The Royal Chinese Restaurant

Reviews

• Lisa G.

  star star star star star 15 July 2026

  This place is always busy, in fact, so much so that they don't take reservations during peak hours. You would just have to show up and line up. If someone is missing from your group, you won't get seated til everyone is there, So heads up!
  
  Almost always come here with family, because the food is so authentic and amazingly Cantonese here. The service is actually wonderful for this type of restaurants, quick and friendly.
  
  The lotus leaf steamed seafood rice is heavenly, black bean clams is an always ordered dish for me.
  The atmosphere is good, clever use of mirror throughout the interior to make it seem big, just a bit crowded overall. I wish they would have expanded a bit over all these years, but So far everything has been working great and I hope it will be like this for years to come. What a little gem!
  
  Only downside is the parking...the plaza is so busy and so small.......ugh such a pain

• Daniel C.

  star star star star star_border 15 July 2026

  This place is one of the few places that reminds me of old school Hong Kong style restaurants.  It's loud, full of people without feeling too cramping and always full of customers.  It is always busy here because the food is authentically Chinese good, made to order quickly and on the more affordable side.  Expect a line up if you come during peak hours on a weekend night.
  
  Parking - can be a major pain as it is a very busy strip mall.  People also seem to like to just stop their car illegally to pick up pizza or other take out food so be careful!
  
  Service: One of the things you will notice about the servers is they are almost all males who wear white dress shirts and black dress pants.  This truly reminds me of the old time HK style restaurants. These guys are running on their feet from open to close, have most of the menu memorized and are almost always cracking jokes with the regulars.  They're pretty quick with requests and getting your orders but don't be surprised if they forget things from time to time because it's so busy.
  
  Food: Authentic Chinese cuisine.  The soup is complimentary and is definitely made in house fresh.  Did not have MSG in there as far as I could taste.
  
  The bean curd, bean sprout and celery dish was great.  They cooked the vegetables perfectly so that it's cooked through but has a nice crunch still.
  
  Beef and mushroom stiryfry was very good. Beef was tender and flavorful. Again mushrooms were cooked through but not mushy.
  
  The tong choy in shrimp paste sauce is a classic Chinese dish when tong choy is in season.
  
  We also had a steamed black tilapia which was also done well.
  
  We have been here other times and had things like clams, squid , other vege dishes and haven't had something we didn't like or felt was inauthentic.
  
  Price: this place is definitely on the cheaper side of Chinese restaurants.  Probably one of many reasons why it's so cheap.
  
  As a side note, you'll notice this is one of the few Chinese restaurants in GTA that post dish names on the walls with coloured paper.  Legitimately had the look and feel of an authentic Hong Kong restaurant.
  
  Overall, great food, super affordable, very busy (rightly so!) - 4.5/5.

• Jay L.

  star star star star star_border 12 July 2026

  This place is pretty busy and it's a really solid choice for some Chinese cuisine.
  
  The English menu has a lot of the standard items and a good variety that will leave you feeling satisfied.
  
  If you can bring a friend that can read Chinese then the real secret is hidden in the non-English menu and the specials along the wall.
  
  I really liked the:
  
  1. The shrimp-fried rice is really flavourful and not the slightest bit greasy.
  
  2. The pig jowl/neck entree with greens is another delightful dish that also packs a little bit of heat.
  
  3. The beef short ribs tossed in a savoury and sweet barbecue sauce is also finger-licking good.
  
  Overall, a very solid place for a dinner when you don't feel like cooking for people (aka your family).

• J P.

  star star star star star_border 3 July 2026

  My family often come here for dinner. The key is to make reservations if you want to eat after 6 or else walk in before 6 for a table. This restaurant is known for their seafood dishes. But tonight only had some basic chinese dishes.
  
  This restaurant is casual with quick service.
  Food is delicious and down to earth.

• Helen H.

  star star star star star 2 July 2026

  This is my family's go to restaurant for celebrations and get togethers!
  
  First off, the service is amazing. Though their staff may look unfriendly at first glance, once you talk to them, they are very nice! Their servers go around relatively often to ask if everything is okay. They also help serve the soup as well as pack up leftover food in containers for you. For the relatively cheap price of their food, their service is outstanding.
  
  My parents and family absolutely love their shrimp and garlic fried rice. They also love their beef and green onion dish that comes on a sizzling platter. Though I cannot vouch for these two dishes myself, as a vegan, all of my family members that have come to the restaurant with us have given the shrimp and garlic fried rice high praise. The portions are also big and for affordable prices! There is complementary soup and dessert.
  
  The restaurant, itself, is big. However, it gets very busy on the weekends, holidays and Friday evenings, so definitely go earlier these days. Parking is kind of a hazard because the parking lot is very cramped and due to the fast food places next to the restaurant as well as the Rexall, the parking lot is pretty busy too. TTC is a great option since the restaurant is located right at the intersection of Birchmount and Sheppard.