Soo Chow Garden — Restaurant in Cliffside Park

Good food - insensitive inconsiderate to-go customer service!! I love Petite Soo Chow but right now I am so annoyed at them. I ordered three servings on noodles - two beef noodles soup and one lo mein noodles to go and I went to pick it up! I specifically wanted the soup noodles because it is a rainy day, its cold and I am not feeling so well. The server are nice - and one of them asked me why didn't I stay there and eat - and I told them that I have a plane to catch - I am just going to eat my food real quick and then go to the airport (I was leaving for a trip to Norway). To my dismay when I got home, looking forward to have the noodle soup when I found out that it was not what I ordered (some dumpling dishes and I dont know sweet and sour chicken). I called them - and they actually asked me to bring the food back!! I was flabbergasted and then got really indignant - and the lady keep on asking if I could bring the food back. I said NO - I can't - if I have time I will be happy to (this is how accommodating I can be) but I am running out of time - and worst, I REALLY REALLY WANT MY NOODLE SOUP SO THAT I CAN WARM UP (to those of you who can sympathize how good noodle soup is during cold weather - you know that there are no subs for anything else). I was starting to get annoyed as she was ONLY focusing on her issue - what about me? I am home, it is raining, I am in rush and all she is concerned about is asking me to bring back the food??? The lady then told me that - the package that I got is actually more expensive than the one that I ordered! YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME RIGHT LADY??? Not only that I did not get what I want - you are being a miser and calculative with me?? NOT COOL. Will I go there again - yeah unless they kicked me out because of this review and then I will really tell ALL MY FRIENDS on what they did and just go to FLUSHING where there are better chinese food? Talk about SNAFU!!! ON THEIR PART : ( Wow! Try to see the big...

I had high hopes for Soo Chow, but it was a bit of a mixed bag. Let’s break it down:

Pork Soup Dumplings – So So…. The dough was too thick, and the filling was missing that punch of flavor. I was hoping for a burst of rich broth, but instead, I got a mouthful of… dough.

Sesame Chicken – Hands down, the MVP of the night. Exactly as ordered, crispy, sweet, and savory with just the right amount of sauce. If I had to pick one dish to come back for, this would be it.

Spicy Cold Cucumbers – More like “lukewarm soggy cucumbers.” They were drowning in liquid and seriously lacked spice. I like my cucumbers to have a kick, not swim in a bath.

House Fried Rice – Dry and bland. It was like eating leftovers that had been sitting out too long. A little soy sauce or something could’ve saved it.

Kung Pao Chicken – Portion size? Small. Main ingredient? Onions and green peppers. I was on a scavenger hunt for the chicken.

Hot and Sour Soup – Just ok. It didn’t wow me, but it didn’t offend me either.

The service was a bright spot. The woman taking to-go orders was super kind, knowledgeable, and polite. She even invited us to sit and enjoy a cup of tea while we waited. Little moments like that make a difference.

But… here’s the kicker. They forgot the fortune cookies. I mean, come on! How do you end a Chinese takeout meal without the final prophecy? I was left with no closure, just a bag of regret and a craving for answers.

I’d give Soo Chow another shot, but I’m bringing my own fortune...

This is a prime example of a mixed bag. The service is at best mediocre. The atmosphere is pretty plain. The food on the other hand is excellent with a special nod to their soup dumplings. Cuisine is Shanghaiese so so don’t go looking for Cantonese dishes. Been coming to this place for years because of their cuisine. Then they changed hands during the pandemic and the new owner really doesn’t know the meaning of customer service. Most times when I’ve been there recently, the waiter ignored us or was sitting at one of the tables playing with his phone. However, this last experience has caused me to decide never to come back. We ordered from their extensive menu two special dishes that I love: the clam and winter melon soup was delicious and the shrimp with snow pea leaves was fantastic. however, when I got the bill, the prices did not correspond to those printed on the menu. The soup shown as $8 was billed at $9. And the shrimp, which was shown as $19, was actually $22 on the tab. When I called the manager over to show him the discrepancy, he said he didn't have time to print a new menu and it was too expensive to do so. So I told him he should put Price change stickers on his existing menus. Bottom line, he would not honor the prices shown on the menu. Nor, did he make an adjustment. I can understand Price is going up, I can't understand been given a menu with one price and having to pay higher price. Sorry to say, I will not be patronizing this...