Chen's Garden of Eden

Interviewed by Cuiyin Zhang Written by Elise Krentzel

A veritable garden of Eden, Chen's of Mountain Home, Arkansas is swanky by Chinese buffet restaurant standards. A beige pinkish marble floor sets the stage for a surprisingly elegant experience. The maitre' d's podium is made of fine cherry wood surrounded by red maple that looks real enough to be growing inside a windowless entryway. Flanked on two sides are humongous Chinese porcelain pots standing approximately four feet tall near a circular entryway leading to one of the dining rooms. The woodwork is cherry wood, dark and rich — a deep shiny color that hints at glazed brick colored with a tad of orange when light shines on it. A golden fish statue, symbolizing the flow of wealth, stands atop a black marble rostrum.

Lighting as Esthetic

A glittering crystal chandelier hangs precipitously in the entryway. There is another in the dining room above the buffet bars. Japanese styled bamboo look-alike wood chandeliers light up the booths. Owner, Mr. Chen is into lighting design in a big way. His attention to lighting — ambient and direct is extraordinary for a layman. One would think he is a lighting or industrial designer or at least had training in that area, such is his esthetic sensibility. Design plays an important part of setting the mood. Mr. Chen feels that, “much hinges on the atmosphere of a place by its lighting design. Here we have installed soft lighting to ensure diners have a relaxed and attractive meal. It creates a homey feeling and that sets the mood for a fine meal.”

Interior Leanings

Towards the back of the dining room where the three buffet bars sit booths are inlaid with enamel scenes from ancient China. Tables, both round and square sit analogous to one another creating a larger pattern in the scheme of the restaurant's design. Soft violet bulbs emit an other worldly ray from the ceiling above the buffet bars. Classical Chinese music can be discerned in the background

Non-slip pale yellow tiles are fitted around the buffet bar and Mongolian bar area. By the customer seating grey carpeting is used. The tables are painted then lacquered in a glossy yellow and match the tables which have a smooth shiny surface. Mr. Chen doesn't like crowding in as many tables as possible so offering his customers breathing room. Only 245 seats are arranged in the spacious room of 6,500 square feet, lending plenty of leg room at the bar area.

The Taste of China – with a Twist

Chen's features the quintessence of Chinese culinary art. The grand buffet features over one hundred items including entree, salad and ice cream. Mongolian BBQ is also available. Inspired by traditional Mandarin and Cantonese food, Chen's caters to an American taste slightly altering the original to meet the needs of the dining populace. It is quite difficult to address all the variations of every single diner's needs, yet Chen's tries to do just that. There are over 100 items at the bar cooked by the very capable chefs, most of whom have years of experience. The chefs use a variety of cooking methods – stir-fried and grilled are the main sources. One could say the mild and moderate tastes found here, not extremely sweet, so common elsewhere. The sauces are made to accommodate the population's wishes.

Some of the outstanding dishes are Cashew Chicken, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Coconut Chicken, Crystal Shrimps, Szechwan Chicken, Roast Beef and Steamed Salmon Fillet. Among these top-rated dishes, Coconut Chicken, Steamed Salmon Filet and Crystal Shrimps are originals.

Steamed Salmon Fillet is prepared with premiere salmon filet, garlic and butter, Thai pepper and lemon juice. Afterwards the fish is grilled and steamed to maintain the salmon’s fabulous texture. Sprinkled with a hint of basil to enhance the fragrance allows the strong fishy odor to be eliminated. Szechwan Chicken is cooked with the best chicken leg meat. The cooking method is similar to making General Tso’s Chicken. Seasoned with chili oil, garlic, green onion, seafood sauce, soy sauce and pepper, this dish tastes crunchy and spicy.

Crystal Shrimp is famous for the crispy outside and juicy texture inside. The chef uses high quality shelled shrimps and a well-balanced homemade sauce to make this dish a favorite for almost every patron.  Roast Beef is one of the favorites for young people at Chen’s Garden. Mr. Chen uses an exquisite method to make the beef tender. Even senior diners can eat it all up due to its moistness and texture.

Healthy Alternatives Include Mongolian BBQ

“Chen’s Garden is an ideal choice,” for those with special dietary needs including but not limited to healthy, nutritious, non-fat meals recommends Mr. Chen. He is very concerned about customers’ health and the growing problem in the USA with obesity, diabetes and other heart ailments caused by improper eating habits amongst the populace. “Our chefs are all imbued with a strong sense of healthy food prep. Each dish is prepared with health consequences in mind --- little salt, little oil and no MSG.”

“We use vegetable oil because of its quality”, he maintains. Food at the Mongolian Bar is prepared with absolutely no MSG. Therefore, freshness and nutrition are maintained at a maximum. Diverse choices in vegetables are available for every type of dietary need.

Mr. Chen is feverish about freshness. Food that is old, even by a day is not considered healthy. To maintain constant freshness, the right temperature at the buffet bars is essential. Purchasing is done each day from four trusted suppliers. Chen almost never overstocks on ingredients for fear of spoilage. Just as committed to freshness as he is to cleanliness Mr. Chen leaves no stones unturned. Daily cleaning of the entire kitchen and dining hall is routine. Stainless steel is used in the kitchen to make cleaning more efficient and easier. A thorough cleanup is done every Sunday.  Mr. Chen puts special emphasis on the rest rooms. “Staff clean up the restrooms twice a day in order to maintain a very high code of sanitation,” he admits.

A Philosophy to Live By

“When facing difficulties, you should try your best to overcome them. No matter how tired you are, since you've chosen your career, devote yourself entirely to it.” This is one of the tenets of Mr. Chen's success. Another is “solidarity with your staff”. Mr. Chen believes strongly that diligence, patience and a positive view towards everyone helps win the day. Gratefulness to all that help and those that stay loyal to you are key signposts, permitting us to glimpse into his value system.  Enjoyment of the tasks at hand is also important in gaining control over how one runs their daily business. It affects one's mind set.

It wasn't always easy for Mr. Chen in the early years. He's had his fair share of suffering. Yet the one motto that kept him going was, “God helps those who help themselves.” He arrived in America in 1992 and had no specific intention to work in the hospitality industry. He needed a job to feed himself so he went to work at the lowest level in the restaurant business at a Chinese eatery. This is how he learned the field. Yet any hardship seemed to slip off his back. After nearly four years of accumulated hard work, this strong and optimistic man managed to open his first restaurant, a dine-in and take-away seating 100 patrons.

He currently owns two buffet restaurants in the United States. Mr. and Mrs. Chen are quietly satisfied with their progress and have no further plans to spread out or open other venues. The steady customer base has helped them avoid any financial catastrophe during these tough economic years. What he wants is simply to “serve my guests with my heart and soul”.