Royal Thai & Palais Imperial Restaurant

Ottawa’s top Chinese restaurants that really deliver

Palais Imperial is Lowertown’s best-known Chinese eatery for a reason: it ladles out fresh, tasty food in a busy, two-level space with sufficient staff to ensure service is smooth. It also serves both Chinese and Thai cuisines, listed on separate menus and prepared by different chefs, thus doubling its appeal to a diverse crowd. The huge Chinese menu has the usual Cantonese and Szechuan fare. On weekends, fresh dim sum served from trolleys is the attraction; I recommend the cilantro-studded scallop dumplings.