Ottawa Foodies

Sorry, I was a bit wrong on my tally, there. Dinner for two was about $38, compared with an average of $20-25 at other Ottawa restaurants. I can't remember the exact amount of the egg rolls, but they were also well over the comparable local price. Including tax, etc..., I think the final total was closer to about sixty.

Which would have been FINE, were I getting great food and great service. But I received neither.

As a comparison, I ordered from Cathay the other night. Dinner for Two (including SIX dishes, not three, four or five--plus almond cookies--was $23.95. Extra egg rolls were a dozen for $10.50). Service was excellent, delivery was quick, food was delicious. Prices were great. My only complaint is that the portions were a wee bit small, but that seems to be the case at all Ottawa Chinese restaurants these days.

Compared to the Golden Palace, Cathay gets a nine out of ten in my books. Then again, the GP was so unbelievably disappointing and subpar, I guess that's not saying much.

AGAIN, LOTS OF HYPE AT GOLDEN PALACE. NOT MUCH ELSE. Unless you really love those egg rolls, which frankly, I didn't.

GP definitely has higher prices for the quality of food. I would rather get my greasy Canadian-Chinese fix from Ho-Ho on Richmond Rd. I do have to say though, there's a soft spot in my heart (and maybe a hard spot or two in my arteries) for their eggrolls. Mmmm...

I've never eaten here, but between $50-60 for 4 dishes plus one dozen egg rolls doesn't seem that outrageous to me, it seems only slightly higher at best, or even about average.

1 dish usually averages $8-10 at most Chinese places I frequent X 4 dishes = $32-40

Egg rolls are usually about $2-3 for 2, so 12 = $12-18

Total = $44-58 not including tax. Sounds about average to me.

I had heard over and over that this was by far, bar none, THE best Chinese food in Ottawa.

I can't tell you how disappointed I was when I finally tried it last month, with a take-out. The place was busy as heck, so clearly it is indeed very popular. However, the service was still unreasonably slow and not exactly friendly. It was pretty much reminiscent of Seinfeld's Soup Nazi, i.e., "What do you want? Place your order! Give me your money! Move along! Next!' conveyor belt sort of service. Fair enough, I thought--they do a brisk business, so that would have been acceptable, were in not for a couple of facts...

One: The prices are outrageously expensive, especially as compared to restaurants of similar (and better) quality throughout the region. All told and tallied, it was over $50 for what amounted to a pretty average four-dish dinner for two plus extra egg rolls.

Two: The food is REALLY not that great. Overhyped, certainly. Great, no. I've had FAR better meals from Cathay, Peach Gardens and a variety of other places. And all this blather about them making the best egg rolls in town? Give me a break. I've had far better at many other restaurants. I really wish I hadn't ordered the extra dozen, but I guess I succumbed to the hype.

Do yourself a favour and stick to your regular place, or try somewhere new...but not a place that is so overhyped, unfriendly, and priced into the stratosphere.

I don't know why people flock there...perhaps there is something in Ottawa's drinking water.

BIG DISAPPOINTMENT!

The best in the city; unlike any other