Imperial treasure

Chinese restaurant · Mayfield

Imperial treasure

Chinese restaurant · Mayfield

1

151 California Ave unit e, Palo Alto, CA 94306

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Highlights

Peking duck show, authentic Chinese eats, and regional flavors  

Featured in The Infatuation
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151 California Ave unit e, Palo Alto, CA 94306 Get directions

imperialtreasurepaloalto.com

$50–100 · Menu

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151 California Ave unit e, Palo Alto, CA 94306 Get directions

+1 650 656 9597
imperialtreasurepaloalto.com

$50–100 · Menu

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Last updated

Aug 21, 2025

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Global Nomad

Google
The Peking Duck (烤鸭) was really good as were the Steamed Scallops With Garlic & Vermicelli (蒜蓉粉丝蒸扇贝) and the lamb. The lamb stir fry was spicy and probably not for those that are not prepared for it. Also had a lamb chop, but did not capture any images. It was good! The Sweet And Sour Mandarin Fish (松鼠鱼) is a worthy mention and easier to eat than I imagined. The fish bones were large and easy to pick out if they happened to be served as well. Well worth coming back.

K Anderson

Google
Excellent everything! Food was deliciously Authentic! The table side Peking duck service was amazing. Upon entry, I was transformed into a high-end restaurant in Hong Kong.

Lucas Zhu

Google
Met with a few dear friends in the bay area for dinner. The food was very tasty, particularly loved the Peking duck. It feels like I was in Beijing 😋. The atmosphere is also quite cozy.

Andrew Wang

Google
D day has the best restaurant in the area. Imperial Treasure – Peking-Duck Heaven in the Bay TL;DR: Come hungry, order the duck, and prepare for a master-class in crispy skin and silky meat. What blew me away • Tableside Peking duck show – The chef wheels over a gleaming, just-roasted bird, steam curling off the lacquered skin. Each slice is razor-thin and shatters like sugar glass when you bite. Watching the carving alone is worth the reservation. • Perfect trinity of condiments – Warm handmade crêpes, julienned scallions + cucumbers, and a deeply caramelized hoisin that’s more smoky than sweet. Build a wrap, take one bite, and you’ll understand why Beijing claims this dish as a national treasure. • Surprise sleeper hit – Don’t skip the mala dry-pot cabbage & pork served in a carved metal cauldron. Tingly Sichuan peppercorns, wok hei, and crunchy cabbage make it the ideal palate reset between duck courses. Service & vibe Friendly, efficient, and theatrical without feeling stuffy. Staff time the courses so your pancakes never go cold and your teapot is always topped up. Pro tips 1. Reserve the duck when you book (they sell out). 2. Ask for extra crêpes—you’ll need them. 3. If you have four or more people, add one vegetable or seafood dish and call it a feast. Verdict Imperial Treasure nails the classic Peking-duck experience and then some. It’s the rare spot where showmanship meets substance, and every crispy shard of skin reminds you why some dishes become legendary. Five stars, zero hesitation.

Donna Kim

Google
This is a Chinese restaurant highly recommended by my Chinese friends. The interior has a subtle and authentic Chinese touch, and the staff are incredibly friendly. When you order Peking Duck, they carve it right in front of you with such professionalism—it’s impressive! Almost 98% of the customers were Chinese, and even though the staff speak English, most conversations were in Chinese, which says a lot about the authenticity. The menu features dishes from Shanghai, Beijing, and Chongqing, allowing you to enjoy a variety of regional flavors in one place. The food was outstanding, and I can’t wait to visit again!

F Z

Google
In the Bay Area, this is definitely top-tier Peking duck. The duck requires pre-ordering, which means it’s served immediately after being prepared. The slicing skills are excellent, with the chef expertly carving the duck on-site. The slices are well-cut, with uniform thickness and a perfect ratio of duck meat to crispy skin. The accompanying condiments are complete, although the pancake wrappers are slightly thicker and harder than ideal—but this is a minor flaw in an otherwise outstanding dish. Grew up in Beijing, I appreciate that nowadays, we can find Peking duck in the Bay Area that closely resembles the authentic version in Beijing. Ten years ago, most "Peking ducks" in the U.S. were actually Cantonese-style roast ducks. Of course, it’s not fair to compare this to the Peking duck in Beijing, as the breed of duck impacts the flavor, making it incomparable. The other dishes we ordered were also delicious and beautifully presented. For example, the chef added a small touch of pickled chili to the classic steamed razor clams with garlic and glass noodles, giving the dish a fresh new flavor. Similarly, the traditional crab roe tofu was slightly modified by fusing it with a “three delicacies” style. Served in a sizzling stone pot, the bubbling tofu broth immediately whetted our appetites. The restaurant’s décor and service are excellent, showing the owner’s dedication and care in running the establishment.Recommend.

Jim Ratchford

Google
Imperial Treasure is well-known for Peking Duck. Note - you need to order in advance. They do duck to perfection. There was plenty of duck to feed our group of 4. Lots of traditional options on the menu. And, in true Chinese form, we ordered a lot of food. No disappointments. Service was good as was the atmosphere. It was a little loud. Typical for a good Chinese restaurant. Cost is a little high, but reasonable. We had a great experience.

Yuzhe_Stella Huo

Google
The best Peking duck I’ve ever had in the Bay Area! Incredible atmosphere, excellent service, and even better food—everything was amazing! I’ll definitely be coming back!
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Chris W.

Yelp
Beautiful decor, has an authentic feel to the restaurant. Modern and upscale yet keeps with the traditional aspects of a Peking duck restaurant with a window in the back where you can watch chefs prepare the ducks. Recommended to reserve the duck 24 hours in advance - you get to choose how the bones are used: either in a soup or fried up. The duck pieces were thinly sliced and has minimal fat, very good quality. Pea sprouts were also amazing, and so were the beef burrito pieces. The XLB had a weird texture to the inside meat - like the pork pieces were very pink and just fell apart even on the inside vs a lump round of meat. The noodles were freshly cut and tasted really good, but the pork ribs were very tough, needs to cook more. The fried chicken wings (not pictured) were decent as well, our friend really liked them (I'm personally not the biggest fried food fan). Would come back and try more dishes! A nice place to take guests for the ambiance.
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Christel L.

Yelp
Food was delicious and meticulous. I'd give that 5 solid stars. I'm here to talk about the bathrooms. They were atrocious and could be smelled from the hallway. Was it a stinky towel from under the sink? With all the visible cleaning equipment? Who knows, I was trying to get out of there as soon as possible. Then, there was the roll of paper towels on the counter, getting wetter and dirtier as each person fingered it, trying to find the corner. It was really unpleasant in every sense. And the food was amazing in every sense. Surely, they can pay more attention to cleanliness. Posting here to make this known. This is the only reason I'd hesitate to come back. I'd recommend putting the cleaning equipment in a closet. Remove all the clutter from the counter top, like the plastic plants. Use a nice-smelling cleaning product and paper towels (instead of cloth ones or use a laundry service). And fix the paper towel dispenser.
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Anas F.

Yelp
I ordered 4 items, spicy chicken. Pepper beef and the steamed fish and garlic sprouts. The food was $200 with less than %20 tip, very oily, and just not good sadly. It was recommended by a Chinese friend. I may be should have just tried the duck as everyone else was ordering it but what we ordered was the server's recommendation. Waste of money, time and not feeling that well either after eating the food.
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Nathaniel K.

Yelp
TLDR: Reserve for the Roast Duck So, I'm updating my review because I FINALLY had a chance to try their roast duck. Ever since we came here the first time, (see prev review), she has been pretty obsessed with coming back to try their "famous" duck. Short review: It is worth the hype. You can stop reading now and just reserve a table already! Ok, longer more contextual review: My wife doesn't like eating duck. I know, I know, why is she craving it then? Well, she claims that duck has some gamey flavor to it. I dunno, I been eating duck all my life, I think it tastes fine! But she says there are SOME places, where they cook the duck so well, that the gaminess goes away. I guess this is one of those places! They make a bit of a spectacle out of it. The duck chef (I assume it's specialized since I only ever see the 2 of them do it), comes out with a cart, with the duck, and a bunch of plates. He wheels it near your table (staying away from the aisles), and proceeds to carefully carve the skin. I guess it's their style, but they include slices of meat with the skin. All the ones I used to have, was just skin only. In fact my parents had taught me the skill of the roast duck lies in getting JUST THE SKIN, without any meat on it. The duck is a bit expensive, but they make it into 2 dishes. The standard Peking Duck way, and then you can get a choice on how you want the rest of the duck meat prepared. My wife chose the duck soup (because she's a sucker for soups!). I like the pancake. It didn't crack, and it didn't break or tear when you try to roll it up into a duck burrito. I like the hoisin sauce, and all the onions were nicely julienned. They even included haw... which I never had before raw (just the delicious processed haw flakes). It adds a lot of sweetness, however it completely dominates the duck. If they can, I would wish they julienned them a bit finer. or else just use maybe 1/3 of a stick? The rest of the food was good, same as my previous review. The duck is definitely the star. Oh also, you DEFINITELY have to make reservations. We got there at 6p, place was pretty empty. They STILL put this family of 6 on a waiting list. Within 10 minutes, the place was packed with reservations.
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Ken C.

Yelp
Excellent duck but skip the carcass This place is known for their duck. They def do it well and they carve it fresh table side. They didn't give us as much toppings as I would have liked, but they did refill our pancakes free of charge which was a nice plus. The duck itself is crispy yet tender. After you eat your duck, you have two options for the remaining duck - either stir fried carcass or a soup. Def go for the soup which is a refreshing finish. The stir fried carcass was just a greasy salty mess. We also tried their lamb and veggies which were excellent as well.
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Eunice T.

Yelp
Nice interior. I never knew this place existed until my friend decided to have his birthday dinner here. They made a reservation and we were given the pagoda area, so we definitely had a great first impression of this place. Very aesthetically pleasing and calming! The Peking ducks has to be ordered in advance, but it is really good! They have the chef slice it in front of us and he does a great job of making it perfectly thin. We were offered two options for what to do with the remains - soup or fried. We chose one of each since my friend preordered two orders of the duck. All of their entrees were pretty big in portion sized. I'd say this is a great place if you want a nice, group dinner. It is pricey, but perhaps worth a splurge once in a while. If it's for a company meal or to celebrate a special occasion, this place would be perfect. I wouldn't come here for a small/casual dinner. Service was just okay though. We were a bit far/in the corner of the restaurant, so it's kinda hard to get the attention of the waiters. They also forgot to give us water several times. The initial service was great, the follow ups weren't great, but it's more aligned with Chinese restaurants (aka they try not to bother you while you're eating). One thing that was misleading is the error in the menu description of an item we ordered. It said duck blood as part of the ingredient (that was the main reason we ordered it), but there was only pork blood.
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David H.

Yelp
Pretty authentic Chinese food covering multiple cuisines. We were drawn by their Peking duck, famous roasted duck dish from Beijing. But they do the Mapo tofu and the Chongqing deep fried chicken 辣子雞very well, with strong numbing aftertaste that you'll want to go back for. Even the boiled dumplings are good. The place is spacious with nice Chinese decor. There are two huge round tables that would fit 10 - 15 diners. Waiters are mostly young Chinese and very responsive and friendly and patient. Not mentioned in the menu is that they offer birthday noodles (a Chinese tradition) free of charge, the soup noodles are very good!
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E L.

Yelp
Service was great, food was good. Duck was above average 3.5 to 4 stars - I am comparing what I get from SOCAL. In the bay, there are comparable places for duck but this place has the best service out of all of them. Great China has great food but horrible service so prefer this place.
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Hurjane V.

Yelp
Solid 4 stars. The mandarin name of this place translates to "hidden treasure", and it sure is hidden at the end of CA avenue near the Caltrain, in the abandoned plaza lol. The Peking duck was reasonably priced, $80 each. I would suggest 1 duck for ~4-6 people depending how much other stuff you order. You have the option of making it into soup with the bones, or deep fried. Highly suggest the soup so you can bring it back home and make a hot pot or something lol. Presentation of dishes was really nice! Corkage fee is $15 if you bring your own bottle. Everything was well prepared, good seasoning. Nothing to complain. If you want to book the cute indoor gazebo for some privacy, the minimum is $600. It fits 12-14 people.
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Avivi W.

Yelp
It's a beautifully decorated restaurant, however, the food was very, very disappointing. The peking duck was very dry, it lacked in a lot of flavor, and the way they cut the duck was also incorrect. The other dishes were also lacking in flavor and were very overpriced! I disliked every single dish and will probably not come here again! We spent around $200 for two people, only to be very disappointed in the dishes. The service was alright nothing outstanding.
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Fiora F.

Yelp
Scallop with Vermicelli - 4/5: Slightly salty, but we finished them all. The flavors were still pretty satisfying. Fish in Chili Oil - 0/5: The fish fillet was hard and chewy, resembling plastic, and had a strong, unpleasant odor. We only took a few bites before stopping. Eggplant with Garlic Sauce - 0/5: The addition of bamboo shoots overwhelmed the eggplant with an off-putting flavor. We couldn't eat it. Cauliflower - Not served in the dry pot as shown in the photos. It was okay, but nothing exceptional. Rice - Adequate, nothing special. Red Jujube Tea - Lacked flavor entirely. Despite the restaurant being packed, the food was disappointing. Perhaps this is the best available in the area, but it didn't live up to expectations.
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Camille L.

Yelp
We went to Imperial Treasure for Chinese New Year (weekend after) and got the room in the back which had a huge cover charge of $600+. Duck was less tasty than average (I'm used to the duck at Chef Chu's, Koi Palace, or Palette which are much better), but the duck soup was so delicious and refreshing. The Sichuan dishes shined (cabbage, cauliflower) and the sweet and sour fried whole fish and frog dishes were outstanding and a good break from the spicy stuff for some at the table. The bathroom though was a mess and smelled so strongly of cleaner that it was very unappetizing. I'd still go back as we were thinking of the food for days/weeks afterwards.
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Jenny L.

Yelp
This place is 4 stars for food, but 5 stars for service! We pre-ordered the peking duck, whole steamed fish, cumin lamb, xlb, eggplant and pork intestines. Everything tasted great. We left without grabbing the receipt two weeks ago and I gave them a call today. They told me they would call me back and I didn't hear from them for a couple hours and figured it's a lost cause. To my surprise, Stanley gave me a call that evening and text my receipt to me. Truly appreciate the outstanding customer service!
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Grace C.

Yelp
A surprise find for spicy food and Peking duck. Everything was tasty but at Palo alto price . Service was decent, place was clean, the majong tile decor to the restrooms made me chuckle The frog legs was surprisingly tasty. Steam fish was ok but not wow. Fried man tou i always like. Spicy boiled beef was great with the rice. Corkage was $15, which was also surprising (in a good way). Total came to $115/person.
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Kacy Z.

Yelp
Steam razor clams with garlic & vermicelli....very good and fresh, highly recommended Service was excellent
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Grace F.

Yelp
Came here for a late Father's Day celebration with my family. We had made a reservation and ordered the Peking duck ahead of time. The restaurant was very busy (Friday night) and even though we had a reservation we still ended up waiting around 10 minutes to get seated. The inside is decorated very nicely, with Chinese style art and interior. We ordered the Peking duck that came with a duck soup they made with the duck bones, with added veggies and glass noodles. The Peking duck also came with thin crepes used to wrap with the duck sauce, cucumber, scallions, and pickled plum (I think?). It was the perfect bite and they also had sugar to dip the crispy duck skin into. The soup was seasoned nicely and very nice and refreshing. Other dishes we ordered were the dry fried string beans with garlic, spiced beef shank (came with a garlic dipping sauce), stir fried beef with onions and scallions, and intestines dry pot. Every dish was cooked well. I especially liked the dry pot as they used mala spice in it and it was a wonderful combination of salty and spicy. Just a note about the noise level - it was quite loud in the restaurant and I'm not sure if it's always like that or if it just happened to be loud that night. We were seated directly next to a large table. It kind of felt like they squeezed an extra table into the space to be able to fit us because we were rather close to the large party and they could barely wheel the carts with the Peking duck next to our tables. It was honestly hard to hear my family and have an actual conversation during our dinner, which was a bit of a bummer. And because it was so busy, there wasn't an empty table for us to move to. Aside from the noise, the food was really good! I'd definitely come back but maybe during a less busy day/time.
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Julia S.

Yelp
I came here with a few friends for lunch. We arrived on Saturday at 11:30 am and got seated immediately since there were only a few tables with guests. The ambiance felt a little more upscale, though there are some nice themed booths at the corners for very big groups. The items are on the pricier side, so we ordered only a few cheaper items. We got the Sichuan Wontons in Red Oil, Spiced Toothpick Mutton, Brown Braised Beef Noodle Soup, and String Beans with Garlic. The toothpick mutton was really nicely flavored with a good amount of spice, though I wish we had more. The beef noodle soup was decent, with a lighter flavor, slightly thick noodles with some chew, but not a lot of beef. The wontons were okay--nothing bad, but nothing particularly good either. The string beans were cooked perfectly. We had no complaints about the service, although it was kind of weird that the wontons came a little late. We also had to ask for one of our bowls to be replaced since the original one on our table was dirty. Overall, it's a decent place for Chinese food, probably a good choice if you want a slightly more upscale sit-down experience.
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Michael O.

Yelp
One night pretty inspiring, another night an awful disappointment. The courtyard from the old Peking Duck restaurant is a horrible introduction. The flashing white plastic duck lanterns out front are funny, for sure, but it's a run down mess. Inside it's modern Chinese, much more welcoming than the courtyard, with different tables with different chairs at each table, with hanging art and lights. Pretty nice. First time there was with excitement. They have chefs from different regions, one just for bao. (None of the staff I met were from Sichuan region, however, and say they won't eat any of the food from there -- too spicy! I didn't meet them all, but that made me chuckle.) Cauliflower with pork belly in hot pot was excellent, full of ma la flavor, chewy pork, crisp cauliflower. Fish in hot pot was really great, too, super spicy but with great veg. Scallops with glass noodles were massively overpriced and boring, but some at table liked them. Peking duck was pretty dry, with an array of toppings including white sugar (!!!) and quince paste (membrillo), but with cold, floppy thin pancakes. Ordered whole it will more than feed four. Second time seated near kitchen/bathroom area. Friends ordered spring rolls (that I wouldn't recommend at a restaurant like this -- it's VERY Chinese -- but in any case they shouldn't be frozen spring rolls. They were horrible, flavorless, with mushy cabbage and carrots inside and a very not-Chinese red sauce. Yuck. Ordered the cauliflower again and none at the table liked it. Overcooked, soggy too, greasy. Dry fried string beans were overcooked and pasty. The Peking duck was better than the first time, but with same concerns. You can chose soup or fried carcass at the end, and we chose the soup, but it arrived right as we were eating. It was as if they just wanted to serve us and have us leave. I even had the waiter from my first visit, so was hoping for more of the service we had the first night. We did not and it was pretty unpleasant. We will be back to give it a third chance. You have to reserve a duck ahead and it may be worth doing so just to try it -- it's what their restaurants in Asia are famous for. Dishes are generally large and fit the price, but go with a group to try a lot of things.
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Ya Y.

Yelp
This new Chinese restaurant has just opened its doors in Palo Alto. The interior is nicely decorated, and they have two areas dedicated to larger groups. Their service was both friendly and efficient. We were particularly thrilled to try their signature dish, the Peking Duck. A word of advice: remember to call ahead and reserve the duck at least one day in advance, especially on weekends when the restaurant tends to get very busy. While the prices may be on the higher side, the flavors were all spot on! We thoroughly enjoyed every dish we ordered and are already looking forward to returning to try more of their menu next time!
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Kristina L.

Yelp
When you make reservation you have to reserve the duck. It is pretty hard to get a seat/duck if you don't reserve it. The food was good, the duck was amazing of course. The buns, beef and lotus i liked a lot. The lamb chops were like 90% fried breading so it was a little hard to eat that. Frog legs were ok, just not really my thing. -1 star because we reserved a duck but halfway through the dinner they told us they didn't have it for us and asked if we would wait another hour for it. We did hahaha and it was good, just a little annoying they messed up like that.
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Annie H.

Yelp
This is my second visiting this spot and I was able to try more dishes because we came with four people! We pre ordered the Peking duck. I kid you not, I'm from Beijing and this is by far the best duck I've had in the US! It comes with a chef that carves the duck table side and they use the bones to make a duck soup. It comes with thin pancakes (which is the legit Beijing style- Julienned cucumbers, green onions, hawthorn strips, sugar, and plum sauce) We also ordered: Spicy beef noodle soup- huge portion, deep flavor 5/5 Pan fried dumpling- perfectly crispy and juicy inside 5/5 Lion head meatballs- great flavor with water chestnut 5/5 Pork belly braised with pickled veggies- decadent 5/5 Eggplant- I like the fish and vinegar flavor 4/5 Garlic fried pea sprouts 5/5 The decor inside it beautiful- koi fish on the ceiling and a pagoda to seat a table up to 14 people. The manager was very nice and took the time to talk to me. Huge plus if you speak Chinese also.
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Karina S.

Yelp
Went here for a group dinner with some of my friends. We had a reservation and and also reserved a peking duck in advance. The turntable in the middle of the table was remote controlled which was a new concept for me and super cool. They gave us a huge table that could probably fit almost double our party size, which made it a little difficult to converse and pass food around the table efficiently. The food was amazing- got the duck, lotus root, chili lamb, xiao long bao, string beans, and the fried chicken, though definitely on the more expensive side. Loved the decor and set up inside, as well as the plating of the food!
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Randy F.

Yelp
Imperial Duck Imperial Treasure takes over the former spot of long-time Palo Alto restaurant Peking Duck Despite the California Street location, it's a slightly challenging spot given the interior mall location with minimal foot traffic and hard to see restaurant signage Imperial Treasure has been on my to-try list for awhile but sporadic initial opening hours made it difficult. Happy to report lunch and dinner times now supported daily We stopped by for Lunar New Year and hectic crowds are not the fairest time to review, but they did an admirable job Servers are fluent in both Mandarin and Cantonese and dishes, including the signature Peking Duck, came out quickly although without the standard display and carving presentation The Duck is a more modern preparation with jelly compote and sugar (popular in HK) served along scallions, cucumbers and thin pancakes. The order includes a choice of duck bone soup or stir fry and we opted for the soup The steamed dumplings, vegetables and fried rice were also all solid Treasures Signature Peking Duck $108.88 / Jellyfish Cucumber Salad $12.88 / Stir Fried Pea Sprout with Garlic / Xiao Long Bao $12.95 / Crab Xiao Long Bao $18.95 / Shrimp Fried Rice $15.95 Imperial Treasure Palo Alto (Palo Alto, CA) Dining is indoor only and credit cards are accepted including AmEx. Service is friendly but busy. We asked for a tea refill 5 times but it didn't happen. Again, Lunar New Year so perhaps not surprising.
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Therese A.

Yelp
Pleasant dining experience with Imperial Treasure! We had a reservation (Sunday, 12pm) about a week before and were seated right on time, which I recommend since I heard another group that came as a walk-in around the same time had a wait time of 2 hours. Peking duck (traditional roast $78.88) was a perfect serving for our group of 4. We asked about the Treasure's Signature ($108.88) which they said has more spices but it wasn't available. I have not had too much peking duck so this tasted pretty good to me, but according to the rest of my group it wasn't as flavorful and the skin wasn't crispy as they hoped it would be. The wrappers came out promptly but they were cold, and when we finished we got a fresh batch that was much better. The duck's presentation was beautifully done and prepared table-side (started right as we sat down!). We also ordered the pea sprouts and spicy fried chicken which had lots of peppers (I love the numbing, lingering spice)-- not pictured because at this point I was eating everything up! Restaurant has an inconspicuous location hiding within a plaza that has smaller surrounding businesses. Interior is modern, floors were kind of slippery, but good spacing between tables where you don't feel cramped. We were seated next to one of their large group tables which aren't very private since the wall divider is an open concept, so noise travels. They offer water or hot tea upon sitting down, and I really liked the tea set they have. Food was good to me as someone who isn't very familiar with traditional Chinese cuisine, but my friends found it decent as well, just overall expensive.
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Janette N.

Yelp
Imperial treasure has an impressive array of sichuan dishes, but everyone comes here for their peking duck that you have to pre order. You can call in 1-3 hours before to ensure that when you arrive, your duck is also ready. The whole duck will leave four people more than satisfied and you have a choice of how you'd like the remaining bones/meat to be prepared, we opted for the clear broth soup! $80 is definitely a steal for what you get! We also tried the other dishes and everything was seasoned well, not too spicy, salty, or sweet. The place got packed almost immediately as soon as it hit 7 with only local chinese, so I knew it was going to be authentic. Great service and quick food turn around time!
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Foodie L.

Yelp
Tucked away inside the building, this place is a hidden gem! The atmosphere is charming and feels like a perfect escape from the busy workday. I ordered the Mongolian beef, and it was hot, tender, and packed with flavor-just what I was craving. The lunch specials are solid-great portions, fresh ingredients, and truly authentic flavors. You can tell it's the real deal just by looking at the clientele when a place is filled with people who know good Chinese food, you know it's going to be great.
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Cindy L.

Yelp
生煎包 5 juicy, meaty, soupy, crispy, flavorful 牛肉卷饼 4 crispy thin pancake, cold cut beef, green onions, cilantro, 甜面酱, flavorful 蜇皮黄瓜 5 crunchy, cucumber slightly sweet, vinegar, refreshing 北京烤鸭 4 crispy, not enough pancake or cucumber
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Sterling H.

Yelp
Beautiful setting, great food. Every dish was delicious and flavorful. This is the type of place to come for a special occasion. The dishes are perfect to be shared family style. We didn't get it but saw multiple other people order the duck which looked amazing and hope to try sometime.
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Peter X.

Yelp
Overpriced food with dysfunctional staff. Although no issues with the taste, the prices are about 30% higher than they should be, so in that aspect it's not worth it at all. Also the staff was so unorganized it was shocking. Had to wait 30 min for a table even though we had reservations. We also reserved the Peking duck ahead of time and the server said we took too long to get seated so the duck was cold. I was speechless. Gee, you can't just, I don't know, warm it up before you serve it instead of just giving us a cold duck?? Also they ended up misplacing my credit card and had to scramble to find it. How embarrassing. Service was a 0/5. I wouldn't come back.
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Renee L.

Yelp
I came here with my family where we ordered a lot off their menu to try. My favorite was the toothpick lamb dish and the dry pot. The duck was also pretty good and a good portion. The prices here are a bit more expensive but it shows based on the upscale environment and service. The service was really quick and attentive.This is less of a regular go to place but more for special occasions.
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Wendy Z.

Yelp
This place is good asf I ate way too fast though so I didn't get a picture of anything except for the soup. The interior is super nice and modern and nice and stuff The stir fried veggies were so good and I hate vegetables
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Grace Y.

Yelp
Yay finally, two Chinese cuisines all at the same place: oven roasted Peking duck "and" szechuan. For the duck, you have to call ahead at least a day in advance. Not many places serve the blood tofu in chili sauce, highly recommend!
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Goeun K.

Yelp
This is a Chinese restaurant highly recommended by my Chinese friends. The interior has a subtle and authentic Chinese touch, and the staff are incredibly friendly. When you order Peking Duck, they carve it right in front of you with such professionalism--it's impressive! Almost 98% of the customers were Chinese, and even though the staff speak English, most conversations were in Chinese, which says a lot about the authenticity. The menu features dishes from Shanghai, Beijing, and Chongqing, allowing you to enjoy a variety of regional flavors in one place. The food was outstanding, and I can't wait to visit again!
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Renata K.

Yelp
This place is unreal. Ambiance - classy af Service - I felt like a queen Lunch menu - why do they call it lunch menu? It's like dinner portions for big hungry men. Taste? O M G it's like grandma from the mother land cooked for a special holiday. If you're around stop by you won't regret it, you'll think about when you can come back while paying the check that was probably cheaper than feeding a full family at McDonald's....
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Alli W.

Yelp
We came by for dinner on Friday without a reservation and luckily got the last open table in the back! Ambiance: 7/10 Seems like they were going for a modern and middle - upscale interior but it came off as a casual Chinese restaurant to me. Diners were relatively loud as well. They do have a "private" room for a large table, but it was in an open space lol. Service: 8/10 We had about 3-4 different waiters coming to our table lol. Service was attentive and great in the beginning, but we weren't given any attention when the restaurant got busier lol. Food: 10/10 You need to reserve a Peking duck ahead of time, or it'll take up to 90mins. MUST- Crab roe XLB Combination sauce noodles Bullfrog with yellow croaker
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Win L.

Yelp
My new favorite Chinese restaurant! Wow and yum!! We loved every single dish ordered and can't wait to return! Tip: they open reservations two weeks in advance; call ahead for reservation as it gets really busy and place order for Peking duck at the same time. We went during soft opening so it was a bit chaotic given how busy the restaurant was - fully subscribed with a line outside the entire time. But overall the service was pretty good for Chinese restaurant standards. The restaurant space is shaped strangely, feels like it used to be separate spaces and were merged together but the interior design was well done - with paper fish lanterns and umbrella lining the ceiling. They also had two semi private areas for large groups that were under interior pagodas. Very nice design. The tables and chairs were a comical hodge podge of different styles that made me think they hit up a restaurant auction and grabbed whatever furniture and dining ware they could find but alas, we aren't here for the chairs, we are here for the food, which was amazing!!! Food: Peking duck is cut and served table side - it also came with a nice balance of accompaniments, including a sweet tart jelly that I really liked. You can also get an optional duck soup to match. We ordered a number of meat and veggie dishes (see pics) and frankly all were delicious and well above average. We will definitely make the trek for this restaurant and add it to our regular rotation. Really enjoyed the food and plan to recommend to friends/visitors.
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Kevin L.

Yelp
Located in Downtown Palo Alto, parking is plentiful but it may be difficult to find available spots. The interior is absolutely amazing. There's plenty of seating for parties of all sizes. The music is calm and peaceful. The food is top notch. Every dish had a beautiful presentation. Not only that but the flavor and texture of all the food was so delicious. I highly recommend the sauteed eggplant in garlic sauce. The eggplant was so soft and the flavor was spectacular. Overall, considering that Imperial Treasure is still in their soft opening phase, it's doing a spectacular job. The food is absolutely delicious and the interior decor is so beautiful.
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Daniella X.

Yelp
Last week, I discovered a newly opened Chinese fusion restaurant in Palo Alto, combining Sichuan and Beijing cuisine. In Chinese, it's called "宝藏," translated to English as "Imperial Treasure." I visited twice within two days; unfortunately, I couldn't try the Peking duck on Saturday, so I went again on Sunday. I really liked the upscale Chinese ambiance, comparable to Ichina. Address: 151 California Ave unit E, Palo Alto CA 94306 Average cost: Less than $50 per person Parking: Plenty of street parking nearby, and there's a small parking lot around the corner Food Review: Trying fusion cuisine made me realize the diverse regional preferences. Among us were people from Nanning, Xuzhou, Hunan, and Xi'an. Peking Duck: Had a Northern style; I prefer fattier Hong Kong-style duck, but my friends from Hunan and Xuzhou loved it! Duck Frame Soup: Requires an additional charge; there's an option for salt and pepper duck frame. The soup is light with glass noodles and Chinese cabbage. Spicy Chicken with Bone: Reminded me of San Francisco-style spicy chicken, which I enjoyed due to my love for fried chicken. My friend from Hunan felt the batter was a bit thick. Imperial Treasure Boiled Fish Slices: The fish slices were tender and flavorful. Some of my friends found it quite innovative. Breakfast Sticky Rice Ball: I love sticky rice, and this dish was irresistible with its shredded pork filling. You can also add ham, but it was a bit firm. Scallion Yellow Croaker: I think this was the best dish; perfectly fried yellow croaker. Some loved it, while others didn't. Dry Pot Cauliflower: Beautifully presented and delicious! Highly recommended! Dry Pot Cabbage: Tasty, stir-fried with preserved meat, very flavorful with a hint of vinegar. Braised Spare Rib Noodles: A good choice for lunch. It was a fascinating culinary adventure. The restaurant's atmosphere is perfect for family celebrations, especially in the spacious private rooms. The pricing is quite reasonable too! I checked their opening hours; they open at 8:30 AM and offer breakfast as well. Highly recommended!
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Sophia Y.

Yelp
The best Peking duck in Bay Area ! Love the chef and table side service. But most importantly how the skin is prepared with no fat under it at all and how he cuts the meat in perfectly equal sizes within reason. And all that extras to put with Peking duck And your choice of soup, etc., with the remains Pan fried dumplings are also on spot, xiao long bao good, They even made chicken and mushroom delicious ! I wish they had some online booking system, e.g. OpenTable Potstickers made the cool way where they all crunchy together Service: staff could be more attentive about clearing plates and offering extra bowls, plates as needed.
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Michael W.

Yelp
Context: We came here for Sunday brunch. We made a reservation for a party of 6 at 11am. This is also our 5th / 6th time back! It wasn't busy when we got here but, we highly recommend making a reservation because it gets busy during the lunch and dinner rushes. Dry-fried string-beans w/ garlic - 3/5: the last few times we got this dish it was pretty good! This time I feel like they were under done / not wrinkly enough. Fish fillets boiled with pickled mustard greens - 5/5: First and foremost, be aware that this dish is a huge portion and you will likely have leftovers to take home. You can't see it in the picture but there's actually noodles in the soup too! The fish is nice and crisp! To clarify, this is the fish meat itself and not that the fish is fried! The noodles actually absorb the flavor of the soup which is delicious and the noodles actually stay chewy and don't disintegrate. The soup is very flavorful, fragrantly spicy, and at a good spicy level! Two things to watch out for though, the soup is a little on the oily side (which makes it pair nicely with rice!) and you'll need to pick out / pick around the peppercorns in the soup. Spiced toothpick mutton - 5/5: This dish is my go to dish that I get every time I visit! Fragrantly spicy, not too oily, and nicely fried! Pairs well with rice! Easily the best toothpick lamb I've had in the Bay Area! Shredded pork w/ garlic sauce: Speaking of pairing well with rice. This saucy dish makes it really easy to go through a ton of rice! It's a great balance of sweet, spicy, sour, savory! This will likely be joining the spiced toothpick mutton in dishes we regularly order. Service - 4/5: we did have to ask twice to get boxes at the end, but otherwise they respond to our requests very promptly! Would highly recommend coming here!
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Amy Y.

Yelp
This place was super popular, so much, that we couldn't get in on our first attempt to eat here. We then made a reservation for a week later, for a Saturday family dinner. Note - you need to reserve the duck before hand. I think overall, the food presentation was done really well. I really enjoyed the duck, but was miffed that they give you so little cucumber and wraps and sauce despite ordering a whole duck. To get more cucumber, sauce and wrap, each is additional charge. On the plus side, the duck was really tasty, with a lot of skin and lean meat. Skin was crispy, meat was tender. They make duck soup and serve it to you afterwards, and the duck soup was also really nice and tasty as well. Some of the other dishes were not done that well. The green beans were not flash fried well... seemed almost just boiled and served. In-laws also didn't like the gan guo, but I thought it was ok. Service was lacking.. we asked several times for utensils and straw, but took them awhile to bring to us. I think overall, the place has potential. But for the price, I would have expected better service, and more on point dishes.
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Christine C.

Yelp
They did an excellent job renovating the space, enhancing the dining atmosphere. The food was authentic and closely resembled its traditional roots. However, the overall dining experience could use some improvements. The table was too small to hold all the large plates we ordered, creating pressure to finish dishes quickly to make room for the next ones.
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Sherman T.

Yelp
Cool atmosphere- ambiance fantastic! You know something is right when you walk into a Chinese restaurant and all you see is Chinese. It means it's good food!! And clean too!! Get the F out of here !! String bean was solid Ma Po Tofu was Ma La - burn my lips off Then we had this free range chicken and potatoes dish .. had a few extra bones more than we wanted but the flavor was great!! Stacy ran head of the house was so friendly and had beautiful tattoos- sorry not sorry!! Will revisit to try signature Peking Duck and other spicy entrees Will visit again in a month or so (from out of town)
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Nick C.

Yelp
Modern Chinese restaurants are a crashing wave washing over the Bay area, but Palo Alto has, for the most part, been a town protected by floodgates. Its residents have been forced to trek elsewhere to eat it, much like they do to visit big box retailers and In 'n' Out. Imperial Treasure represents perhaps the first breach of this fortress. Combinatorially, the menu supports any number of delectable Chinese feasts, from cold appetizers like Hainan-style chicken and sliced beef shank, to dozens of different meat preparations. The abstract fish that decorate the ceilings are traditionally a symbol of prosperity, but here on California Avenue they feel more like carp, aggressively establishing themselves in new and previously untouched territory.

MC C.

Yelp
The quality and service have gone down substantially that I would not recommend this place. Had been coming here since they opened but the last few visits were so bad that it's no longer in our rotation. The food was disappointing and the wait for each dish to come out was too long. The wait staff did not care and never checked on us. It's not a cheap restaurant so I wanted people to know what to expect. They also tagged on 18% service charge although there's no service for the customers at all.
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Stephanie L.

Yelp
Easy reservation on OpenTable for reserving the Peking Duck. You do have to pre order so please reserve it if you plan on having the duck. I love that it comes with the pancake instead of buns since that's how I had them growing up. Table side carving was great. The crispy skin slices and tender meat were perfect. I haven't had sugar nor the the quince-like jelly before, but enjoyed adding them to make the rolls. We opted for the soup and loved it! So warming and delicious. We also had the cauliflower and the Szechuan spice had a nice kick flavor-wise (it wasn't spicy.) Skip the crab roe XLBs, which were not that good. I'd recommend trying the teas - super pretty and yummy.
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Sina X.

Yelp
Nice service and the peaking duck is good. other item are soso. the sweet and sour special short ribs dish taste funny, it is way too salty and not like eating beef but fatty pork... Will probably not come back, the Beijing duck house has better duck and more reasonable price. Dish are not authentic and failed creativity. I don't might try new idea but the chef should at least know how to not making mistake on the basic ingredients
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Jonathan B.

Yelp
The food was incredible. The staff were very kind to let us eat while they were closing up and preparing for dinner. I'm so happy we came here. We ordered a little of everything, the fish, beef, chicken, and green beans. Everything was prepared so well, and the flavors were spot on. The decor inside is also so beautiful, I can only imagine how nice this place would feel at night. Definitely recommend if you are in the area.
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Erika C.

Yelp
I think they're more like 4.5 stars because the 2nd time we came, the Peking duck wasn't as juicy and tender at Sunday dinner (VS the 1st time for Sunday lunch). Still, this is a place we'd come back to again for the ambiance, service, and food (huge menu and we liked all the dishes we ordered). The salted egg prawns and the Peking duck were favorites. I forgot to take a picture of the extensive menu; it's hard to find the one for this location online.