Imperial Garden restaurant has a long history Classic Chinese

BOARDMAN

“I’m hungry for Chinese.”

“Okay boss, where to then?”

“Well, the go-to place for the Vallas family is the Imperial Garden.”

And that is how we ended up spending a couple of hours at the Imperial Garden, coincidentally on the eve of the Chinese New Year. This is the year of the Monkey, and you “monkeys” are a witty, intelligent lot, according to the Chinese zodiac placemat.

Sherry and Charles Lee opened Imperial Garden in 2007. Sherry works the front of the house, while Charles runs the kitchen.Their son Kevin often times is on the floor helping wait tables, and in his spare time keeps their Facebook page updated.

Imperial Garden is an extension of sorts of the family business. Sherry explained that her parents opened up Hong Kong restaurant on Phelps Street in Youngstown back in 1974. Over the years she and her family operated a number of different locations, including Golden Hunan in Liberty, Chinatown in Youngstown, Szechuan Garden in Calcutta, and Jade Court in Poland.

Unlike most of our visits, we came prepared with a list of favorites that we were hoping to sample.

We started our meal off with a bowl of hot and sour soup. This version had a chicken broth base with the addition of soy sauce, white pepper, three varieties of chili peppers, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, pork and scallions. Sometimes this type of soup can have a very thick broth, but Imperial Garden’s had a clean, silky texture that allowed the other ingredients to be highlighted. he pepper combination added nice bite without providing too much heat. It’s a classic staple of any Chinese menu, but this dish is a standout.

We next looked at the appetizer list. Pork fried dumplings were a given. Mark loves sesame cold noodles so we had to sample those. Sherry recommended what she felt was one of their best starters, Salt and Pepper Tofu. While we both appreciate tofu, it would not be our first choice. We trusted Sherry and took a leap of faith.

First up was the dumplings. Imperial Garden makes their dumpling wrappers in-house. They stuff them with a filling of ground pork, ginger, napa cabbage, scallions, sesame oil and soy sauce. The wrappers were tender and slightly chewy, with a crisp pan fried bottom. The filling had hints of ginger and sesame. Paired with a classic soy dipping sauce, a comforting app.

Next was the Sesame Cold Noodles. This dish consists of cold lo mein noodles served with a sauce of sesame paste, sesame oil, peanut butter, sugar and vinegar. This is topped with strips of cucumber and sliced scallions. Sherry served this with some of their house-made chili oil on the side. The sauce has a definite peanut butter flavor with some tanginess from the vinegar. The cucumbers provide some texture and a drizzle of chili oil provided some heat. While it may sound odd to be served cold, everything worked well together. Very tasty.

Our last app was probably the most surprising dish of the meal: the Salt and Pepper Tofu. The dish itself is very simple. Squares of tofu are coated in corn starch, salt and pepper, and then deep fried. This is served with red and green pepper, thin slices of garlic, shredded lettuce and fried rice noodles. Coating and frying the tofu gives it a nice texture, yet still maintains a creaminess on the inside. It is perfectly salty with an underlying pepper flavor. The red and green peppers provide a little sweetness and crunch. A simple dish with quality ingredients that is executed well. We recommend this dish without reservation even to non-tofu lovers.

Sherry explained that more customers are requesting gluten-free dishes, so they started serving Singapore noodles which are made with rice noodle. This is a dish that has chicken, beef and shrimp along with carrots, mushrooms, napa cabbage and scallions served in a mild curry sauce. The meats and the noodles were tender and the curry sauce was not overly spicy. Flavorful and comforting.

We then moved on to two entrees. First up was their signature Crispy Duck. The creation of this dish is a three-day process. The duck is initially seasoned with spices, including star anise and Chinese five spice powder, and left to dry for two days in the refrigerator. It is then steamed to render out some of the fat while maintaining the tenderness of the meat. The duck is then deep fried to order giving it very crispy skin. The crunchy skin contrasts well with the succulent meat. If you’ve never had duck before, this is a nice way to try it. Mild flavor with nice texture.

Our last dish is Mike’s favorite, thanks to a recommendation from Kevin on a prior visit. Subgum Pan Fried Noodles is a delight for all the senses. Broccoli, carrots, snow peas, baby corn, and water chestnuts are tossed with aromatic ginger and garlic. The presentation of the colorful tender-crisp vegetables with beef, chicken and shrimp atop a nest of fried noodles is beautiful. The brown sauce brings together the stir-fried components in a richly satisfying plate.

From start to finish, each dish offered flavor, aroma and texture.

Although Imperial Garden provides take-out, it is much more than a take-out place. The restaurant has a clean, open appeal, and a modest selection of wine and beer. This is a place to go for a sit-down dinner with the family and indulge in some classic Chinese-American dishes.

If you have a favorite place, e-mail us a suggestion at brothersinfood@mail.com.