Royal Treasure 敦煌 — Restaurant in Ottawa

Tl;dr = Ingredients not fresh, the food we ordered were not well seasoned, may need to come back and try the "Canadian Chinese" dishes, such as General Tao chicken, to better assess.

PRO: Large portions on some items. We ordered a small size soup and it was enough for 3-4 people (we were 2 so we could have had 2-3 servings each). Friendly, efficient service. Food prep was very fast. Chinese greens with garlic was not bad.

CON: The food. Crab meat & fish maw soup did not have much taste. This is because the "crab meat" was imitation crab, and the fish maw was not fresh (rehydrated from a dried pack) so it tasted plasticky. The lack of freshness also affected the fish maw texture, which ended up more like limp wood ear mushroom (if it's fresh, it can be good, but like most delicacy it's easy to screw up). The soup itself did not any depth of flavour. I did appreciate, however, that they didn't load up on MSG or any other seasoning/sauce to cover up the lack of flavour. I'd rather have mild than MSG overload. Other than that, the gloopy soup texture and presentation of the egg inside were on point. BBQ Duck & bean curd (tofu) casserole came sizzling in the pot as advertised, but again the meat and the tofu did not have much flavour. Duck meat was rather tough and had a weird aftertaste - either not cooked properly and/or has been kept for a few days. The only marginally flavourful part of this dish were the bok choys buried in the sauce underneath...which, I guess is better than nothing, but a little sad. We ordered one bowl of rice. Taste & texture was below average. I also felt like the space was not too great - low ceiling, felt like a basement, tables a little too close together, could be better chairs.

I see a lot of recommendation for General Tao's chicken. Maybe this restaurant just does the Canadian-Chinese dishes well. If so, I would like to return and reassess with...

The restaurant building is not esthetically pleasing, inside and out...the food however is!!! It is delicious, authentic Asian cuisine. It is a very busy & small restaurant, so best to call in advance to make a reservation. (While we were enjoying our meal, many walk-in customers had to wait as there were no available tables) Service is quick, polite and thorough. Their menu is substantial while very clear and understandable. They have daily specials that are posted on a board for all to see. We browsed the menu, wrote down on the order form what we wanted and then waited for our dishes to arrive. In the meantime, we were served refreshing tea...though we didn't have too long of a wait. As each dish was served, the aromas were so amazing. Not salty, well balanced flavors. Fresh vegetables and gorgeous portions. The General Tao Chicken and the salt and pepper shrimp were absolutely delicious. Everything was. It was such a comfortable supper, very reasonably priced and centrally located with ample parking nearby. A definite 2 thumbs...

Royal Treasure has been my goto restaurant for as long as I can remember, so this review stems from years of dining experience. The service has always been prompt and courteous; the food beyond reproach. Other reviews claim otherwise, and oddly enough all posted at the same time leading me to wonder if they have ulterior motives.

This is a family owned business, so don't expect a bunch of pomp and circumstance. I do not go there for the ambiance, cheesy decorations or over-priced menu items - the food speaks for itself.

The portions are plentiful and reasonably priced. The General Tao's Chicken is a must - prepared differently than any other restaurants - and delicious. I like mine crispy - ask and ye shall receive.

I would not be concerned with recommending or bringing friends and relatives here - which I have done in abundance. Two thumbs up are always the reaction from the...