Get your fill of savory dishes, buffet items

I’ve never really understood that saying about how you get full an hour after eating Chinese food, especially after tasting the satisfying dishes and hearty portions served up on Royal Palace Chinese Restaurant’s menu and popular buffet.

Dishes include a heaping plate of Orange Chicken for just $8.95, with boneless chicken that has been deep-fried until it’s just lightly crispy and slathered in a sweet and sour sauce.

If you’re looking for a healthier option, there’s Seafood Tofu Casserole ($11.95) served over a fire-lit bowl so that it will stay warm as you enjoy your meal.

“We use the jumbo shrimp and scallops, fish fillet and squid,” explains owner Jin He Wu. “Then there’s deep fried tofu with snow peas, carrots and mushrooms.”

If you enjoy spicier foods, Wu recommends Kung Pao Shrimp ($10.95), which features jumbo shrimp alongside onions, green peppers, red peppers and crispy peanuts. That’s all sprinkled with hot chili sauce and served with a couple of chili peppers.

While Royal Palace has been around for years, if you haven’t been by lately, it’s a whole new restaurant: Wu took over as the owner last fall. With years of experience cooking at a string of other Chinese eateries, Wu also serves as head chef.

Since taking over, Wu has found that the daily buffet for lunch and dinner reels in customers. The all-you-can-eat buffet is stocked with about 50 items, including beef, chicken and pork dishes, as well as tofu items and noodles. For dinner, there’s also mussels and clams. If you’re in a hurry during lunch, just grab and go: The Lunch Special offers any two items from the buffet for $6.95, or any three items from the buffet for $8.95 (it’s $1 more nighttime and weekends).

Royal Palace Chinese Restaurant

4510 Salt Lake Blvd., Ste. C1
487-6662
Daily, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.