Sun Kong — Restaurant in Malden

This is my first time posting a bad service because I believe some people have bad days that can't perform their customers service jobs on those days. However, this one waiter was way below rude as a server. My mom friend, her toddler, my toddler and I went there for a quick dim sum lunch on a weekday. Couple of waiters came by to literally drop the tea pot and extra plates and my friend said that they're a little rude to slam stuff on the table. I didn't think anything of it because I'm used to rushing Chinese servers dropping thing to my table, this shows you how understanding I am of different cultures and their behaviors. We needed to order something from the menu but we didn't have a menu on the table and was calling that 'Cat's Meow' waiter to get his attention. He was next to us setting up a table, the place had a normal lunch crowd not 'rushing' busy, and my friend says "Excuse me" and he had his back to us and didn't acknowledge her. So we both thought he didn't hear her because of the background noise. So I said "Excuse me" a little louder and he looked back still with his back to us but didn't say anything. So we both called him and he pointed his index finger up still with his back to us and didn't say anything! Really?! I've been to a lot of restaurants where English is not the server's first language and they manage to use the universal language on acknowledging their customers and at least know how to say "OK"!!!! So by now we're​ noticing this waiter treats all the other tables, who are Chinese, and treats us like second class citizens. We're still giving him the benefit of the doubt that maybe he's distant because his English is not good. Another waiter brought our food and he was better at showing a little smile during our interaction. We wanted containers​for our leftover and our 'Cat's Meow' waiter once again proved us right that he is discriminating us by literally throwing the styrofoam containers on the table, not handing them to us. We go to the the front counter because we need to pay and that waiter is following us and asked me "You pay with card?" and I was shocked he had a voice! So since I knew he speaks some English, I leaned over to him and told him that he should at least acknowledge his customers when they're calling him. HE GAVE ME THE "I DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH" ACT TO ME!!! I'm Asian and I know that routine, don't think your dumb trick is going to work!! At this point I was fuming because he did not own up to his lack of service/rudeness and wanted to get out easy. I laughed at him and turned to the guy behind the counter and told him what happened and how this server was rude to us. He just nodded​ like any service industry person listening to customers complaints but didn't respond anything. Not to say the least, we're never...

I had lunch there today (2/22/16. I am an 88 year old caucasian whose favorite cuisines are Italian and Chinese. I have been a regular since the end of WW2 to today when I go to Billy Tse's (over 20 yrs.) and Out of Asia in Saugus since they opened. I have had Dim Sum in China Town and elsewhere. I also eat off the menu. I ordered Kung Pow Chicken. The pieces of chicken were much bigger than ice cubes. They were dry as a a bone. The fried rice was old and flat. I was given a saucer, 2 napkins and a fork. It was clearly the worst food of that type that I have ever tasted It truly looked like military food. I tried a dim sum and since no one spoke English to help me, I selected what looked like a beef and brown sauce dish. It was a pickled tripe with some other item in there. I barely saved myself from embarrasment. The clientele was predominantly Asian which says a lot of good things about the place. I had to wait at least 10 minutes before the waiter heeded my call to pay. The service was abysmal and I can understand that to some extent. But to be ignored to such an extent breaks the tradition of the Chinese culture and it's love of the family at the table where all good things come together. If you decide to go do so only if you are well-versed in dim sum. One menu item does not make or break a restaurant. But personally I felt and saw that it was clearly focused on dim sum. I could not find anyone other than myself who ate off the menu. Suggestion? Have someone on duty who can speak English to help us who cannot understand Chinese. I do wish the restaurant continued success and also recognize that they have been very successful and do not need me to give advice. The rating is based solely on my personal experience but I'd wager a large (Dim) $um that the clientele there today would...

We’ve been loyal customers of Sun Kong for about a decade, and while the food has remained consistently good, the service has noticeably declined in recent years.

They’ve moved away from the traditional dim sum push carts where you could point and choose dishes, which was always part of the charm. Instead, they now rely mostly on a paper ordering system—which would be fine if it were implemented properly. Unfortunately, it’s not. We've had multiple visits where dishes we clearly marked down were never brought to our table. It feels like there’s no real system in place, and instead of verifying the order, they just bring whatever they feel like. Even worse, they still mark up your bill manually with stamps afterward. Why not just use the paper order as the bill itself to keep things consistent and accurate?

Another frustration: when we ask to place a small to-go order while already seated, we’re told (with clear reluctance) that it’ll take 40 minutes. That seems excessive—especially when we’re ordering common dim sum items that are likely already prepared and sitting in the kitchen. Meanwhile, staff are just walking laps around the dining room refilling teapots and delivering sauce. We’re trying to give them more business, and it often feels like they couldn’t be less interested.

This hasn’t just been a one-off experience—it’s happened consistently over our past five visits. As much as we’ve loved this place over the years, we’re taking a break and checking out some of the nearby competitors. We’re hopeful they’ll sort things out, but for now, it’s been too frustrating to keep...