Family-Style Banquet That’s Better When Shared
Rating: 7.4 out of 10
Link: https://www.kingscoimperial.com/
Address: 168 1/2 Delancey Street, New York, NY, 10002 (multiple locations)
Lazy susan. If there is one thing that encapsulates a rewarding King’s Co. experience, it is not their famous house made pork soup dumplings, nor any other of their New York City Chinese food staples. All you need to understand what makes this restaurant click are these two words: lazy susan.
An innocuous storefront off the hustle and bustle of the Williamsburg Bridge, Kings Co. Imperial serves familiar fan favorites (we ended up with kung pao chicken, beef chow fun, and fried chicken fried rice—to name a few) that are elevated with careful curation, pleasant flavors, and heaps and heaps of chilies, chili oil, or both. (Funnily enough, however, none of the dishes tasted too hot for even our party’s most sensitive palettes.)
” All-in-all they live up to the hype, mainly because they are stuffed with a generous amount of mouth-watering meat.”
Inside the warm lighting and cozy ambiance make for a nice date spot, but the key to a delicious, rewarding King’s Co. experience is to go with as many people as you can. (I’d say 5-7 people is the sweet spot.) Don’t be bashful; if you can spread the sting of the check across a few wallets, let loose on apps and mains, rice and noodles, and meat and veggies. The works. You know you’ve done a good job if lazy susan is constantly getting a workout.
Their signature dish is the aforementioned soup dumplings, which are featured on the menu not as a list item but as a full page, four-panel comic. All-in-all they live up to the hype, mainly because they are stuffed with a generous amount of mouth-watering meat. For seven people, we ordered two.
Between the dumpling-making courses they feature online and the if you know you know nod and wink to the menu, there is a lingering sense that King’s Co. Imperial has it’s eyes on those illustrious goals of “brand stewardship” and “franchising” that are not inherently evil but carry with them the risk of watered down flavors over time. The food was good, so I will not call it a red flag… yet.
A humble tip: make sure to leave your drinks off the lazy susan, or they’ll get a nice tour of the table before they return to you half-sipped. (“If you had to choose,” I asked our waitress. “Would you go with the rum runners mai tai over or the king kamehameha club?
“So the kamehameha is definitely my favorite,” she said. “But if you’re trying to feel a little something-something, you might want to go with the rum runners.”
This drew a round of ooohs and aaahs from the table; after I put in for the mai tai, two others switched their orders to match.)
The Dishes
Please note: each dish unable to be photographed by our onsite photographer, whether due to lighting constraints, occupancy level, social distractions, or otherwise, has been digitally rendered via our proprietary computer-assisted textural modelling methodology.
House Made Pork Soup Dumplings (6)
Juicy. Savory. Drips down your chin. If you’re going to King’s Co., you’ll want to order at least one of these.
$18
Sichuan Cucumber
Between the cost (high) and the amount of food (small), I recommend looking up how to make this one at home. I’m no superstar in the kitchen and even I can do it.
$12
Double Garlic Chinese Eggplant
Nice veggie dish that is worth your while. I highly recommend adding to your order if you’ve gone heavy on the meats.
$16
Dan Dan Mian
Classic noodle dish with some minced pork and peanuts to round out the order.
$15
Kung Pao Chicken
One of the more popular dishes on the table. The flavors were good and there was enough for everyone to take their share.
$26
Fried Chicken Fried Rice
Fun little take on a staple dish. However, there is a big emphasis here on little.
$16
Beef Chow Fun
Thick noodles and beef that fill up your tummy quick. This dish was a bit hard to share, as it required a lot of cutting, pulling, and scraping, but the results are worth it.
$28
Salt & Pepper Tofu
A bit light on flavor; strikes a nice balance with some of the heavier, saucier options.
$26
Rum Runners Mai Tai
3 rum blend, black strap rum, lime, orgeat.
$17
Sesame Saturn
Gin, passion fruit, falernum, lemon, sesame oil.
$17
Asahi
Super dry; comes chilled and with a chilled glass. Gets even tastier when you order two!
$8
Unnamed IPA
I do not remember what it was called or what it cost, and they don’t have it listed online. (There do seem to be some missing items on the online menu, and the pictures that someone generously uploaded to Google Reviews are unfortunately a bit out of date when it comes to pricing. Something to keep in mind if you are planning your night out.) It tasted alright though!
$?
Leave a Reply