Imperial Court at MGM MACAU
Before you take even the first steps inside Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star MGM MACAU’s Imperial Court, you feel a certain mystique and prestige around the restaurant. The fact that this institution of authentic Chinese Lingnan fare sits adjacent to the hotel’s VIP lounge explains some of the elevated energy. Walk inside and your senses are met with art installations and a stunning marble column with a dragon — a symbol of power and good fortune — swirling around it in the room’s center. Colorful chargers and stark-white tablecloths also help set a mood long before the food arrives.
Truthfully, you could look in any number of directions for sensory sparks here, but the one place where everyone’s journey always seems to end up is the massive menu, which showcases culinary creativity and craftsmanship.
- Imperial Court is appropriately nestled in the hotel’s majestic VIP Lobby, which was designed to resemble a garden with colossal emerald walls and gold-leaf ceiling to mimic the golden sunlight. A feast for the eyes begins upon arrival at the restaurant as you are greeted by a stunning floral arrangement.
- While the dragon column is the room’s conversation starter, we know your party will have more than a few kind words to say about fabulous floral arrangements and decorative glass ornaments at the table. The Macau restaurant uses exquisite Liuli (a traditional colored glass used by ancient Chinese royal families) tableware, including napkin rings and the chopstick stands.
- One of the hits on the menu is the crispy fried chicken skin with shrimp mousse and salted fish flakes. The Lingnan-handcrafted “deconstructed chicken” is taken to a whole new level at Imperial court. Swapping steamed chicken skin for a crispy-fried texture, a crunchy top shell is achieved that offsets the mousse made of three types of shrimps.
- Meticulously crafted dim sum is a diner favorite. Try the barbecued pork buns — sweet, golden buns with a crumbly crust encasing Berkshire pork — and the steamed pork dumplings — which are stuffed with Berkshire pork and fish maw.
- If your group craves more intimacy, reserve one of the six private rooms at the Macau restaurant. Each private dining room adopts a different color tone reflected through the tabletop Liuli ornaments and the graceful carpet. Spaces are partitioned with floor-to-ceiling dividers, creating their own culinary world for a few hours.
- The dim sum set is a crowd-pleaser. Choose among steamed seafood dumplings, pan-fried beef buns, shrimp-packed rice flour rolls and more.
- Imperial Court presents classic Chinese Lingnan dishes magnificently well. Braised partridge porridge with bird’s nest and Yunnan ham is a comfort dish that was commonly served back in the days; wok-fried French blue lobster with minced pork, black bean and garlic is another culinary delight; and stir-fried lobster meat with choy sum is highlighted by the freshness of the crustacean meat and greens, which is plated elegantly to resemble a woman’s classic hair bun.
- Where many restaurants tease your sweet tooth with just a handful of dessert options, this establishment holds nothing back on its abundant selections. The baked butterfly puff with mango lava is a revelation — hundreds of paper-thin layers of laminated dough hide a molten lava filling made with fresh Carabao mangoes.
Dinner
Gluten-free options
Kid friendly
Lunch
Private dining
Reservations recommended 
Resort casual
Takeout
Valet parking
Vegetarian options
