Imperial Kingdom

546-554 Waverley Road
Glen Waverley 3150

Char Siew Bao

Imperial Kingdom has been an instutition of suburban yum cha for many, many years. And it shows. The pink, weathered, 'pacific inspired' building looks like it's barely hanging in there. The service is similarly strained and laboured. The wait staff make it their mission to convey the message of not wanting to be there. A couple of the older staff tend to just shove the dim sum carts in your face and pause, without word or expression. It's some of the rudest service you will find in a restaurant this popular.

Prawn and Chive Dumplings

Clearly, the food at Imperial Kingdom is what draws the weekend crowds. The steamed dumplings are big and fresh. The skins are well made, with just the right amount of chewiness, although can be on the thicker side at times. Steer clear of anything made of pork mince, like the Siew Mai or Shark Fin Dumplings, as they come bundled with relatively large cubes of fat.The Lor Mai Kai (glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in lotus leaves) is a stand out, bigger and fuller in flavour than other restaurants owing to the generous quantities of filling - a treasure chest of chicken pieces, char siew, braised pork, candle nuts and shitake mushrooms. 

Lor Mai Kai

Imperial Kingdom's fried goodies are also memorable. Generally crispy and surprisingly un-oily, they won't leave you feeling like a hot air balloon. A small disclaimer though, dishes like the Paper Wrapped and Lychee Prawns do tend to be dripping in oil. The key is to avoid anything not carbohydrate based or otherwised dipped in batter. I recommend the Glutinous Pork Dumplings, Taro Puffs and the Glutinous Rice Balls with Red Bean Paste. The Baked Oysters are also worth a try, the pinch of curry powder gives this version a unique flavour hit. The pan fried Taro and Turnip cakes are also done well, and aren't the horrible flour laden types you sometimes get.

Pan Fried Taro Cake

Avoid the rice paper rolls at all costs. These used to be good a few years ago, but lately are just soft, gloggy, seemingly half cooked piles of mess. I'm not sure whether they've added more water to their recipe or have switched to using an inferior brand of rice flour. Either way, the texture will leave you gagging. The desserts aren't terribly noteworthy, although the Ma Lai Koh (Malaysian steamed sponge cake) is lighter and fluffier than most, and the use of brown sugar creates a bolder flavour and aroma.

Chinese Doughnut Rice Paper Rolls

Imperial Kingdom is one of those places that you'd be happy to go to if in the area, but will forget about a few days later. Steamed dumplings, Lor Mai Kai and a few deep fried treasures aside, the food is decidedly average. That's more than can be said for the service, which is truly appalling. Seating is cramped and uncomfortable to boot. Imperial Kingdom is sufficient for enjoying the yum cha experience, but simply not up to scratch when compared with it's competitors, namely Gold Leaf or New Royal Garden. 

Casual Dining 

Food - 3/5 

Ambience - 1.5/5 

Service - 1/5

Price - 3.5/5 

Total - 9/20