This restaurant has existed for as long as I can remember over the past 30 years. It was one of my favorite restaurants growing up, so when I recently visited home in DFW, I had to go back. And wow, the taste is the exact same. The decor is the exact same. The people are the exact same. It was truly a feeling of nostalgia that's hard to describe. My favorite dish has always been, and still is, the bamboo shoots with pork. It is so fragrant, umami, and simply delicious. The west lake soup is also a classic done so well - pro tip to add white pepper to give it a little kick. The steamed pork belly was okay - sauce is flavorful (a touch salty) along with the preserved greens but the pork wasn't as tender as I had remembered it. The fish filets are fried to perfection, full of salt/pepper flavor, and pairs well with the jalapeños. If you don't like fish, you can get the same flavor with the pork version of this dish, which I also really like. The service can be a little slow because it's just 1 chef and 1 waitress who own the restaurant - same people that have run the show since I first came here probably almost 30 years ago! Incredible to see them still working so hard and serving delicious food. They'll never know how much their restaurant and food means to me! read more

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Tried this place because I saw Sam's video. Ordered the Jalepeno shredded pork and my friend got the tea smoked duck w/pancake. Also ordered 1 egg roll. The jalepeno pork was delicious! Great flavor and the pork didn't have that weird pork taste some Asian places have. The crispy smoked duck pancake was awesome and worth the steeper price. I wasn't a fan of the sauce alone, but in the pancake was excellent. The eggroll was a decent eggroll and the duck sauce that came with it was the best sauce I've had with an eggroll. The lady working was sweet and was working her butt off with the 5 tables she had. Felt great to support a local business. The restaurant itself is out dated but the tables and utensils were clean. The atmosphere added to the experience and the background music was just perfection. read more

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We have been going to this restaurant for at least 15 years, maybe more, even though we don't live in the Richardson area anymore. We were in Dallas to watch the Spain-Portugal World Cup game, and went out of our way to eat here. The owners are very kind, and although we haven't been to the restaurant in at least a year, they immediately recognized us and our children. We always get the Mongolian beef, orange chicken, chicken with rice noodles, hot and sour soup, and string bean with pork. And it's always consistent and delicious. Probably the most authentic Taiwanese food in the Dallas area. We'll return every time we are near Dallas. read more

Great and delicious food. Get the Orange chicken. I seen a review from Samspov12. Great video. Such a nice owner. read more

Visited family and decided to try this place out. Authentic as it gets. Better than Panda. Server was a sweet lady. Was busy but still made sure we were taken care of. Definitely recommend and will come back. read more

10/10 Very good service food is very delicious. Very authentic Chinese food. The lady that owns the shop is very nice and gavee recommendations and I like the selection read more

Pork belly, orange beef, and green beans are always musts. Scallion pancakes, salt and pepper pork chop, and sesame bun are good too. read more

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I've been frequenting Dallas lately and I would say I'm a regular now. This is a Taiwanese restaurant, with a separate and fantastic vegetarian menu, albeit in Mandarin - ask for it and use Google translate. The translation is funny but it's good enough for me to be able to order - check out one of my pics. Don't let the dated furniture and decor deter you from eating here. I understand it's been here for 26 years so that should say something. Good flavors (authentic Chinese or Taiwanese) and I can request pure vegetarian, no onion no garlic. My faves: Salt and pepper mushroom- this is a must try; even non-veg boyfriend loves and dreams about it; order with low salt if needed Water spinach Bitter melon with black bean sauce Mustard greens Service: great! Only 1 person but efficient Speed: food comes out quick usually from the time of order (when I go, there's not a lot of people) Ingredients: consistently fresh and top notch Tap water: not that great but better with ice Price: not cheap but it's very fair for the servings, flavors and ingredients (and you probably can have as much rice as you want - in my state they skimp on rice) read more

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The food is amazing here!!! Love the Honey Chicken!! Beef Lo Mein and Chicken Fried Rice is amazing also!! We will be going back - over and over again! read more

It had been a few years, but I went back tonight. Combination Lo Mein, which is usually flavorless or with spaghetti noodles, was on-point. Proper noodles, good flavor, and the meats weren't rubbery like some places. Unassuming spot in Richardson, but I like the quiet vibe on a Sunday. Service was attentive and friendly. My friend got the Szechuan Beef, I tried a piece, and that was great too. read more

First Emperor Chinese Restaurant - Combo Lo Mein - Chinese Near Me - Richardson, Texas

Took an hour for a single order of mapo tofu. I was charged a price way higher than the menu, the receipt had no number on it and only chinese lettering. Very hot inside. Was given a small side of rice with my meal. read more

Great food. Good authentic chinese restaurant run by chinese owners. Keep it up! Cooking the best!

Walked in and walked out. No one came to seat us. The place looked outdated and not very clean. Good thing we didn't stay and eat.

Tried out this recommended Chinese restaurant by words of mouth. It was first a little hard to pinpoint its exact location on Google but it's right across from Kirin Court. The place has been around for a long time, from the appearance of it, outside and inside, and the service and food must be good to stay in business for this long. I tried ordering the crispy oysters and a beef dish but for that night surprisingly they did not have both proteins. I ended up getting their signature tofu fish in garlic sauce. The flavors were great and the dish went very well with steamed rice. The only suggestion I had was to not thicken the sauce too much and cut up the fish fillets just a little more. The lady servicing the dining room was nice and sadly it was a slow, Monday evening. read more

First Emperor Chinese Restaurant - Tofu and fish in garlic sauce - Chinese Near Me - Richardson, Texas

No frills, just some awesomely legit Taiwanese food. I wish I could buy gallons of their hot and sour soup because it may just be the best that I've had (ahem, except for in Taiwan). It's traditional but also when a hint of sesame oil that I was NOT expecting. Well done! Along with that, greens and shrimp egg rolls, we sprung for the fish in garlic sauce and it hit the spot. It's enough for about five to six people and comes with a savory sauce that you can use for leftovers along with many piece of tofu. You can get the head and tail too, insert chef's kiss here! read more

First Emperor Chinese Restaurant - Fish in garlic sauce - Chinese Near Me - Richardson, Texas

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If you're in the mood for authentic Chinese cuisine without the frills, this place is a must-visit. While the decor and ambiance may feel outdated, that's part of the charm for a restaurant that has been serving satisfied customers for 26 years. I've been coming here for a decade, and it's never disappointed. The star of the menu has to be the sinful pork belly--absolutely delightful and bursting with flavor. Despite the no-frills setup, the food quality keeps you coming back. A meal for two, including water, came to a very reasonable $32. If you're looking for an unpretentious spot with consistently good food, this is it. Highly recommended! read more

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DIS-GUST-ING!!!!!!!!! We ordered 3 different plates. All of them were terrible! All of the meat/ paltry were a weird consistency, which threw off the whole meal. They wouldn't let us substitute white rice for fried rice. No chops tix/ fortune cookies. Ambiance... DIRTY. NEVER AGAIN! Money wasted. SMH read more

Wonderful food, wonderful service and it's family owned, which is a plus. I don't think they deliver? Which kind of sux because I would eat here more often if they did. read more

Small, easy to pass by, but actually very good. Had driven by this place thousands of times (for 20 yrs), as I worked very near by but always looked un-inviting. After scanning the dishes on yelp, decided to try it out. Of all the chinese food places I've tried over the past 40 years, so far I'm liking this place the most. Orange beef, orange chicken, ma po tofu, fried rice, hot'n sour soup, all excellent. Can't wait to try other dishes. Still wish I could find black bean sauce dish though. read more

Every dish I have eaten here has been delicious! The people are attentive and friendly. This us now my go to Chinese restaurant!

We were looking for a lil local takeout spot and this was good! We liked the shrimp fried rice and the veggie eggrolls are always so good! The sesame chicken is good flavor wise, but they give you really big pieces and it makes me uncomfortable so I don't order it anymore. The smaller pieces I had I enjoyed and they were crispy. Beef and broccoli is okay I wish the beef was a little more tender and the dish had more flavor overall. This place is a little on the pricier side for Chinese and I think the team can afford to be a little more sanitary when I come in to pick up my order, but the owner is nice and the rice and eggrolls are good. read more

My family and I love "hole in the wall" places, but this was bad. I'm giving it 2 stars because the waitress was nice. * Interior: old and grungy, even "hole in the wall" places look worn but not gross--you know? * Cleanliness: as mentioned it was pretty outdated but overall clean, however the waitresses apron was the worst I've ever seen. But she was sweet! Also the cups added an old dingy taste to the water like everything came from the 80's... * Food: my family and I will go 40 minutes out of our way for good Chinese food but wanted to try this place out because it's closer but it wasn't that good. My Sesame Chicken had some good pieces but most tasted old like they picked up day old chicken from the store?... Honestly just tasted like leftovers. But the rice was good! Overall, I'm not sure why this place had such good reviews and kept giving it the benefit of the doubt. I kept thinking, are the reviews friends and family? Mostly disappointed by how far it was from the reviews so wanted to throw this out there to anyone. read more

First Emperor Chinese Restaurant - Sesame Chicken - Chinese Near Me - Richardson, Texas

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Not sure why I always pass by this place and have never gone in but I'm sure glad I did! The quick overview: - Small, unassuming shop that has a mini parking lot. Directly across the street from Kirin Court - The inside feels like its from the 90's and reminds me of home - The main lady (owner?) was very polite and provided great service - Entrees are fairly reasonably priced between $10-$15 per dish with a large portion - They are "famous" for their "sesame pancake" which looks to be huge and filling, but probably good if you have enough people. Note: they say it takes ~40 min to make so order ahead What we got: Seafood Soup for 4 (~$10): Small amount of shrimp in an otherwise tasty soup Twice cooked pork: Fairly standard dish, pieces of pork belly weren't overly fatty - Mustard greens + bean curd: This was surprisingly a lot more flavorful than I expected it to be and was a winner - Sizzling tofu: Delicious sauce, huge pieces of tofu and other veggies, another winner - Black bean stir fried squid: This was the only reason it's a 4 star for now. This dish was an absolute miss (consensus) - would not recommend this one. Solid place for a great lunch! read more

First Emperor Chinese Restaurant - sizzling tofu, twice cooked pork, mustard greens and bean curd - Chinese Near Me - Richardson, Texas

We weren't impressed & wanted to find our new fav Chinese spot. The food was not seasoned at all to our liking. The veggies were huge, not a fan. read more

Tried them today for the first time, and wish I'd gone sooner. It was delicious! I got Chicken Lo Mein for my 2 year old, and ordered Orange Beef and egg rolls (spring rolls) for myself. The Chicken Lo Mein was good, although a bit greasy. Nice flavors, not too salty, plenty of chicken. Tasty. But baby - that Orange Beef was nothing to play with. It was OUTSTANDING! Cooked just right, tender, the sauce was amazing, and it was not spicy (although the menu said it would be). Simply phenomenal. My 2 year old saw me rolling my eyes in the back of my head after eating each bite, and he asked for a piece. I shouldn't have given him that first bite, because he completely ditched the lo mein and only wanted my entree. lol I didn't really care for the spring rolls. They were just ok. It said egg rolls on the menu and when I ordered them, the lady DID tell me that they were actually spring rolls. However, for $1.50 a piece, I will only order if they have actual egg rolls next time. Go. Order Orange Beef. Be happy. read more

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Love this food. Hot and made to order- super authentic! The sweetest couple owns and runs it...

Really enjoy the shredded pork with garlic sauce. It reminds me of the style it was prepared & flavor when I was in Taiwan. The crispy salt shrimp is very flavorsome. read more

I returned earlier this year and was disappointed with food and service. They need to hire another person to take orders and serve during lunch hour. Quality and taste of the food has also changed. I'm not sure if I will take the drive again. Not horrible but I was no longer excited or pleased with my order; neither was my friend. That's my opinion only please try them for yourself. read more

This place is best for takeout... On their website all pricing is not current. They do not have a lunch menu regardless of what is on the website. So all pricing is for separate entrees and sides. All that being said, this is my go to place for Chinese Food. The flavors are good and the amount you get is generous. My favorite dish is Orange Beef. It has a dark sauce with crispy battered and fried beef. Each entree comes with complimentary white rice. I've had all options for fried rice and it's consistently good. I always order the Hot and Sour soup for 4 since the price for double the soup is only $1.00 different. The workers are all very nice and well meaning. The inside of the building is old like 80's old. If you eat in... just don't look at the ceiling. Happy eating.. read more

First Emperor Chinese Restaurant - Menu March 2023 - Chinese Near Me - Richardson, Texas

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They accommodated us at the last minute. They close at 9 and we got there at 8:30 pm. They were really fast with service. It's looks to me that they're a small mom & pop restaurant. Everything was great and full of flavor. read more

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Was surprised how good it was for Americanized Chinese food. Favorite dishes were orange chicken and sizzling beef read more

First Emperor Chinese Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Richardson, Texas

Have been going here for at least 8yrs. Always a great time with great service and great food.

If you can get past the peeling wallpaper, you will understand why I give this hole in the wall 5 Stars! Order the "Mapo Tofu with fish" and the "Crispy Sesame Beef" and your life will never be the same. Pack any leftovers and add more cubed tofu to the mapo sauce when you get home. Trust me! read more

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Ok, it's been about 5 years since my first review and I'm going on food alone -- this food and portions are FIVE STAR quality! read more

First Emperor Chinese Restaurant - I know it looks like ChatGPT made this but I assure you this is genuine General Tso Chicken (white meat) from Emperor! - Chinese Near Me - Richardson, Texas

They are famous for their bad service. If you did not give enough tips, the server will say in Cantonese thinking that most customers will not understand. Quality of food is going downhill as well. read more

Everything is really high quality. We tried the: Veggie Eggrolls (yum), Pork Bellies (don't sleep on these), sweet and sour chicken (had to cover the basics and was blown away), lo mein (nothing to write home about but still delish), and beef fried rice (A++). Definitely worth a visit if you're looking for some most excellent Chinese food. read more

First time trying this place. I had the orange chicken with steamed rice Ordering fried rice as a side isn't an option. Also the meal is a little over priced. After reading other reviews I see that the price is not consistent. Meaning they'll charge what they feel it should be at the time regardless of what's on the menu. The food was ok but I wouldn't double back. The service is slow just ok. I dined in and there's only one server. read more

First Emperor Chinese Restaurant - Orange chicken - Chinese Near Me - Richardson, Texas

Food was still good but I feel they are gouging customers more and more. Ordered 2 entrees and one fried rice. Well, she only gave us 2 small bowls of steam rice and charged if we wanted more. To pay for steam rice at a Chinese restaurant is a sacrilege for me. We stopped going. To think during covid time 2020-2021 We went there a lot , just us in the whole restaurant, supporting their business but the lady owner didn't appreciate us the loyal customers. She remembered our favorite dishes. She knows us. Also we always gave big tips when she's the owner. Normally we don't tip owners because they aren't paid $2.5 per hour like waitresses do. They are business owners. But we gave big tips to her. Too bad with the many other Asian choices in DFW, we just stopped coming here, read more

This place is indeed a hidden gem. I've been in the area over a decade and never heard about it. I'm been craving fish with garlic sauce since I returned from Australia. The various styles of Asian cuisine that I experienced while I was there were superb. This. This provided that same level of superb. The service was wonderful. I was given suggestions and clarity as to what I was ordering. I was not steered wrong. I got the Fish with bean curd in garlic sauce and an order of Crispy Shrimp with Pepper Salt. Both were absolutely delicious and so satisfying. I even greatly appreciated the tofu in the fish. I'm normally not a fan of tofu. I have never eaten the shell on prawns. I now understand and gladly look forward to consuming it that way in the future. They did everything perfectly for my tastes. I look forward to trying more dishes from this restaurant. read more

First Emperor Chinese Restaurant - Fish with Bean curd in Garlic Sauce (partially eaten dish) - Chinese Near Me - Richardson, Texas

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It's actually funny and sad reading some of the bad reviews given for this place. For instance, "lo mein noodles are made of Italian spaghetti." The guy clearly does not know how authentic lo mein noodles are made. "Food seemed old" and "My Sesame Chicken had some good pieces but most tasted old". Almost should just stop at "sesame chicken". Those are Americanized dishes and nobody should ever order those when you come to an authentic Taiwanese/Chinese place like this. Maybe bring someone who knows how to order food with you next time or actually understand what type of cuisine you should be ordering here before coming again. This place is quite authentic and their rice is absolutely QQ. Highly recommend pork chop salt and pepper dish, sesame cake, and can't go wrong with taiwanese style eggplant dish. Portions can be on the small side but price point matches well. Been going here for over 3 decades now and never disappoints. read more