Dragon Court — Restaurant in Northern Territory

I went to Dragon Court this week after almost two years, on a whim while at the casino with friends. What a difference two years makes (hint, at least 2 stars difference out of 5).

We went there about 2 hours before closing time, and asked for a table for 5. There were clearly at least 2-3 large tables free, but they told us they were booked out and would call us that night as soon as table was ready, taking a mobile number. 45 minutes later, knowing that we had a bit over an hour before they were meant to close, we went over to check it out...4-5 free tables, including the ones we saw when we tried earlier. There was one group at the counter near the door, who wanted to pay and leave, but with no staff to process the payment. After a few minutes finally a staff member came over to process their payment, and we mentioned we were expecting a call. They immediately provided us with a tablet.

One of our group was not too happy and made a number of snarky comments about not getting a call. The feedback was passed on, and another lady (manager?) came over to advise us that we had arrived just as a number of people had left their tables. We expressed some skepticism, which wasn't addressed as she made herself scarce. Not an impressive start to this dining experience, and they clearly forgot to call us, and lied when we enquired about it. An honest apology for the mistake would have been acceptable, rather than insulting our intelligence with lies.

Onto the food. Now don't get me wrong, everytime I pass the entrance to Dragon Court, during a casino run, it smells amazing, and was no different this time. We ordered a number of dishes (see attached pics), including Wong's Chicken Curry, Pork in Peking Sauce, roast duck, and my perennial favourite in most Chinese restaurants, mapo tofu (pork mince and tofu).

Once seated the waitresses who served us were pleasant and helpful, no complaints there.

Starting with Mapo Tofu...what a disappointment. It was bland, and with no spice. It's especially disappointing, as last time I was here it was a flavoursome dish chock full of red dried chillies (none of which were present this time). The Wong's Chicken Curry was chalky and not pleasant, and the roast duck skin was chewy instead of crispy. The Pork in Peking Sauce was nice.

Based on food quality, I'd give this place a 2.5 out of 5, maybe a 3 if I were generous. The poor initial experience, and the lying costs at least another star. I may try this place in another 2 years, but for now I'd recommend everyone...

Not sure if Dragon Court has good days & bad, but ours was a terribly poor and unsatisfactory experience.

Booked a table a month in advance for a special occasion. The restaurant was extremely busy & the staff were overwhelmed on the day. We were left alone for close to 20 minutes after being seated - no offer of drinks - NOTHING.

Asked for wine at least thrice. Staff rearranged the glasses on our table many times, assuring us it would arrive. It never did. By the time we were close to finishing our mains, we gave up asking.

The menu looked great, but in all honesty, our food dishes were mediocre at best. No different to a Darwin market Chinese takeaway. Both, starter & mains took very long to arrive. Sitting in a very noisy restaurant for long stretches with just a jug of water between us was the last thing we imagined for a special occasion. We didn't bother ordering dessert (we actually weren't even offered).

Every time a table fell vacant, all manpower would rush there to do a full set up - clean tablecloth, cutlery, glasses - while customers were neglected. The priorities are visibly warped when empty tables get more attention than paying customers on a busy night.

I regret not walking out & getting Macca's on the way home. The staff smiled pleasantly if ever they caught our eye, They apologised when we were leaving, but more in a perfunctory way rather than with a real understanding of what an appalling experience we had paid good money for. They thanked us for our tolerance because they were short-staffed. It became more about their experience than ours.

The restaurant sends you an automated feedback form that we duly filled & returned, expecting some acknowledgement from management. We have never heard back. If a restaurant is short-staffed for whatever reason, they should not accommodate walk-ins beyond numbers that they can manage. Do the right thing by your already seated customers & draw the line.

While many sing high praises of their dining experience at Dragon Court, we will never ever set foot in there again. Nor will we be able to remember anything else from that very special...

Food was good, service was ok. Wasn’t worth the price tag or the hassle and I will not be returning. The restaurant is too small to seat as many people as they’re trying to. My partner and I felt as if we were dining with a group of blokes sat behind me and another couple sitting to the side. Every single word I could hear from their conversations making it an awkward sitting arrangement. The food came promptly, and the service was good. The food was tasty but nothing worth $26 for a main. We had the spring rolls and pork dumplings for entree, didn’t quite meet the mark. For mains we had Mongolian Beef, Cantonese Duck, and Curry Chicken with fried rice. Food was nice, the duck was good, not the best I’ve tasted but still cooked well. Upon going to pay, I presented an entertainment book voucher to be made out like it was the most complicated thing in the world. In the first instance to be told the voucher had been redeemed, and then to be told my digital membership would require a physical card. I am not a tight arse, and have no issue paying for food and service that’s worth the price tag, but I think Dragon Court is behind the times and not nearly up to the standard of the price they’re charging. For anyone looking to visit Dragon Court and use the entertainment book, I would suggest making sure you have your membership number available - this is not mentioned in the T&C’s however is a requirement in order to use the voucher. I won’t be...