Chef's Garden — Restaurant in New York

To establish why 1 star--

I have been in the food industry for over 30 years(starting as a child volunteer), I've seen a lot and worked with many different cultures...

I eat everything and everywhere- street food carts, stalls, "hole in the walls", and Mich star joints. Being open minded and understanding that restaurants can have bad days, I have ordered from this place a few times over the last 10 years. Unfortunately, the food has not progressed.

From my experience poor suppliers or staffing issues may cause food to vary. However, over my multiple visits, it has not changed.

Food is prepared as if there was a shortage on ingredients and I specifically noted the owners rationing every ingredient--down to the number of sauce packets and napkins as they packed take out and delivery orders.

I've also noticed they get their condiments from the cheaper/lower quality distributor.

They did not know I understood their dialect of Chinese as they packed various orders, including mine.

Foodwise-Fried rice has no onions, bean sprouts or scallions. Food is flavorless. Even soups and other appetizer items are bland. Main course dishes are bland as well. Even the condiment sauces don't help.

I'm sorry for being so specific about what I have seen. But I feel I should speak up for the fact that they seem to be a family business. I worked for a similar family. And I would think that they would work hard to preserve their livelyhood. However, it's not fair that I and everyone else spends money they work hard for and not receive the same type of courtesy. Sweet Garden 2 blocks away is WAY better and they remember you years later.

I'm especially vocal tonight because it's Christmas and I was hoping to give this place a chance to have become better since my last visit.

Avoid this joint. Head over to sweet Garden on Parsons Blvd and Union Tpke.

Fyi- 7 stars by St John's is ok for take out . But they suck at delivery. Woman on the phone argued with me that they delivered missing items and accused me of trying to cheat them. Even after I explained how my order wouldn't fit in one bag...which only resulted in having the same driver drop off the second bag containing the rest of my order- no...

ZERO STARS!!!! It seems that the few good reviews are from 7-8 years ago. Worst Chinese food I have ever experienced and very poor customer service! The pork in the Fried Wontons tasted weird; it was kind of a "sour" taste. I called to inform them, and the woman kept saying they just made them last night and put them in the freezer. I kept insisting that there must have been something wrong with the pork used. She said they were too busy to bring me another order... which I did not want anyway!!!! Finally, she said she would give me credit for next time. Ummm... there will be no next time!!! Ok, moving along... when I was serving, I noticed that the white rice for the Chicken Chow Mein was missing! I called again to inform them. She said she will send it over! It's already been two hours... and no rice was delivered! Also ordered Boneless spare ribs lunch special. The "boneless spare ribs" look like tiny, minced pieces of pork sitting on top of a huge mound of yellow fried rice! I've never seen such tiny pieces of pork when I've ordered this dish anywhere else!!! The Hot & Sour Soup was terrible; we didn't eat it! The shrimp rolls were dripping with GREASE when taking a bite! The Chicken Chow Mein has a strange dark color (maybe too much soy sauce used??) and there was hardly any "chicken" in it, and I am questioning if it's actually chicken, because the texture was not like chicken!!! Oh! And surprise!!! I almost forgot to mention... When I looked at the receipt that was stapled to the menu, I saw that there was a $2.00 service charge added to my bill, and tax was calculated on the service charge as well! No mention of a service charge was printed on the menu nor was it mentioned when I placed the order! $34 down the drain! Oh well, Needless to say I will never be ordering from them again! UPDATE: 6 hours later....NO white rice...

Firstly, the service was extremely lackluster. The staff appeared disinterested and inattentive, taking an eternity to even acknowledge our presence. It felt like we were invisible, waiting ages for someone to take our orders and then again for the food to arrive.

The food quality was a major letdown. Despite the appealing descriptions on the menu, the dishes were underwhelming. The flavors seemed dull and uninspired, almost as if they were prepared hours before serving. The presentation lacked finesse, and it was evident that attention to detail was sorely lacking in the kitchen.

Cleanliness was another issue. The tables weren't properly cleaned before seating guests, and the overall tidiness of the place left much to be desired. It's disappointing when the beauty of a garden setting is marred by unkempt surroundings.

Lastly, the pricing seemed exorbitant for the subpar experience. I wouldn't have minded paying a premium for quality, but the value for money here was far from justifiable.

Overall, my visit to Chef Garden was a letdown. With poor service, lackluster food, cleanliness issues, and inflated pricing, I'd hesitate to recommend this place to anyone seeking a delightful dining experience...