When Empire Chinese joined the ranks of Portland’s established hierarchy of Asian restaurants—Thai, Japanese and fusion–it had this distinction: it was serving authentic Cantonese fare in contrast to a wasteland of Americanized Chinese cooking typically found in strip mall and take out joints everywhere in Maine. Granted, some were better than others, but lackluster was the key component coming out of these lesser kitchens.
The dining crush last winter
It’s been two years since Empire opened, and in that time they’ve succeeded in setting the standard for some of the best Chinese food north of Boston. It didn’t try to be a fusion powerhouse like Mission Chinese in New York or Meyers and Chang in Boston. But the chefs, under the direction of co-owner Theresa Chan, take on nontraditional dishes as well. Consider their brioche char siu bao (baked pork buns) or spicy cucumber with jelly fish salad as examples–two must-have dishes.
