Kings Co Imperial — Restaurant in New York

This was our second visit to King’s; we've been there before and had a great time. We decided to come back for a special dinner and the night out. We booked a reservation for the time that worked for us on RESY (only options were 5:30 p.m. or 8:30p.m.) We selected 5:30.We arrived at around 5:27 and there was maybe five or six people right inside the door finishing up right before opening, so we were kept outside and waited patiently. They open the door at 5:35, we were greeted warmly by the hostess who didn't ask but was informed that we had a reservation. She asked for my name, looked, then grabbed two menus and said OKAY follow me and placed us in a corner. As we were walking the two feet from the hostess counter to that corner table, the hostess says that we should be aware that she has a 7:00 p.m. reservation coming in. We thought that was strange since we also had a reservation, arrived on time, and hadn't even been able to order our drinks or appetizers yet when we're being informed that there's a reservation coming in. We both responded to that asking what difference that made since we had a reservation, and there was plenty of space downstairs? She said and I quote "it's just that we have a lot of reservations coming in" I said again, “ we have a reservation”. and then it just kind of fizzled out.

We were not comfortable in the corner or at all at that point, and we moved out of the corner to a table near the bar (upstairs is very small). I was livid, but didn't want to make a scene. She didn't even ask where we preferred just decided that we would sit upstairs in a corner. And in truth we had made a pact prior to arrival that we didn't want to sit upstairs in the uncomfortable area, we wanted to go downstairs but we just ignored it, again trying to salvage the evening’s vibe. We were in a celebratory mood, and it just put a damper on the first 20 minutes or so she must have felt it because she came over at around the 20-minute mark and said, “ she had an open booth downstairs if we wanted to sit there”. By that time, we wanted absolutely nothing from her, and said no thank you. And then everything changed for the better. It was like the sun came out. We had the most wonderful waitress/bartender/ human, who provided great service, had great energy, made good drinks, and the food was delicious as always! But I'd recommend that Management tell the person greeting people that it is not polite to tell people as they enter that they need to hurry up. Don't assume everyone is there for happy hour. Not sure I'd go back unless I'm certain the beautiful human is working.

Edit: Important to note she said it to...

The food is honestly mediocre, but worse was how dehumanizing my last experience was. Now I know it’s not safe to come back, which is disappointing.

I ordered soup through a takeout app because I had nowhere to go, I was cold, I really needed access to a sink, because the only public restroom in the area was closed.

When I arrived I asked to use the bathroom for a few reasons, but especially so I could wash my hands before eating. The kitchen staff looked disgusted that I, a visibly trans person, was asking, and I had to multiple times, despite having done so before. When I did use the bathroom, the person I would learn was the manager stared at me as I walked through the restaurant. I felt distinctly unwelcome.

When I got the food I asked about utensils and was told they were there. I checked, and there was no spoon with which to eat my soup. I asked and was treated as if I was unintelligible, then asked for a manager, who hugged and argued with me about how “we’ve been open six years and it’s never been a problem. Most people enjoy it in there homes.” I didn’t have a home to go to eat in… which is why I had bought myself food. The manager kept mansplaining until he offered a refund, which I accepted, but was then withdrawal when offered to let me eat on their sidewalk tables, then walked off. When I asked the staff if he was coming back, I got no response, just angry stares. It was humiliating; I left crying, and gave the soup away to someone who said they could finish it. I felt sad to be out my food money for the night, but figure that risk was less onerous than ruining one of my few outfits by trying to eat soup...

Solid experience with excellent food, superb service, and great ambience.

Not a single issue for our group and our server was exceptionally helpful and guided us towards some great selections and just the right amount of dishes. The staff as a whole were very professional and we had a very good visit from beginning to end.

The food here is really great and considering location, is actually a good value for what you pay. The food is flavorful and most of the dishes pack a great punch in terms of taste from the very first bite. The General Tso's chicken was my favorite dish full of delight and unlike any other version of the dish I've tried anywhere: great texture, full of greens, not too greasy, and complemented perfectly with a side of white rice. The shrimp toast is dangerously good and I'd definitely make sure to order this dish as a starter on every visit. The soup dumplings were a solid order, as were the cold sesame noodles, which were a big hit with the table. The one dish that I don't think I'd order again was the crispy garlic chicken, which I was most excited to try but found a bit dry and lacking in flavor compared to the rest of our dishes.

Overall, a really great dining experience, especially for a family style dining group outing. I loved the charm of the space, which was subtle and intimate. The staff were very accommodating and made the experience all that more pleasant. One of the few dining experiences in Williamsburg that would draw me back in regularly and is...