Royal China: Business Lunch Review

Located in the heart of DIFC, Royal China has no shortage of potential business customers on its doorstep and the restaurant is keen to draw them away from the office with its Business Express Lunch Menu.

As we are guided to our table we take time to admire the unique Chinese red décor, which even rivals that of the original Royal China London, with its light shades hanging down from the ceiling.

The atmosphere in the dining area proves a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of the office, with smooth ambient tones in the background, while polite and courteous staff maintain the stress free feel.

Business lunch diners can choose from either one appetiser and a main for Dhs88 per person or an additional course and a larger choice of mains for Dhs128, with individually priced la carte and dessert extras also available.

Our waiter explains the aim is to allow business diners to be in and out in around 40 minutes.

We opt for the steamed dim sum as our opening appetiser, a taste bud satisfying offering of vegetable, meat and prawn fillings that combine well with the provided sauce selection.

Those not used to chopsticks will be pleased to hear that traditional cutlery is also set on the table, avoiding the embarrassment of having to ask for a spoon in front of colleagues.

For the second course there is a choice of crispy duck or spring onion pancakes with the option of having them premade or personally assembling them the table, which is a nice touch.

Duck rolls are found in every Chinese restaurant but there is something a little bit special about those offered at Royal China, ours balance perfectly with the hoisin sauce and live up to the restaurant’s ‘royal’ title.

To complete our selection we share two of our favourite Chinese dishes, beef with black bean sauce and chicken with cashew.

The beef is the more impressive of the two with its smooth and succulent texture, especially in combination with the accompanying seasonal Chinese vegetable noodles, which we recommend over the plain steamed rice.

Overall a relaxing and reasonably priced lunch option for those looking to get their Chinese food fix, or just have a welcome lunch break from the office with a friend or colleague.

Royal China’s Business Express Lunch Menu is served between 11:30am and 3:30pm, Sunday to Thursday. For reservations call +971 4 3545543 or email [email protected]