Summer Palace Chinese - Authentic Chinese

There is nothing that excites me more than a morning off and a new place to try. When that restaurant promises authentic Chinese cuisine, my excitement level takes off over the stratosphere. In reality, despite having an appreciation for global cuisine and all types of food, I will never be able to replace classic Chinese fare and it will remain my go to for any occasion. Thus after a peaceful slumber, I made the long but fruitful trek to Summer Palace Chinese Restaurant.

Summer Palace is located on a nondescript strip mall off of Pembina Highway close to the Bishop Brandin Overpass. The pleasant signage beckons you inside to the spacious and modern dining room. Clearly taking over smaller lots, there are two distinctive dining rooms in Summer Palace, one catering to the Westernized diners wanting the lunch buffets and one catering to those wanting more authentic Chinese fare.

The menu can only be described as sprawling. Over 200 items adorn the pages of the modern menu with the most popular dishes having a pictoral depiction alongside the wording. The fare is classic and authentic Chinese banquet style menu with the bevy of chicken, beef, pork, hot pot and rice dishes. The only thing missing is the presence of live seafood, a small negative for an otherwise impressive menu.

Called Casseroles on the menu, the Eggplant with Seafood (Hot Pot) had a nice amalgamation of Japanese eggplant slivers with a concoction of seafood (scallops, squid and shrimps) all tossed in a delightfully rich and creamy soy based sauce. Slightly overseasoned and heavy handed with the salt, the sauce goes well with a bowl of white rice. Only other qualm is the large pieces of eggplant which, due to its size, did not completely soak up all the sauce during the cooking process.

Crispy Spring Chicken with Green Onion an Spicy Ginger Sauce is another standard dish I use to judge Chinese restaurants. The version here was nicely done with a perfectly fried chicken that preserved the delicate balance of crispy skin and tender meat. The topping of spring onions and spicy ginger sauce was a nice accompaniment and contrast to the tender meat. The addition of soy on top of the already salty sauce made the dish a tad overseasoned again.

Beef Tenderloin, Mixed Mushroom and Green Beans in Summer Palace Special Sauce is a mouthful to order but quick to devour. The incredibly tender tenderloin is carefully fried with baby mushrooms and green beans in a pungently sweet and salty soy based sauce. The delicate flavours all come together to form a taste of umami for the diner. One just has to overlook the smaller portion size.

Overall Summer Palace Chinese Restaurant offers authentic high quality Chinese cuisine. The wealth of menu options will mean that everyone will find something they enjoy. Despite being on the saltier and greasier side, the flavours were well thought out and strong enough to overcome the heavy handed seasoning. Definitely worth a visit.