I normally don't bother writing bad review, just good ones. But... this case is special. I've eaten a few years back at the main Empress restaurant and loved it. So, after returning to Napa after a few years and walking thru Oxbow, I was excited to see Empress in the Oxbow as well! A few days later, my spouse and I ate there for lunch and it was very, very sad. I have no idea what's going on here, but I thought I had suddenly been transported to a food court in a very unloved mall. One of those sad old malls that's going out of business, but the investors somehow keep it afloat. Think Hot Dog on a Stick, but no sticks and cold. Now, mind you, I'm NOT talking about the Oxbow Public Market, I'm talking about Empress AT the Oxbow. We sat down, nobody else there and the entire market was full of people. The young waitstaff didn't speak English, so they got another person to take our order. That person barely understood, or could explain, the menu and ordering process. We picked two entrees and the Hong Kong soup dumplings (or something similar named). The waiter returned with food in to go boxes. We asked if we could have dishes and silverware. No. Just plastic utensils and to go boxes. The dumplings, four tiny pre-created things about the size of a quarter for $16 were awful - at any price - awful. Costco samples would be a major upgrade. Mall food court beats this stuff hands down! The entrees were not so great and were at best on par with mall food. This in the Oxbow? The empress at Oxbow takes up a giant space and I've noted that each time I visit Oxbow, the seats are empty. What used to be a big butcher case is simply filled with soda pop. One chef is there to re-heat the food and put it in to go boxes. The first wait staff hung out on their phone. Please, cut your losses, M, focus on your restaurant and let somebody deserving take this valuabe space. Count on this place being out of Oxbow within months. Sorry, but I just don't want anyone else making the mistake we made. And... I want to say, my heart goes out to the staff I encountered - I think they were 'thrown under the bus' in that they didn't have the support or training they needed. This is the real shame. read more