Imperial Palace Chinese Cuisine in Oklahoma City: Cantonese Cooking and Dim Sum Service
Imperial Palace Chinese Cuisine is a full-service Cantonese restaurant in Oklahoma City that operates both a dining room and dim sum service, anchored by hand-pulled noodles, roasted meats, and traditional small plates. It sits in the city's established Chinese dining landscape as one of the few options offering cart-based or order-sheet dim sum during weekend service, alongside a menu of cooked-to-order entrees that lean toward Cantonese technique rather than Americanized adaptations.
What Imperial Palace actually is
The restaurant occupies a mid-scale dining room with booths and tables suitable for groups, built around two service models. During lunch and dinner service, the kitchen prepares Cantonese roasted duck, whole fish, beef and seafood stir-fries, and noodle soups from a printed menu. Weekend dim sum service (typically Friday through Sunday lunch) follows a traditional format where servers circulate with carts or diners mark items on order sheets. The kitchen also operates a takeout counter and handles phone orders.
Menu and pricing
Entrees on the main menu run $11 to $24, with roasted duck and half chicken in the $12 to $16 range, and seafood dishes like salt-and-pepper shrimp or lobster with ginger and scallion in the $16 to $24 range. Noodle soups and chow mein dishes are $10 to $14. Dim sum per order typically costs $3 to $5 per basket or plate, with most diners spending $18 to $30 for a full meal. Lunch specials are available on weekdays, bundling an entree with fried rice or noodles and soup for $10 to $13. Prices may shift seasonally with ingredient costs; confirm current pricing by phone or visit.
How it compares to other Oklahoma City Chinese options
Oklahoma City's Chinese dining splits between casual pan-Asian chains and independent Cantonese or Sichuan restaurants. Imperial Palace differs from larger regional chains like Panda Express or P.F. Chang's, which serve simplified menus designed for speed and consistency. It also stands apart from Szechuan House, another independent option that emphasizes Sichuan chilies and numbing spice. Choose Imperial Palace if you want dim sum or Cantonese roasted preparations; choose Szechuan House if you prefer bold, spiced Sichuan cooking. Choose a chain if you need fast service and predictable flavors.
Who it suits and who it does not suit
Imperial Palace works well for Cantonese food enthusiasts, multi-person groups ordering dim sum, and diners comfortable reading Cantonese on menu items or asking servers for guidance. It suits families with young children during off-peak lunch hours and anyone seeking whole roasted duck or hand-pulled noodles. It does not suit those looking for vegetarian-focused menus (though vegetable sides and tofu dishes exist, they are not the focus) or diners with a tight schedule who need table turnover under 45 minutes. Dim sum on weekends can draw crowds; solo diners may feel out of place during those peak periods.
What the first visit involves
On a first daytime visit, expect to be seated quickly unless it is weekend dim sum service (Friday through Sunday around 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.), when wait times can reach 20 to 30 minutes on Saturdays. If dim sum is running, servers will present carts or hand you an order sheet; point to items or mark the sheet and return it. If ordering from the main menu, a server will bring hot tea (usually included) and water. Food arrives in stages; single entrees come out within 15 to 20 minutes. Soup and noodle dishes may come slightly after. Payment is at the table or counter depending on the service model.
Hours, parking, and logistics
Imperial Palace operates lunch and dinner daily, though exact hours should be confirmed directly, as weekend dim sum service timing can vary. Street parking and a small lot are available; the location is accessible by car and lies within the central Oklahoma City Chinese restaurant cluster. Phone orders and takeout are available for those avoiding dine-in service. The dining room accommodates groups but has no private room for larger parties.
Imperial Palace fills a specific role in Oklahoma City's dining scene as one of the few consistent sources for dim sum and Cantonese roasted meats, making it worth a visit for anyone past the chain-restaurant stage and interested in traditional Cantonese technique.
