LOCATIONLocated in the Perth CBD
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAThe Grand Palace is one of those places you’ve walked past and made many a mental note to visit one day. Situated on The Esplanade with views to the Bell Tower and Swan River, the heritage-listed building boasts charm and elegance with modern Cantonese style. A serene water garden greets diners as they enter, setting the mood for a relaxing meal with fine food and service. Owners Wenny and Fai Wang have done their absolute best to provide an impressive food and wine menu, to say the least.
Traditional favourites with live seafood and Szechuan specialties combine with a contemporary Western style with the likes of sauteed crocodile and kangaroo fillet. Appetizers are as simple or extraordinary as you like with mini spring rolls or sesame prawn toast for the conservative, and mild chilli jellyfish or whole jumbo shark’s fin soup for the adventurous. There’s an entire section of the menu dedicated to live special seafood with the obligatory tanks displaying a range of lobster, snow crabs, eel, barramundi and mud crabs; albeit a little crammed in their accommodation. Once you’ve selected your “catch of the day” you then choose whether you’d like it steamed or deep-fried with a wide range of sauces like salt and pepper, Hong Kong Bay style, Singapore chilli style or with XO sauce, to name a few. If you’re more the meat-loving type, there are plenty of great dishes to choose from. The Peking duck is sensational as is the crispy salt and chilli pork chop. Unlike many Chinese restaurants, Grand Palace also has a fabulous wine list and full bar service to complement a long luxurious dinner with clients or out-of-town guests. As the owners of this fabulous restaurant like to say, “Grand Palace is where East meets West elegantly.”
Karen Bilsby