Oriental Garden Restaurant

If I can give this place negative stars, I would. I can't even give it zero stars. The experience my family and I had at this restaurant did not make it a pleasant Mother's Day. There was about 10 waiters floating around and only 1 really served us. My brother asked what kind of food one waitress was carrying and she rolled her eyes at him. After that, she always passed by our table ignoring us and refusing to serve. I asked her 3 times why she keeps passing us when we want food, and she gives no reply. It's as if we were bothering them. My sister asked 3 different waiters for a sprite and all just looked at her and walked on by. The dim sum food all tasted the same and there was not much variety. The duck and stuffed peppers we did order was very small in portion. We left hungry and dissatisfied but the restaurant wasn't because they did charge us $141 for 6 people. We should have just ordered Chinese food from down the block which would have been half the price. I will never go back to this place and would not recommend anyone go here, unless they want bad service and mediocre food.

Pros: NONE

Cons: EVERYTHING

The seafood is fantastic. Be sure to speak to your server and inquire about what's fresh and/or isn't on the menu. You won't be disappointed.

I gave Oriental Garden another chance to win my approval, but, yet again, the food was mediocre and the service was appalling. I went for dim sum and most of the dumplings were very glutinous (more so than the average dim sum house). I will give kudos though to the the tofu-skin wrapped around the pork and shrimp. I asked for a glass of water THREE times and when it was finally brought to me there was food or some other substance visibly floating around in it. My previous excursion for their infamous fresh seafood also proved to be a total disappointment. The seafood that we ordered was already prepared and lacked taste. There was no walking to the tank to get our 'live' dinner. And the service was once again awful. I don't get the hype for this place. Jing Fong next door has better dim sum, service, and for that matter decor.

Cons: service

We read in Zagat guide that this was a good restaurant for Dim Sum and while the food and service were average, there was a large rodent in the dinning area! Not only did the staff ignore the problem, as did the manager once we notified him, they actually seated a family with two small children at the same table that the large rodent had been hiding under. They knew full well where they were seating the children much to our horror! Furthermore, they did not discount our food despite their obvious health code violation.

Pros: Seems like a nice restaurant

Cons: rodent infestation!

It may be know for it's seafood but it's standards in other areas are less than impressive. Scallops in black bean were lacking in flavour, beef fried rice was ok but nothing special. Appetisers were so so, the dumpling pretty good but the spring rolls were greasy and over fried. $75 for two with only one beer per person, doesn't represent good value - I've eat a lot better Chinese food for a lot less. The service was also poor, the rice arrived before the last of the appetisers and I was almost finished with my main before by friend got his, so he was eating rice by itself until his arrived.......

The dim sum was hot, fresh, and delicious. My hunt for good dim sum in NY is over. The Shumai was very good, they also pictures of all the dumplings that you could order from the kitchen. The sticky rice was amazing, same with the shrimp wrapped in rice noodles, the slimy ones with the sauce that tastes so good. A+

Pros: Best Dim Sum, doesn't compare to the fishy gross frozen places around

Cons: it took a little while because there was only 2 carts. But it was still fast since it is a smaller place

The reviewers that have focused on OGSR's dim sum have TOTALLY missed an obvious point -- this is a SEAFOOD restaurant, not a dim sum palace. While OGSR's dim sum is good, it really stands out in preparation of seafood; It is the best such Chinese restaurant in Manhattan, in my opinion. For starters, try the steamed shrimp cooked from live shrimp taken from the tank; the taste is so much sweeter than the non-live alternative. The fried oysters are wonderful, as are razor clams with black bean sauce. The crab dishes prepared from crabs from the tank are another favorite. Live fish can be prepared in any of several different ways. Suggestions from the maitre d' can be quite helpful. The service, while brisk, is attentive, and the place is really clean, compared with other restaurants in Chinatown (bathrooms are actually clean). The decor is very nice, the restaurant having undergone renovation only a couple of years ago.

Pros: The seafood, the service, general cleanliness, including bathrooms

Cons: Can be quite busy at times, especially weekends for lunch

I was here last Saturday afternoon for my first ever dim sum experience with a friend who has considerable knoweledge of East Asian food. The experience was one I won't soon forget and I am anxious to return here. The food was all delicious and I tried lots of new items that I'd never order at a typical Chinese restaurant. No issues whatsoever with the service... food was brought to us as soon as we sat down, and it didn't stop for a while. We shared our table with three older women who seemed to be enjoying themselves as well, and I didn't even mind that we weren't at our own table. After a huge meal that made it hard for us to walk, I was really surprised to see our bill come to just $45 for two people. Add a tip onto that and I'd say we had an enormous, fantastic lunch for a very reasonable price. Can't wait to head back here... I'd recommend it to any of my friends without hesitation.

Pros: Great Food, Fast Service, Cheap

Cons: Minor Communication Issues (but better than expected)

I totally agree with andytak and friendsandfood (see comments below). I am a true New Yorker and this place is overpriced for dim sum. You can find better dim sum restaurants in Chinatown or Flushing for cheaper. Plus when you look around the restaurant do you really see any locals eating there? The food is an "edited" version of dim sum to me. I want the real stuff like chicken feet and tripe! The management there caters to certain people.

Cons: This is Dim Sum?

I have to totally agreed with the viewer "friendsandfood", this place used to be great for locals to go to and have a very nice dinner at a reasonable price. But since 4 years or so ago this place became very expensive and out of the range of some locals to go to. And there are ALOT of fried stuffs now and not tasting that good any longer.
Most of their customers going there now is more like tourists that came to visit the area on their own or some tour groups. You know what these are not the kind of people that would go to the same place week after week if it is good. They would come once a year if you are lucky and word of month advertising...yea they would tell their friends but will they actually coome who knows. I don't understand why the new management is doing all these on purpose to drive locals away.
If I'm traveling especially to a place where English is not the main language I would like to go to a place where I would see lot's of locals go to and eat. Not just a place where all I see are tourists.

Pros: Nothing now after this new management took over

Cons: Over priced, over rated and the place is small

Went here because Zagat's rates as top Chinese in NYC. Got a great table downstairs, away from the drafty entrance, but overall we were disappointed in the food. The steamed dim sum dumplings were good; however, the chef's special prawns/scallops in black pepper sauce were heavily breaded and offered only moderate flavor. The chef's special crab with pea shoots was also oily and was bland. The mango pudding for dessert was good. The complimentary hot tea was good, too. Overall, we were disappointed because we just expected better.

Pros: good tea, good dim sum, good dessert

Cons: oily and heavily breaded entrees

This is one of the best restaurants in Chinatown along with Dim Sum Go Go, New York Noodletown and Joe's Shanghai. The seafood is very fresh and very good. I especially like the scallop on the half-shell with XO sauce and steamed live shrimp. They have a great variety of dumplings with delicate wrappers and unusual fillings. Shrimp with snow pea leaves comes to mind. The hot and sour soup is like no other ? and it's great. I've seen them serve Vancouver crab and I'm dying to try it, but I haven't yet convinced my wife to spring for the price. I suspect that some of the negative reviews I've read on this site are actually from people who love the place and don't want to see an overflow of diners competing with them for tables.

Pros: Best hot and sour soup anywhere, excellent fresh fish, great dim sum

Cons: Tables are crowded together

This used to be a go-to place for my friends and family -- the "locals". It appears that the new management is trying to attract a different crowd -- novices, more affluent, and i hate to say it, less ethnic. The changes: prices went up; fried food and dumplings (this, btw, is NOT a traditional dim sum dish -- you've been duped) are more common now than traditional dim sum dishes like tripe and chicken feet. Unfortunately, what made this place good in the first place is being driven out and overhauled. It's not what it used to be. I do not recommend it.

ive come here a bunch of times, always with a large group. this weekend was no exception there were 11 people at our table, along with one hyperactive baby. we were seated in the basement area, since the space on the main floor was full. the service there is good for chinatown, but not great for outside of chinatown the waitstaff are efficient and clear/change our plates quite often, but they are also loud & brusque.

similarly, prices are expensive for a chinatown restaurant, but not bad for new york city. dishes average about $15 each. we ordered soup, fresh fish, chicken, shrimp, steak, pork chops, squid, and a variety of other dishes that i dont remember. the food is good, and portions are very large. the seafood is especially fresh and tasty since they have an aquarium on the premises. the crystal shrimp served with broccoli & glazed almonds are recommended the shrimp are jumbo-sized with a springy fresh texture. everything is served piping hot straight out of the kitchen. the quality and taste of the food is pretty much the best that chinatown has to offer. there are very few good chinese restaurants in the city, and ive found that his is about as close to authentic hong kong cantonese food that i can find. that said, its still a very far cry from the restaurants in hong kong (but were not there, are we?).

the total for 11 people came out to less than $300, which wasnt bad.

Pros: fresh seafood, large portions, clean

Cons: expensive for chinatown, food can be oily

I found this gem by following Zagat's 06 guide. It was chosen to be the top chinese restaurant in NYC. I lived in Hong Kong for 8 years and have moved back to NY for 3 years. Oriental Garden rivals Hong Kong. My search is over when I want the best chinese food in NY I go to Oriental Garden.

Pros: always fresh, great dim sum, clean

Cons: lines

The restaurant is a rip off. As we were having dinner there, we over heard the next table asked for fresh flounder. Since the restaurant didn't have fresh flounder, the waiter asked the manager what to do. The manager told the waiter to charge them $45/lb for the fish and told the waiter they won't be able to tell the difference since they wanted it fried. That was absolutly ridiculous!! I find the wait staff to be rude and they will take advantage of you whenever possible. If you do decide to go there, never order anything with S.P.(seasonal price) next to the price.

The restaurant's decoration is very nice, clean and neat. Service is fast. The dim sum is very good and authentic, although it is more expensive than the average price in Chinatown. The seafood is good. A good choice for Chinese wedding banquet if you don't need more than 14 tables.

Pros: Dim sum, service, Clean

Cons: A bit pricy

Great Dim Sum on the weekends. Its good for large groups and you're not rushed like most establishments in Chinatown. Its clean and the service is pleasant. The dumplings are excetional.

the place is small so you will always expect a line. it's pricey for chinatown, but dim sum in the afternoon is reasonably priced and it serves the most exquisite dim sum in the area.

Pros: good food, clean

Cons: pricey for the area, no service

..great,fresh food..extremely clean and detailed..professional staff..clean seafood tanks and presentation..yummy food!

Pros: fresh food, great flavor, clean

Cons: no parking