Red Emperor

Posted by: crmelb | 15 November 2009, 12.38am

The old girl is getting on in years a bit and could do with a face lift but the kitchen is still as consistently good as ever. We had xialong bao (pork dumplings) and fried oysters as starters, which are good but nothing to swoon over. The Peking duck was excellent as usual, the stuffed eggplant was very good, and the pan-fried spinach nothing short of delicious. Yes, the house red could have had more character, the dining room gets pretty noisy and prices are somewhat steep but we will certainly come back.

Food:			Visit: Sun 15 November 2009 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: 4theloveoffood | 29 April 2009, 2.51pm

As with most pricey Chinese restaurants service is good. Service at Red Emperor on this particular night it was great.

We had a $75 banquet. It was a little pricey but was simple and was made with a selection of quality ingredients.

The floor plan of the restaurant was very open and well planned we felt very comfortable.

Food:			Visit: Thu 19 February 2009
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Posted by: bella 1982 | 27 March 2009, 1.03am

My fiance and I have had yum cha at Red Emperor several times, but we won't be going back after our most recent experience.
We had to wait 45 minutes before the first round of steamed dim sum came around, no explanation offered. The food, when it did come, was not bad but unfortunately that couldn't make up for the utter rudeness of one particular staff member. Several times we had to call him back to our table after dishes were offered to the couple next to us but we were ignored.
Also, we ordered egg custard tarts from a waitress and after waiting for 15 minutes the same incredibly rude staff member informed us unapologetically that we couldn't have them. Initially he said they were sold out, but then changed his mind and said the next round would take another 10 minutes and then promptly walked away with our bill, not giving us the option to wait for our order. Obviously he wanted us out to vacate the table for another sitting, but we weren't told we had to be finished by a given time when we were seated.
Overall, the food is not bad, but $40 per head for fairly basic yum cha and completely charmless service is an experience I don't need to repeat.
Also, $4 per head for Chinese tea is just ridiculous and you practically have to jump up and down to get your pot re-filled.
Save yourself the hassle and go somewhere else for yum cha.

Food:			Visit: Tue 3 March 2009 Mealtime: lunch
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Posted by: LizN | 25 October 2008, 11.44pm

I organised a birthday dinner here and had 17 guests. They told me over the phone that they only have round tables that seats 10 per table at max. Fair enough. I requested to have the two tables joined together and they said that is doable.

Turned up and tables were separated so I spoke to the manager twice (after numerous times calling for the waiter's assistance who was too busy to assist or didn't understand me..) that I wanted the tables joined as requested. He said it will be done but then he went missing for 20min.

So we did it ourselves instead of trying to hassle the staff. As soon as we did it the manager appeared suddenly and helped us. Well thanks but yes self-service doesn't look impressive in a South Bank restaurant.

Food was average, not worth the price. Probably paying for the location more than the food itself but that's usually the case in some restaurants.

Food:			Visit: Sat 25 October 2008
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Posted by: Po Ling | 7 August 2008, 2.04pm

Food look good, but normal taste. Service is average against how much you need to pay.

But the view is fine!

Food:			Visit: Sat 2 August 2008 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: CatherineM | 9 March 2008, 12.49pm

Red Emperor has always been a favourite for our regular group of yum cha eaters. Last visit was extremely disappointing. The selection of dumplings was bland and the focus of the yum cha trolley was very much on the deep fried offerings. Service was erratic and at times non-existent. May be they were just having a bad day, but food wise, Red Emperor have dropped the ball.

Food:			Visit: Sun 17 February 2008
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Posted by: mark.eats.food | 4 January 2008, 11.08am

I went for the "all you can eat" option like melinnna and found that the lack of variety meant that I ended up eating multiple serves of every dish. For what I ate, I felt that it was very overpriced.

I would give it another go, but would rather pay for what I actually ate.

The food was fresh, but there wasn't much of it. My party had to wait a pretty long time between carts, meaning our table was often bare. We ordered a few dishes ourselves and this proved to be more successful.

Food:			Visit: Fri 4 January 2008 Mealtime: lunch
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Posted by: CatherineM | 5 November 2007, 12.40pm

We keep going back to Red Emperor as they just deliver time and time again. Great staples and although duck and good calamari are a little rare on the trolley, the food is always fresh and consistently good. Always order by plate rather than going for the fixed price. Alcohol is expensive and the L and P plate name tags for learning staff is a bit off putting, but Red Emperor is still one of the best yum cha venues in Melbourne. Book ahead or be prepared to queue.

Food:			Visit: Sun 14 October 2007 Mealtime: lunch
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Posted by: melinnna | 28 October 2007, 9.16pm

We went for yum cha on a Sunday 1.30 session and chose 'all you can eat' over 'pay by consumation'. First mistake. The lack of variety and choice limited you in all you could eat unless you wanted to eat steamed pork buns and spring rolls. A couple of trolleys went past with food in the first 15 mins and then they stopped and you had to ask if you wanted anything. They ran out of roast duck (how convenient) and egg custard tarts.

Having been to many yum cha resturants I found Red Emperor's food itself was excellent standard. Quality was excellent however limited in variety of choice for a Sunday yum cha and ever expensive. $48 for yum cha was definitely too much when there was so little to choose from.

Food:			Visit: Sun 28 October 2007 Mealtime: lunch
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Posted by: wenmar | 8 April 2007, 8.20am

It was our first trip ever to Melbourne and after searching the web for places to eat, we decided to try out The Red Emperor.

What a great choice it turned out to be. The meals were wonderful and well priced.

The staff were great also. They seemed so attentive to your every need and we were well looked after. We will definately be going back when we return to Melbourne.

Food:			Visit: Wed 4 April 2007 Mealtime: dinner
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