REVIEW: EMPEROR GARDEN, Crossgates Mall, Albany
EMPEROR GARDEN 穿越, CROSSGATES MALL, GUILDERLAND
1 Crossgates Mall Rd, Albany, NY 12203 (lower level, near Regal Cinemas + Macy's) | emperorgardenny.com| IG: @emperor__garden
TAKEAWAY: Tucked into the former World of Beer on Crossgates Mall's lower level, Emperor Garden is a surprise with its large dining room decked out in ornate wood panels and traditional red lanterns. Cleverly, it accomplishes a key goal: To make guests forget they’re dining in a suburban mall.
Dishes served family style have regional breadth with Cantonese, Sichuan, and Liaoning cuisine and a separate Chinese-American takeout menu for the less adventurous. While metropolitan cities like Washington D.C. and Chicago often have fine dining or high-end steak houses in mall settings, Crossgates has struggled to attract much more than chain food and popular fast casual restaurants (Maggie McFly’s and 110 Grill) that stand on the shoulders of TGI Fridays and Applebee’s.
Fans of local Chinese restaurants with regional specialties—(we like À La Shanghai in Latham (Shanghainese), Northeast Chinese II (Sichuan), Shining Rainbow (Cantonese dim sum, Sichuan) in Albany, Shu’s Chinese in Guilderland and Eng’s Chinese in Kingston)—will be excited by the scope of authentic options, many spiced or served, like our whole steamed bass, bone in and beautifully sliced in signs that this is not an Americanized mall menu.
Hours: Daily, 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
The vibe: Even when it’s quiet, Emperor Garden staff are welcoming, ushering us to tables or seats at the bar. But it’s a good sign to find its popular with Asian families fill tables and sharing plates family-style from the table-top lazy susan. Unlike many mall options, the subdued lighting and decor gets your mind out of the mall setting and makes this spot surprisingly attractive as a destination for lunch or dinner.
We like it for: Lunch, dinner, weekly specials at the bar
Must try: Must-tries include the Beijing roasted duck with crisp skin, pan-fried or steamed pork dumplings and broth-filled xiao long bao soup dumplings loaded with flavor, but you will find some fantastic if less well known dishes.
Dishes: Hot + sour potato shreds ($16.99), tomato + scrambled eggs ($14.99), Singapore rice noodle 星州米粉 ($16.99) with shrimp (optional), cumin beef ($21.99), double cooked pork 回锅肉 ($16.99), whole steamed sea bass 清蒸鮪色 ($35.99), crunchy silk sweet Taro 银丝甜品 ($16.99) + pork intestine lunch special
Good to know: Check their Instagram for weekly specials available at the bar
Drinks: Coconut milk, herbal tea/wang lao ji, Japanese soda, house green tea, full bar with cocktails, beer, wine and spirits. They also have a popular strawberry lemonade Stella Artois blend + traditional Chinese sweet wine infused with flower petals.
Style: Traditional Chinese restaurant with ornate wooden decor and subdued lighting to transport you out of the suburban mall.
Inside/outside? Indoor dining, bar + takeout. Accessed from the parking lot. No patio.
Parking: Mall parking lot.
Nearby: Inside Crossgates we recommend (1.) Kazan Sushi, Ramen + BBQ. | Outside + nearby we recommend (2.) Simone’s Kitchen (Mediterranean) (3.) The Works Cafe & Bakery (4.) Josie’s Table — Stuyvesant Plaza (5.) Zante Greek Restaurant (formerly Athos) (6.) Shake Shack — Stuyvesant Plaza (7.) City Line Bar & Grill (8.) Shu’s Chinese (Guilderland) | [Coming 2027: Bar Calvin—Stuyvesant Plaza] | Special mention for the snacky Kong Dog in the upstairs Crossgates food court + Waffles & Crepes (Halal) downstairs.
