My husband Carl's surprise 80th birthday luncheon was held Oct. 29th. All 34 attendees would agree that the food was outstanding, the service timely and the atmosphere special. Hostess Coqueta gave Carl a Chinese party hat, taught us to say hello and drew a happiness sign. An afternoon of fun. read more

Empress M - Happy 80th Birthday! - Dim Sum Near Me - Napa, California

We dined at Empress M on October 25th, Saturday and we were a group of five people. The establishment corrected the discrepancy of the billing and over charge for the service charge. We appreciate their ability to recognize this problem and correct it. Thank you, Robert E. read more

I like the place , the food and have been 4 times. Unfortunately I just had a very bad lunch experience with five senior local friends. We were gathering to talk about a dear friend who had died. They are open all afternoon and there was only one other table occupied. While we were still eating the 40ish Asian-American female waiter bought our check. She also started clearing full sodas and partially eaten dishes before we were done. She was making every gesture to get us to leave. We arrived at 1:15 and left at 2:45. Remember they were open all afternoon. I've been in the restaurant business for 45 years and have never had such rude treatment. We will never go back. I gave them three stars because the food is good but the service was dreadful. read more

We came here for a birthday brunch. The food here was ok. Some of the dishes we ordered were on the bland side. However, the shumai and Dan Dan noodles were good. The selection of dim sum is definitely a bit more limited than what I'm used to. read more

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Yep...the duck was worth it! I knew if I got the duck, I was going to pick up less expensive sides at another restaurant. The duck was moist and bao buns, cucumbers, and green onions were refreshing. Next time I will order additional bao buns. I am sure the items on the menu are delicious however today was not the day for a $200.00+ lunch in Napa. read more

Delicious Chinese Food & Outstanding Service at Empress M! We had such a wonderful dinner at Empress M in Napa! Everything we ordered was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. The potstickers were crispy on the bottom with juicy, savory fillings. The BBQ steam buns were light, fluffy, and packed with that classic sweet-savory pork we love. The chow mein had great wok hei and the perfect chew, while the rice noodle dish was a standout -- tender noodles with bold flavors and fresh ingredients that really hit the spot. What truly made the night special was the service. Our waiter was super nice and incredibly thoughtful the entire time, checking in at just the right moments and making us feel genuinely cared for. The whole staff was very attentive without ever being intrusive -- it really elevated the whole experience. Empress M delivered an authentic, high-quality Chinese meal in a beautiful setting. We left completely satisfied and can't wait to go back. Highly recommend for anyone in Napa looking for great food and warm hospitality! read more

Came for Mother's Day, no management at all. The service and staff are not prepared for these large occasions. Although the food is of the best Chinese in town, I was disappointed in today's dine in. I had to ask for the menu, for water, for my order to be taken, for the bill..I shouldn't have to ask for my order to be taken after a long wait and then be told to ask the other waiter. There was many other people waiting to be seated meanwhile I sat at my table for a good 40 mins before my order was taken... also, it was hard to eat out of the small little plates we were given. I ate here before and had actual big plates to eat out of. Maybe they were out or needed to be cleaned.... This all boils down to maybe employing more people so that a restaurant this size can operate at full capacity. The cherry on top was the additional 20% service charge that was added to my bill which amounted to about 50 bucks...and then the audacity of requesting a additional tip read more

The food is great here. I love that they have several different vegetarian and vegan options so we didn't feel like we were missing out at all. The hot and sour soup is very flavorful. The portions are large. We ordered hot and sour soup, impossible wontons, chow fun, eggplant and string beans, and lettuce wraps for 2 people for dinner. We had enough leftovers to eat it for dinner again the next night and it reheated well. The service was a little bit slow but I would recommend this place and would go back if I'm in the area and looking for some good Chinese food. Bonus: they are all about female empowerment here- read the story of Empress M on their menu while you wait :) read more

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I had initially tried this place when they first opened which unfortunately wasn't up to par as expected when you're getting the hang of things. I finally decided to give it another go and it was amazing! I had the woodear mushroom salad which was ridiculously delicious and had the shrimp wonton soup which was also tasty. Probably could have used another flavor or too in there but I added the chili oil which was all I needed. Their natural lemonade was perfectly tarte and our server was really attentive and nice. Haven't had such sweet service in a while so this was notable. Thanks! read more

We decided to dine here on a whim Saturday evening. The kitchen for the full menu closes at 9pm (actually a bit earlier because we arrived around 8:45pm). We ordered the following: * 2 Beef Skewers * 1 Spicy Chicken Wings (6) * 1 Shrimp Dumplings (3) * 2 Pork/Shrimp Dumplings (3) * 1 BBQ Pork Buns (2) * 1 Sparkling Cocktail * 1 BB0 Pork Buns (2) * 2 Titos Vodka with cranberry juice Total damage was just over $90 before gratuity so I guess it's not too bad for a late night bite in Napa. I did enjoy the Har Gow Shrimp Dumplings and the Shumai Pork and Shrimp Dumplings. It was impressive considering there are not a lot of dim sum or Asian cuisine options in Napa. The BBQ steamed pork buns were really good also. Our server who was also the bartender wasn't the most friendly but it was the end of the day and he must've been exhausted so we'll give him a pass. We still took care of him with a generous tip nonetheless. All in all, it was a cool experience. I'm inclined to return to try their full menu the next time I'm in town. P.S. we were there on a Saturday evening and there was live music! She was an exceptional artist too. Too bad I didn't catch her name but I imagine she's a local. read more

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Spent over $1,800 at this place for a birthday dinner in their private room. The owner, Thomas, was extremely rude and ruined the entire dinner. We had a group of 20 people and pre ordered all the items. Usually the chef would bring out the main dish but instead, Thomas took it upon himself to bring out the main dish we ordered. Not only did he not bother introducing himself or welcoming us, he was dressed in jeans, tennis shoes, a baseball cap, and a raggedy jacket. Hey Thomas, if you're going to be the face of this "high end" establishment and charge people 5x the price for your food, at least dress the part. He would linger around our tables in the private room and never once asked if we needed anything or how was the food. It was very odd and weird having this old man walk around our private room and not make a peep. Service was non existence. Food was below mediocre and portions were not worth it. For the amount of money we spent here, I expected way better service. Never once was there an apology. Thomas, you single handedly ruined our night and we will never return. We'll be sure to spread the word too. read more

We hand a long trip to Napa and chose this restaurant as our first family meal and it did not disappointed! Everything was delicious and came out hot. Between the 6 of us, we must have ordered maybe 12-14 dishes and we finished EVERYTHING. i'm used to ordering Chinese food and expecting it to be extremely dense, heavy, and oily. Nothing here was like that at all! Even the foods that were partially fried were very light. Best dish of the night was the corn soup. It comes with and without chicken. We really liked it without. read more

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We actually had come here for Yelp Elite event, but after the drive from Santa Clara to Napa to attend it and since we had some time, since we had reached slightly early, we sat at the bar and a ordered some drinks and some dim sum. I ordered my Templeton Rye shot, which was made made exactly the way I like it , by the Owner Thomas (such a gracious and unassuming gentleman!) and my wife ordered the Sunrise over Hong Kong which was also liked by her. The Har Gow was on point and so were each of the dim sum on the Dim Sum platter. We will come whenever we stop at Napa from now on ! You should too!! read more

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Authentic chinese cuisine . Nice location and friendly staff.Food quality and quantity is great. Enough parking space . Authentic chinese cuisine . Nice location and friendly staff.Food quality and quantity is great. Enough parking space . read more

Came in for mother's Day service. Was told inside was full and multiple parties who arrived after us were seated inside. Not to mention incompetent staff dangerously operating the heater next to us, to the point of flame coming out of the propane line vs. where it's actually supposed to come out of. Eventually we were seated inside (after mentioning the unfair treatment) and it took us 20 minutes to get another plate and two pairs of chop sticks(wooden instead of the nice in house ones) I'm severely disappointed especially since this is supposed to be a higher end establishment and we spent decent money to be considered as an after thought(15+ minutes between being acknowledged by staff) The food is decent quality, but the service leaves such a poor taste in your mouth that the food couldn't possibly outshine being neglected. This isn't the fault of the staff necessarily because they seemed somewhat understaffed, but shame on you managers, hiring staff and the owners, your shortsighted logistics for a holiday brunch has left us(and I'm sure others) so disappointed I will be telling people to visit elsewhere. read more

A lovely spot for dim sum and tasty Chinese food that's right along the Silverado Trail. Came here with a friend a few months ago during Napa Valley restaurant week, and our dining experience at Empress M was wonderful. There aren't a ton of Chinese food restaurants in this area, especially those that offer dim sum. Empress M brings something fresh and new to the table with top tier service to go along with it. We had reservations for lunch and entered through their back patio. Their patio space is gorgeous by the way! In fact, the entire premises is stunning from the inside out. Their interior space is festive with beautiful Asian decor and artwork. It's very bright and colorful with a wonderful ambience. It was a nice day out, so we decided to dine on the patio. The patio is equipped with both umbrellas and heat lamps. There's also a beautiful water fountain right in the center that you can admire while you're enjoying your meal. The owner Thomas was making his rounds and chatting with all of the guests who were seated outside. We really enjoyed chatting with him and learning about his culinary experiences and his journey to Napa Valley. He is very passionate about his craft and we were honored to meet him. You don't often find the owners of restaurants in Napa Valley who walk around to greet their guests these days. We really appreciated his cordial welcome and his humbleness. Our server Amin was equally cordial and very attentive throughout our time there. They featured a lunch special tasting menu during restaurant week, and we both thought that it was a great way to showcase some of their food items. Our meal came with the following: *Dim sum- Really tasty! This was a small sampling of their har gow, siu mai, and spinach dumplings. The har gow was my favorite! It was light, fluffy, and tender and the shrimp was lovably plump and juicy. *Sichuan chicken w/ steamed rice- Very good! Great spices in the sauce and they use really fresh tasting ingredients. You can tell that they use higher grade meat and veggies for their food items here. I won't say it's the most Authentic that I've tasted, but it was still very fresh and enjoyable. *Hot & sour soup- Really hearty and flavorful! The broth was very balanced. I'm more of a wonton soup kind of gal, but I'd have this hot & sour coup again. *Sesame ball dessert- So yummy! Perfectly crispy outer layer with that creamy red bean interior. Nothing to complain about here. *Egg tart dessert- Delicious! Flaky crust with that perfectly eggy sweet custard. I could have eaten about 20 of those things. That's how good they were. Love me some egg tarts! I also had a glass of Surcos Sauv Blanc which was a recommendation for our server Amin, and it paired beautifully with my meal. They have a great wine list and even have some great wine pairings listed on their menu. My friend enjoyed her lychee martini which looked too pretty to even drink in my opinion. Prices points are pretty reasonable considering that you're in expensive Napa Valley. I'm quite impressed with Empress M. I'm excited to come back with more friends to delve deeper into their menu items. read more

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This place is excellent!!! Food is great, staff are friendly, and the ambiance... unbelievable! I can't wait to come back when it's hot and sit on their gorgeous patio. My new go to. read more

We were looking for a place to have like a "fancy dinner" and this place came up. Its a fancy chinese restaurant. I am seriously not sure if it would be worth the price. But their food is quite tasty. Also you are paying for a great service, nice presentation and also the ambiance of the place. We ordered Salt and Pepper Crispy Tofu Sichuan Calamari Shrimp wonton Noodle Soup Combination fried rice Beef Chow Fun Emperor Baked Sea Bass Ribeye Beef with Tofu Eggplant with String Beans A whole Peking Duck I liked everything but the sea bass. Im not sure if its normal if felt kinda jellyish the texture not the taste. I wont complain abt the taste. Its good. Just not the texture of it. The peking duck comes with the Bao so you can wrap them in it. Soooo good. I especially liked the eggplant with strong beans, which is kinda surprising since I am not a veggie person. I was seriously scraping the sauce off the plate onto my rice lol If you are in Napa, try this place out. Happy eating! read more

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Finally, an authentic Chinese restaurant in Napa with dim sum & then some! Kudos to Thomas one of the owners who lived in China for awhile and brought the cuisines back home to the 707. We decided to start off here during Napa Restaurant Week 2022, had Thomas not participated in this year's resto week, we wouldn't have found this hidden gem. There's plenty of parking, there's a spacious outdoor patio with heat lamps, and the bar is a fun hangout for locals. The indoor space is decorated beautifully, happy hour is daily, karaoke on Wednesday nights, and live music Friday nights. Splendid restaurant for locals and tourists of all ages to enjoy. The food is delicious, and dim sum is on point. I can see banquets, weddings, red egg & ginger parties, birthday parties, etc. taking place here. Can't wait to try the duck and more colorful dishes next time. 'Til we meet again ~ gan bei & see you on Yelp (SYOY)! read more

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The family got together for lunch at The Empress for an early Lunar New Year celebration. According to our mom, it used to be an Italian restaurant. I'll cut to the chase: everything was fantastic. There are times when you don't know what to expect and are utterly impressed with the experience. In the past couple of years simply going out to eat seemed like an event. On this occasion a family lunch was made better by the wonderful food and excellent service. I'll let my pictures speak for themselves. But, what I will say is that our family will return. This place was awesome. A special tip of the cap to one of the partners who came out to ask how we were doing and was receptive when one of our members offered a suggestion to the menu. Very Em-pressive (you see what did there?) read more

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The lack of Asian food is quite startling in the Napa Valley once you think about it. Even more surprising given its general overall appeal. Today we were on the hunt for a new restaurant and stumbled upon Empress M. Empress is a Dim Sum styled restaurant just off of Silverado Trail near the Napa Fairgrounds (replaced the Olive Tree) that's been around 1.5 years. The food was described to me as authentic Chinese food, not your Americanized knock of like Panda Express. Did they succeed? I would say YES. My experience with Dim Sum is quite varied having eaten at several places in SF and Oak Chinatown. I'd say this place elevates the experience. Here are some of my favorites: Shrimp Wanton Soup: Probably the one dish you find in every Chinese restaurant. And...I like this one the best. Usually the broth is over salted and the wanton texture is too soft. I found the broth to be full of flavor and very balanced in seasoning. The more you ate the better it became. The noodles were very good and fresh tasting. And the wantons had the right texture and flavorful shrimp. I could eat this one every time I come here, and especially when it gets cold out. Shrimp Siu Mai aka Shrimp Dumpling: Again for me the texture here is very important. I like a little firmness when biting, not slimy or too soft. The Chef here takes his craft seriously when it comes to getting the texture of his dumplings just right. This was very flavorful and balanced. Beef Chow Fun: Again excellent texture of the noodles. Firm and very flavorful. It was a little on the sweet side for me. The use of red onions added more sweetness and a little bite. I added a touch of soy sauce, which created the right balance of sweet and salty for me. The beef was soft and very flavorful. I wish it had a little bit more beef and I think this one would been my favorite. Hot Red Tea: EM offered a few different choices of tea. Instead of the green tea, we opted for the red tea. It was a stronger tea but we liked it. Floral in aroma and slightly sweet. The overall decor in the place is quite stunning. The owners spent some money remodeling exterior as well as interior. The print designs in the restaurant tell the story of the once concubine turned Empress of China. Also they added just the right amount of Asian accessories to complete the effect. It's worth a walk around. The wait staff was very attentive. It's a team effort as we were checked on by a few people which meant they wanted to make sure we were well taken care of. Amin, our main waiter, was great. He is also a fellow Warrior fan so that helped us enjoy our experience as well. He even snuck me a sip of top shelf Chinese liquor. In chatting with the Manager, they are constantly looking at evolving the menu. I'm hoping to see some type of salt and pepper fish or calamari. Overall, we enjoyed our experience. We will be back! read more

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Placed a huge order here a few days ago (double of everything) for two separate parties. The phone order was quick and efficient. The guy who took my order messed up on the bbq pork buns. I asked for two orders and he gave me one order which I had to split in half (1 in each order). He told me 30-40 mins. When I arrived, waited about 10 mins and everything was packed up and ready to go. FOOD- Higher end dim sum. Good traditional Chinese dim sum flavors. Does that justify the price? Prices are steep! Small plates at dim sum start at $9! Entrees start at $16 (eggplant)-$75 for a whole duck with an average of $36 per entree! VERY EXPENSIVE but that's Napa for you. Seems like most higher end restaurants are charging $36 entrees now. So cray! Decor was nice with red chairs and black tablecloth for contrast. Chinese art throughout. Seems like it would be eye candy to dine in. read more

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One of the best place to take advantage of Happy Hour and sample their excellent and meticulously prepared Chinese cuisine. During Happy Hour we ordered steamed pork dumplings, fried spring rolls and calamari. Portions are good (for two ) and service efficient. We also ordered from the regular menu Chow Mein and Egg Custard. Met all expectations. You can dine-in or dine-outdoor in their Asian-inspired garden patio terrace. Plenty of terrace seatings. And if you come on Fridays there is live music outdoors. read more

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Amazing food! Everything we ordered was good. It was warm enough to sit outside, but the inside was nice as well. I highly recommend trying it. read more

I have tried a good amount of Chinese restaurants before but truthfully when I came here with my sister and mom today, Empress M is my favorite by far! AMBIANCE: Very pretty and the way the restaurant shows the culture's art in their scenery at the entrance and all around the interior is beautiful! Also very clean!! SERVICE: The workers are very sweet and kind! They even gave some recommendations and were super attentive to our table's needs (water, extra utensils, adding to the order, etc.) FOOD OVERALL: Very good, 4.5/5. Will come here again when the craving kicks in (Detailed Food Review below) Honey/Crispy Walnut Shrimp: 4.5/5! It was extremely good, not overcooked or undercooked, just right with its taste. -0.5 because I feel like it deserves just a liiiittle bit more in a serving. Roast Peking Duck (Half): 5/5!! The problem with most Chinese food and restaurants I encounter is that their roast duck is typically too greasy or undercooked. The roast duck here is the best I've tried yet - crispy skin, delicious meat, tastes great, and pairing that with the sauce, sliced cucumber and bun (not pictured) it came in was just perfect! Sauteed String Beans w/ Minced Pork: 5/5! Very tasty, not too overflowing in flavor, and just right! Crispy Flounder: 5/5! Glad we came in at the perfect time for this to just get added to the menu This was amazing! I'm not typically one to venture to other fried fishes, but this one was sooo good, the fish meat slides off the bones so delicately and the crunch of the exterior was amazing! Soup Dumplings: 4/5. -1 because it seems like for half of the soup dumplings I bit into, they didn't have any soup in them? I LOVE soup dumplings but I was disappointed that some didn't have what it was named for :( but when I did have them, amazing!! Would definitely order again!! Overall, dining here was an amazing experience that's definitely worth trying yourself. Love the food and everything about this place. If I had to think of one flaw of this place, the parking isn't as big/it felt limited on where you could park. Otherwise, would go again! read more

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4 stars for food, service, and ambiance. We were a party of ten and had our choice of indoor or outdoor dining. Food was good, but it's expensive. I paid $45 for 1/2 a duck. It was perfectly cooked; crispy skins and juicy interior. We ordered a little of everything from the menu. I enjoyed the Dim Sum sampler, Shumai Dumpling, and Shanghai Spring Rolls. Note to self to skip the Crispy Walnut Shrimp. Ask for knife to cut Chinese Broccoli and Bok Choy. We also ordered Chow Mein, Fried Rice, and Chow Fun that my family enjoyed. Will take pictures next time. Perfect restaurant for those that have vegan and meat eaters in a family. Restaurant was clean and nicely decorated. Perfect place for a party. Service was attentive. read more

I came for the boba but they said it wouldn't be ready for 45 minutes... during lunch hour. That's why I gave this place a 4 star... boba wasn't even available read more

Empress M - Dim sum was just ok - Dim Sum Near Me - Napa, California

Stopped in to get take out. Clean and themed. Nice large patio out front. Staff all friendly and helpful. The food was good but not great. They were out of pork and only had impossible meat for many items. Seems expensive for the food. read more

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I have to say I wasn't all that impressed by this place, especially the food. I will have to say that the General Manager was really sweet and came by our table to introduce himself, and to recommend viewing the actual restaurant inside. My group and I came here on Saturday night as we made a reservation the day of (this was seamless). There is a parking lot on site, which is towards the back of the actual restaurant. There are two entrances to enter the actual "outdoor seating" area, but we weren't sure which was the actual entrance or exit. We came up to the host and indicated that we had reservations for a group of 4, and we were seated after a few minutes outside. It took a bit to get our server to come to our table and to greet themselves, but she was still really sweet to say the least. Our group ordered the steamed pork spare ribs, the mushroom dumpling, the dan dan noodles, the chicken fried rice, and the half peking duck. //pricing: Mushroom Dumpling: $8 Steamed Pork Spare Ribs: $9 Dan Dan Noodles: $18 Yangzhou Fried Rice: $17 for Chicken Peking Roast Duck: $45 for half a duck (excluding any drinks we got in this meal) //breakdown of each item: -Mushroom Dumpling: I wasn't able to get a bite of these, but $8 for 3 pieces seemed a bit high for dim sum tbh. It looked really nice, but you can definitely go elsewhere for cheaper. -Steamed Pork Spare Ribs: These were ok, the portion was a bit smaller than what I expected. These are bone in, so be careful trying to take a big bite out of these. The flavor itself was fine, but it didn't wow me. 2/5. -Dan Dan Noodles: the flavor was really nice, the noodles were cooked well, however this was overly salty for me. I think less salt would have been nice, or possibly a higher spice factor to this? 3/5 -Yangzhou Fried Rice with Chicken: this was. ok, but a bit bland. I think the fried rice needed more seasoning as it was only just rice, chicken, egg, and a few greens. I think adding more flavor to this would have been better. 2/5 -Peking Roast Duck: I have to say that I appreciate the crisp of the duck skin, and how lean it was. However for $45, I expected a bit more meat from the duck? The duck was SO small. Around the bay area, you can expect to get so much more duck meat for a lower price. The buns were a nice touch to eat the duck with, but there wasn't enough to go around and they came out first before the duck. They got a bit cold. 3/5 //Service: Negatives: I would have to say there could have been a bit more improvement with the service. It was a bit odd that the drinks we ordered came so much later than the food we received. We got waters and some alcoholic drinks, but they came towards the end of our dinner. We were also given one tray of sauces to share, but no explanation of what each one was until we had to ask. Also you are only provided chopsticks upon arrival, but you have to request other utensils. I remember a table spoke up loudly about wanting a spoon or a fork, but it's a bit difficult to flag down a server tbh. Some components of each dish came out a bit later versus all at once, which is a bit odd to me (aka the peking duck with the buns as mentioned earlier). Positives: The positives is that the general manager was really sweet and made sure we were welcomed. Our server Brooke made sure to top our waters off whenever she came by to our table. Overall, very expensive Chinese food for what you get, but the decor really fits well with the theme of this place. If you're new to Chinese food and want more of a "high end" Chinese place, maybe you'll like the aesthetics of this place, but I wasn't all that impressed by the food at all. read more

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3.5 STARS COVID-19 OUTDOOR DINING Empress M is the type of place I would bring my Tiger mom....hope she forgets her reading glasses and snatch the bill when it comes out because she would flip the eff out if she saw the prices. $9 for 3 pieces of har gow. $20 chow fun. You get my drift... For the next, 7839348 hours, she would give me the death stare and lecture me on why I'm broque. Truth but when you're on staycation and the liquor starts flowing, budgets go out the door. Plus, I was hella craving dim sum and Empress M is the only dim sum restaurant in Napa. Empress M is open for takeout, indoor dining, and outdoor dining (dog-friendly). Reservations are highly recommended on the weekends. M E N U Dim sum, Cantonese, and Sichuan fare. They even have Uyghur Big Plate Chicken which is interesting. Lunch combo specials (M-F): $16-$22. No tea fee for dim sum. Limited dim sum menu with only 14 items and 30% of the items were not available on Saturday (11:15 am reservations). Big bummer. Happy Hour: 3 pm - 5 pm **$1 pot stickers and egg rolls, $2 pork buns, har gow, and siu mai. $6 beer, $8 wells, and $9 wine. FULL BAR. Yelp check-in: Free well drink (I was driving so I skipped it). I like their branding on the plates and takeout boxes (w/ specially made vents). C O V I D - 1 9 S A F E T Y P R E C A U T I O N S * Staff wore masks. * Food runner wore gloves. * Laminated menus were sanitized between guests. * Outdoor tables were spaced out ~8 feet apart. Open-air, no tent. Umbrellas for shade and heat lamps available. * Wrapped utensils. * Hand sanitizer available in multiple areas. F O O D Note: We ordered several items that were noted as having "spicy" ingredients and they weren't spicy at all. **Dipping sauces: sweet & sour, soy-vinegar, hot mustard, and chili sauce. * Har Gow: Shrimp Dumplings (3 pc - $9) Disappointing; after following up multiple times, this arrived after an hour of waiting. When lifted, the har gow had a huge air pocket with thick, gloppy skin. The shrimp was fresh and crunchy though. * Steamed Pork Spare Ribs w/ taro root ($9) Nice meaty and tender chunks of pork spare ribs but could use more black bean sauce. * Hong Kong Chicken Feet w/ peanuts ($9) Soft, gelatinous, and collagen-rich goodness. Mild flavor with a touch of sweetness. I rarely see this served with peanuts but I liked it for texture. * Wu Gok: Taro Puffs (3 pc - $8) Whoa, I was shocked at how bomb these were. They rival the ones in SF and Sunnyvale/Cupertino area. The taro puffs had a delicately crunchy, lacey honeycomb exterior with an airy smooth mashed taro and savory kurobuta pork filling. GET THESE! * Spicy Chicken Wings w/ garlic, hot chili peppers, jalapeño (6 pc - $15) Seems like a hybrid of salt & pepper wings and sandstorm wings. The chicken wings were deliciously crunchy, meaty, and juicy; not greasy. They were tossed with green onions, jalapeño, and fried garlic bits. Very flavorful with a mild heat (just don't eat the chilies). GET THESE TOO! * Beef Chow Fun w/ ribeye, stir-fried with bean sprouts, onion, scallion, and rice noodle ($20) Since they didn't have several of the dim sum items I wanted to order, I decided to order this to test the "wok hei" of the kitchen. Decent "wok hei" (smoky flavor) on the tender slices of the ribeye, crisp red onions, and green onions. The chow fun noodles were nicely separated but the rib eye were in long 4-5 inch strips. Not complaining because there was a generous portion of ribeye but they should be cut smaller. S E R V I C E Staff is very friendly and well-intentioned but needs refinement for an upscale restaurant. Being the only dim sum restaurant in the area, not everyone may be familiar with the food. One of the tables next to us looked confused at the items being dropped off. Food runners should be introducing items when delivering them. As another Yelper stated, the staff was overwhelmed so service really suffered. Remember the hour wait for the har gow? Plus, having to raise your hand and flag people staff for things is not what one expects from an upscale restaurant. Just to close the bill, it took over 20 minutes and that's after asking several different staff. Until they work out their kinks, go early and expect a leisurely meal. A M B I A N C E Huge, spacious restaurant with a courtyard patio, gazebo for tea ceremonies, and a swanky bar area with a massive tv. Décor is inspired after the Tang Dynasty - lots of beautiful murals, paintings, and bold red furnishings. TBH, I came in with low expectations but I thought the food was pretty good for the area (sans the har gow). Most of the items may be on the bland side but I appreciate them not dumping msg and drowning the food in sauces like American Chinese Restaurants. 3.5 stars rounded up. read more

Empress M - Spicy Chicken Wings ($15), Har Gow (3 pc-$9), Beef Chow Fun ($20), Chicken Feet ($9), Steamed Spare Ribs ($9), Wu Gok: Taro Puffs ($8) - Dim Sum Near Me - Napa, California

Did not get food but instead got their "fresh coconut water". Absolute lie because I can very much taste the added sugar. I only got this instead of the harmless harvest brand sold in the same plaza because it was advertised as fresh. Very disappointed read more

Aesthetically is pleasing. We ordered the Sichuan spicy fish based on their Yelp photo. We asked them about it because of the stark contrast -- because of covid, they did some adjustment to the dishes. The service was pretty good, but I felt like for the price; it wasn't worth it. And I can see why as I barely saw any other Asians dining besides us And the dishes wasn't spicy at all read more

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We were in town celebrating New Year's Eve and managed to get a reservation here. It was raining and I had to have soup! So we got the hot and sour soup, serving size was very generous and we got decent portions for four people. The soup itself was disappointing though, with a strong flavor of vinegar. The mushroom dumplings were nondescript. The chow mein was made with thick noodles, though the flavors were all there the thickness of the noodles rendered it difficult to enjoy the dish. The fried rice and chengdu eggplant were the decent dishes of the evening. The fried wings had a nice kick from the sichuan peppers. read more

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After our first wine tasting appointment we were hungry and thought we should eat so we don't get inebriated. Search for availability on OpenTable and saw Empress M had availability for the window we we're available. Booked it and drove to the restaurant. There were ample parking available we walked in and was greeted by a very nice gentleman. We were seated promptly and our orders were taken. They have an outdoor seating with a beautiful garden type area and indoors was nice and clean too. Deep fried salmon and fried string beans 5/5 - Wow it was so tasty the crispiness of the salmon and string beans was so good but the salmon was perfectly moist and not over cooked. Amazing! Shumai Dumpling 5/5- this was really good and the dumpling size was bigger than other Dimsum places I have tried. Hargaw Shrimp Dumpling 5/5 - perfectly steamed tasty shrimp dumpling. Love it! Crispy Walnut Shrimp 5/5 - this tastes really good as well. I always love the sweet and savory flavor and the walnut is always my favorite. Combo Fried Rice 5/5 - the fried rice in itself is a whole meal. We ordered the combo and they do not skimp on the protein. It had shrimp, chicken, pork, beef, and scrambled eggs. Soooo good and filling and rice was not greasy at all. HongKong style chicken feet 5/5 - I love chicken feet. This was so good I ate it all by myself. The black bean sauce and the perfectly steamed claw with the tasty spices was so satisfying. Oh and they have this 3 different sauces they give you one was sweet, soy sauce, and chili sauce. We love it all but the chili sauce was really good! We asked for some to go! Lastly, the prices were very reasonable and will not break the bank for Napa. We will be back! read more

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I came here for Happy Hour to try this place out since I knew the prices were higher than usual dim sum spots. Bottom line...dim sum is good, but expect a high bill. First things first during happy hour 3-5pm you CANNOT order off of the regular menu. The chefs take their lunch break at this time so all they have is the limited selection of dim sum. We were able to get the egg custards which were delectable, but that's only because they still had some in the kitchen. The pork bun filling was sweet and not fatty with a full vessel of breading that was soft. It could have been filled more because it barely had 2 tablespoons of pork. First round of har gow (shrimp) was tough and turned me away, but when I ordered a second round it was much more fresh. The egg roll and dumpling didn't stick out to me. Dumplings were pretty small as well, definitely not the size of a regular one (maybe that's because it's HH, a friend got it during regular hours and they were bigger). The star of the the show were the siu mai (pork and shrimp dumpling). I would honestly come for HH, just to get those. Napa needed a dim sum spot. That's obvious. However, for someone who had gotten dim sum in many other places this was average. The environment is nice and if I don't want to cross a bridge to get some dim sum I would come here, but I would prefer other spots in the Bay Area. read more

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Beautiful patio and a very friendly and helpful staff. Will absolutely come back for their lunch specials and especially the happy hour! Oh also, the chairs on the patio are way more comfortable than they look! Wicker style but smooth so you're ok in shorts :) Caveat: Pulled a star since it's mostly large, $20-$40 plates to share. Even the happy hour menu went from individual items to sets of 3. Not great if you want to dine alone but have some variety. read more

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Amazing!!! We loved everything Food was spectacular- seriously! Great date night, and everything tasted so fresh read more

Empress M - Lettuce wraps - delish! - Dim Sum Near Me - Napa, California

Very good food. The dim sum is sort of authentic but any Chinese restaurant that serves dim sum at night is, by definition, not authentic. Dim sum is brunch folks. Having said that, although owned by a caucasian guy, the chef, I am pretty sure is Chinese. As a Chinese person, nothing is more irritating than being served fat broccoli trees in a Chinese restaurant. This is offensive and not authentic. This won't happen to you at Empress M, so that is a huge plus. The food is prepared very well - food is served with near perfection - bright vegetables with the right amount of crispy. The wood ear salad is truly amazing. And the menu has chicken feet! That's authentic. We came for CNY and they botched our order and piled on free food like it was going out of style. We could have fed 8 people with all that food. It's expensive, tho, easily 2 - 3 times what I'd pay in Monterey Park. As Rebecca L, says, and I paraphrase, cheaper and more varieties of dim sum are nearby in California. I'll add that it's probably not as greasy here. However, "if I don't want to cross a bridge to get some dim sum I would come here, but I would prefer other spots in the Bay Area." and I'll add, Monterey Park. Nevertheless, i love taro balls and chicken feet (although duck feet are much better), so I'll probably do dim sum brunch there some time. Brunch, not dinner, the way it is supposed to be. read more

Empress M - That wood ear salad, tho. Mmm perfection. - Dim Sum Near Me - Napa, California

We came for Napa Restaurant Week and got a 3 course dinner for $28. It seemed like the menu kept changing because the chef didn't want to do certain things or serve certain items. Ultimately the 3 course consisted of 1 shumai, 1 har gow, 1 sesame ball, kung pao chicken, a huge scoop of rice, a cup of hot and sour soup, and a sample of their pinot noir. We ended up getting two additional dim sum (snow pea shoot shrimp dumplings and mushroom dumplings). All the food was good and the dumplings were great! My issue with Empress M is the staff and service. All the servers seemed to just be standing around, hanging out, and goofing off with each other in the main dining rooms rather than serving customers. The restaurant was pretty empty at the time we visited and we still waited a very long time in between each time the server came to check on us. We waited forever to order, to get boxes, and to pay to leave. At the end of it all, it was the food that helped raise their rating to 3 stars. Will not be back based on service. read more

Delicious food and exceptional service! I went with a regular so I let them order for the most part. Sautéed green beans were amazing!