Hawkwood Palace - Calgary, Alberta

Wished I'd read previous reviews before going. We used to really like this place. Spring rolls were very greasy. The only thing that was fresh and crisp were the mixed vegetables. Otherwise, food was mediocre at best.

Great food. Love the Chef's Special Chow Mein. Squid was crispy and tender. Many of the Chef's Special dishes are very good. We had six dishes so we had lots left to take home for lunch the next day. Fed four, twice.

We went in person for a small family dinner for 5 people. The food was hot, expertly prepared, and each dish was so tasty. I am still thinking about their chicken dumplings and the prawns in black bean sauce. Both were outstanding. We ordered 4 dishes and the cost was ... under $80 including the tip - and we left with extra. We hadn't been for a long time but we will definitely be going back. Read more

July 2023 Update. Dropped to one star for food and service. This visit, we brought friends to our once beloved neighborhood restaurant. These friends asked us to take them here - they remembered how good it used to be. The place was clean and bright, smiling faces greeted us. We were ... the first and only ones in the restaurant and were given two menus between the four of us. We then waited for our server to come take our order. She seated two other groups after 15 minutes and then had to flag her down to take our order. We ordered the Mu Shu with extra pancakes and Salt & Pepper Squid again, Ginger Beef, Beef with Green Peppers and Black Bean Sauce and Chicken Sizzling Rice. While waiting for the food to arrive, she filled our 4 glasses with ice water, did not ask if we wanted drinks so we didn’t bother ordering any. It was a hot day, we finished the water before the dinner arrived and didn’t receive a refill until we were ready to leave - and then the glasses were refilled with warm water. We received the sizzling rice first. It was served like a soup, very mildly flavoured and impossible to eat on a plate so we scraped it into our soup bowls, that were left on the table, and ate it with soup spoons. The Mu Shu arrived next with 5 pancakes. We asked our server 2 additional times (when she brought the additional dishes) for extra pancakes and then finally asked the woman at the front desk taking phone calls for them. We finally got the pancakes 5 minutes before we left. The Ginger Beef was not pleasant at all - tasted like there was no ginger in it, overly sweet, no spice, with a thick sticky syrupy sauce. We received Beef with Broccoli - not Green Peppers - and the beef was chewy, not tender at all. The Salt & Pepper Squid had not a hint of spice, the squid was not cleaned (long rubber band strands had to be pulled out with our fingers), and was once again too heavily breaded. Not once did our server check on us through the meal. We didn’t bother to wait for the bill, just got up and walked to the front cashier. Dinner came to about $80 plus tax. We did not leave a tip - the first time we have not left a tip at this restaurant. All we received was a “oh, sorry” when we complained. My husband and I normally give 30% here - and even gave a tip when we ordered takeout - because it was so good in the past. We were extraordinarily disappointed this time, especially so as we brought guests with us. I do not recommend this restaurant any longer and we will not be going back. June 2023: Three stars for food and service. We live nearby since 2007 and have loved walking over to Hawkwood Palace over the years for takeout, occasionally dining in. Recently, ownership has changed and they’ve updated the interior a bit - no more ‘fighting salmon’ colours! It is as warm and welcoming as it has always been and the familiar beloved menu has stayed the same. We ordered our past favourites. Everything tasted good with very generous portions. A few tables were already taken in the restaurant and, as usual, their take-out was very busy. We were seated right away; our server was very sweet, always checked on us, appetizers and soup were served right away with our dinner options shortly thereafter. Our only issue was that the breading was too heavy on the Salt & Pepper Squid. Try the Lemon Chicken, it was excellent - as was the Fried Shredded Pork with Eggs and 5 pancakes (ie, Mu Shu Pork) - ask for extra pancakes. Very good value for the money with attentive and friendly staff. We wish the new owners luck and prosperity! For affordable and tasty Western Chinese, this is THE place to go. They offer discounts for takeout as well. Read more

We were looking for a place that can satisfy our chinese food craving and we are glad to have found the place. The place looked clean and they change their table cover everytime a new consumer seat. The food is good with just a right amount of serving size. We ... still had take home. We ordered dinner for 2 and the dishes were the exact ones that were craving for: spring rolls, mix veggies, ginger beef, sweet and sour pork, and fried rice! That was awesome. The price was also very reasonable and the servers were friendly. We'll definitely go back here again. Read more