Empire Chinese Kitchen sits on Congress Street in downtown Portland, running a menu that spans soups, small plates, buns, dumplings, and large-format wok dishes. The dumpling program is made by hand daily, covering pork and chicken potstickers, Shanghai soup dumplings, har gow, and shu mai. The bao and bun section runs through char siu bao, Peking duck buns, spicy pork belly buns, and pan-fried beef baos, alongside vegan tofu buns.
Large plates include Mongolian beef, kung pao chicken, orange beef, duck lo mein, and jalapeno shrimp, with vegan and gluten-free versions threaded throughout — chive shiitake dumplings, ginger vegetable fried rice, curry udon, and garlic green beans among them.
Regulars point to the bao and dumplings as standouts, and the restaurant has built a reputation locally as one of the best Chinese kitchens in Portland, with friendly service and long waits on busy nights.
Large plates include Mongolian beef, kung pao chicken, orange beef, duck lo mein, and jalapeno shrimp, with vegan and gluten-free versions threaded throughout — chive shiitake dumplings, ginger vegetable fried rice, curry udon, and garlic green beans among them.
Regulars point to the bao and dumplings as standouts, and the restaurant has built a reputation locally as one of the best Chinese kitchens in Portland, with friendly service and long waits on busy nights.