The Hainanese chicken was very tender, and the rice was delicious, but the portion size of the rice was too small, and the soup base for the rice noodles could be improved.

Update: Upgrading my previous 4 to 5 stars now, well deserved. Recently ordered a menu item with pork liver. They've prepped the pork liver with the perfect technique that most restaurants don't! Instead of a dense, mushy, grainy, and irony taste; the technique creates an amazingly smooth and lightly snappy texture, and greatly reduces the iron taste of liver. My family does the same at home. My uncle, retired Chinese chef said, for so long he's been in the US, no Chinese restaurant had made it taste like this. I hope the restaurant continuous to keep it up!

Jaky Y.

We ordered the fish ball noodle soup with knife cut noodles, Hokkein fried rice, tomato and beef pan fried noodles, marinated tofu, and salt and pepper capelin. Everything came quickly and was tasty. The marinated tofu had great flavor without being too heavy or oily. Prices were very reasonable considering portion sizes. Service was friendly and there are plenty of tables inside. There's also a dedicated parking lot in front of the restaurant which makes things easier. They were sold out of their special Hainan chicken and char siu when we came for dinner, so consider coming earlier or for lunch if you really want to try! They only make a set number per day and don't keep any leftovers.

Michael Y.

Oh, they are back open under a new flag, popular and busy as ever, and pretty darn good! Very very importantly, they take contactless payment and credit cards. I'm guessing that is one major reason why they have tons of business. We wanted to try more, but since they were packed, I opted for the recommendation by the waitress. The Hainan chicken rice plate was a good recommendation - thanks! As you can see from the attachè, there is quite a bit of chicken. Don't let the internet image of the takeout container fool you as there are Two layers of chicken there! The taste of the chicken and rice, rice and chicken, was good. The price is also very good and highly competitive - very good for wallets these days. Hmmm, I can't wait to try their other signature dishes! The inside ambience is familiar and comforting with a full house with families chattering around the whole restaurant and waitresses running around busy.

Jack R.

$10 special Hainan Chicken rice the word is out, one per person (for all of you who could eat multiple plates)! BUT, recently it's down to one per table so split yourselves up. This was during my last visit...so they changed things I guess people were overdoing it. The service for being so busy is fast, efficient, and generally pretty good. Usually a half hour wait to get a table. So the special chicken rice is decent and for $10 definitely worth it. 4/5 Roast duck: do not order this, it's super salty and cold on the inside and kind of warm as they reheat it on the outside. 2/5 The wonton noodle soup: my friends order this often--decent and fresh 5/5 Lemon tea: 5/5 just the right amount of lemon and sweet, extra charge for ice Yuzu iced drink: horrible do not order this it tastes like medicine 1/5 Shrimp dim sum 10/10 huge portions and fresh

Belinda C.

They have new ownership here and the new owners took over around July. This place is not called Garden Kitchen and everything looks the same expect the menu and the staff. They currently have a promotion of their Hainan chicken over rice for $10.00 and it's dine in only. One table is limited to one order. The rice is so good and def one of the few places that it packed with more flavors. The chicken was tender and juicy but it came with bones . I was hoping it find a place that was boneless. We also got the house special pan fried noodles and that's was good as well. It has chicken, shrimp mushrooms and bok choy. The chicken were huge and might not be suitable for kids, unless you want to cut it up a little for them. The salty egg yolk kabocha (pumpkin) was fried a little too long as the batter looked a little dark brown but it was still good. I would say this is a good deal for the price $13.99 as most other places are like $17.00. The service was great here and the staff was much nicer than the previous crew. I would try their appetizers and drinks next time.

Eric Y.

Come for: decent cantonese bbq, hainan chicken rice Know that: place is small, meat quality for stir fries not the best I wish I could give this place a 3.5. But not for the mythical "bad service, good food" chinese restaurant label but because there truly were hits and misses. The service was actually pretty good! And the ambiance looked exactly like a Chinese restaurant should with the bbq meats hanging just beyond the dining room. I ordered the two meats bbq plate (roasted duck and char siu), pan fried noodle with tomato and beef, and the hainan chicken rice. The BBQ meat plate was a solid (4/5). The duck was juicy and flavorful, and the char siu had that classic sweet smokiness you want. The rice came with some sauce on it and some greens. For about $15, solid amount of food. Pan fried noodle with tomato and beef (2/5) is where things went wrong. The pan fried noodles were good and crispy, and the sauce was a balanced sweet and sour. The meat is where things went wrong. Very, very chewy to the point where it was inedible at times. They also marinated or rubbed it with something (maybe cooking wine?) that seemed to give the whole dish a bad flavor. Would not get again. Hainan chicken rice (4/5) tasted so similar to Special Hainan Chicken just a stones throw away. Their ginger/scallion sauce paired really well with the chicken and the oil rice had that deep chickeny flavor. Peanuts were good too! My party also ordered a porridge I did not try but everyone said it needed A LOT of salt. Overall, not the worst option for cantonese food especially in the San Bruno area but dishes could be hit or miss.

Jason F.

Imagine the things you can do with an old Taco Bell location! Garden Kitchen is actually bringing quality authentic Cantonese cuisine made with traditional Hong Kong style cooking techniques sold at affordable prices. Located in San Bruno on the corner of El Camino Real and Santo Dominga Avenue, Garden Kitchen replaced Fat Wong's Kitchen and is the new hot spot in the relatively small community of San Bruno, and what brought us here for an initial visit and many more subsequent visits was their grand opening special. So special and real bargain was this grand opening special that every table was clearly ordering it. For just 10 dollars, you get their mouth-watering Hainan chicken dish with all the fixings - ginger scallion sauce, rice, hard-boiled egg, cucumber salad, and peanuts. The chicken is so tender and juicy, it's like your mama or grandma made it, but this time with purpose because it was this dish that sold us to make many more visits! Of course it was one of my dining buddies that heard of Garden Kitchen and their special deal so getting the word out was key as it implored two others to join us for a lunchtime meal for four. We got here early enough on a weekend afternoon that there were still tables left for us to enjoy lunch, but the place did fill up fast, as their parking lot can be a challenge to negotiate (it was a fast food restaurant after all complete with unused drive thru that serves as a nice exit from their lot). The menu at Garden Kitchen is separated into categories including Appetizer, Congee, Noodle Soup, Rice Place (where the House Special is highlighted), Chow Fun/ Chow Mein/ Fried Rice, Entrée, and Drinks. Upon this visit, in addition to the House Special Hainan Chicken over Rice, we ordered their Salt & Pepper Squid Tentacles, Beef Chow Fun, and Broth Beef Brisket. The House Special Hainan Chicken over Rice was so delicately plated with their half dome of sweet rice, quartered boiled chicken, halved hard boiled egg, and peanuts and cucumber lightly tossed in vinegar, you easily could just enjoy this dish and be satisfied. Since it was the early days of us visiting, they really were not regulating how many House Specials you could purchase on one visit so we ordered and ate an entire second entrée of the same thing and then ordered a third and took a nibble and promptly requested a takeout box because that's how we do things when the deal is that good! Another surprise was their Salt & Pepper Squid Tentacles which were a surprisingly fun take on the traditional deep fried calamari, this time with a Chinese take on the dish. We would order this entrée for a second helping as well. Our total bill came out to $92.29, which included tax but not gratuity, which for 8 dishes was actually reasonably priced as we had plenty of food to take home for a future meal. Having such a good meal for lunch, we were back a month later for dinner this time with seven other people, and they still had the House Special Hainan Chicken Over Rice, but it was one per table, and any additional orders would cost an additional $12.99 for our table. We also ordered their Deep Fried Pork Chop topped with Sweet & Sour Sauce; Stir-Fried Pork Intestines served Pickled Cabbage and Sautéed Vegetables, Pan Fried Noodles topped with Seafood, Peppers and Bok Choy, Stir-fried Water Spinach served with Fermented Bean Curd, and once again their Beef Chow Fun. With seven entrées, our total bill came to $108.71, which once again was quite reasonable and there was still a little extra food to take home because the portion sizes at Garden Kitchen are so hearty. Now we have a place to go for a quick meal before or after we drop off or pick up a party at the nearby airport, and we also have a place where we can enjoy a no fuss meal that fills your appetite without emptying your wallet. May Garden Kitchen has a long successful reign here along El Camino Real like their predecessor had, as their House Special Hainan Chicken Over Rice may be one the best versions of this dish that I have enjoyed in quite some time!

Joyce K.

Came for the $10 Hainan Chicken deal, left happy. Been meaning to try this place given the grand opening sign, but have been seeing the long lines. Dropped by Sunday for lunch ~11:20am and the place wasn't packed... yet. Parking is nowhere to be found, so we parked in residential. What we got: - Salt and Pepper Capelin ~ Crispy. Not oily. Served with fried garlic bits and bell peppers/peppers. So good! Not for the faint of heart as these fish are whole and full of roe. But if you bypass that fact, each bite is a burst of crispy, umami, hearty flavor. - Hainan Chicken ~ Solid. Rice was soft and moist. Soft and succulent chicken paired perfectly with the rice. Ginger Scallion sauce was the cherry on top! Served with roasted peanuts and cold cucumber salad. - Spare Rib with Black Bean Sauce Chow Fun ~ Spare ribs were soft and juicy. Dish was on the heavier side. Perfect for sharing. All in all, decent start to their grand opening. Place is family friendly, with high chairs available if needed. This place offers a wide variety of classic dishes with a decent price point. Would return to try other things on the menu!

Peter C.

Checked out Garden Kitchen in San Bruno, which was formerly Fat Wong's Kitchen and what appears be a former Taco Bell. I believe the owners of Fat Wong's Kitchen retired. The interior has been refreshed with new paint, tables, and chairs with the new management. We ordered the Hainan chicken rice during their $10 grand opening promotion. The chicken was very tender and came with ginger scallion sauce, half of a hard boiled egg, and cucumbers on the side. At the regular price of $14, it still brings good value. We also ordered the beef chow fun, and pork organ congee. The pork organ congee had a good texture, but needed a pinch of salt and some pepper powder for flavoring. Everything tasted fresh, clean, and well prepared. It was noticeably better than the food quality under the previous management. There was a short wait for a table during lunch, but service was quick and friendly once we were seated. Staff was professional and spoke fluent English, which made the experience smooth and easy. In addition, they also take credit cards, which was a huge plus and convenient. There is plenty of parking in their lot or on the street nearby. Overall Garden Kitchen is definitely worth a visit and will return to try their dim sum options.

Suki L.

Braised beef noodles was my fav dish to get from the previous location, Fat Wong's. Seemed like they kept the same noodle chef other reviews had said. The taste was about the same, however the they were skimping out on the meat. 7/10 Hainan chicken rice was ok, went when they still had the $10 deal. 8/10 Spare rib noodle was not quite there. It seemed like noodles were not done cooking yet, left bunched up. Didn't bother to take a picture since it didn't look too appetizing. 3/10 Milk tea was ok, didn't taste super authentic though like the ones from Hong Kong cafes. 5/10

Kathy L.

Coming to order to go, restaurant changed name but decoration and inside looks the same as before. We ordered four items and 2/4 Milke tea is good it's strong but not too sweet. House special Hainan Chicken rice is good, chicken is soft not chewy, rice are flavorful, peanut and cucumber as side and ginger sauce with over loaded green onions. Beef brisket over rice - a lot of rice and beef brisket on top looks kind of sad. Only a few pieces and few bak choy. The brisket tasted good it soft and not chewy Half roasted duck is very sad, not fresh, it has no meat, skin chewy, very fat and a lot of bone

Jeff H.

If you are expecting the old Fat Wong quality, you will be disappointed. Garden Kitchen was recommended by a friend telling me they had a good experience. They said they saw a long time Hispanic waiter working there. He wasn't at the new Fat Wong's before. My experience was meh. It wouldn't be fair to compare the new restaurant to its old owners. On the bright side, service was excellent. They now have three waitresses. Food was meh. The beef brisket appetizer was my starter $13. It was similar to the old Fat Wong taste but it was missing the Chinese spring onions to cleanse the palate. This was OK. As for the wonton lo mein $14. It is a very basic Chinese HK style dish. Again, it was meh. I ordered lo mein, but they gave me regular wonton noodles in soup. Either the waitress put it in wrong, the kitchen got it wrong, regardless, the waitress should have checked before it went out to me. They fixed it within minutes, which was good. If you compare it to the original Fat Wong's recipes, the wontons aren't as big, missing that plump texture as well as flavorful shrimp and pork taste. To Garden Kitchen's credit, there was a slight hint of sesame oil taste in the wontons. The noodles were a bit springy with a good stiff texture. It came with oyster sauce and two pieces of choy sum. The side of soup was bland. Tonight, I did notice older chefs working in the kitchen. Previously at the new Fat Wong's, it was a bunch of kids. One of the guys in the back looked a lot like the owner of the new Fat Wong's. Perhaps this is just a rebrand? The restaurant was 3/4 empty on Sunday evening's dinner service.