Update December 2014: This restaurant is still very good and one of my favourite Chinese places in Dubai. The duck pancakes are the closest I have had to the ones in London! GO soon!
What’s special about Royal China Dubai?
Royal China restaurant has finally arrived in Dubai ! For those of you who know it from London, Singapore or China, Royal China’s dimsum are a regular feature of many weekend family lunches whatever the weather. And now Dubai can sample the very same dishes in the ever swish DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre) an obvious choice for the location of yet another in crowd (Zuma, La Petite Maison) restaurant.
The Ambience at Royal China Dubai
The setting is definitely more lavish (think red and more red) than it’s understated China Club in Baker Street but then it is Dubai, and by 1pm on a Monday a few weeks after opening, it was entirely full.
What to drink at Royal China Dubai?
They opt for large glass mugs rather than delicate Chinese cups for tea, but the blossoming flower wouldn’t work in those small cups so a sensible choice. At Dhs 15 per head the evolving flower tea was cheaper than most coffees in Dubai.
The Food at Royal China Dubai
The prawn and chive dimsums were excellent, just how they should be, fresh chopped up prawns and chives in a thin, steamed pastry skin. I liked the fluffy chicken buns and the spicy, Singapore noodle. In fact all the dim sums were good, we ordered whatever we felt like and ate till we were full. The baked fresh egg custard tarts really are worth trying even if you don’t regularly do puddings.
All in all 8 types of dim sums, Singapore noodles, ever flowing blossom tea and an egg custard tart each cost all 5 of us Dhs 90 per head including a 10% DIFC authority fee. So now business lunches on week days cost either Dhs 88 (soup and a main course) or Dhs 128 for soup, starter – like duck pancakes and a main course.
They also have good value set lunches starting from Dhs 200 for two if you prefer. Parking wasn’t that easy and they do not as yet have a redeemable valet stamp system so we paid another Dhs 50 for the car.
They now have valet parking and you get a stamp when you dine that entitles you to park for free.
Link to their website : The Royal China