Imperial City
Chinese and East Asian
0.5 miles
Cornhill, City, Central London, EC3V 3LL
Situated in the heart of the City, Imperial City is ideally located for the bustling post-work trade. As you descend the elegant, spiralling staircase, you are enveloped in a wave of opulence and tranquillity. Smiling, attentive staff seat you at your table and are on hand to recommend dishes from the comprehensive menu.
We decided to leave our menu choices in the capable hands of the restaurant manager, who was more than happy to suggest potential culinary combinations. We started with a hot platter, comprising barbecue spare ribs, chicken satay, vegetable spring rolls and Cantonese prawn toast. The ribs were succulent and flavoursome, and the satay expertly seasoned. The spring rolls were crispy and arrived with a tasty selection of accompanying sauces for dipping purposes.
The next exciting instalment came in the form of crispy aromatic duck with pancakes; a dish that is a worthy test of a good Oriental restaurant. The duck was carved at our table and was superbly cooked, crispy and full of flavour; the sauce was wonderfully fragrant. This was the perfect prelude to the next course; mains took the form of chicken in black bean sauce, and sirloin steak with cracked black pepper and lemongrass. The smell alone was enough to fool my stomach into thinking there was still adequate space left. The sensational sirloin was seasoned to perfection, and the chicken in black bean sauce was delicately aromatic.
One thing that really stood out during our evening at Imperial City was the attention to detail; the dishes were expertly seasoned and beautifully presented. I left with a full stomach and a smile on my lips, knowing that I had discovered a truly fantastic restaurant.
We decided to leave our menu choices in the capable hands of the restaurant manager, who was more than happy to suggest potential culinary combinations. We started with a hot platter, comprising barbecue spare ribs, chicken satay, vegetable spring rolls and Cantonese prawn toast. The ribs were succulent and flavoursome, and the satay expertly seasoned. The spring rolls were crispy and arrived with a tasty selection of accompanying sauces for dipping purposes.
The next exciting instalment came in the form of crispy aromatic duck with pancakes; a dish that is a worthy test of a good Oriental restaurant. The duck was carved at our table and was superbly cooked, crispy and full of flavour; the sauce was wonderfully fragrant. This was the perfect prelude to the next course; mains took the form of chicken in black bean sauce, and sirloin steak with cracked black pepper and lemongrass. The smell alone was enough to fool my stomach into thinking there was still adequate space left. The sensational sirloin was seasoned to perfection, and the chicken in black bean sauce was delicately aromatic.
One thing that really stood out during our evening at Imperial City was the attention to detail; the dishes were expertly seasoned and beautifully presented. I left with a full stomach and a smile on my lips, knowing that I had discovered a truly fantastic restaurant.
Open: Mon- Fri noon-11pm
