Ming Palace Chinese Restaurant at the Gold Coast

Ming Palace Chinese Restaurant
Shop 21, Victoria Avenue, Broadbeach



When it comes to my parents and dining out, they still prefer traditional Chinese cuisine best. Though they are open-minded to other styles of food, I decided to go with that preference when deciding what to eat Saturday night at the coast.


My original intention was to dine at Zen in Jupiter's Casino. I went there once when I was much younger and had a great impression of the place so I was hoping to give it another go. Unfortunately, we went at 8pm (after playing roulette for an hour or so) to be told they were booked out till 9pm.

The thing is, we doubled our $ at the casino and didn't want to have to waste another hour with the risk of losing it all so we chose to eat someplace else. Mum and dad remembered Ming Palace because they ate there last time they were at the coast. So off we went...

Dad nearly forgot where Ming Palace was located and was half-convinced they had closed down by the time we finally found it. You go through a small door and up a set of stairs.


The restaurant is large with some balcony seating. My parents were giving Chinese menus and I asked for an English menu. After reading through the English menu, I gained a sneaking suspicion that the menu options were different to what mum and dad were seeing. After comparing some items, we figured out that was probably the case. I promptly dumped the English menu and let them pick what dishes to get.

We ended up with a strange combination of food. Mum ordered a chicken congee. Dad picked this steamed mince and octopus dish based on its uniqueness. We also got a seafood claypot.

Complimentary broth

First we were served the complimentary broth. I was very hungry by then and thought it was quite good. When I was a kid, the complimentary broth at Chinese restaurants was my favorite part of the meal.

Chicken congee

The chicken congee arrived next. It was a fairly plain congee but not in a bad way. The consistency was perfect - not too gluggy or hard.

Seafood claypot

Our seafood claypot was the main event. It contained all the A-listers: abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw and scallops. The serving wasn't huge but it contained a decent amount of seafood, enough for the three of us to share.

Steamed mince pattie with octopus and water chestnut

Finally, dad's strange dish arrived. It was pork mince combined with octopus and water chestnut, mashed into a patty and steamed. The flavors were actually very interesting and good. The octopus didn't just lend flavor but also to the texture of the patty. It was slightly too salty but OK when paired with rice.

Complimentary fruit and dessert

We finished off with complimentary fruit and dessert. The dessert was taro and sago in coconut milk, one of my all-time favorite Asian desserts. A nice way to finish it off.

The service at Ming Palace was friendly and efficient. It was nice to be able to try some dishes we don't normally get at Chinese Restaurants.