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Last Update: Jun 11th, 2020
Chens 2020

Chen's Garden

1122 W Broward Blvd
Fort Lauderdale FL, 33312
(954) 522-9393
Overall Rating
1.9
Food
Service
Ambiance
Value
Last Review
10/21/2015

Details

Hours: 11am-10:30pm, Open til 11pm Fri,Sat
Parking: Private Lot
CC: Yes
Alcohol: No
Prices: Moderate
Outside Dining: No
Reservations: No

Pros

Quick Service
Cheap Lunch Specials

Cons

Food is Sub-Par

Critic's Review

I had some bean sprouts I had to use up (and some roast pork), so I decided to try the "new" Chen's Garden; this location changed hands in 2018 and I hadn't been here since.

The lunch special price is now $7.25; an acceptable increase since I'd been here last. I ordered via online to avoid the usual Chinese person yelling back my order over the phone, and to avoid potential language errors in my order. They have the option to pay at the restaurant which is always welcome for pickup.

They've cleaned up the dining room a bit. Not exactly cozy, but you could eat here in a pinch.

Chen's Garden Dining Room

There is, however, quite a bit of comedy, with the order station. They've build a coronavirus fortress like a check cashing window in a ghetto, complete with a flap where you can grab your food after paying through the tiny area to slide your card.

Chen's Garden Covid19 Fortress

A guy in front of me was wearing a mask, but the bubble woman behind the plexiglass has no reason to wear one. This is extreme safety that will be welcome years after COVID19 is a vague memory.

I'm out of practice ordering Chinese food, because the food down here is so bad I rarely get it. 2 soy and 2 duck in the bag; no mustard at all.

Chens bag

Luckily I have the good Chinese mustard in my fridge. At first glance it seemed OK and a pretty good portion.

Chen's Garden Lunch Pepper Steak

You have to eat the egg roll while it's hot; because cold egg rolls suck and re-heating 1 egg roll is a pain.

Chen's Garden Lunch Egg Roll

The egg roll was crunchy but soggy inside, without the Chinese taste I crave. No meat at all. It would have been fine if it wasn't soggy; they were likely "previously frozen". They probably buy them in a big crate.

I bought this because I didn't have time to cook, but unfortunately this wasn't' edible. "Lunch Special' fried rice is always awful, but the Pepper Steak had a sauce that was spit-out awful. Pepper steak used to be a sure thing, but if the sauce sucks, the dish is inedible.

This would have to be stored and "fixed" when I had time to cook. I ended up eating some chicken salad I had in the fridge.

Chens sorted

The Big Fix

Luckly Chinese food can be fixed if you have the right ingredients. Fried Rice is really an egg dish, so you need eggs along with green onions and bean sprouts. I also added more pork; the result was double the amount of food and it was much better. (I also add MSG, something you probably don't have in your kitchen).

Chens rice fixed

I rinsed the foul sauce off the pepper steak and wok'd up some red pepper; I didnt' have green pepper so I added some broccoli. Chinese food is pretty versatile. A sauce of dark soy, light soy, chicken bone broth, garlic powder, sesame oil, molasses, white pepper and corn starch would transform this into something wholly edible. You need sugar to make it taste like the stuff you get in NYC, but I'm laying off the sugar for now.

Chens fix wok

Pretty good stuff.

Chens fixed bowl

Conclusion

There's really no point to buying Chinese take-out if you have to fix it, because I can buy a piece of cheap meat and a pepper and make it from scratch if I have to cook. Chinese take out is about eating out of the box, and you can't eat this junk as prepared.

If you can't make Pepper Steak you can't make anything. Another Chinese restaurant opens in Fort Lauderdale that has no idea how to make good Chinese food.

Review 10/21/15

Chen's Original Location

haven't done Chinese takeout in a while; Chen's garden is under new ownership since my last visit. It's still one room with some table and chairs, but it's just takeout to me. They lunch specials are under $7, so I figured I'd get one of those and some dumplings.

Their phone manner is about the same; they still don't identify the business when they answer the phone. "Hello?". They have an english speaking person taking orders, so that's a positive; you don't have to say everything five times. I just had to stop at the ATM to get some cash on the way, and the food was ready when I got there.

Chens counter

I live nearby, so it was 5 minutes and I was back home.

Chens takeout 1015

Funny how they have a nice container for the dumplings but a leaky styrofoam container for the stuff with sauce and gravy. The lunch special comes with your choice of rice and an egg roll.

Chen's Egg Foo Young

Pretty gloopy stuff. I got egg foo yung, which is basically a chinese omelet or frittata. The gravy is basically broth and cornstarch, so the texture didn't bother me.

They give you plenty of stuff with the food. No napkins though.

Chens condiments

The dumplings weren't as doughy as the last time I got them here, but they were filled with a mushy ball that didn't taste very Chinese.

Chens 1015 dumplings

The eggroll was "ok", with slivers of pork. Make sure you eat this while it's hot.

Chens eggroll cut

Underneath all of the gloop were 2 pretty good sized pancakes. Enough for 2 lunches for sure.

Chens fooyoung eaten

The egg foo yung was very good. I didn't like the rice though; It wasn't freshly wok-ed and didn't have much stuff in it.

Without good fried rice Chinese food is disappointing. Chen's is a good value, but the food isn't good enough to recommend.

Review 5/26/12

Chens 2012

Chen's garden is one of many dumpy chinese takeouts west of US1; while there are some tables and you could eat here; it's really a take-out place.

The way they answer the phone, you have no idea if you have the right number or not. Just say "I'd like to place an order" and if they ask "pick up or delivery", you're golden.

I hadn't been to Chen's in a long time so I'd forgotten any specifics, so I ordered the BBQ spare ribs, steamed dumplings and a small pork fried rice.

Chens takeout 2012

The first annoyance came when I unpacked the box at home. I'm out of practice ordering chinese food (I used to have it at least twice a month before I started this site) and I didn't ask for specific condiments. They gave me 6 soy sauce packets and 4 duck sauce. No mustard; mustard is the only one I want. It's a good thing I had some in the fridge. Has mustard gotten expensive or something? They all usually give you 2 packets of each. And why do they all give you soy sauce? Nobody puts soy sauce on ribs. How am I going to use 6 packets of soy on what I got here? If they had someone with a brain working in these places they might consider what you've ordered when they decide what condiments to give you. If you order a salad or a shake at McDonald's they don't give you ketchup. Or maybe they should just ask?

I'd forgotten how bad Chen's dumplings are; these were terrible. The dough is so thick that it ruins any chance of tasting what's inside. The ribs would be better with less sauce; it's pretty sweet and sticky and I really don't need them so heavily sauced. The rice is very good; Chen's has always had good rice, with lots of stuff in it.

Chens rice 2012

The food is always ready on time, and they deliver downtown.

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Why would a business that gets most of it's business from take out be closed in these take-out only times? I'm thinking that they're closed for good.

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