Chen Garden — Restaurant in Town of Brighton

3 stars is overly generous. We were seated at least 5 minutes before our waiter came. He was very abrupt and seemed put out that we had not decided what we wanted to drink (party of 4)(perhaps 10 tables occupied). He told us took at the menu and he would come back later. Another 5 minutes went by and he took our drink orders, then our food order. The other couple ordered a single dish each, my wife ordered General Tso chicken & vegetable egg fu yung. The waiter started to go before I said what I wanted & when I said I hadn’t ordered yet, he tried to argue with me saying my wife had ordered my meal. Eventually he allowed me to order sweet & sour pork and beef fried rice. I wanted to order teriyaki beef on a stick as an appetizer, but it seemed to be asking too much. He brought 2 meals, first rearranging the table and then almost slamming plates down in front of each of us, then he disappeared. We waited several longtimes for him to return and then I got up and asked the maitre d if we could get the rest of our meals and some soy sauce. They then brought it quickly.

My sweet & sour pork presented itself as a dish with a pile of large chunks of battered & fried pork on it. The pork had a red sauce sprinkled over it. The meat was dry, the red sauce was pretty much thin and tasteless. My beef fried rice was dry & the meat was both tasteless and tough. The egg fu yung was much the same. It was piled high on a dish and covered with gravy. The egg was good, but the gravy was a mess and it was without taste. My wife’s General Tso chicken was dry, with very little sauce. The main flavor was heat.

When it was time to go we asked for take out containers. Our food was removed from the table and then brought back in paper bags. We got it out today for lunch. Where we had both beef fried rice and rice that came with our meal, we only had the beef fried rice, and not that much of it. It seemed there was more on the plate than what came out of the box. The sweet & sour pork was just as dry as ever - they didn’t pour the sauce into the box. The general Tso was dry too. The egg fu yung was good, but it looked terrible.

We have eaten at Chen Garden several times before and the wait staff was always attentive and never gave us grief about ordering family-style. The food always tasted fresh & moist, the meat wasn’t always tender but it definitely wasn’t tough and dry.

Reading reviews, it appears I am not the only one to have experienced the same. It will be a long time before I go back,...

4 Star Reasoning Appearance - The outside for one does not look like the inside. It definitely will be a pleasant surprise for anyone who walks in for the first time. The doors to get in are a bit strange, but that does not matter. The inside looks incredible. I really enjoy the authentic Chinese music in the background, it is really relaxing! The little lights are so cute and I enjoy how dim it is, because again, relaxing. They also have a bar which is quite nice as well. Service - The service has its ups and downs. Some of the waiters and waitresses should cheer up a little bit I think. Their main hostess was very nice along with a few other waitresses and hostesses. Most of them great you with a smile when you walk in. You will be seated quickly and it is comfortable. The food arrives quickly, which is great when you are hungry. We had one man serving us three times and he didn't seem really up for his job. He checked on us but super quickly. And he talked really quietly. But we did have another man at one point who was really kind! Food - I can say that I have never had such good Chinese food before. There are a few places I like to go to for Chinese because I enjoy tasting differences. Orange with chicken flavor and sesame chicken are very similar but amazing! I ordered a spring roll, which I think a lot of people would enjoy the very obvious taste of fennel. I for one do not like fennel but the rice noodles and everything inside of it was great. I also ordered fried tofu, which was very good. All of their food comes in giant portions. For kids, it is best to share 1 plate of what you order with two people. For adults, watch your diets! :P Drinks are refillable for free. Sides are great - fried wonton chips, Jasmine tea, wasabi sauce, duck sauce, soy sauce. At the end you get your fortune cookies. Also the steamed rice is amazing! I am hoping to try more off the menus including their soups which look great Overall - Everything together gives it a 4. If the service had been a little better this place would deserve a 5 no question. It is so fast, and only 10 minute wait with take out. People should definitely make this their go to...

Very crowded this Saturday night. As I walked in, I overheard someone say there is at least a 30 minute wait time. No problem. I just stopped in to order takeout anyway. There was one last chair open at the bar which I squeezed into. I ordered my takeout then did a bit of 'people watching' over a glass of Yellowtail Chardonnay. I know I should get a life but I really found it all to be kind of fun! It's a cozy packed bar with sparkling liquor bottles lining the wall and white Christmas lights hanging above. Everyone is laughing and enjoying a great time. I especially love the Lucky Cat sitting at the end of the bar still wearing its New Year's Eve tiarra! LOL! I ordered the General Tso Tofu (and asked to have it cooked xtra spicy, no sugar and to also add water chestnuts). True to word it was 30 minutes later when my order was done. My glass was nearly empty and I couldn't get home fast enough to eat. By this time I was famished, drooling from all the wonderful food being passed between the couples on either side of me. My order and wine came to around $16 and change. I quickly tipped my sweet bartender, Misha, and hurried on home. Once there, I whisked open the containers to find a scrumptious Chinese delight of mounds of plump sizzling tofu, fresh red and green peppers and crispy water chestnuts. My steamed white rice was fragrant and perfectly sticky. It was oh so yummy! Almost ethereal! Really!! Also included with my takeout were crispy noodles and mustard sauce, Chinese tea bags and fortune cookies. I even have enough left over for lunch tomorrow! Yes, absolutely-- you must try Chen Garden, but do heed my warning-- call ahead for a reservation if you plan on going on a weekend evening and also be sure to request a booth. The ambiance is delightful in the dining area with dim romantic lighting and friendly waitstaff. Did I mention the food is outstanding?! Chinese New Year begins February 5th. I can't wait to try Chen's special menu items! I highly recommend this restaurant. Comment here when you do. Happy 2019 the year of...