Empress Wok is a new Chinese Restaurant that opened about a week and a half ago in University Plaza. From their menu, they offer "Hunan, Mandarin, Szechunan & Cantonese style" foods and claim "no MSG".
Before I get right into my experience, I'll have to say that for any students who live in the far west end (student condo area and west), this place is going to be your Chinese restaurant of choice.
My girlfriend and I had a craving for Chinese last night, and since I'm about a 5 minute walk from this new Chinese place, our destination became obvious. We decided to call our order in for take-out, since it was 9:00pm and they close at 10:00pm on Sundays. The lady on the phone was nice and she did her very best to offer great service over the phone.
We ordered two combo platters. Combo platters are just one section of their very large and diverse menu, and they offer 12 different combos for prices ranging from $7.50 to $8.50. When we arrived to pick up our food, the interior of the restaurant was very clean and very classy looking. They welcomed us, and we paid. They accept most forms of payment, including debit & credit.
We got our food and took it home (although from the look of the place, eating-in would be a great experience as well). The platters were kept in large 12-13 inch (approx. 30-33cm) tin plates with plastic covers, and the plates were around 2.5 - 3 inches (approx 6.5 - 7.5cm) deep. These platters were stuffed to the brim with food! For about $8, we both got enough food for one very filling meal, or (like my girlfriend did) a good meal with leftovers for the next day. The combo platters are definitely worth the money, considering a combo at a fast-food joint is comparable in price, with significanlty less food.
The food itself was great! Exactly what I expected for chinese, and the flavours were strong (notable since they don't use MSG). My girlfriend got a particular vegetable that she didn't like in her Beef w/ veg. & almonds, but that didn't turn her or myself off (neither of us could identify this peculiar tasting vegetable).
The sweet & sour dishes (I had shrimp and my girfriend had chicken) come already slathered in sauce, and it's important to note that asking for more sauce will add a $0.50 charge to your bill. The combos all come with an egg roll (really great, and the shell wasn't too crumbly) and chicken fried rice. The rice was also tasty, although I added some soy sauce for extra flavour.
Note that they charge extra for substitutions on platters and other combos. They have special diet/vegetarian items on their menu, and they offer a pick-up cash only special of free choice of sweet & sour wonton, crabmeat cheese wonton, or egg drop soup for $25 orders.
Free delivery is offered for orders over $22 within the delivery area (there's a map on the menu).
I'd have to say that I was thouroughly impressed with Empress Wok, and that this will be my non-buffet chinese restaurant of choice for the coming school year. I predict that once the school year starts, they'll make a killing!
Their website is
www.empresswokchinese .com. It doesn't have much on it, but apparently you can ask a question! I suspect their website will improve over time, even though it should probably be ready by now.
