Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Empire Chinese Kitchen

    4.3 (740 reviews)
    ModerateDim Sum, Cantonese
    Open 11:30 am - 8:30 pm

    Empire Chinese Kitchen Photos

    Business Info

    EMPIRE CHINESE KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

    You might also consider

    More like Empire Chinese Kitchen

    Recommended Reviews - Empire Chinese Kitchen

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Spring rolls and chive and shiitake mushrooms dumplings. Excellent!
    Michael G.

    Great restaurant with great food!! We enjoyed the char siu pork, orange beef, chive and shiitake dumplings and spring rolls. All very good!! Clara our server was spot on. Great personality !! Very clean restaurant with a great vibe!! Photos below.

    Dumplings
    Michele J.

    Always a great experience. Friendly staff delicious food and fun drinks. They have changed the floor plan a bit to allow for more seating. The orange beef is my favorite

    Shanghai Cowboy
    Carolyn E.

    We had a wonderful dinner experience here. Good service and a pleasant atmosphere. We ordered a bunch of food in waves so that we could enjoy things as they came out. An excellent third stop on our impromptu culinary tour of Portland, and our party grew from two to four. I had the Shanghai cowboy cocktail, the bourbon hits, and you can definitely taste the mint more than the guava. All the foods in order of my preference, this was a tough list to rank because everything had great flavor and came out hot!! Lobster rangoon: yes, I would love to have another order of these! Great flavor, nice crisp wonton, just a wonderful rangoon experience! Pork pot stickers: mmm, love me some pot stickers, and these lived up to my expectations, great flavor and texture! Sa cha chicken skewers: so very tender, great flavor, would gladly eat again! Garlic meatball skewers: good flavor, nice dipping sauce, happy we added these to our selection. Shanghai soup dumplings: in general a fun food item, great flavor and they were highly recommended by the everyone who suggested we eat here. Mongolian beef: the beef had great flavor, the broccoli was cooked properly, not mushy, the onions were well caramelized; delicious! Har gow: good flavor, nice steamed dumplings, glad we tried them! Peking duck buns: my friend was in love with these, it was good, but not something I was immediately obsessed with. More than enough food for the three of us adults! The toddler had an order of steamed noodles. I definitely forgot a few photos, but the food was just so good!!

    Broccoli and Broad Noodle
    Jenna W.

    I think I am a one hit wonder here at Empire. I mean, I order the GF Broccoli and Broad Noodles and garlic green beans every. single. time because I am never disappointed! I honestly do not know how they do it. So good every time. I've tried to duplicate at home and can't. The service was great. Friendly, attentive and fast. Sitting at the bar along Congress St means great people watching. Honestly, I don't think I've ever sat elsewhere which is fine with me.

    Amaury J.

    OMG. Now I get the Empire hype. Empire is known as one of the best spots in Portland for Chinese food, and now I understand why. We finally visited during the winter and were reminded why I usually avoid going in the summer. It was packed on a Wednesday, and they sadly do not take reservations. Everything we had was phenomenal. The menu is extensive, split between shareable small plates and larger plates. We went the family style route with small plates so we could try more and I am so glad we did because everything was so freaking good. We ordered the Chinatown roast pork, garlic green beans, Peking duck buns, spicy pork belly buns, Shanghai soup dumplings, and the garlic meatball. I still cannot pick a favorite, but I have to say their pork dishes are some of the best I have had. We also loved the ambiance. It felt cozy and tucked in, and the space is much more spacious inside than I expected. Service was absolutely fantastic. We cannot wait to go back.

    James H.

    We stopped in for dinner before going to a hockey game at the Cross Insurance Arena and (somehow) had no wait to get a table for four! The server was very nice, the vibe was peaceful but engaging and the food was 10/10! I have tried to go here several times before and you're typically met with a long wait (no option for reservations). I think the key is to get in there early, before the popular dinner-time rush! Looking forward to going back in the future!

    Dragon's Milk in foreground, spicy margarita in back.
    Steff D.

    I hadn't been to Empire since before the pandemic, so I was excited to finally revisit! They're smaller than they look from the outside, so expect a wait. It was easy to join the waitlist though!: I just gave my name and party size at the host stand, they told me the wait time, texted me immediately to let me know I was on the waitlist, and then texted me when my table was ready (with a bit of a grace period for us to get back over there from the other restaurant we were having drinks at). The staff here is an 11/10. Everyone we interacted with was friendly, thoughtful, and welcoming. Thank you to our server for going out of their way to give us space to chat and catch-up; they knew how to "read the room" PERFECTLY. For me, the food wasn't as craveworthy as I remember it being. I got: + Garlic Green Beans ($8 for the small): wok fried with grilled onion and tamari, these are A MUST when you're here. If you're with someone who says they don't like green beans, this is the dish that will change their mind entirely! So flavorful and cooked to perfection. - Spring Rolls ($7): two rolls filled with cabbage and carrot that are unfortunately mostly layers and layers of crispy, very-fried wrapper with little to no filling. - Chive Shiitake Dumplings ($10): three pan-fried dumplings filled with corn and celery; I found them to be soggy, slightly greasy, and underwhelming. I think the sauce is doing most of the heavy lifting regarding any flavor. +/- Broccoli & Broad Noodles ($18): beansprouts, carrot, broccoli, wide rice noodles, and tamari; for the price, these leave a lot to be desired. If the broccoli had been slightly more cooked, the noodles slightly more saucy, and overall the quantity to be more plentiful... then yes, so satisfying. But these just slightly miss the mark for me. + Dragon's Milk ($14): jasmine infused gin with Thai basil and pandan coconut cream; this compliments everything on the menu. No, it's not too sweet or too tropical or too herby. It's just a lovely little concoction unlike anything else in the city! It's a reliable spot in Portland for dietary restrictions: the menu is clearly labeled with what's gluten-free and vegan. It's not a place I need to return to again soon, but it was nice to revisit it after all this time.

    Drink menu
    Conrad J.

    Yes yes yes!! The oldest Chinese restaurant in Portland has never been a disappointment for us and it still reins true! Fast, courteous service as always. It's great to be able to sit and eat here. (Post Covid was take out only) Street and meter parking are close by. The food is always amazing I suggest small plates and sharing

    Beans and meatballs
    Kim O.

    Last minute walk in and enjoyed Garlic Meatballs, Beef Bao, Char Siu Bao and green beans. Everything was hot, tasty and enjoyable! Our server was pleasant and attentive, even though we came in later. Solid choice!

    Spicy Pork Belly Buns
    Rachel M.

    I am used to traditional Chinese food but this was a nice switch up! Everything was great, but some better than others. My top dishes were the char siu, pork belly bao, and walnut shrimp. They were so unique and full of flavor. I like that things come out as they're ready so it is hot and ready to be shard. The soup dumplings and potstickers were not my favorite because they tasted like frozen isle items from Trader Joe's that I have had before. They weren't anything special in my opinion. If I come back I would definitely lean toward to bao/buns!

    Bacon Fried Rice.... After some was eaten
    jamie s.

    Visited on a busy Saturday night with an hr wait and it was worth it! Shared a few small plates and the bacon fried rice and couldn't be happier! Sat off to the side of the bar with a street view and had fast and very good service! Take out or dine in, you will be happy

    cheesecake
    Nevel P.

    very good, the matcha green tea cheesecake just tastes like plain cheesecake tho. why do my reviews have to be longer i only have so much to say...

    Tony S.

    So glad we stopped into Empire Chinese Kitchen today! Great food, great service and a neat atmosphere. We really enjoyed the soup dumpling. The dumplings could have used a little more soup in them, but still really good!

    Chicken buns

    See all

    16 days ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    28 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    27 days ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Such cozy amazing place, pork bellies top notch. The buns second to none. Highly recommend

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 12
    Thanks 4
    Love this 9
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Pam C.
    19
    40
    50

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 3

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Karen L.
    4
    57
    216

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Great Cantonese restaurant. The bbq pork is delicious, the mushroom dim sum is good. Unfortunately I was on a trip so won't be back.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jay W.
    0
    12
    0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Apex S.
    147
    428
    3707

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rob W.
    188
    66
    1

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 19

    Empire Chinese Kitchen Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Empire Chinese Kitchen

    Do they take reservations?

    No, they do not. Get there early.

    Are you still only open for take out!?

    Yes

    Are they open for sit down dining?

    At last, they are!

    Are the handicap accessible?

    Yes! It's a small place but no steps at the front entrance

    View All 8 Questions

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Dim Sum 152 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Evergreen Chinese Restaurant

    Evergreen Chinese Restaurant

    3.9
    (149 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $

    Well, I hate to have to write this, because we've had a couple of very good meals within the last 6…read moremonths. But I hope my critique will help them improve, at least the last 2 dishes I had. (I won't speak to my husband's meals.) First, the orange chicken, which I had a few weeks ago. It was mostly good. My one criticism (and it's a big one!) is to dial way back on the batter. It should be mostly chicken, with a light, crispy tangy coating. What I had was mostly ALL batter, with little discernible meat inside. Not appealing, and it certainly makes me hesitant to ever order it again. The second bad meal was yesterday. I ordered the chicken with garlic sauce. I was anticipating lovely tender chicken, infused with a delicious fragrant garlic flavor. What I got was tough chicken (that obviously skipped the velveting process) and bland, tasteless sauce. No garlic was present, as far as I could tell. It was the most nondescript Chinese dish I've ever had. And I'm talking eating at Chinatown in Philly and Boston, and all over the U.S. for the last 50 years. Both of these experiences make me feel as though they've given up on trying to do the best they can. And it's also made me decide not to return-at least in the foreseeable future. But I hold out hope that when I decide to give them a third try, it was be as good an experience as I had before these disappointing ones.

    At work talking about Chinese food when my co-work tells me they've been hearing some great things…read moreabout Evergreen. Located on Western Ave in a strip mall with Big Fin Poke. It's a tad far from home in North Deering, bit of it's as good as I am hearing, it will be worth the trip. Menu on line was easy to navigate landing me at the "Dinner specials" page. A great variety of, more than some of the other places we've tried and way more than our local Chinese place. I chose the Straw mushroom with snow peas with boneless pork and hubby chose their General Tso chicken with chicken fingers for his appetizer. Both requested the wanton soup which is an upchargw from the other soup offerings. I really like the format for ordering on line with sections for different options like soup, rice, and appetizer. Most places you get the appetizer assigned and charged if you want to change it. Not here, you can choose! Yay! I arrived a few minutes after I was texted my order was ready. Signage was clear and easy to read. Ample parking in the shared parking lot. Upon entering you can see it is a take out centered type restaurant but does offer booth or table seating. It was a busy Saturday night and they had everything operating smoothly. Walked up to counter area and was greeted immediately, gave my phone number and name and my food was presented. Made my payment preference on line which included a tip, made sure to not double tip. Then I was off and running. At home I unpacked the food and was surprised to find the wanton soup was a deep brown color, unusual since most wanton soups are a clear yellow. Large sliced zucchini and carrots accompanied the hand made wanton stars. They had make them with the meat neatly wrapped in dough and remaining dough behind the ball like a shooting star with a tail. WOW! The taste was unique, on the spicy side with a taste of Thai chili sauce swirled in. Very tasty but too hot, my taste buds would have not worked for the rest of my meal. On to the Straw mushroom and snow pea meal with fried rice and boneless pork. Oh My!! So fresh and tasty the peas were numerous as were the mushrooms. Fried rice was excellent as was the boneless pork, it overly cooked and super tender yum! So what are ve heard is true and more. Sadly I could find no delivery options for this establishment so take out it will be.

    Photos
    Service counter
    Service counter
    D20. Sweet & Sour Chicken
    D20. Sweet & Sour Chicken
    I've heard good things...

    See all

    I've heard good things...
    Blue Sky

    Blue Sky

    3.1
    (32 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    Very okay food. I ordered a dinner special and enjoyed 2/3 parts of it. The egg drop soup and crab…read morerangoon were good! But the general tso chicken was just okay. It was breaded and sauce was far too sweet with not enough spice. In fact, I checked my order to make sure I was eating the correct meal. The meal was affordable, the take-out service time was quick, and the restaurant looked clean. That being said, I will not order the same dinner special again.

    We did take-out late on a Sunday (? or was it Saturday?) night near to closing, so we didn't want…read moreto sit around in the restaurant while everyone is trying to go home. I got a Spring Roll, and my companion got some meat something or other. There is a full on vegetarian selection, but I wasn't super hungry. The lady behind the counter asked us to take a seat, and grab some candy from the little candy dish they have by the register. Cool, no worries. We're here for a bit while they cook the food. We were chatting for a bit, while the food was cooking, and saw a couple more people drop by for food. Looks like this is the sort of place that gets regulars, because the lady knew the next guy's order before he opened his mouth. It was adorable. We got our food like maybe 10 minutes (at the most, it was probably less) later, and it was piping hot. We went back to our hotel to eat it. Absolutely zero issues with the quality of the food. It was exactly what it said it'll be. Awesome. My one and only complaint is that the food is expensive compared to what we're used to paying in NYC/NJ. Aside from that, no issues. The restaurant itself is clean, and the staff person was super nice. The food was good.

    Photos
    General tso chicken. This photo speaks for itself I think.
    General tso chicken. This photo speaks for itself I think.
    Spring roll
    Spring roll
    Blue Sky

    See all

    Empire Chinese Kitchen - dimsum - Updated June 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...