- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Imperial Chinese Seafood Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
355 Burrard StVancouver, BC V6C 2G6
Neighbourhoods: Coal Harbour, Downtown
(604) 688-8191
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 10:30 pm
Sat-Sun 10:30 am - 10:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
34 reviews for Imperial Chinese Seafood Restaurant
Review Highlights
-
"I can literally have dim sum everyday." In 22 reviews -
"...items are great, but love the banana shrimp dumpling thing." In 2 reviews -
"...standard dishes like vegetarian spring rolls and bok choy..." In 3 reviews
Loading...
34 reviews in English
-
Review from Kalina M.
North Vancouver, BC
1/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Love - Best Dim Sum Downtown Vancouver
I have been coming here for 10 years - yes - 10 Years. So if my track record is of any indication - it is really good here! I work 2 blocks away so it is a very convenient destination for both my business lunches and quick lunches with friends.
They do know me by now... so we get unbelievable service and better yet - the best location on tables which is very important for Dim Sum. Lunch is busy so best to reserve. The ladies come by with tray service but you can also order from the very long time wait staff.
Yes, parking in this area is not cheap but that is the price we pay for Vancouver!
We love the selection for steamed dumplings - something for everyone, even a Vegetarian. Great variety and flavours.
Love the Bean Curd wrapped Shiitake Mushroom dish - served cold and the Steamed Vegetarian Dumplings.
Love the chili oil here - one of my absolute favourites in the city.
My latest favourite: Dry Tofu with Spicy Salt. -
Review from Sin-Yaw W.
12/19/2011
All those raving about Vancouver's Chinese foods. As a Chinese, I would go back to California. Better yet, Hong Kong, Taipei, or Beijing.
They are really very average Chinese cooking. There are no style, ingredients, or services to speak of. Don't get me wrong. Those were good cookings. But I was expecting more, given this is supposed to be the mecca of Chinese foods outside of Asia.
Do come to this place to have a normal, satisfying Chinese dinner. I don't think, however, you will leave with deep impressions. -
Review from Herman E.
11/28/2011
This restaurant is more of a 2.5 star review. My experience here is that the food is sometimes inconsistent in terms of quality and consistency. When they are on the ball, they are pretty good, but when they drop it, it's a fumble and a point for the other team.
There are not a lot of dim sum places downtown in the CBD. I can only think of four (recently down to 3) and none of them are outstanding in any way. This one for me is at the bottom of the pile, because of the pricing and the consistency. -
Review from Jeff S.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 3/17/2012
I have been going for almost 20 years 3 or 4 times per month. While it is not quite what it used to be, it is still very good. The Curried Cuttlefish is a specialty that you won't find everywhere. The service is still the best of any Chinese restaurant that I am aware of. Whether I like chicken feet or not depends on the sauce, and I like Kirin's sauce. And they still bring dim sum around so that you can look before you order, which is becoming less common in Vancouver.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
2/25/2010
This is another restaurant that I have been to almost a thousand times, starting in 95. Back then… Read more »
-
-
Review from Ramon V.
Updated - 10/31/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Not happy with the slow and steady increase in prices. The dim sum gai lan is now $9.95, most items are $5.50 or $5.95, and there is a $1.25 hidden charge for tea for each person.
A quick lunch for 5 will set you back at least $100.Listed in: Yelp's 30-day Challenge
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
1/12/2011
I've been here many times. The service is great, and not typical of a dim sum restaurant, but this… Read more »
-
-
Review from Chris M.
9/30/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I was lucky enough to work a block away from the Imperial - sadly, I'm moving jobs, so delicious dim sum is no longer in my lunch future! I, for one, am quite fond of their service model - you sit down, you get a pay-as-you-eat card, and rather than having carts drive by, the waiters swing by right away with trays containing all manner of little dishes that are just right to share around with a couple of people. The trays come and go as you eat. Even if you're indecisive at first, it's not so bad, as certain things reappear over time. Occasionally, though, you will be left wondering whether that particular dumpling you skipped before will ever make its way back to you!
It can get busy, especially over lunch, but I like the atmosphere inside (read: it's not overly loud) and I've never had to wait for a smaller table. Not sure about big groups though. The service, ambiance and decor are on the classier side - not crazy fancy, but businesslike and proper.
The dishes are well prepared. There are some great items - I'd highly recommend trying a plate of the sweet and salty banana-shrimp spring rolls, among other things - and some lesser ones (I was disappointed by their scallops, for example.) You can also sometimes get stuck waiting a while for a vegetable dish, which is a bit of a downer. In the meantime, though... you can't go wrong with standards like siu mai, pork and chicken buns (Steamed? Pan fried? Baked? You might encounter any or all of the above), various dumplings, or their tasty mushroom rice-noodle rolls. They've even got flaky, delicate egg tarts for dessert - I always keep an eye out for the tray carrying these golden morsels.
In summary - it's not perfect, but it's pretty great. Can't beat the location, either, especially for downtown denizens. -
Review from Nick L.
9/29/2011
It's a grand setting but it isn't grand food. It isn't bad food.
I had dim sum here and it was deserving of 3 stars.
Shame they don't have carts here and shame the place was so pricey.
It may have been hampered by the fact that I thought it would be better than it actually turned out to be.....shame. -
Review from Sarah O.
5/19/2011
First I thought the valet guy stole our cars because after we finished our dinner and came out, he closed shop and left. I had to go and ask the manager of the restaurant where our cars were and he said it will be arriving shortly. Arriving from where? After 20 minutes if finally comes.. I'm annoyed now but we all tip the guy and want to leave ASAP...but he holds on to our keys and says, "give me more." Excuse me? "Ten dollars! Ten dollars more, EACH!". I almost blurt out 'F* Off' and punch him in his throat but instead, I calmly tell him I've given him plenty. But he keeps continuing to hold on to all of our car keys. We were standing out there in the rain, in the middle of Burrard, arguing because the greedy guy insists he deserves $10 tip PER CAR.
Get over yourself. -
Review from Thomas B.
6/22/2011
We were very disappointed with our whole experience. The service was just awful. We sat down and they ran around carrying the trays within a few minutes. If you are not willing to order everything as soon as you sat down, you are s**t out of luck, there are no second chances. This is not casual leisurely dim sum. And try to communicate a special request like ohhh say water, forget it, we left the restaurant and still no water.
The dim sum as far as quality is concerned is ok, we were not thrilled but neither were we disappointed. a couple items were very good (such as the shrimp dumpling with scallop and shrimp roll with banana)
The prices were high, as in not justified. and a tea charge? even though you get it whether you like it or not as soon as you sit down?
i'll stop just short of calling this a tourist trap, but it's close. -
Review from Lisa L.
Vancouver, BC
2/4/2011
We came here to celebrate Chinese New Year on a Thursday night at around 6:30 pm. The restaurant was relatively quiet and fewer than half the tables were occupied.
We ordered a hot rice wine, salt and pepper squid, honey and garlic spareribs, sizzling beef, and seafood noodles. All of it was delicious! Although the menu is standard Chinese fare, the quality of the dishes surpassed what you normally expect.
The wine and squid arrived within minutes of ordering. Nearly every table has its own server who was attentive and courteous in ensuring a positive experience. I particularly appreciated the quick water refills, the subtlety with which they brought forks and knives, and the way they attended to your needs without rudely hovering at the table.
The noodles, spareribs, and beef arrived shortly after. They food was arranged beautifully and tasted great, too! The seafood noodles were loaded with seafood, the honey and garlic spareribs were filled with flavour, and the sizzling beef was indeed sizzling -- and delectable. Our red bean soup with sesame balls dessert was on the house. Overall, the food was the restaurant's strongest sell.
The decor is plain. There are high ceilings and large crystal chandeliers as well as large round tables and smaller tables for two. If you are looking for a place with ambiance or character, however, you would be advised to go somewhere else. This place is definitely a place of good food and good service. -
Review from Namit M.
6/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
If you want a nice, sophisticated, upscale dim sum options this is it. The room itself is elegant and does full justice to the word Imperial.
The service is very professional and all your wait staff are well versed in one of the official languages.
This not the zoo like setting - so no carts here - just a menu to order off of from. Most all the items are great, but love the banana shrimp dumpling thing.
The place is pricier than most dim sum options in town....but if you wan to impress out of towners this is your destination. -
Review from Brittany W.
North Vancouver, BC
5/22/2011
One of the best traditional Chinese spots downtown with tasty dishes, excellent service and free valet parking - great for big family functions.
We enjoyed a filling 12-course menu for a wedding last night. If I was a teacher, I would have given every dish at least an A-! Much better than anticipated after reading the reviews on here.
Starting with the best:
- Spring rolls!! (And I usually don't like 'em!)
- Lettuce wraps
- Halibut
- Jelly fish, thinly sliced beef/pork platter
- Red bean soup, sesame ball and jello
- Yang Chow Fried Rice
- Sauteed scallop, snap pea, sea cucumber
- Stewed Assorted Vegetables with Oyster Sauce
- Scwab
- Peking Duck
- Hot and Sour Soup
- Fried egg noodles w/ shredded beef and vegetables
- Crispy Skin Chicken
Yes, I recommend it, especially for big groups! -
Review from C. K.
11/22/2011
One of my all time favorite dim sum places in Vancouver! My favorite dumpling is the steamed shrimp and scallop. The sui mah and hagows are also great! It is located in downtown Vancouver, so there is usually a very well dressed business crowd during the week. I would highly recommend it if you are in Vancouver! You can walk the Stanley Park seawall and burn off all of the calories afterwards!
-
Review from Rebecca S.
I come here whenever I'm in Vancouver for their dim sum and I'm always amazed at how many people they have working here.
As soon as you sit down, soy sauce is waiting for you along with spicy mustard and some gross red sauce and also loose leaf jasmine tea. Trays, not carts, come out quickly and the ladies give full explanations of what everything is as they offer it to you.
There is a very good variety here - this is one of three restaurants that I know of where I can get a fried shrimp and banana roll, which is my favorite dim sum item of all time. The food isn't too greasy, and it's always hot and fresh tasting. They also came around with different juices on trays, and asked if there's anything else we needed multiple times.
Service is good, but you're definitely paying for it. Medium plates are $5.50 and large plates are $6, which is about twice as much as I'm used to. Street parking nearby is also ridiculously priced - I paid $4 for 40 minutes.Listed in: Vancouver, BC
-
Review from Huntting B.
2/13/2010
So this place was recommended by one of the books in our hotel, it was within walking distance and the book hadn't steered us wrong yet, but then there was this.
To begin with you order off a menu, no carts to be found (at least during the week). To second that with the menu is WRONG. I ordered something off it with the english description and the guy said "we don't have that." I pointed it out to him and he continued with them not having it. I pointed at the word SHRIMP and pulled out a pen and MARKED OUT THE WORD SHRIMP.
They brought tea to the table immediately, which was awesome...much less awesome was that they charged us 3 bucks for the tea. The dim sum we got was medicore at best.
I would rather eat chicken feet than return here.
p.s. I hate chicken feet. -
Review from Ingrid S.
2/7/2010
I was starving out of my mind after a very long flight from the East Coast. Almost delirious with hunger, I set out to find dim sum in this jewel of a city. I found it, to my delight, just 2 blocks where I will be staying for the next month for the Olympics. I can literally have dim sum everyday! But I digress, the reviews were not favorable for this place. However, did I mention I was sooooo hungry that I could have eaten my arm? So I ventured in, by myself, which is a shame because dim sum should be enjoyed by more than just one person. To my surprise the place was impeccable. The wait staff were very keen on every table, especially mine because I was by myself...I think. I loved it. It was not your traditional roll-out tray service but the dim sum service was frequent. Food was fresh, not greasy and sooo yummy! I ordered too much but I was able to have it to-go.
Was it a bit on the expensive side? Maybe, but I opted for convenience. If I wanted to save, I would have gone to Chinatown. -
Review from Gina K.
10/5/2009
Usually this place very reliable but maybe it was the timing. 1130am, Sunday? Was that a bad time? Was that too early for you Imperial? We ordered from our cards and didn't get what we ordered. What's that about?
The trays were slow coming around. Hello.... Service... We tried paying our bill a few times... Money? Money? Anyone like to take our money?
I've been here a handful of times and this happens 1/2 the time and I think kept coming back for the view but now that there is no view thanks to the new construction blocking the view of the harbour I think I will be going to Victoria from now on.
But buck up Imperial your Egg tarts are still good. =)
Marc this is for your search... About their Egg Tarts, they serve the classic egg tarts. The crust is flaky with many layers but perhaps too many layers (thick) considering that the custard part of the egg tart is about the size of a a quarter. But the custard is just slightly sweet and usually served warm because they're constantly making them. So as long as you're ordering them at the right time, you might get yourself a hot or warm one.
With one order you get 3 quarter sized egg tarts. =) -
Review from Jake B.
7/26/2010
Fantastic dim sum! How much more can one say? Except to recommend the shrimp & banana rolls as another reviewer previously did.
Everything was tasty, and the kids loved it, too... especially the fresh watermelon juice and shrimp toast. The staff was attentive, helpful and accommodating. A fun place to eat! -
Review from David O.
9/21/2011
This is great dim sum. I am an Asian food addict, and dim sum is my favorite cuisine, bar none. The food here is light and very fresh. It arrives hot and the flavors are wonderful. This compares very well to the best of San Francisco dim sum, and it is far better than anything I have found on the East coast. The service is flawless. I will visit at least once during each trip to Vancouver.
-
Review from Tim L.
8/16/2008
This is a well known Chinese seafood joint offering some great seafood prepared in various Chinese styles.
Having served celebrities like Jackie Chan & Jean Claude Van Damme (does he count?) they're used to providing a certain level of service which surpasses that of regular Chinese restaurants which are typically rude.
This is a nice change of pace which makes the meal even more enjoyable here, however it is reflected in the tourist priced menu. -
Review from Joe L.
Vancouver, BC
10/18/2009 1 Check-in Here
Totally not worth a visit in anyway.
When I was working downtown over 10 years ago, I used to patronize Imperial regularly. Despite the prices being higher than almost any other dim sum restaurants around, it offered good food and gorgeous view of the mountains and harbour through it's over-20-foot-windows.
We paid a visit there just a couple of months ago after repatriating to Vancouver to show my partner one of my favourite places for dim sum. It was a very disappointing experience. The view is gone with the new Fairmont Pacific Rim going up next door, The food was poor and the service was not helpful. I've had shrimp dumplings made with frozen shrimps before but the ones at Imperial were made with bad frozen shrimp (mushy and tasteless).
The food reminded me of the worst Chinese restaurant in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Bay Area does not have that many good Chinese restaurants!
Our recent experience was a waste of money and a waste of a Sunday morning. -
Review from Luisa S.
Vancouver, BC
11/19/2008 3 photos
Time and time again I find myself eating at meat- and seafood-centred places. The lure of free food (courtesy of my mom) proves too strong to resist. Convinced that no matter where it is, I'll be able to find something that is palatable and in keeping with my vegetarian tastes. Thankfully, Imperial Chinese Seafood Restaurant hasn't completely ignored the varied taste buds of Vancouver denizens and tourists and offers a pretty broad menu. Amongst the famed shark fin soup, diced abalone and chicken fried rice and sparerib hot pot is a small but reasonable selection of vegetarian dishes.
Hot and sour soup, steamed fresh mushroom with rice noodle, and braised eggplant and tofu with spicy sauce in hot pot.... No one is really wanting of choice here. There are more standard dishes like vegetarian spring rolls and bok choy but everything is intensely interesting. Compared to most Chinese restaurants where the word "greasy" is often the primary adjective when describing it, "fresh" is the word that comes most readily to mind. -
Review from Leilah T.
Vancouver, BC
3/21/2009
Excellent dim sum - the higher price really does reflect the extra effort they take with the food. Take the shrimp balls, for example. Usually pretty plain, but these had bits of water chestnut in there and were coated in sliced almonds.
The service was excellent as well, the staff really kept an eye on the table - tea/water refills were prompt. The service was off a menu rather than by cart, which I haven't tried before, but it meant that we got exactly what we wanted as well.
I do wish that they still had their lovely waterfront view, though, as the windows now look onto a building under construction. Oh, and the music was pretty awful. Even without the view, I would definitely bring people here again if I wanted more upmarket dim sum.
(One minor point - no debit, only cash or credit.) -
Review from Maria J.
9/12/2008
Me and my husband were craving Chinese food, so we looked in the Yellow pages and found this place. The food was very delicious. We had fried rice, egg drop soup and a meat dish. The server was very nice to us.
This restaurant is HUGE, it has an upstairs. Lots of space and room for a big crowd or even a business dinner. You have a nice view of the city if sitting by the window. I can't wait until we go back to BC. -
Review from Otis R.
11/14/2010 1 Check-in Here
Best Chinese ever. Service is impeccable. This is top shelf. I remembered this restaurant from when I was here 5 years ago. My favorite Chinese place. Serve dim sum at lunch too!
-
Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
11/13/2008
High priced dim sum. Competes directly with Victoria Seafood up the block. If you can't make it down to Richmond, then either Imperial or Victoria is the choice. Given that choice I would go to Victoria.
-
Review from Tamara D.
Delta, BC
6/8/2009
If you like Dim Sum this is definately the place to be. They have a wide variety of choices, and the price is pretty decent. Not to mention it definately rocks when your boss takes you out for lunch.
-
Review from David L.
4/10/2010
This is the best upscale Chinese restaurant in downtown Vancouver. Great service, a good variety of classic Cantonese dishes, great large comfortable dining area, and valet parking makes this restaurant enjoyable.
-
Review from Sean L.
3/6/2010
The food here is great, and has a harbor-front location. There Peking Duck is to DIE for... their wraps with minced vegetables is just amazing. Not sure how expensive it was (I went here a few years ago), but I remember the food being fantastic!
-
Review from Jordan H.
7/14/2009
Went one day for Dim Sum with my girlfriend. It was a few months ago so I can't remember what we ordered, only that it was delicious. Fresh, flavourful, and barely greasy at all. Top notch, but be prepared to spend more than you do at the average dim sum joint.
-
Review from Karma B.
6/21/2011
This place is really expensive and designed for big groups who want lots of food. We went during a Saturday dim sum session but made the mistake of ordering off the menu. It's not a place for casual dining. And the food is okay but not great.
-
Review from Katy N.
3/17/2009
If you are feeling rich, this place serves expensive dim sum & dinner. You won't find "push carts" for dim sum but I love love their SHRIMP DUMPLINGS!! And this was the restaurant where I first sampled "bird's nest soup"...YUMMY!!!!!!
-
Review from Joe T.
9/7/2009
I am a Chinese American and I know good Chinese food when I put it in my mouth. And this one was not good. It wasn't even close. Do not be fooled by the reviews! I got off the plane and drove to the Vancouver Harbor with map in hand specifically to look this place up because the rave reviews I read. It took me a good while to find it, because it was located in an office building with no signs from the street. It obviously caters to the lunch crowd of the downtown office workers, for I saw no casual diners.
The Dim Sum, to my dismay, was atrocious. It was a third rate fare with a hollow first rate reputation. These reviews certainly were not written by cognoscenti. The egg rolls were greasy and the food bland and poorly prepared. The service wasn't anything to write home about. After a few dishes, it was time to go. One does not have to finish the whole egg before knowing that it is rotten. It is amazing that this restaurant had a Chinese calligraphy scroll framed on the wall proclaiming that it has won the top awards for several consecutive years!
PS:
I did have the pleasure of staying in Richmond for a couple of days, and there were no shortage of excellent Chinese restaurants there. -
Review from Aitch A.
2/17/2011
This is the worst restaurant experience I've had in years. The service was horrid, the restaurant ran out of many of the entrees, even beer and oysters. When it arrived it was cold. When I told the manager about the problems, he didn't apologize, he merely said, "I'll check," and just like his wait staff, he never returned. STAY AWAY. THIS IS A RIPOFF AND A JOKE.
