On the Menu
Empress Garden
A pacific adventure
By Barbara D’Arienzo
Photography by Tara Hope
Many of us don’t know what royal pad Thai is, let alone order it for dinner.
This delicious dish is enjoyed daily in Thailand, so why shouldn’t we enjoy it, too?
Problem is, where would you get some?
Empress Garden has been serving royal pad Thai, a bevy of Pacific delights and Chinese dishes since 2000. Loyal customers remember the restaurant’s beginnings as a take-out place in Taneytown, Maryland. “Some of those customers have stayed with us,” says owner Grace Jiang.
Now they are located in Littlestown in what looks like an ordinary Chinese restaurant. But there is nothing ordinary about Empress Garden: no hanging lanterns, no red and gold décor. Recently renovated and enlarged, the 80-seat restaurant welcomes you with subdued earth tones, lacquered tables and tasteful paintings. “We wanted to keep it simple and elegant, but not too formal,” says Jiang, explaining that she wants families to feel comfortable.
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