Port Arthur Chinese Restaurant — Restaurant in Newport News

Went to this restaurant 04/26/2019 as a visitor to VA with some family. I chose this place because of the 5 star reviews on food, service, and cleanliness. The food was really good, and the restaurant is clean, dated...but clean. I enjoyed the way the food was brought out and that they allow you to make reservations. I also liked that the price was affordable, however my biggest troubling concern is one particular server. I am not one to play the race card, however we were the only African American family in the restaurant, and there was a Caucasian waitress (older lady) who made conversation with every single person in there (Roughly 2 tables since the location was pretty empty), refilled their water, stopped by their table, checked on their orders, placed orders but not ours. We had to wait for the Asian waitress, who was very nice to come and take our order (15 minutes after being seated) because the waitress in our area visibly refused to serve us. She literally served both tables right next to us and skipped over our table, so it could not have been a zone issue. I was at the point of leaving right before we were served. She never once spoke although she passed our table several times and she wouldn't make eye contact. The situation made our table very uncomfortable and awkward I believe that this lady working there is a sore to their environment. As a business owner there is no way I would allow someone to perform customer service orientated services with a visible prejudice as hers. This is the only reason I rate this restaurant a 3, because I have been really bothered by the way it made me and those with me feel. The only two women who were polite to us were the Asian ladies, but the Caucasian lady acted as if in a room full of maybe 10 people we didn't exist. So troubling...

Execrable, Awful, and Dreadful!

I just moved out here from Cali, and spent a month driving across our beautiful country, and was fortunate enough to have enjoyed numerous culinary exploits. It should be noted that I have only felt compelled to write a few reviews (less than 5) in my half a decade plus in existence. And this is the first negative review...

Let's break this down for an easy read shall we??

Customers: If this "daily bread" is enjoyable to you, I implore you to get out a little, and see other cities and/or states. Make it a weekend date, but please don't settle. Life is too short.

Owners: Positively, you came across as very kind, and patient with our order even though you were likely very busy. Of the food listed below, you should check the hot & sour soup pot, as the soup had a very burnt taste. It either was burning, or the pot needs attention. This is certainly can be toxic, and was likely the culprit that made all three patrons ill. This is where the ONE STAR evolves from.

Food Ordered: Sesame Chicken: 3-Stars (Best of of what we ordered) Egg Rolls: One-Star (No filling, just batter) Broccoli Beef: 2-stars (Beef decent, broccoli wasn't fresh) Sweet & Sour Pork: 1-Star (Minimal pork, only batter) Buddha's Delight: 1-Star (Soggy & Sad Vegetables) Fortune Cookies: 0-Stars. (Not the cookie. The saying's.) This was actually the highlight as we all couldn't believe how bad these were. Once of our friends said they are quitting their job to write fortunes for cookies. Ha! This was truly a fitting end to our experience here. As they say, "ya' can't win 'em all..." Onward...just...

I used to eat here as a kid when we lived in the apartments nearby. Tonight my hubby & I took our teens. I love the atmosphere here and is a much better experience than take out. I was excited to see a Pu Pu Platter on the menu as I used to love these as a kid. My son and I shared a House Specialty which includes soup, Pu Pu Platter or egg roll, tea or coffee and your choices of two entrees. We had General Tso's Chicken and Hunan Shrimp. I loved the handmade flower made with carrot & radish. It added to the look of my meal. All the food was served on silvers platters and stands with lids. It was so fancy. Our daughter had Chicken Lo Mein and she ate all of it! My hubby is a vegetarian and had Buddha's delight. Our cheerful waitress informed us you can orders General Tso's with tofu and it's very popular. My son wasn't a big fan of General Tso's. I tasted it and it had ginger but isn't what you get with most Chinese takeout versions. Our dinner for 4 was only $55. We really enjoyed ourselves and the service we received was excellent. The portion size was generous and we'll have enough for lunch tomorrow. This place has been a long standing business in our area and with quality food and service, it's...