I used to drive here from lethbridge to get my craving fix. Excellent place to eat
Always try to come here at least once whenever I come to Calgary. Large selection on their menu and the classics are always on point!
I've been here for dinner, hot pot, dim sum and even weddings. Service is decent and typical of Chinese restaurants in Calgary. AYCE hot pot is good with a decent selection of food items though the menu is smaller then other AYCE hot pot places I've been to, but I have no complaints about it. Dim sum is quick and tasty and I'm not sure if they counted the amount of people at the table or it's just their standard, but I did like getting more then 4 dumplings per steamer. The dim sum menu is pretty varied and the waiter knew exactly what my non-Chinese dining companions meant when they requested specific items by description. Overall, a decent place to get Chinese food and I would come back for any of the things I've eaten here.
Our go-to dim sum place in YYC. Hot, fresh, & consistent. Large menu with ever-changing specials. Often a long wait for a table due to popularity. (5/5)
This spot is in our regular Dim Sum rotation. One of the better places in terms of food quality, as most Asian restaurants in Calgary service is in the style of “You have to ask to get what you want”. People who come here and expect the staff to be at your beck and call will be disappointed. Try the turnip cake in XO sauce 👌
Victoria Day family dinner time at Forbidden 🚫 City got every family members approval...
Food come out very quick and every dishes was delicious and very tasty 😋... Our waitress was helpful.... We got our tea pots refill without asked That a +
Wish the servers come to ask us how was the food???
Anyway the service is getting improving little by little and that another ++.... 👏🏼
We’d been meaning to try this place for some time. Its a happening place with tasty food. The venue is a lovely, large room, nicely furnished and totally full by 11:00 am. The four of enjoyed the main offerings. Good dim sum. We were not as keen on the deep fried specials, but recognized that there was some creativity going on in the kitchen. Service was friendly. We’ll return if we’re in the area. Cheers.
The dim sum is good but so expensive!! The service is dicey at times. If you want something expect to be ignored by all surrounding staff except for the manager. When I'm done ordering on the dim sum sheet I have to wave it in the air like a mad woman until someone finally decides they want to take it.
The best dim sum in Calgary. The beef steamed dumplings with beef and gravy are amazing.
Pretty much everything I've had here is good....minus the chicken feet :p
The winter melon soup here is top tier soup. It's full of flavour but yet has a very clear soup taste definitely a must try. You have to call in and book in advance! Everything else is mediocre standard chinese wedding food.
My sister-in-law and I came here a little while ago for a unexpected lunch one day and I'm really glad we did. The place was packed so I was worried that it might be kind of a slow service but it really wasn't! Food came out hot and delicious with the exception of a few plates that were a little cold. The servers were quick but not overly friendly which was the only real complaint on our end. But we'll def come back for another lunch! Hard to find good Dim Sum in this city
Came here for an early Christmas brunch and glad we did when we saw a lineup start before 11AM, even though there were so many tables. Food was delicious, and was quite full in the end - ending up paying less than $15 per person. Great value in this place!
We love coming here for hot pot. I believe it's $25.99/person for all you can eat. The selection is quite substantive and they bring the items out to you fairly quickly. My favorite item is the deep fried bean curd stick. I also liked the sauce station where you can mix your own sauces. I usually go with the soy sauce, garlic, cilantro and chili. Hot pot can be quite messy when eaten at home and we've found the price is worth the value as we end up spending that amount per person when buying it ourselves, if not more. If you come with 4 or more, you get a selection of 2 soups. I believe larger groups also get additional pots.
Love their dimsum, the waiting system they have is great. Must have the xiumai and the deep fried salad rolls. Super convenient location although parking is always packed, usually just drip by before groceries
Definitely one of the top 5 dim sum restaurants in Calgary, the food is great and comes out quickly, the service isn't very good, and I have had to wait over an hour for a table.
I come here every month or so and I always enjoy their variety of dim sum. It's also one of the few places that sell the sweet dessert tofu AND it's freshly made in-house! That is definitely one of the highlights of the restaurant and it's always busy and full of customers and staff, giving it a more comfortable and familiar bustling Dim Sum Restaurant feel to the place.
We're in here a lot. Been going for years. They mix it up a bit, usually have a couple different things but it's mainly hargow shuimai. As far as that goes it's a bit on the pricey side. We've been for hot pot too but the Little Sheep seems to have taken over that space. An interesting thing is that these are are the same people who own TPot, which is good too but the food is different. This is kind of a grandiose Chinese palace, waiters in bow ties and vests et al John Candy style. But it's good. If you're in the Hood it's worth checking out.
Food is ok not bad, lot's of dimsum choices. We like the soimai, chicken feet, bbq pork buns, beef tripe and the squid. Not that pricey. A little slow on service though, we waited a little longer than should.
Very tasty Dim Sum dishes, pricing is above average, service is good and lots of Dim Sum selection. Authentic style Chinese dishes for dinner that you would enjoy.
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We've been here for dim sum a couple of times before, and I think now I've had a chance to try enough of the dishes to know what's good!
This time around we had the siu mai, the shrimp dumplings, the BBQ pork rice crepes, the sticky rice in banana leaves, and the pork ribs.
The siu mai are always a favourite of mine, and I could eat about a thousand of them. They were pretty much as good as any you'll find anywhere else, but they were pretty sizeable, which was added bonus.
The rice crepes were good too. Normally we have the shrimp ones, but the pork crepes were a nice change, and they certainly taste less sloppy and messy. I have to say that I prefer these ones.
The ribs were very tender indeed, interspersed with very bony pieces. Definitely have to be careful with these ones!
The sticky rice in a banana leaf was also pretty par for the course. It tasted great, and the flavour of the tea infused the rice to give it a unique taste. Finding a hidden egg and piece of sausage was a nice treat that added something nice to the dish.
Finally, the shrimp dumplings were pretty good here too. Again, they're nothing special compared to other dim sum spots in Calgary, but taste pretty good and the shrimp tasted fresh and flavourful. Certainly no complaints.
All in all, this is a handy spot near Marlborough mall, and great if you're looking for a good dim sum in the area. If I was looking for something a little heavier, I would probably head to pebble st. next door though.
We'll be back here again soon I'm sure!
Was there on christmas morning. It was packed, because it is one of few restaurants that open on christmas day. We waited an hour to get the table. The food was good and not that greesy as the other places.
Dinner menu is much better than dim sum menu! Dim sum is quite expensive and nothing special/very standard (then again, this is Calgary!!). Most wok dishes such as fried rices or noodles are very well done (with wok hei [essence of fire? It's the flavouring characteristic of food cooked in a wok at high temperatures - very important!!], very rare in Calgary sadly), and the seafood is excellent and very fresh!! Sweet and sour deep fried fish was perfectly cooked and excellent! I would also recommend any of the soups! Decent service and nice interior!
Very nice place with yummy dimsum. Waited about 15 mins for seating after getting there at 11am which is not too bad. Clean place and friendly staff. Would come back again for sure.
Great food. Prices are on the higher side ($15 -$50) a plate. Always packed, make sure you get here before 6 for dinner, and for dimsum, before 11. As well, if you plan on eating on the weekend (Friday included), ensure that you call beforehand to confirm that there isn't a wedding going on. Usually, around November to March you wouldn't have to. I had a lot of food, some notable ones: the deep fried shrimp cake, the roasted chicken, and the deep fried seafood noodles. The sweet and sour dishes are great as well, the flavor is balanced and thoroughly enjoyable. There was not a dish that was over flavored or under flavored. Must try.
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During the weekend, please try to arrive before 11 AM to avoid long line ups, other than that their dim sum food items are recommended. The waiters/waitresses are kind, attentive and speak decent English. This place doesn't have the usual carts going around the restaurant looking for potential victims, I mean customers who would like food items in their cart. It is just filling in the paper order, handing it over to staff, and the agony of waiting and guessing of which food you ordered comes first. The food items we ordered were:
-Lo mai gai, steamed sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf (sticky rice, chinese sausage, abalone sauce, and a quarter size egg yolk)
-Shumai, steamed pork, and mushroom with shrimp on top (Use chilli oil for flavour and heat)
-Jiaozi, pan fried version of dumplings (It's fried, and the dumpling wrap is a little on thick side which is common, it ain't wonton style)
-Schezuan eggplant with fried pork rice vermicelli (You will like it because it's schezuan, but you can ask to make it more spicy)
-Cha siu bao, steamed pork buns (2-3 bite size porky buns with pillow like texture)
-Zhaliang, fried dough wrapped in rice noodle (again it's fried dough; comes with 3 sauces, soy sauce, sesame seed, hoisin sauce)
All of these food items above are recommended even for first time dim sum goer. A small tip, the stars that each food items in the order menu are based on price (higher is more expensive), not ratings or recommendations.
There's always a big line for Dim Sum. It is for sure worth the wait! I have never been disappointed with the dishes. I can honestly say it's one of the best Dim Sum restaurants in Calgary!
These guys are my top choice for dim sum! Service is lacking due to how busy it can get and that its of the typical Chinese restaurant, the food itself though is delicious! James who is the manager I usually see in the morning is awesome! the team itself is ok but mainly due to a language barrier. it can be a little annoying at time but hey, Chinese people making and serving me Chinese food. Fluent English isn't all that important to me unless I have an allergies and in which case I am sure someone can help me there!
one of the better places for chinese food. Although i did find that the quality of the regular menu dishes to have decline. My favourite part of Forbidden city it the hot pot. Fresh dishes and alot to choose from. Weekday prices are alil cheaper then the weekend. I like how it includes drinks and the soup bases they have a variety to choose from. they do stop hot pot in the summer, but i thought i would write about this in comparison to my review for little sheep Mongolian. I can't wait until they have hot pot again, because im really craving some.
Coming from Edmonton, I've been here at least a dozen times, food is always yummy, weekends are busy so waiting usually happens but once food arrives there isn't anything to complain about. Except trying to get the attention of the servers, trying to give them our menu sheet to asking for hot sauce and drinks took basically ten minutes of trying to wave someone to stop and come to us.
A server was cleaning up a table right beside ours and we went from Cantonese-mandarin-English to try and get his attention. No response until we walked over and tapped him on his shoulder.
Clearly, they need more employees to fit a busy weekend. But I'd definitely recommend because the food is bombbbb.
Hey guys went for secret chinese food at forbidden city. As your probly aware I travel vast distances throughout the world and Calgary to explore awesome eats and ladies. i ate a whole bowl of duck parts - if you've never had your probly french, got down to the last couple and the lady said they were actually duck tounges - yuck! Guys try this place it has table clothes and everything.
Food was awesome sweet, staff were nice. I must have went early cause everyone looked sleepy. Guys if your a girl and want to eats the duck tougnes let me know and we'll go 50/50 on the bill. Hey get some.
As someone who's hometown is Hong Kong, this restaurant boasts its spot at the top of Chinese cuisine in Calgary. Along side their fellow chains, Forbidden City is hands down the best place you can experience Chinese food in Calgary. I have been here countless times for dim sum, dinners, and wedding parties and they never disappoint. The food is always great, the service is fairly decent, and the prices are appropriate. It has a beautiful interior to match it. Nothing else is comparable.
This is the only place we go for dim sum. Keep in mind that at noon on the weekends and stat holidays it is absolutely crazy here. The staff are not always as attentive as they should be but what more do you expect in a Chinese restaurant.
We had our wedding there a couple of weeks ago and the experience was beyond our expectations. James was our coordinator and he was such a pleasure to deal with before and during the event. His staff was courteous and helpful (unlike the typical Chinese restaurant dining experience). The banquet meal tasted amazing and different from the usual set meals, for which we received many compliments on. Overall, it was a great night and thank you James and staff!! I have never been to be wedding there before so I don't know if the quality of food and service are always like this for wedding events. But I would highly recommend this place for weddings.
Always good food! Best dim sum
I still like it because I'm from Edmonton - the land of crappy dim sums.. Otherwise, for Calgarians, I think the quality has gone downhill over the years. I mean, this place is still better than dim sum buffet, but otherwise everything feels offbeat (not solid anymore). The service was crud and other reviewers have mentioned this as well. Now I gotta find a new dim sum place when I swing by Calgary next... hmm.
Took the family to forbidden city for the first time yesterday. The food was great and the price was fair. What stood out to me was Jack the manager. He came our table, greeted us and continued to check up on us throughout our dining experience. Will return again.
Loved it!!!. Had dim sum today with a good friend today. Decor has been changed, adds a nice update. Approached by a server within seconds, got seated at a comfy table amongst many dim sun fans, and the smells in the restaurants were very aromatic! I love dim sum and love trying new things, but I don't know what everything is. A young server approached, and I inquired about a few items I saw a tables across from mine. She went to investigate, came back and marked my order sheet, and agreed these items were tasty. After we eaten our hearts out, she checked back to see if what she selected was what I had wanted, and it was perfect. Super friendly, helpful, and tasty. Will definitely be back sooner than later.
This is an awesome place for dim sum. There is almost nothing i dont like on this menu. Not a fan of the regular menu...too authentic for me.
Best Hot Pot Experience. I completely agree with the reviews that the place has the worst service (seems like all the wait staff avoid eye contact at all costs) but the food is creative and delicious. If you're there for hot pot you don't need much service, they brought out all the items in a timely manner and that 's all that matters. I've only had the hot pot experience, but there was such a wide selection of items and the sauces/broths to compliment were excellent. All the food that was brought out was fresh, delicious and even presented beautifully.
Still like their food. There is nothing better than having dim sum there
This is my favorite place for dim sum, probably the best in Calgary. The flavors and portions are great. The service does leave a lot to be desired though. Even with reservations on the weekend you're expected to wait. Last time we waited 45 mins past our reservation time before we got a table. Their new tea pots are also a horrible idea! Who had the idea to change them anyways? They just don't have enough staff to refill your tea. Trying to flag down a server can also be quite painful. I take it as part of the entire meal "experience". We came here for dinner recently and the service was just as bad as it was during their busy dim sum hours. I find the dishes to be on the small side so be prepared to order an extra dish or two.
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Good dim sum. Went here on a weekday, shortly after 11 am. The place wasn't busy, maybe 7-9 tables.
We were seated shortly upon arrival, and our tea was served quickly.
They gave us the dim sum menu, and we checked off what we wanted :
har gow
chicken feet in black bean sauce
char sui in rice crepe
steamed beef ball
various beef innards
fried turnip cake
duck tongue
baked bite size coconut bun (this was served later by a waitress that walked around asking tables if they wanted this as dessert)
Overall, the dim sum was quite good, the char sui rice crepe was small, but was packed with char sui (in a sweet yet savoury paste). I found the beef innards to be very good, had chockful of items like beef stomach, lung, and what looked like bung. The turnip cake was small, yet flavourful and had a nice fried taste to it.
My 2 least favourite dishes has to be the chicken feet and duck tongue. While the chicken feet was fall off the bone, it was extremely salty. Duck tongue was good, but there was only a small handful, rest of the dish was filled with peanuts and mini tofu blocks, there was also a hint of chinese orange zest (goew pay) in it too, and I'm not sure what that added to the dish.
The bite sized coconut bun was good, toasty warm, and gooey coconut filling on the inside.
Service wise, since we were there on a weekday, it was ok (due to the place not being overly busy, and I noticed they had adequate staff on hand). Our tea was filled promptly, and the empty dishes were removed in a reasonable amount of time. Only thing lacking was when we finished filling out our order form, it took abit to flag somebody down to take our order.
I also found that initially, food service was slow but as the meal progressed, our items came at a quicker pace.
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Tasty dim sum, Horrid service. When I was looking up their address, I was shocked to read so many negative reviews about service here. I have never received stellar service here before but it was never horrible until yesterday. The staff gives you huge attitude if you ask for anything, especially water. We had to ask a few times and the last time we asked a man that looked like a manager. He said, "Do you really want it?" We told him he could just bring a pitcher & glasses & we can pour it ourselves. Then he said, "Well, I still have to get it! We are very busy you know?! Are you sure you really want it?" He stormed off and we replied yes. Wow, why would we ask if we didn't want it? Incredible. Does he really want our business? Then they charged us for items that we did not receive. The dim sum is actually very good but going as a small group versus a large one receives night & day service. We were entertaining some guests and I was SO embarrassed with the poor quality of service that I would hesitate to invite anyone to this restaurant again.
I had been at this restaurant twice for Dim Sum on weekdays, and both experiences were good. I didn't have to wait too long to be seated, and the food and service were fast and efficient.
One of the best dim-sum places. The staff is fast and efficient. The food is consistently excellent. Not served the traditional way with the carts, but I think it is better this way (you check what you want off of a list then hand it to the wait staff) as the food is always hot when it gets to your table. Go here if you want really good authentic Hong Kong style dim sum. Probably not what you are looking for if you prefer "westernized" Chinese food.
My favorite place for sauté and seafood!The Dim Sum is above par with good selections.
Regular Spot. This is a regular spot for dim sum. Be prepared to go early on weekends or holidays as it is busy. Service has always be good and the staff friendly. The assortment is pretty good although couple of times I have ordered from the specialty dim sum menu only to find that they are sold out of my choice. I have also had dinner there and have always been satisfied with my meal.
Amazing food. Definitely worth the wait to get in. Check out the mall it's in as well. There's a woman who runs an adorable plant store with some beautiful orchids and bonsai trees.
From the people who brought you Calgary Court and Sun Chiu Kee.... This was the Taste of Asia (the company that owns Calgary Court, Sun Chiu Kee and T-Pot in Harvest Hills) first attempt at formal Cantonese restaurant, and they succeeded -- before T-Pot opened, this was the place for dim sum in the Northeast. Fond memories of this place will always come from me; the prices were higher than the ones in Chinatown, but the atmosphere was better, and the lines...well, they're always long, which isn't a bad thing!
Loved it. Another suprise for me somewhere that I would never had gone alone. I went with a coworker that introduced me here and wow it was so good. He ordered 2 plates of fried rice one seafood and one with mushroom and pork. Increadible I would go back again for sure.
By far the best chinesse food!. I love this place great food the service is okay most waitress take long to fill your water or take your order but the food makes up for it
they make the best salt and pepper squid and shrimp wonton soup!
and the prices are very reasonable
but the dim sum can be quite pricy but very good.!
I swear dim sum is probably one of the most unhealthiest meals of all times as it's all meat + carbs!
This was the best decision we ever made for Chinese New Years! This dish is a must try for anyone or family who doesn’t want to cook for Chinese New Years. It has everything that you would want such as stewed Abalone, Sea Cucumber, stewed Dried Scallops, Roasted Duck, Chicken, stewed Pork Belly, dried Oysters, stuffed Fish Balls, Taro, Daikon, Lotus Root, Shitake Mushrooms, Hairy Seaweed, Prawns, Tofu, and I know I’m missing some other things, but those are the ones that really remember. What’s really fun about this, is that it’s like hunting for treasure while you eat. Trying to see if we can discover something new after eating layers.
It’s quite different than traditional dim sum, and the actual food is quite special as well.
They were all yummy. (*pork rib photo is showing only half portion of the food as I took a photo in the middle of eating.)
Foods were all good but the service was the problem i would say. Pork rib in sweet & sour with citron sauce was not available so a waiter came to let us know this and suggested the rib in strawberry sauce which was amazingly tasty. However, vege did not come until i finish half of the rib. No one was looking after my table until i asked 3 times about the dish. Also no one filled up my water even others' were filled up sometimes. I advised about the service when I paid and waiter really apologized to me and was happy to take my advices.
I have always enjoyed coming here for Dim Sum. It is definitely packed on a Saturday with very little social distancing, so be aware.
We ordered:
Steamed Chicken Feet - Our first time trying them, very good.
Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf - Oddly served with lotus leaf around the edge but not actually contained inside of the leaf for you to unwrap, but still very tasty.
BBQ Pork Steamed Buns - Packed with meat and abalone gravy, so good.
Hong Kong Style Eggplant - Very flavourful deep fried eggplant with lots of chilies.
Shrimp Shumai Dumplings - Rich and packed with shrimp and pork.
Chinese Donut Crepe - Always great with the soft texture outside and crispy donut within. The peanut and soya sauces really make this a treat, but it is certainly filling!
It does often take a bit of time to get your order picked up and delivered, but if you're enjoying a long visit it is no bother to you at all. Reasonably priced, as well.
This is my first time at this restaurant and for sure I'mgoingthere again .... food was fresh and yummy also the services was great ( very friendly team)
One of the city's best Chinese restaurants. Sophisticated menu.
Our FIRST time at FORBIDDEN CITY but definitely not our last!
We had great service and the food was delicious! Each item was very flavorful and we loved the fish maw soup!
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We had a fantastic dinner and tried so many tasty dishes especially this Lobster & Cream Noodle dish!!
We also tried these menu items:
* Fresh Crab Meat & Fish Maw Soup
* Peking Duck
* Lobster with Cream & Butter Sauce on top of Crispy Noodle
* Spare Ribs with Strawberry Sauce
* Stir Fried Ling Cod Fillet with Vegetable & Mushroom
* Mushroom and Greens with Special Egg Yolk Sauce
* Dried Scallop & Tobiko Fried Rice
Def get the milk tea too!!
I was craving cream sauce lobster noodles so decided to give Forbidden City a go since I haven’t been there in over 10 years. It was quiet on a Friday night so social distancing was not an issue and the tables are spaced far apart. Food was good (especially the noodles 😋) though a little on the pricey side. Would go back to try their dim sum and other dishes.
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