Outstanding service by Thomas! We were the first to try the Melting Midnight Kiss. The manager let us know that it was because it was our first time at the restaurant. Very thoughtful and generous. Happy New Year to the staff!! Ricardo read more

1. When I called to make a reservation they said nothing was available until 9pm. I was able to get a reservation at 6:30pm using the open table app. There is no reason to be rude to people on the telephone. 2. The meals are very big. Four people only need to order an appetizer and 2 meals for dinner. They charge $28 for Hawaiian Fried Rice ... it's enough to feed 2 or 3 people. 3. We paid $135 for 4 meals and 1 appetizer. That's crazy. The food was good but not exceptional. We eat Asian food all the time. I was not impressed. 4. It feels like a nightclub that only wants to cater to young people. 5. The restaurant is wasting food with the large meals. read more

Food was not fresh. Could taste something funky in the seaweed salad. Bartender said Fuc...g about 30 times. Should consider an HR intervention between other service staff standing at bar. Lots of REALLY inappropriate comments (I'm an old white guy and it made me pause).......lived in Seaport for a year and broke down to have 30 dollar Pad Thai. Wish someone had stopped me. Sign will soon say...."Premium real estate in Seaport". read more

Food and service: Food was way expensive for it's not so great service. Service was extremely slow and servers were all confused. They kept making rounds to our table confirming the orders again and again. Several times they bought the wrong food at our table and on top of it they were SUPER rude. Managers and other staff were doubly rude/racists. Ambience: Loud music and it was extremely hard to talk to a person sitting in front - You literally have to scream on their face so be ready for that. Over all: Pathetic experience. Thanks for ruining the whole experience for me and my friends and our special day. We'll happily stay away from this place :) read more

Food is delicious and the environment was a vibe. I would definitely go back especially on a Wednesday.

I love the interior, and it's a favorite of my kids. It's pricy, but a nice place to have a romantic dinner or an evening with friends. Drinks are not a bargain, but my Peach Mai Tai was great so I has two. The Chopstick Chicken Terayaki was delicious; as was Pad Thai. The Empire Bibimbap was disappointing; the flavor was middling, but the portion size was downright stingy-- mainly rice and veggies, with what seemed like a half portion of beef (nothing to take home). Surprising given their entree portions are usually generous. Have loved the Two Way Rangoons on previous visits. We weren't in the mood for their desserts, so we asked for the raspberry sorbet, which was served very artfully and they only charged $4 a portion, which was a nice surprise. The waiter interjected himself into our conversations, read his restaurant notes out loud to us on the party who made our reservation (why?); and while he was friendly and efficient he was also annoyingly obsequious. So 4.5 stars. read more

Empire offers up the best of both worlds. If you're looking to enjoy a night out, there's a lounge with a fairly good bar, and a DJ to get your groove on. The crowd is quite diverse, but seemed to be a bit young. If you're looking to fill up that gut, the restaurant offers up a variety of Asian dishes to choose from. Think sushi, pad thai, traditional Chinese...there's even Polynesian/Hawaiian inspired dishes! The portions here are HUGE though - so you might want to bring a few people to share with (unless you're not into sharing - it's cool). Oh! And so important, they have TONS of vegan options. But wait...I am not a vegan. Cheers! read more

Fun vibe and really good food and drinks. I am obsessed with Empire's Hawaiian Steak Fried Rice! I'm not sure I can order anything else when I come back to visit. It's sooo good. read more

Not a huge fan. The sweet and sour soup was amazing, but our waiter seemed like he couldn't be bothered with us and the rock shrimp on my tempura rock shrimp roll were cold. I'm not sure if it was supposed to be served that way or not but I've never had rock shrimp served cold and I just couldn't eat it. My boyfriend had the sesame beef which was good. Definitely not worth the money though. read more

Asian fusion restaurants are my favorite. For those who have been to Buddakan in NYC or Philly, Empire has similar food and feel (but I prefer Buddakan). It is for a swanky night out for sure. Great for big groups or dates. Good cocktails too - the four of us shared a drink that came out of a pineapple with 4 straws and it was tasty. They had an even bigger cocktail that came out of a watermelon that looked good. For food I had tried the following: -Pot Stickers -Spicy Salmon Rice Bites -Lobster Sushi Cupcake Special -Short Rib Moo Shu -Alaskan Black Cod -Wild Sockeye Salmon Roll Thought it was all great, especially the black cod and salmon rice bites. Would be happy to come back! read more

How can one beat AYCE sushi for $29 every Monday from 5pm-Close? The answer is you cant when it's this good! Empire not only impresses with their great sushi deals but with their other options as well.They offer a variety of asian dishes along with a unique cocktail menu. The dumplings and tuna tartare are fantastic and the crab rangoons are some of the best in Boston. The interior here is great. A good atmosphere with music playing at all times provides a lounge feeling that pairs nicely with their cuisine. I would recommend this to larger groups looking to have some great food in a more lively atmosphere. Will definitely go again! read more

Dear Empire: Please kindly pack up and leave the neighborhood, as you're an unwelcome addition. Take your signature overpriced mediocre food, gaudy decor, pompous waitstaff, arrogant doormen, questionable business practices, and sleazy clientele with you. You are a stain on the South Boston Waterfront business community and are exactly the type of classless bar we DO NOT need! Please fail and close up shop immediately. See also reviews from: Gonzalo (7/2/12) and Sandra T (6/27/12). This place has been in town for under 2 months at the time of this posting and the overwhelming majority of their 25+ reviews already average 2/5 stars! Avoid Empire!!! read more

$36 for Bi Bim Bap? Are you people out of your minds? I've paid no more than $14, ever, anywhere. Is your rice and sesame oil that much better? Are your vegetables that much fresher than everyone else's? Is the beef, Kobe? Look, I know it's Fan Pier and it ain't cheap. I live less than half a mile away and am used to overpriced food, but the level of pretentiousness here borders on ridiculousness. And what's up with the dress code? In the final analysis, you serve Chinese food and Sushi, with a minor in Korean. You serve Mai Tai's and oversized drinks for four for crying out load. GET OVER YOURSELF! Even Strega on the other side of the building allows shorts and a casual shirt. My advice would be to lighten up and reign in your over the top prices. Drop the dress code BS and just serve great food at a reasonable price. It's not that difficult and should not be too much to ask. read more

Dear fake (and rude) reviewers, My friend lives nearby and has great taste in restaurants. Not only have we come here a dozen times with groups or just the two of us (we are all pretty picky and demanding) they've been great and attentive every time. The sushi chef always makes a special plate for us, the bartenders pour good drinks, and we leave happy and full. Spacious layout, nice to be able to lounge, dine at the sushi bar, or have a regular table. Sure it's not a 5 star place, but I'll give it four stars which pales in comparison to the reviews from disgruntled people who were "rubbed" the wrong way. Date Rating: 5 Pick up Scale: 2 Strong Suggestion: Be nice, don't come in your pjamas, and remember it's not cheap so plan to spend a little bit. If you're looking for late night sushi in this neighborhood you don't have many options. They're extremely accommodating; if you're not a jerk. read more

Good sushi, giant portions, swank atmosphere and huge private rooms. The drinks are expensive and decent but not amazing. The scallion pancake was like $12 or something, but it came with these dipping sauces that just- guh. Every one of them was good and the pancake was delightfully greasy and really hot. It was also served on a platter. The sushi was also served on platters and the rangoons were served in little cute takeout box kind of things. Service was constant for our large party, which was awesome for me cause I go through a glass of water every 10 minutes, but they didn't let me run dry. This kind of place isn't my usual vibe, but if i was looking to celebrate anything or dress up and get glamorous I'd come back. read more

I was out on a casual sunday afternoon around the waterfront with a couple friends and after an amazing meal at Strega, we decided to have a drink at Empire. I had seen pictures online and heard alot about the place so I wanted to see the decor/layout first hand. Unfortunately I didn't get past the hostess table because apparently their dress code is enforced even on Sunday afternoons (it was hot as balls outside). It was also completely empty inside. All we wanted to do was hang by the bar and grab a drink! I can't comment on the food but I do know that it is way overpriced and probably not very authentic. I'm pretty sure you won't find any asians eating inside that place, though its menu is almost entirely asian. You can get the majority of their dishes for less than half of what they are charging at more authentic restaurants around the city. You are definitely paying a large premium for the ambiance. It urks me when people say the food is amazing... they obviously have only tried the "americanized" versions of these dishes haha. All in all the place seemed overly pretentious. I understand they want to bring in a certain clientele... but c'mon... it's summertime on the Boston waterfront.... read more

it was our first time there celebrating my sister's birthday we had great time there and the food was amazing read more

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Steer clear. This place, and it's customers, definitely give off a "trying too hard" vibe right off the bat. My colleague and I (both upscale businessmen), went here after meeting clients at the Seaport- and couldn't have been more disappointed. I go to a lot of Asian restaurants. When you marry a Chinese girl you become an expert in this field pretty quick. Although my dining credentials are irrelevent, because this is Yelp and everybody is an expert. I digress. The decor is awful, and I'd describe it as "faux chic". You know like when you get into your friend's new "luxury car", and all the wood trim is actually plastic? This is the type of atmosphere it felt like. The staff was rude and snotty, and worse, the other patrons were primarily "thugs" and "gangsters". I definitely wouldn't feel safe here if I was by myself. It seemed like where everybody went who wasn't allowed into Stega and had gotten kicked out of Whiskey Priest already. We literally got assaulted by one of the patrons at the bar. This sounds pretty far fetched, and even I didn't believe it at first....but a young thug at the bar bumped into my colleague, then pushed him, then threw a punch at him- and then WE were made to leave. We don't usually patronize establishments this low brow anyway, so frankly we were ready to leave anyway....but the whole thing was kind of insulting and they took the drinks that we had already paid for, all because they had overserved some college hooligan. read more

Every time I've been to empire it was a pretty good experience whether it was for dinner or to get a little turnt up with the girls. The food is upscale Asian fusion and sushi, almost identical to their sister restaurant Red Lantern which is one of my favorites. Empire is a bit more pricy but that's probably because it's in seaport. In terms of nightlife, good place to grab drinks with friends and mingle with others. The place doesn't turn into a sloppy zoo and you can actually hear people when you stand next to them, so not like a club. read more

So had dinner here last night with my brother and for a Wednesday night this place was hopping!!! It was crazy packed and I guess that was a good sign! And it only got better!! We had an attentive server- not too pushy.. the menu selection was great.. good mix of sushi and Asian food and a nice twist on regular restaurant fare... we started with the edamame and the salt and pepper chicken wings!! Oh my gosh! So good!! For my drink I had the fig crush which was extremely good and very refreshing!! My brother had a scotch and he liked the servers recommendation on that. For our entrees we had two sushi rolls and the Chilean sea bass!! Ah-Mazing!! Portion sizes were good The restaurant was a little noisy, but we don't mind that. The decor was ultra modern- very cool!! Highly recommend it! read more

Came here with a girlfriend on a Monday night to try it out. Drinks were dissapointing; I had a Cucumber Saketini which was way too sweet. She had some martini with sriracha in it, which tasted disgusting to me. We did not receive soy sauce with our sushi and struggled to get anyones attention because all the staff was chatting with each other, while we were one of very few tables eating. One of the kitchen staff (not a chef) brought over a California hand roll which we hadn't ordered, told us it was something that was made (huh?), and walked away. Could not have made it sound less appealing. Now we have one crappy roll and two people. Did he expect us to take turns taking bites of it? If you're going to bring something special out for a table, at least make sure there is enough for everyone at the table. At the same time that we ordered our app and some rolls to share, my friend had ordered a caesar salad. We had finished our meal when the waitress came back to tell us that it would be right out. She was shocked that my friend no longer wanted a salad AFTER her meal. Do YOU eat caesar salad for dessert? She was not apologetic at all, and actually made it seem like a big deal that it was already made and we didn't want to the salad anymore. Seriously? The last straw was when we watched one of the kitchen staff reach into a container of ginger that was used to garnish peoples' plates, with his bare hand, pass it to a waiter, who then stuffed it in his mouth. We were both apalled. The one star is for the rolls (rock shrimp and yellowtail) which were good. If this place put a fraction of the amount of effort they put into the decor, into their waitstaff, they would be much better off. read more

3.5 stars*** Came here on a Friday night with a friend. Made reservations for 5:30pm through Open Table. We arrived around 5:15pm, it was still pretty empty and we got seated right away. The restaurant was huge and spacious. It definitely has a modern yet ancient temple vibe. It's similar like PF Changs but this one was better. I believe after 10pm, there's a DJ and it turns more into a nightlife view. Our waiter was awesome. He explained and suggested and food items we asked. He was attentive and friendly. Now onto the food...before I came, I had of course looked at the menu online...and the prices were a bit outrageous (that's why I'm giving it a 3.5 stars). I couldn't imagine paying a plate of pad Thai for $23 or crab ragoons for $14 when I know a place that sells them for way less and are good. However my friend wanted to go, so I sucked it up. To my surprise, the food was actually really good. Apps: Honey bunz - two buns filled with Chinese Baba pork, comes with two. Very tasty. Pot stickers- also very good, pork inside and skin on the outside. Complimentary shu mai- shrimp and crab minced into a little square, it was also very tasteful. Entrees: Street Singapore noodles- very thin noodles mixed with seafood. It had a hint of spice. Beef moo shu- it came with a dish of beef and veggies then another plate of wraps Dessert: "Camp fire" - LOVED! Two toasted marshmallows with two fried ice cream (chocolate ice cream on inside & fried graham cracker outside) Overall, the food was great! I enjoyed my dinner! read more

Place has a million staff and the waitresses seem to work in pairs, may have been training but the amount of staff swarming around is crazy. Everything my party and I ordered looked great. I had the Singapore Street Noodles which were very good and came in a HUGE portion. read more

Empire - Singapore Street Noodles. - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I have to laugh because I am usually the one writing the scathing reviews about overpriced/sucky service restaurants in Boston - but here I am going to be running against the flood of negativity towards Empire. Maybe it had to do with the timing of my arrival, or maybe it was that I was just in great company so I didn't get to caught up in what was going on around me, or maybe it was because I had no clue what this place was about so therefore I had no expectations , but all in all, I really liked this place and think it is a great upscale edition to the overall lame restaurant scene in Boston (sans South End). Walking in (around 6 pm on a week night) I was definitely impressed with the beautiful decor and general ambiance - it reminded me of an expensive Vegas restaurant but without the long line outside and plenty of places to sit. We sat at the bar and the beautiful bartenders with bustiers pushing their over abundant boobs up to their necks were extremely pleasant and attentive, and the general chit chat I exchanged with them was entertaining. I kept thinking to myself, "My husband would love this place strictly for the eye candy alone!". I ordered a whiskey on the rocks, their Wonton Soup, the Tuna Tartare and some sushi dishes that I shared with my co-worker. People say this place is expensive but given the portions and the quality of the food (and trust me, I am VERY picky when it comes to food quality) I thought it wasn't out of the range for an upscale place. After eating at way crappier, yet just as expensive places in cities such as Miami, Chicago and NYC, I just can't agree with the posters below about the pricing issue. The term "Pricey" is very subjective and usually is linked back to your personal experience - so I wonder if some of the posters below have had very limited exposure to a wide range of upscale "nouveau riche" restaurants. I usually hate these types of restaurants which is again why I find it so hilarious that I enjoyed my time at Empire. It was very quiet when we first arrived and steadily got more busy, so I do think our early arrival and departure probably played into it - but for now, I will take some pride knowing that I currently am the only person who has posted a positive review on Yelp as of Empire's 9 weeks of being in business lol. I am not saying to ignore the experiences of the posters below (because man, some of it does sound pretty messed up) but take it with a grain of salt and experience it for yourself. Maybe you need the trifecta of early arrival, sitting at the bar and superb company to enjoy yourself, but definitely give this place a chance (and if it still sucks you can always come here to add to the flood of negative reviews). read more

Wow, the women here ARE actually as dumb as they look. Came here for drinks before our work party and the service was horrendous. It actually took about 20 minutes to simply get some service and paying the bill was a series of me going up to every bimbo-waitress asking if we could get our bill. I had to literally chase someone down to get change for 20 dollars & them to split our bill properly (which they did not even do). I will NEVER come back here. It's the most fake upper class bar in Boston and the service on a Thursday at 5pm moves at a glacial pace. Go to Gather across the street instead. read more

My partner and I picked Empire out of a few restaurants for Restaurant Week because it was convenient to where we both work. We made a reservation for 6:30 pm, figuring that we'd get to the concert we were going to with quite a bit of time to spare as the band we were seeing went on at 10 pm. We were unfortunately dead wrong. I try to be nice, but I can't give this place more than a star. It's that atrocious. The food is just okay -- for a place that tries to be trendy, upscale, and innovative, it just comes off as tacky and overblown. The waitstaff seemed a bit condescending when we said we wanted the Restaurant Week prix-fixe menu. Yes, I know it's a fixed-price option, which is why I ordered one of their unbelievably overpriced cocktails. They're good, but they're not $14 good. They apparently have a dress code, but my workplace is casual dress and I didn't know about it. They didn't seem to care about my hoodie and skinny jeans. Whoops. Anyway, I had the spicy salmon roll, miso salmon, and apple rangoons. Or, I would have had the apple rangoons had we had time for dessert. Shame about that. The food was otherwise not bad - the salmon roll had a nice texture but was unfortunately way overpowered by the blob of spicy mayo dolloped on top of each roll. The miso salmon was cooked well and I enjoyed the fish itself, though the bok choy it came on top of was the stems, not the leaves. I love bitter greens, but that was not good. The edamame was tasty but didn't really make sense with the rest of the dish. My partner originally ordered the salt and pepper chicken, which turned out to be deep fried. I've had more appetising preparations of the dish at corner Chinese restaurants. It wasn't at all what he expected, so he requested the salmon, which was much better. I imagine I would have liked the apple rangoons, but the two dishes we each had had 45 minutes between them! Absolutely horrendous. By the time our main courses were finished and cleared, it was almost 9 pm (two and a half hours for two courses for two people!). We had about a 20 minute drive ahead of us, so we opted to skip dessert. The manager came to apologise, after which our waiter also came over. The ambiance is pretentious, the food is not worth the price, and the service is abominable. I'm just gonna stick to the holes in the wall in Chinatown from now on -- the service is better than Empire. read more

Stopped in here last night after dinner at del Friscos for a drink before heading home with my boyfriend. BIG MiSTAKE. Definitely untrained bartender. I ordered Tito's and soda not a difficult drink to make or to understand. She walked away and came back to ask me what I was having not once not twice but 4x!!! Still Tito's and soda. If you're going to have the audacity to charge me $17 you're bartender should know what a correct pour is. Retrain you're staff! I paid $17 for club soda. What a joke ‍ read more

I had the pleasure of dining with friends at Empire and found everything to be very good. The atmosphere was great, the staff courteous, professional and the place- Beautiful! They obviously spent a great deal of time and effort in getting this place "just right". The detail in the room was amazing and the lounge is "HOT". Our server was very thorough in explaining dishes to us and had some very nice recommendations for the table. I highly recommend trying Empire. For those with a problem in regard to the dress-code.... yelp is not a place for you to cry like a child and pound your fists upon the floor because you didn't get your way. (although it is quickly becoming that) Follow the rules- get dressed like an adult for the place you are attending that evening. It doesn't mean the place is "suit and tie for those with platinum cards", it just means when they built the joint they had something particular in mind and reasonably priced (aka-cheap) with t-shirts and shorts was not it. read more

0 stars if possible. This business is an absolute joke. I would reccomend no one go here for food or drinks. The servers and bouncers are rude and will not hesitate to physically assault you. Rude staff, would have rather stayed home read more

Agree with most of these reviews that this restaurant leaves much to be desired. The ambiance and decor hands down is incredible. As you walk in, you're transported to a romanticized oriental palace. Its very modern and sleek - its got a very nyc type of vibe. The private banquet rooms remind me of the high end restaurants in the motherland. Needless to say, they pulled out all the bells and whistle. But under the glitz and glamour, the food failed miserably. Now I already had lower expectations for an Asian fusion restaurant knowing full well that it can't really be compared to traditional fare. But I have had some pretty decent and surprisingly good food at asian fusion restaurants before so I know its attainable. Our group was in the bar area so we didn't have a sit down dinner but we ordered many items from the regular menu. Some of what we ordered: Lobster Scallion pancake - was so hard and dry, I thought I might actually crack a tooth Sushi rolls - I could have just bought grocery store bought rolls. 'nough said Veggie Tempura - probably the only thing I had that was pretty good but really, if you can't even get fried food right then you have no business even opening a restaurant. Sorry Empire, won't be coming back to pay an arm and a leg for another mediocre experience. read more

Aesthetically - it's very pleasing as you walk in, albeit huge. Bar staff friendly and lounge area nice for early drinks. Later on, it was like a cast reunion of Jersey Shore. Bad. Restaurant. Food was good but nothing that blew my socks off. Incredibly expensive for what you're getting. Service - our waiter seemed to think he was way too important. When I asked for another drink he actually put his finger up to his lips and 'shhhh shhhhh' me for interrupting his water pouring. Far too cocky and presumptuous about serving a group of ladies. All in all - I'm glad I went to check it out but over-hyped prices and rude staff are enough to say 'pass' on returning. read more

This place was so incredible disappointing. The service was horrible and the food was very mediocre. It took 25 minutes for a server to pay attention to us when we were seated. The place is obnoxiously large. I have zero interest in ever returning to this restaurant. Anywhere you go is better than this place!! read more

I've been to Empire several times though apparently only in the winter because in the summer, I almost exclusively wear Birkenstock sandals. And these aren't old, gross sandals either. They are in good repair and a more feminine cut than the normal ones you see. This is important to note because my party of four, one dressed in business casual linen button down shirt with Khaki trousers and the rest in business appropriate dresses, was turned away from our dinner reservation for wearing Birkenstocks because they have a "no sandal policy". I saw no signs or warnings about this when making the reservation. It also happened to be pouring that night so we were set free into a rainstorm. We ran across the street to Gather where we were welcomed with open arms and a table was quickly assembled for us. So, do not go to Empire if you choose to wear sensible German footwear that costs over $100 a pair in the summer as it's not good enough for them. Much like OSHA regulations while working in a lab, you cannot wear sandals at this establishment. Does this include all open toed footwear? I suppose so. Regarding the food, my past experiences reveal it to be average, drinks are alright, and the decor is the only real reason to go. But make sure to be wearing something that doesn't show your toes. read more

Been here for both dinner and attempted "late night". The place is HUGE. Private rooms align the back hallway. Plenty of tables, large bar and about 20 guys making the sushi. Food at dinner was good - nothing special. Way expensive for small "asian fusion" plates and sushi, but this area is becoming extremely expensive so it goes with the territory. I would give it slightly above average in terms of food. Late night however, was a disaster. Showed up about 10:30pm. There was a line of maybe 30-50 people. Basically, they chose who to let in - random people kept coming out of cabs, cutting the line and getting in immediately. The more disgustingly ugly/older you were, the more likely your chances of getting in. Seriously, all these 40+ year olds cutting the line....I'm just confused I guess. At least bring in the hot girls in line? I guess they did let in the cougars in evening gowns. After waiting for 30 minutes, we hadn't moved....at ALL. The only reason why we even moved in the entire hour we were waiting was due to angry guests leaving the line (seriously, people were yelling). My friend snuck in to go to the bathroom at one point and said the entire place was empty except for the small area at the bar. There are private rooms in the back, tables in the front, etc. If the people running this place had any brains and business savy, they would let in everyone and make 10x the amount of money. Instead, they just want to be pretentious and piss everyone off. If you want to go out in this area, go anywhere else. Seriously, go to Lucky's, Drink, ABG, or Whiskey Priest. All of these are better and way less of a hassle. read more

Food was just OK. One in my party sent two entrees back to the kitchen. Another said her noodle dish was dry. The waitress offered her soy sauce! The server was slow and inattentive. They can only take a max of 4 credit cards per group. Strange for a place that had SO many large groups dining. The Red Berry cocktail was yummy but probably not enough to make me go again. read more

Thursday night I had dinner at Empire. It was the first night they were open (hard opening), so please bare that in mind regarding this review. The Asian inspired decor is both impressive and tasteful. It's a good place to meet for drinks or for a client dinner. While the service was very attentive to our high maintenance table, the food was just ok. As previously written in other reviews, I have zero problem paying for food as long as it's good. But when the food is mediocre yet expensive it becomes an issue. The calamari and shrimp appetizers were edible. The lobster roll was decent. The reoccuring theme of the night was that everything lacked flavor. So while I profoundly understand a new restaurant needs time to workout their kinks, there is no good excuse for the food.Why put millions into a restaurant and have a chef who is subpar? Perhaps the owners want the food to be bland so the chefs prepre it that way. But I don't believe this to be the case. We had five dfferent appetizers and six different rolls. Perhaps the entrees are better. But how could they be if prepared by the same chefs? Check out the place after work and draw your own conclusions. read more

Came here on a Monday night for their all-you-can-eat-sushi night. The sushi and food itself was GREAT! Would definitely come back for that. But our waiter was not at all attentive. We had two bussers, a random waitress (not ours), and the manager come to our table before our actual waiter ever did. The waiter never took an order from us. Thankfully, Tim (the manager) was a sweetheart and super attentive and we were able to get some orders in with him. The most our actual waiter did was pour water for one of the people in our party who had asked for water. He failed to fill the rest when our glasses were all clearly empty. Very frustrating. This all being said, the space is beautiful. It's HUGE but so beautifully decorated. Would come back for the sushi night when I cool off from this last frustrating visit. read more

This establishment is for a certain type of collective people who like to be seen, and feel important; this is not a "restaurant." Things I tried: Scallion pancake - decent, I have to admit, but I've had better at plenty of other places Potstickers - okay(ish), but thought they lacked flavor; the filling was very bland Warm Steamed Buns - the mushrooms were rubbery AF, which make me believe they were canned (which is atrocious); these were repulsive... the beef ones were much better Thin Lo Mein - this was simply 'fine' Duck Breast - total joke of a dish... I'd bet a substantial amount of money that in a blind taste test 0 out of 10 people would identify the protein as duck.... flat out terrible I'd take the food from any hole-in-the-wall joint over Empire, even if the prices were identical. Now factor in that Empire is 5x most Chinese restaurants - why would I spend my money here? I could venture into Chinatown for some authentic food. I could call literally any take-out joint in the area and get better food for extremely less. Or, most preferably, I could walk over to Blue Dragon and have a phenomenal meal for less. The only reason this place is in business is for their clubby/douchey/trashy aura they portray and welcome; its certainly not for the food. read more

Came to Boston for the weekend and friends raved about this restaurant. It was a disaster. Seated for dinner on 5/12 drinks and apps came after waiting 20 minutes without any acknowledgement. Dinner never came. Order was never put in and kitchen closed. So disappointed. read more

Came here to celebrate my friends birthday. Took about 20 minutes for us to get The water from the waiter, who seemed pretty standoffish from the get-go. The food is way overpriced, I wanted to get Pad Thai but definitely didn't feel like paying $25 for a bowl, so i get some $12 pot stickers that were alright. The drinks were nothing out of the ordinary either. My friend had a Mai-Thai that definitely didn't have enough pineapple juice or orange, tasked like straight-up diluted rum. We all split a scorpion bowl that cost $50, and that was alright and fun to drink. Ordered a Borubon ending for $12 and it was alright too. As for the ambiance, I didn't think too muich of it. Kitsch art and partitions that definitely don't seem to justify the boost in price. Servers who look like they want to stab you with the knives from the sushi bars. A couple of cops busted up a table nearby because these pipsqueak kids who literally looked like they were in high school where drinking big old melons of mixed drinks. Pretty sad and ridiculous to watch. Not sure how they weren't carded, but ok. When I asked the waiter, slick-haird Bobby, to make sure he wasn't charging us for three drinks that were supposedly already paid for by some of the b-day girl's friends who left early, he went into a little hissy fit and wouldn't stop bitching about why he hates splitting checks. Okay Okay, I told him, but can you check in your system to make sure your not double chargng us, and he ran off to do I don't know what and never came back. In the end, he did let us split the checks, without a combative word, and I left feeling like I wanted to split his face and never come back to this glorified pf changs. read more