New City Palace Chinese Restaurant (城宫食府) — Restaurant in Abu Dhabi

Since moving to Abu Dhabi last year, our family has struggled to find a solid choice as a go-to Chinese food restaurant without spending a lot of money. I think we may have found our spot with New City Palace Restaurant.

Centrally located in the city, this restaurant has an ample menu of Chinese dishes to support anyone's tastes. While not fancy on the inside, it is clean, and the staff is very friendly. Our server helped explain a number of the dishes and made some great recommendations.

Their specialty is Peking Duck and have one section of the dining room sectioned off for the cooking and preparing of China's number one dish. They also hand-pull all of their noodles. We sampled them in the Beef Lamian (a huge soup bowl full of goodness) and Cold Noodle Mix. We tried the Honey Walnut Chicken dish which was really good. The batter they use was light and gently fried before mixing it with the firm walnuts and not-overly sweet honey sauce. We also tried the Fish Szechuan, the Shrimp pot stickers, and Orange Chicken. All of them were delicious.

The other nice thing about New City Palace Restaurant was that it was family affordable. With food and drinks, it came to about 70 dirhams per person. Since this was our first time here we ordered quite a bit of food. We even ended up taking the cold noodle dish home with us. We could have spent much less but we wanted to sample as much as we could to see if the quality straddled all of their dishes. It did and we can't wait to go back an sample out the duck dishes they were preparing for the table next to us. It smelled amazing.

The New City Palace Restaurant has some new customers and if you like Chinese food you should...

OVERALL: Rare find that serves authentic Chinese food.....I'm a huge foodie and have travelled Asia dining at both fine dining and dives and this is one of those places you can come back to over and over again and bring friends/family.

FOOD: Duck was 10/10 for both taste, juiciness and value - I'm talking that it was tastier than the duck at Hutong and to top it off, they hand make their duck pancakes!

Orange Chicken is more like an American take but think of a less greasy, more crispy version and it was addictively delicious.

Chow Mein - they hand pull their noodles fresh and you can taste it in the fried noodles as they were springy and delcious. They weren't over seasoned and not greasy, which is perfect....I'm a rice fan by far but these noodles won me over.

Dim sum was hand made, had the prawn siu mai...was tasty and taste home made so a solid 7/10 for them.

Honey Walnut Shrimp was tasty but personal taste, I prefer the sauce to be more of a glaze and too much sauce for it to be on par with the Orange Chicken.

SERVICE: Attentive and food came out quick. My feedback would be for the staff to ask what people want as starters vs. second course and main course etc as the noodles came out when we were 2/3 finished with our duck.

ATMOSPHERE: All the clientele was from Asia i.e. Chinese who lived locally, some tour groups, and Filipinos, which was a great sign. It's was spacious and they don't ram the tables.

Overall, taking a bunch of friends back next time and is my go to without paying...

A Hidden Gem for Authentic Chinese Cuisine – A Must-Try!

I recently had the pleasure of dining at this restaurant, and I must say, it left an unforgettable impression. From the moment I walked in, the warm ambiance and friendly service set the stage for an exceptional meal. But what really stole the show were the dishes!

The hand-pulled noodles were the highlight of my experience. Perfectly chewy, with just the right amount of bounce, they paired beautifully with the rich broth. It's a testament to the restaurant's commitment to fresh, authentic food. The dumplings were equally impressive, with delicate skins and a savory filling that melted in my mouth.

If you’re craving a hearty snack, the chio poa is a must. Crispy on the outside with a flavorful filling, it’s the kind of comfort food that hits all the right notes.

The poached beef was tender, packed with flavor, and had just the right level of heat. It was followed by the pepper-roasted beef, which was a perfect blend of spice and texture, satisfying all my cravings for a bold, meaty dish.

As if that wasn't enough, their ramen was also phenomenal. The broth was rich and flavorful, with a perfect balance of ingredients, and it had a freshness that’s hard to beat.

Finally, I ended my meal on a sweet note with the sweet silver and gold—a dessert that was both indulgent and unique. It’s the kind of dish that you don’t find everywhere, and it left me smiling from the first bite...