First: the food is great: let that be clear. I've been here a lot and this is what seems to be consistent: 1) they are VERY understaffed. If you're coming for lunch prepare at for more than 1hr. UNLESS 2) you are ordering from the Chinese menu with a large party of other Chinese people. I hate to pull the race card, but they openly discriminate. I've watched time and time again as their food comes out in 2,3,4 phases before you even get soup. But hey... The food is worth the wait, but maybe not the frustration.
(3)Sarah C.
Cincinnati isn't really known for its irresistible, cheap, delicious Asian food, and definitely not Chinese food. Imperial Inn is pretty popular among the local Chinese community and really is a good central location for big family or group gatherings. It's your typical traditional Chinese dining locale in Sharonville. It's small but cozy, but it misses the mark on a few things. First, if you want to eat here for a quick bite, this isn't your place. Second, if you're looking for simple, authentic Chinese food, tbh you're not going to find it that easily here in Cincinnati. Third, if you're not that open minded and you're not Asian, this place definitely won't float your boat. It's good and the price point is decent. They are very heavy on the seafood, with lobster, shrimp, and boiled fish galore. I've never ordered anything for myself as an individual here, only been here several time for big group celebrations and remember that it's all family style. So if you don't like sharing, check out their other options, but be prepared to not be blown away.
(3)Yasushi F.
My Chinese friend and I ate dinner here tonight for the first time. And it was a pleasant surprise! It's a really authentic Chinese restaurant has got a stump of approval from a naive Chinese. The steam fish (flounder) with ginger I ordered was cooked to perfection. Braised tofu he ordered reminded me of the same dish I had in mainland China. This is a hole on the wall type of small establishment with basic service which of expected in advance. I will definitely return!
(5)帥翔
best food in cincinnati!#######################################Â##################################################Â##################
(5)Matthew A.
This place is easy to overlook because the building is tucked away in the small town. I always get carry out from this place because the portions are ample and the egg rolls are HUGE and delicious. I have never been disappointed.
(4)Krystal U.
This Chinese restaurant is the best! My grandparents have been eating here for years. Even when the management changed. They know the owners an servers by name and always says hi. Imperial inn has the BEST chicken fried rice. I have yet to find a Chinese restaurant that has better chicken fried rice. And they are fairly cheap. The chicken fried rice I get I usually take home most of it and get two more meals out of it. Plus me and my 6 relatives go there and never spend more than $50 AND we always have leftovers to spare. It's a great place and very yummy! I go see my grandparents just to go here.
(5)Jake W.
Ordered takeout, got the best Chinese I've had. Chicken fried rice and steamed flounder filet(whole fish available) from the specials menu. The chicken fried rice was pretty big(ordered a large) and there was a pretty good helping of flounder( could barely finish it and I was hungry!). The total price was under 20 and included a big carton of rice. All food was nice and hot and cooked quickly. Interior is quaint but not dirty or unappealing to me. I will certainly be back soon to try the dim sum!
(4)Greg S.
I have lived within a couple of miles of this place for nine years. I have driven by it literally hundreds of times. I have eaten at The Blue Goose next door at least a dozen times. I knew it was there. I finally stopped in when I saw it on-line on enjoymenu.com , an on-line ordering site, which showed pick-up and delivery was available. I ordered from the extensive dinner menu, and headed out for my pick-up. Since the verification notice did not include any particulars, I called to verify the restaurant received it. They had not. I was told they have no on-line presence at all. Hmmm.... I placed my order the old fashioned way. CII serves dim sum, but apparently only on the weekends and at lunch. Even so, they have the greatest selection of items I have seen in a long, long time. I understand this is a favorite of the Asian locals. That's always a good sign. They have a fresh fish tank in the back, which says a lot. I ordered the Hot & Sour Seafood Soup, Chicken Egg Drop Soup, Fried Won Tons (8), Chicken and Green Beans, and Chinese Eggplant in Garlic Sauce. The last two come with Steamed Rice. I was told 20 minutes, and when I arrived 20 minutes later - it was ready. The young lady was very friendly, and seemed appreciative when I showed her where the on-line menu could be found. She apologized as some prices had gone up from what the website said (by about 8% or so). The food was well packed, remained hot during the 20 minute ride home, and was found to be as follows: The Won Tons (8 in an order) followed the latest trend of being wrapped up like Tortellini, and the same small size. It seems that the days of the little handkerchief fold, homemade Won Tons are gone. Except when I make them at home. They were overcooked, and a little bit hard and chewy. The accompanying Sweet & Sour sauce was pretty good though. I wouldn't order them again. I liked the Hot & Sour Seafood Soup for its flavor, but it wasn't very spicy, at least not to me. Not too much Seafood in there, and for the price difference from regular H&S Soup, I don't think it was worth it. The Chicken Egg Drop Soup was pretty good. No complaints there. I enjoyed the Chicken and Green Beans quite a bit, but I will ask for either the garlic sauce or some extra spice in there next time. It needed just a little something extra. The chicken was sliced all-white chicken breast, and I found it to be very tender. The green beans were sautéed perfectly. A 4.5 out of 5 dish. Lastly, the Chinese Eggplant in Garlic Sauce cold have used a touch of heat, or a little more garlic in the sauce, too. The accompanying vegetables were nicely cooked, and the eggplant was excellent. Soft, yet firm enough to be easily grasped by a set of chopsticks. I would say another 4.5 out of 5 dish. I was given an entire large container of steamed rice. There must have been 2 pounds of it in there. And it was - well - rice. Oh, and it was steamed. Overall a reasonable experience. A little hit, a little miss. I would give it a 3.5/5, if I could, so I'll bump it up on good faith to a 4. I will definitely return though, if nothing else to try some of the more unusual items on the dinner menu, such as the Jellyfish in Sesame Oil, Fish Belly or Clam & Winter Melon Soup, Blue or Dungeness Crab, Manila Clams, Lobster, Shrimp w/Ginger, Sautéed Frog or Seafood Casserole - Yum. Perhaps the Shrimp, Scallops and Squid in Garlic Sauce? Hmmmmm.....
(4)Kelly G.
Was told they would deliver within 10 mile radius. We live 3 miles away. Called after gathering order and was told we were outside delivery area. Haven't tried the food so this is only a service review, but the only reason I eat Chinese is when it's delivered. Looks like I'm out of ruck.
(2)