If you have the chance to visit Tokyo, stop by the Chinese restaurant Kohaku Palace. They’re known for their delicious Peking duck, and I had a great experience with the lunch set at Amber Palace. The food was elegantly seasoned, and the service was excellent. It’s worth checking out if you’re in the area.
AMBER PALACE
The Chinese restaurant is located on the 5th floor of the Palace Hotel Tokyo, next to the Imperial Palace moat. The restaurant is surrounded by water and greenery, with a view of the nature-rich Imperial Palace. It is an 8-minute walk from JR Tokyo Station. If you take the Marunouchi Line, there is a direct underground passageway from Otemachi Station.
Upon arriving at the fifth floor by elevator, we were greeted by a calm atmosphere with dim lighting.
Inside the restaurant, tables were spaced out at a reasonable distance from each other, which allowed for a comfortable and relaxed dining experience.
Lunch Course Crystal (Peking Duck Course)
The restaurant’s famous Peking Duck course was only available for a minimum of two people.
Flowering Tea
I started my meal by ordering Flowering Tea from the available options. As I poured hot water into the pot, the tea flowers inside the jar slowly opened, providing a visually stunning display. In addition to enjoying the flavor of the tea, I also appreciated the beauty of the flowers opening.
A flame was used to keep the pot of tea on the table warm, allowing us to enjoy hot tea throughout our meal. The staff also came by to refill our tea when it ran low.
Assorted Appetizer
Our appetizers were char-siu pork and Jinhua pork, roast pork with crispy skin, cold jellyfish, and fried green beans with XO sauce. The different dishes, presented on white plates, were very colorful, with the green and red contrasting nicely.
The Jinhua char-siu pork was juicy and had a unique Chinese aroma and flavor. The roast pork had a crispy skin, and the sweet, flavorful meat was delicious as I bit it. The jellyfish was thick and crunchy.
Three kinds of Hong Kong-style dim sum
The dim sum included steamed dumplings filled with shrimp, shumai with a savory meat filling, and a baked Char-siu pork pie. The dishes were excellent, but I particularly enjoyed the texture of the shrimp in the dumplings and the flavor of the meat in the shumai.
Shaoxing Wine
I ordered the Chen Year Shaoxing Precious Wine 10 Years Old, served in a white pot. I drank it straight at room temperature and was impressed by its beautiful aroma and slightly fruity flavor.
Peking Duck
The next dish was AMBER PALACE’s famous Peking Duck, which the staff brought to our table. Its beautiful grilled and fatty exterior made me anticipate the taste with excitement.
Once the duck was brought to the center of the restaurant, it was cooked in front of the customers and then returned to our table. The Peking duck dish was sumptuous, combining a sweet sauce with the rich flavor of the duck.
Seafood and Aosa (Sea lettuce) Soup
The soup was seasoned to perfection and had a robust and oceanic aroma.
Stir-fried Green Vegetables
The greens were crisp, and the seasoning was light, giving them a refreshing flavor.
Today’s Fried Rice
The fried rice was stir-fried to a crisp, and the seasoning was excellent, as expected.
Dessert
For dessert after lunch, I had tapioca yogurt and mini sponge cakes. These were not too sweet and were light and refreshing, making for a perfect end to the meal.
I had lunch at AMBER PALACE, a Chinese restaurant in Tokyo near the Imperial Palace. The food was delicious, and the restaurant atmosphere was very relaxing. If you are visiting Tokyo, I recommend stopping by AMBER PALACE for a meal. I’m confident you’ll enjoy it.
