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I feel bad for giving a two-star review during these times, but the quality of the food was just not good. We ordered for pick up via Grub Hub one Sunday afternoon. Here is what we had: Soup dumpling with crab meat and pork - this was mediocre at best. The dumpling skin texture was not bad so maybe I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say that it would probably have tasted better if eaten fresh at the restaurant, and not as takeout Marinated duck - I guess 'marinated' is code for 'old' because this duck tasted like it was several days old. Definitely avoid this dish Seafood pan-fried noodle dish - definitely not worth the $20+ we spent on it. They used imitation crab meat, there were only like three shrimp, and the rest of the seafood (squid and fish) was just not fresh. The sauce actually had a nice flavor to it but the consistency was just too thick and gloppy. I've been watching a lot of Kitchen Nightmares lately and honestly, this looked like it could be a dish on the 'before' menu on an episode of that show. I'm sure Gordon Ramsay would have had a few choice words for this dish. I think it's best to stick to the basic menu items here. You probably can't go wrong with some chicken/broccoli or fried rice.
Authentic and tasty Chinese cuisine. This is my third time trying this restaurant and each time I go, it gets even more delicious! The food is always fresh and service is pretty good. Ample parking lot and inside seating.
Seems like they have a new menu with more items added since the last time I went. We had the usual soup dumplings and young chow fried rice. The soup dumplings were great with lots of meat and soup inside. Very flavorful. We also got the chicken with garlic sauce and the chicken was... very soft I mean too soft and had no texture and too thin as if it were a different type of meat... strange.. the chicken with the fried rice was the same way too.. it wasas if they put some type of meat tenderizer on the chicken... With more items on the menu will try some new dishes next time.. maybe avoid a chicken dish
Used to come here very often in the past; decided to try it again after the mixed reviews within the past year. Reviewing solely about the soup dumplings, still my personal favorite in NJ/NYC area. The crab soup dumplings especially are more flavorful than other restaurants, filled with a ton of soup and filling. It's also quite large, very worth for its price. Pork soup dumplings are okay, similar to other places. I've been the soup dumpling plus, Shanghai restaurant, Joe's, and a few other places- PSC still ranks best for their crab soup dumplings imo. As for the other dishes, they're alright. The noodle dishes are quite worth (beef noodle soup's broth was surprisingly tasty), but their items seemed a bit more expensive than in the past, and there are definitely more dishes similar to takeout places. Side note: who puts mushrooms in twice cooked pork?!
We've been going to Petite Soo Chow since there were in Saddle Brook. Prior to today, last time we were there was back October 2019. Today's order, soup dumpling is still superb. Still the best we ever tried. We ordered our usual dishes such as broad beans, jellyfish, braised gluten and beef noodle soup. They tasted different than before, probably new chef but the food still taste good. Hubby even praised the beef noodle soup that it was even better than what he remembered. Still the best Shanghai restaurant I've tried.
New menu. New chef. The vibrant and engaging former owner who worked the front - Jenny Zhou - is gone. New staff said she "went to Flushing." WTF??? This new iteration of PSC is NOT Shanghainese. Basic Americanized Chinese with some Taiwanese odds and ends. Very average and pricier. I kinda miss the divey old vibe and the surly servers. As I see it, the quality at PSC and its patronage has been declining for quite some time, which may account for the ownership change. Jenny's sister Mindy is still onsite (maybe part of earn out conditions on a sale?) but all the rest of the long timer staff is gone. Mindy still hand makes the XLB out front -- but they are not worth the trip into the bowels of Cliffside Park. Soup Dumpling Plus in Ft. Lee makes superior XLB, closer to home, has better parking, service and pricing. The rest of the new menu is pricey, pedestrian and boring. Main reason for my one star review is that the new staff lied to us about the ownership and menu change, and is falsely trading on the goodwill of a restaurant that no longer exists. Exploitative. I ordered some of my all time faves -- like pork in aspic and flounder filets in rice wine sauce with wood ear mushrooms -- after being told by our server that all is as it was. They had no idea what this gaijin was ordering and suggested I order something else. We left. At least be honest about the evolution of your business and up sell something new. Grand reopening banners with emphasis on new specials would have been welcomed. An empty restaurant at 7pm on a Friday night -- when in the past PSC had 20-30 minute waits for seating -- speaks volumes about PSC's decline. BUMMER!!! Not coming back because integrity matters to me -- especially if I'm eating and paying for your food. Top Tip: Shanghai, SD+ or Aquarius in Ft. Lee are all better options for authentic regional Chinese food.
PSC has redeemed itself - on last takeout they served braised duck going bad unfortunately so they promised to make it right on next order after giving refund. Well tonight they delivered, restoring some of my faith I originally had with this spot from as early as mid 2000s when they were flying high. West lake soup with shredded beef (4/5) - was real comforting and tasty Pork with bean curd sheets (3/5) - they don't use the premium Berkshire pork like my wife does, so could smell the porky smell and seasoning wasn't permeated inside so it was slightly disappointing but still a good dish Crab and pork soup dumplings (4/5) - not the best but still this time most skin was intact and filled with lots of delicious soup! Can't compete with the thin skinned ones from soup dumpling plus, but a different style and still tasty. Definitely got better than last few times! Sautéed snow pea shoots (4/5) - bit bland but crunchy veggies to round out the meal Crispy duck 1/2 (5/5) - the showstopper of the night, it's like kfc duck in the best of the ways! Their kfc original recipe-like Seasoning is delectable and just right, skin crisp, and full of duck flavor with good stiles of duck fat here and there to make it burst with flavor. Easily my favorite dish from this place! Order it! They redeemed themselves pretty well here I must say! Kudos, petit soo chow!
They surprisingly serve such good soup dumplings! I really wouldn't have known if my co-worker didn't tell me. You really get to try good places by word of mouth and Petite Soo Chow was no exception. They have ample space for parking and the restaurant is located in an area off the main street so it doesn't get too crazy crowded. However i did hear there'd be a lot of people during peak hours. Came here at 3pm and there were only 3-4 groups of people including ourselves. We were served with good warm tea at first and service didn't take so long. As i said they have really good dumplings. The meat was nicely flavored and the dumpling was soft but "sturdy" enough to keep the juices in place. We also tried the minced beef it was hella spicy but still good. It comes with 4 buns but you could probably request for more with an additional fee. We also requested pan fried seafood noodle but hubster was not a big fan. Hope to be back again!
Petite Soo Chow was sold and reopened as Soochow Garden. New owners, staff, hours, menu. Mindy, who was part-owner and who made the soup dumplings, retired as she was in her 70s. The new place still has soup dumplings but apart from that it doesn't have anything in common with the previous place except it's still Chinese with a similar name. Yelp should start a listing under the new name since the old links and reviews are no longer relevant. Their new website shows the wrong hours but it is soochowgarden.com. They are closed on Tuesdays.
Came here on the recommendation for the soup dumplings (Xiao Long Bao). I was on my way back from lunch so getting seated was no issue at all. I ordered the soup dumplings and the beef with garlic sauce. The beef came out really quickly, so if you are wanting to have your dumplings as a start, you will need to make sure to order them in advance as they did take a while to come out (well after I finished the main entree). The soup dumplings were excellent. Highly recommend you get these if you come here. If you have never had them, best way I can describe it is a steamed pork dumpling that is in a broth encased in a wrapper. While sometimes a challenge to eat when you first try them, overall they are something quite impressive when done right. And Petite Soo Chow does a great job at them. Would come back and have them again when in the area.
We went in for a late lunch around 3:30pm and there were only three other groups there. Normally the place is packed during brunch time on weekends and after 6-ish pm. We ordered crab meat dumplings and you can see one of the two sisters making them by the counter. Each had tons of crabmeat and very tasty but not much soup. The three cup chicken and spare ribs in brown sauce are my favorite and never disappoint. The prices are reasonable, the portions are decent and the sauce was amazing! Parking lot in front is small but there are also some free street parking.
We very much enjoyed our dinner at Petite Soo Chow. The scallion pancakes were delicious, crispy on the outside, full of flavor and not too oily. The squash and tofu dish was light, flavorful and fresh. The sliced fish with ginger was delectable and perfect. The minced beef with pepper black beans and finely minced tofu was a Star dish. Served with buns the flavor profile was complex and intriguing. A fan of Lions Head it was a must try as well. The meatballs were soft and succulent served in a rich brown grave with tender baby bok choy on the side. The Lions head was good for sure but I have had elsewhere I enjoyed more. Our waiter was pleasant and efficient.
Just realized that this place comes back again! I first came here around 5 years ago and the taste is still the same - always good. It provides typical dishes from South China, light, some sweet, not spicy. It is not American style Chinese food, but the real Chinese food. They also provides frozen dumplings (you can bring back home) and breakfast (only on weekends). This is definitely a good place if you live around. If not, there is also a parking lot there, so you can drive and park easily.
7 months ago
Highly recommend the beef noodle soup here. It is so delicious and definitely satisfied my craving for a good bowl of soup noodles. The noodles are well made and the beef is very tender. The broth is also very flavorful. I also really appreciated all the staff at the restaurant. Everyone was so kind and the service was very quick. I've heard good things about the other dishes here but I expect that I will still get the beef noodle soup next time since I like it so much! read more
New management?? Petite soo chow was one of those restaurant where you went for the food, not the service or cleanliness but our last visit totally changed that impression for us. We were greeted with actual enthusiasm and were provided stellar service without the compromise of the taste of the food. We ordered everything from soups, soup dumplings, baos, green beans, salt pepper pork chops and everything was as good, if not better than I remember. If you are looking for a delicious plate of greens to soak up some of the grease of the other dishes you are eating, I can't recommend enough their stir fried green beans. You will never look at the vegetable the same way again. It is pan fried to a perfect al dente crunch and is the perfect accompaniment to the heavy options. Soup dumplings came out piping hot, filled with soup and the filling was porky, meaty, and soul satisfying. If you haven't come to this joint due to a previously negative experience, I recommend giving it another shot. Prices are also very reasonable and there is a huge parking lot which is very convenient for the area. read more
I feel bad for giving a two-star review during these times, but the quality of the food was just not good. We ordered for pick up via Grub Hub one Sunday afternoon. Here is what we had: Soup dumpling with crab meat and pork - this was mediocre at best. The dumpling skin texture was not bad so maybe I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say that it would probably have tasted better if eaten fresh at the restaurant, and not as takeout Marinated duck - I guess 'marinated' is code for 'old' because this duck tasted like it was several days old. Definitely avoid this dish Seafood pan-fried noodle dish - definitely not worth the $20+ we spent on it. They used imitation crab meat, there were only like three shrimp, and the rest of the seafood (squid and fish) was just not fresh. The sauce actually had a nice flavor to it but the consistency was just too thick and gloppy. I've been watching a lot of Kitchen Nightmares lately and honestly, this looked like it could be a dish on the 'before' menu on an episode of that show. I'm sure Gordon Ramsay would have had a few choice words for this dish. I think it's best to stick to the basic menu items here. You probably can't go wrong with some chicken/broccoli or fried rice. read more
5 years ago
Authentic and tasty Chinese cuisine. This is my third time trying this restaurant and each time I go, it gets even more delicious! The food is always fresh and service is pretty good. Ample parking lot and inside seating. read more
Seems like they have a new menu with more items added since the last time I went. We had the usual soup dumplings and young chow fried rice. The soup dumplings were great with lots of meat and soup inside. Very flavorful. We also got the chicken with garlic sauce and the chicken was... very soft I mean too soft and had no texture and too thin as if it were a different type of meat... strange.. the chicken with the fried rice was the same way too.. it wasas if they put some type of meat tenderizer on the chicken... With more items on the menu will try some new dishes next time.. maybe avoid a chicken dish read more
7 years ago
Used to come here very often in the past; decided to try it again after the mixed reviews within the past year. Reviewing solely about the soup dumplings, still my personal favorite in NJ/NYC area. The crab soup dumplings especially are more flavorful than other restaurants, filled with a ton of soup and filling. It's also quite large, very worth for its price. Pork soup dumplings are okay, similar to other places. I've been the soup dumpling plus, Shanghai restaurant, Joe's, and a few other places- PSC still ranks best for their crab soup dumplings imo. As for the other dishes, they're alright. The noodle dishes are quite worth (beef noodle soup's broth was surprisingly tasty), but their items seemed a bit more expensive than in the past, and there are definitely more dishes similar to takeout places. Side note: who puts mushrooms in twice cooked pork?! read more
5 years ago
We've been going to Petite Soo Chow since there were in Saddle Brook. Prior to today, last time we were there was back October 2019. Today's order, soup dumpling is still superb. Still the best we ever tried. We ordered our usual dishes such as broad beans, jellyfish, braised gluten and beef noodle soup. They tasted different than before, probably new chef but the food still taste good. Hubby even praised the beef noodle soup that it was even better than what he remembered. Still the best Shanghai restaurant I've tried. read more
New menu. New chef. The vibrant and engaging former owner who worked the front - Jenny Zhou - is gone. New staff said she "went to Flushing." WTF??? This new iteration of PSC is NOT Shanghainese. Basic Americanized Chinese with some Taiwanese odds and ends. Very average and pricier. I kinda miss the divey old vibe and the surly servers. As I see it, the quality at PSC and its patronage has been declining for quite some time, which may account for the ownership change. Jenny's sister Mindy is still onsite (maybe part of earn out conditions on a sale?) but all the rest of the long timer staff is gone. Mindy still hand makes the XLB out front -- but they are not worth the trip into the bowels of Cliffside Park. Soup Dumpling Plus in Ft. Lee makes superior XLB, closer to home, has better parking, service and pricing. The rest of the new menu is pricey, pedestrian and boring. Main reason for my one star review is that the new staff lied to us about the ownership and menu change, and is falsely trading on the goodwill of a restaurant that no longer exists. Exploitative. I ordered some of my all time faves -- like pork in aspic and flounder filets in rice wine sauce with wood ear mushrooms -- after being told by our server that all is as it was. They had no idea what this gaijin was ordering and suggested I order something else. We left. At least be honest about the evolution of your business and up sell something new. Grand reopening banners with emphasis on new specials would have been welcomed. An empty restaurant at 7pm on a Friday night -- when in the past PSC had 20-30 minute waits for seating -- speaks volumes about PSC's decline. BUMMER!!! Not coming back because integrity matters to me -- especially if I'm eating and paying for your food. Top Tip: Shanghai, SD+ or Aquarius in Ft. Lee are all better options for authentic regional Chinese food. read more
PSC has redeemed itself - on last takeout they served braised duck going bad unfortunately so they promised to make it right on next order after giving refund. Well tonight they delivered, restoring some of my faith I originally had with this spot from as early as mid 2000s when they were flying high. West lake soup with shredded beef (4/5) - was real comforting and tasty Pork with bean curd sheets (3/5) - they don't use the premium Berkshire pork like my wife does, so could smell the porky smell and seasoning wasn't permeated inside so it was slightly disappointing but still a good dish Crab and pork soup dumplings (4/5) - not the best but still this time most skin was intact and filled with lots of delicious soup! Can't compete with the thin skinned ones from soup dumpling plus, but a different style and still tasty. Definitely got better than last few times! Sautéed snow pea shoots (4/5) - bit bland but crunchy veggies to round out the meal Crispy duck 1/2 (5/5) - the showstopper of the night, it's like kfc duck in the best of the ways! Their kfc original recipe-like Seasoning is delectable and just right, skin crisp, and full of duck flavor with good stiles of duck fat here and there to make it burst with flavor. Easily my favorite dish from this place! Order it! They redeemed themselves pretty well here I must say! Kudos, petit soo chow! read more
2 years ago
9 years ago
They surprisingly serve such good soup dumplings! I really wouldn't have known if my co-worker didn't tell me. You really get to try good places by word of mouth and Petite Soo Chow was no exception. They have ample space for parking and the restaurant is located in an area off the main street so it doesn't get too crazy crowded. However i did hear there'd be a lot of people during peak hours. Came here at 3pm and there were only 3-4 groups of people including ourselves. We were served with good warm tea at first and service didn't take so long. As i said they have really good dumplings. The meat was nicely flavored and the dumpling was soft but "sturdy" enough to keep the juices in place. We also tried the minced beef it was hella spicy but still good. It comes with 4 buns but you could probably request for more with an additional fee. We also requested pan fried seafood noodle but hubster was not a big fan. Hope to be back again! read more
4 years ago
Petite Soo Chow was sold and reopened as Soochow Garden. New owners, staff, hours, menu. Mindy, who was part-owner and who made the soup dumplings, retired as she was in her 70s. The new place still has soup dumplings but apart from that it doesn't have anything in common with the previous place except it's still Chinese with a similar name. Yelp should start a listing under the new name since the old links and reviews are no longer relevant. Their new website shows the wrong hours but it is soochowgarden.com. They are closed on Tuesdays. read more
Came here on the recommendation for the soup dumplings (Xiao Long Bao). I was on my way back from lunch so getting seated was no issue at all. I ordered the soup dumplings and the beef with garlic sauce. The beef came out really quickly, so if you are wanting to have your dumplings as a start, you will need to make sure to order them in advance as they did take a while to come out (well after I finished the main entree). The soup dumplings were excellent. Highly recommend you get these if you come here. If you have never had them, best way I can describe it is a steamed pork dumpling that is in a broth encased in a wrapper. While sometimes a challenge to eat when you first try them, overall they are something quite impressive when done right. And Petite Soo Chow does a great job at them. Would come back and have them again when in the area. read more
We went in for a late lunch around 3:30pm and there were only three other groups there. Normally the place is packed during brunch time on weekends and after 6-ish pm. We ordered crab meat dumplings and you can see one of the two sisters making them by the counter. Each had tons of crabmeat and very tasty but not much soup. The three cup chicken and spare ribs in brown sauce are my favorite and never disappoint. The prices are reasonable, the portions are decent and the sauce was amazing! Parking lot in front is small but there are also some free street parking. read more
We very much enjoyed our dinner at Petite Soo Chow. The scallion pancakes were delicious, crispy on the outside, full of flavor and not too oily. The squash and tofu dish was light, flavorful and fresh. The sliced fish with ginger was delectable and perfect. The minced beef with pepper black beans and finely minced tofu was a Star dish. Served with buns the flavor profile was complex and intriguing. A fan of Lions Head it was a must try as well. The meatballs were soft and succulent served in a rich brown grave with tender baby bok choy on the side. The Lions head was good for sure but I have had elsewhere I enjoyed more. Our waiter was pleasant and efficient. read more
7 years ago
Just realized that this place comes back again! I first came here around 5 years ago and the taste is still the same - always good. It provides typical dishes from South China, light, some sweet, not spicy. It is not American style Chinese food, but the real Chinese food. They also provides frozen dumplings (you can bring back home) and breakfast (only on weekends). This is definitely a good place if you live around. If not, there is also a parking lot there, so you can drive and park easily. read more
7 years ago
I love this restaurant. The owner and waiters are really friendly and there's a lady who makes dumplings right away when they receive orders so they are fresh. They also sell dumplings to go and frozen ones as well. It's a low key restaurant with BYOB. Great local restaurant for dinner with friends or date nights. Besides the dumplings they are known for, like soup dumplings and pan fried dumplings, the popular dishes are fried shrimp mayo with walnuts, pan fried flounder, snow pea leaves, eggplants, soft shell crab specials. They are all really good! They can make basically anything you want in any style. Also, I think chinese food go really well with drinks! read more
8 years ago
Great news to all the foodies out there! Petite Soochow is opened as of Jan 1 2019. After 2 months of closing the doors, the authentic traditional Chinese food will be once again available, with their world famous soup dumplings, mouth watering pork chops, freshly sautéed snowpea leaves, string beans, spicy shredded beef, fresh fish, Peking duck, etc. I could on and on, but Lets just say, everything on the menu is delicious! The restaurant is newly renovated, making it an clean/ relaxed, and welcoming place to dine in with friends and family or take out. BYOB Highly recommended read more
2 years ago
7 years ago
Used to come to the old Soo chow before the renovation, and the food used to be on point. After the change in owner quality has decreased significantly. Soup dumplings are now doughy and odd tasting. Scallion pancakes are also doughy. Ordered steak with black pepper sauce, and I'm pretty sure it was either rancid meat or fake meat. Couldn't even eat a single piece, sort of disintegrated in my mouth. I dissected a few pieces to find them unusually gummy and unnatrually red on the inside, pic attached. Wife and i have decided not to come here again. I will go home and lie down to wait for the inevitable illness. read more
5 years ago
9 years ago
5 years ago
The best Chinese food in the town. We got Mapo Tofu and Shrimp Lomein lunch special that came with small soup. Food was delicious and servers were so nice and attentive. read more
7 years ago
7 years ago
Food is authrntic and home-made tasting. Their dishes are more unique and less oily compared tp other Chinese restaurants. I'm surprised that people dining here are shanghainese who felr so comfortable with the restaurant that they walked up to the counter to take a couple of cold dishes. Service is great and speedy. We are in and out in half an hour, despite we ordered four dishes. Their bun/pancake type of dishes arent that great. I'd recommend others, especially the soup and noodles. read more
6 years ago
My boyfriend and I were craving soup dumplings so we decided to go to one of our favorite spots. Little did we know that the entire restaurant staff were not following Covid-19 protocols. The server didn't have a mask whatsoever when serving us our dinner and the other wait staff were cleaning the empty tables without their masks as well. They were constantly walking around us without their masks when the restaurant is small to begin with. Also another thing to note is that while the staff were at the counter (less than 6 ft from our table), they were talking with their masks on their chin. I tried to tell the owner that this made me uncomfortable but he brushed me off and walked away. We couldn't even finish our meal because we felt we had to leave for our own health/safety. It's sad to say that this restaurant has such poor Covid-19 measures that make their customers feel unsafe and at risk. During this pandemic, I have always supported small businesses and I have been a regular here since I was a kid but I'm sad to say that I will never be back to this establishment. The food is great but it is not worth risking my life while grabbing a meal. read more
I am sad to write this review. We've been coming to this establishment for over 10 years. We used to come here about once a week and sometimes more. The last time we came here, about a year ago, the food just wasn't as good. The portions were much smaller than they used to be and the food just did not taste good. Well, after a year hiatus, we decided to give it another go tonight and hoped that the bad meal a year prior was just an anomaly. Well, I am sad to say that tonight was the last time that we will ever eat here again. We ordered 5 dishes. Some classics that we've always loved such as the snow pea leaf with garlic, and beef with yellow leek, pork juicy buns and spicy beef and their special pork chop. Everything tasted bland and boiled. It was one disappointing dish after another. Our waiter asked us if everything was ok. I told him nothing was ok and the food did not taste good at all. He apologized. He said perhaps our tastebuds have changed over the years. No, our tastebuds have not changed. But your portion sizes and seasonings in the food have changed...drastically. And I believe the prices have also gone up. The owner came over to our table to enquire about which dish we didn't like. I told her all of the dishes were a disappointment. My parents have owned their own restaurants and been in the restaurant business for over 30 years. We can tell the difference between a dish that was stir fried and a dish that was boiled then stir fried. The outcome in the latter technique is that the ingredients become soggy and can't hold seasonings. Restaurants do that to save time and the result is a half-assed dish that tastes parboiled. There was hardly any meat in the meat dishes and mostly veggies. Even their house speciality, the juicy bun, was off tonight. My son used to be able to thrown down two orders all on his own. Tonight, he only had the one piece and refused to eat another bun. While most of the staff were professional, we didn't appreciate one particular waitress who kept trying to get us to order fish or crab or some other over priced seafood dish. We had already ordered 5 dishes for 3 adults and a kid which was more than enough food but she kept suggesting we order seafood. We are old customers. We know what we want without even looking at the menu. She was way too pushy. Even after I told her that we didn't like seafood, she continued with her seafood suggestions. Seafood=pricier=higher bill=more tips. Update: I just checked out photos that other posted over 2 years ago. I haven't lost my mind. There did used to be 8 pieces per order of juicy bun. Now there's only 6. There also used to be 10 pieces of bun in that beef with hot peppers dish and now they only give 4. Not good. Time to find another Chinese place to eat in nj or else we'd have to go into nyc for a good meal. read more
Petite Soo Chow was good. Very good. The food was delicious with the perfect balance of spice, sauce and cooking technique. Service was efficient with no communication issues. Price point fair. Decor nice. Petite Soo Chow will probably be my go to Chinese sit down restaurant in Cliffside Park. We arrived shortly after 7 PM on a weekday night. The place was busy with conversation, ordering, eating, etc. I felt something good was going to happen. Nice welcome at the door. A cook making soup dumplings up front. Everything was pointing to a nice meal. Waiter drop some menus, tea and a small dish of roasted nuts. Wife already knows I do the ordering in Chinese restaurants. Order placed: shredded pork with garlic sauce, beef with peppers, pork soup dumplings and pork/crab soup dumplings. Read some reviews with communication issues and/or rude waiters. Let me say that everyone was nice, polite and does their job. This is not Per Se with the service interaction and the "experience". Service here is simple with minimal interaction. Only when needed. This is fine with me. Pork and beef entrees came out first. No biggie. Waiter said dumplings where still being prepared. Every table had 2, 3 or more orders of soup dumplings. So the delay was expected with one person manning the station. Pork with garlic was delicious. Tender shredded pieces of pork. Balance seasoning with a few snow peas. Sauce very light; just a light coating with hints of spiciness. The menu had the one pepper sign. Thought it would be hotter in spice, but it was a very tasty dish. Beef with peppers. Again shredded meat with shredded peppers. Before, I order waiter informed me it would be hot. Real hot. Bring it on, baby. Entree was spicy, but not hot like the waiter said. Little disappointing for me, but my wife said it was a perfect hot spice ratio. Again a perfect balance of spices with a light sauce coating. It did not have that oily texture or taste. I felt both dishes had that delicate cooking technique. It is not that ton of peanut oil, sauces, large veggies, etc. It was more like the European style cooking with the balance of spices and ingredients. Nothing overwhelms an ingredient; it compliments. BEFORE I COMMENT ON THE SOUP DUMPLINGS. STOP WITH THE THEY ARE NOT AS GOOD AS THAT PLACE IN FLUSHING. PEOPLE, YOU ARE NOT IN FLUSHING. THIS IS CLIFFSIDE PARK IN JERSEY. COM'ON MAN........ The soup dumplings where good. Damn good. Delicate, tender filling, salt ratio, soup, wrap, etc. It had that balance of flavor with the first slurp or first bite with all the goodness of the soup dumpling. They were exploding with my taste buds. The synapses was at high level of tasty and good with my brain cells. ALL GOOD....... I must comment that the crab/pork had plenty of seafood. Over the years I found places cheating on the crab. Cost was a major factor, but because of this I found the pork/crab dumpling a little overwhelming with seafood. This is not an issue if you love seafood. While both where delicious. I like the pork one better. Overall, Petite Soo Chow does a good job across the board. Delicious food. Efficient service. Comfortable seating with a private room. They take CC, but only VISA/MC; no AMEX. Private parking lot. I enjoy going to the neighborhood Chinese restaurant. Since I was a kid we made weekly stops to the restaurant down the street. When you find a good place you stick with it and I will certainly be making weekly stops to Petite Soo Chow. read more
14 years ago
So I have been a couple more times since my first review. Let me list the items I keep coming back for: Apps: soup dumplings all the way (pork over crab) Veggies: sauteed snow pea leaves (or with scallops), water spinach with beef in tea sauce, black mushrooms with baby bok choy Entrees: clams in black bean sauce (spicy please!), salt and pepper pork chops, fried or steamed sea bass with ginger and scallion Dessert: red bean pastry with black and white sesame seeds on top Jenny (the owner) is very pleasant and welcoming but if there is a line make sure you are within earshot to hear your number. That lady moves quick through the numbers and will pass before you say "Here!" Service has been a hit or miss. It really depends on who happens to stop by when you are ready to order. Also be careful with the off the menu specials they may recommend. Ask for the price or you may be in for a shocker. Tip: Order the soup dumplings when you are seated. If you order them with the rest of your food it will most probably be the last to come out. Lastly, don't forget to say hi to grandma through the window as you come in working on those soup dumplings by hand. read more
13 years ago
The weekend brunch here is what reels me in every time. To me it's comfort food. As others have stated, the soup dumplings are delicious and I think are comparable to places in Flushing. (Bite your tongue!) However, I'm going to share a little secret. What is even better are the pan fried juicy pork buns with the crispy bottoms. These sell out fast, so you have to get here early. I'm not even sure if it is on the menu. (My in-laws always order it in Mandarin.) Just show the waiter the picture I posted. Some other favorites include: - Sweet Soy Bean Milk -served hot and you add the sugar yourself. I've ordered it with the Chinese donut, which some people like to dip into the soy milk, but I like the soy milk plain. - Oyster Pancake - it's not really a pancake, more like a glutinous omelet with oysters and scallions with a sauce on top and spinach on the bottom. I like glutinous things so I enjoy it, but it's not for everyone. - Beef Noodle Soup - spicy with nice chunks of meat - Sautéed Snow Pea Leaves - a simple but tasty veggie side dish sautéed with garlic - Taro Cake - basically a mound of sweet mashed taro with little bits. This is a very heavy dish, so only order if you think you'll have room in your belly. I know there are complaints about the service. It's true the staff is not the most personable and charismatic bunch, but they get the job done. Also during the brunch rush, don't expect to relax and chat with your fellow diners after you're done eating. You'll need to eat and go. read more
8 years ago
I'm not here to give a full review of petite soo chow (although I do swear by this place, the soup dumplings here are delicious!!) I wanted to put this review up to inform everyone that it looks like petite soo chow is temporarily closed. Not sure when it will open as it didnt give an opening date. read more
Excellent xiao long bao (soup dumplings)!!! Sooo good!!!! They are just as good as Joe's Shanghai, or even better!!! They are so fresh, flavorful, and filled with lots of soup, and I love the thin skin too! It's so good to know that there's a place in NJ that serves cheap and delicious soup dumplings, but the wait and the service are comparable to Joe's. My family and I love xiao long bao so much that we used to go every week to Chinatown at one point but from now on it's more likely that we will come here instead because of its convenient location. I also noticed that a lot of the patrons are Chinese, which is always a good sign for any authentic Chinese restaurant. Besides the famous xiao long bao, we had the following: 1) crispy orange beef - just average, but my friend liked it. Orange beef was never my favorite food.... I find it too greasy on the outside and too dry on the inside. Reminds me of beef jerky (I like beef jerky as is). 2) stir fried water spinach - Excellent! Simply prepared with oil, salt, and garlic, this one is a must-get! 3) fried rice - pretty good, but I prefer Joe's yeung chao fried rice! 4) mapo tofu - spicy and delicious! The perfect companion to rice! 5) Pickled cucumbers - sweet, slightly sour, and a little spicy pickled cucumbers was refreshing and delicious. It's a nice appetizer! Don't expect good service here... One of the waiters was particularly rude and looked even pissed that we ordered another xiao long bao, which didn't make sense to us. He wasn't even hiding his annoyance, and blurted out something in Chinese in an angry tone thinking we don't understand what he's saying. Guess what, he's wrong!!! My sister and my friend can understand Chinese too, ok?? So watch what you say, young man!!! Unbelievable! 6 of us ate like pigs and only paid $86 with tax and tip. This place is worth the wait! Despite the bad service, I'll give PSC 5 stars! Yes it's that GOOD! read more
10 years ago
I can't believe that I've never written a review for this place, having come here a million times. This is a SMALL place with LONG lines during the weekends. So make sure you get here either early or prepare for a wait time. This is THE place I go to when I want some soup dumplings! Although the place isn't as clean as I would like it to be, I'm used to the Asian style restaurants that are a little..older. Contrary to my rule of a friendly staff and cleanliness, I keep coming back because the food is so F-Ing food. This is NOT a place for a large group, but they are accommodating. Do not go after 830 because they'll rush you to order food as the kitchen closes @ 9 (the place is only opened till 930). The FIRST thing you should always order as soon as you sit down, is the amount of soup dumplings you want. Normally we order 3 which is enough to feed about 5-7 people (I believe each order comes with 7 or 8). Being long time patrons, we go in there knowing exactly what to order and every dish comes out phenomenal. I don't think I've had anything on that menu that wasn't delicious. The staff are OK and not the friendliest people, so don't come in here expecting a smiling face. They mean business when it comes to turnover and they get shit down when it comes to feeding you and cleaning up after you. I HIGHLY recommend this place regardless of the staff. Again, don't expect this place to look welcoming from the outside/inside...the restaurant keeps it clean enough to pass regulations but old school enough for you to look at the place and feel a littttttle bit iffy about eating here. read more
Since there is a lack of Chinese restaurants in Bergen County, I had to try each one. I took my mother here for Mother's Day. Food: We ordered an array of food and unfortunately it was extremely lacking compared to New York. (I want to say this point is obvious but... come on!) The overall lack of salt is sad. Everything was bland but the dish that disappoint me the most is the Pan Fried Seafood Noodles. It was more a stir fry veggies on top of pan fried egg noodles. Service: Service was okay. I think they definitely treat Chinese customers with more care but overall it is okay. Parking: Shares a parking lot with Blackbeard Ramen. Parking can get tricky if people are not parked straight. read more
6 years ago
One of the few authentic Chinese restaurants in the area, Petite Soo Chow saves me a trip across the rivers. They're the only place I'm aware of in Bergen County that serves Xiao Long Bao, (soup dumplings) and they do em pretty well. My favorite dishes here are the sauteed snow pea shoots, the soup dumplings, and the salt and pepper pork chops. The quality is about as good as you'd get as in Chinatown or Flushing, but the menu doesn't have as much variety. I'm still eagerly awaiting on the opening of Lan Garden on 46, but if that turns out to be bad, this place is still good. read more
Pretty decent Shanghainese food. Order their crab soup dumplings! And fried dumplings. Shanghainese noodles are good too. But get them dumplings!!! I probably wouldn't go out of my way to come here, but if you're in the neighborhood, it's not a bad deal. There's a parking lot too. read more
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607 Gorge Rd
Cliffside Park, NJ 07010
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(201) 313-1666
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https://petitesoochow.us
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Ask the Community - Petite Soo Chow
Do they take reservations?
Yes for parties of 6 or more -- for the round tables with the lazy susan. Otherwise when they are busy -- you go to the cashier area and get a number ( see Mindy -- the owner --she is usually on the phone taking) and que up. Line moves quickly.…
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