Lee’s Garden

My husband and I have lived on the West side of Madison for 8 months now, and we were starting to think that we’d never find good Chinese delivery. It seems we live just out of reach of all the restaurants that people rave about that deliver. Then we found Lee’s Garden! The food is delish: my husband is a HUGE fan of the Buddha’s Delight — vegetarian deliciousness! For me, a cold sesame noodle is always a must (i know, I know not very adventurous), and these are particularly divine! The people on the phone are always polite and friendly and the delivery drivers are too. That may seem silly to mention, but kindness makes a difference in this world! We’re only sorry it took so long to find this deliciousness! It is more pricey than the other delivery restaurants, but hey — you get what you pay for!

Bad. As in «what is that weird taste?». I could still «eat» the overly-​price, super small lunch portion of Governors Delight… but it was weird and the breaded shrimp, pork and chicken where SOGGY and DRENCHED in some odd-​tasting rendition of hoison sauce.
Portions and size… I can get an egg roll thrice the size that they sent me. It reminded me of the small egg rolls one can find in the freezer section of the grocery store.
Whats is UP with their wontons? Wow. Way un-​wonderfully stale and… wait… where’s the meat? The only way I could eat these wontons was to soak them in the veggie soup, which was rather bland as well.
Even the hot mustard from the packets have a weird, reallllly bitter taste. Blech.
Never again. Unreasonably priced small portions, horrible tasting food and NO coupons!
The only good part: the fortunes form the fortune cookies where really unique.

I’m reducing a star from Lees because lately the food has not been good. That’s not common for this restaurant so I don’t know what’s going on. Most of the sauces lately have had no flavor whatsoever. The only dish I have enjoyed lately is the eggplant dish and the delicious vegetable dumplings. The noodles have come twice now burnt and tasteless. My favorite part really is the sweet man who delivers the food. I love him! But if the quality continues to be blah, I won’t be ordering from here anymore.

I want to give 1.5 stars, but Unilocal won’t allow it. It was bad. Bad in the sense that A. the chicken in my Governor’s Chicken had a nasty re-​heated microwaved taste and too-​chewy texture, and B. They didn’t follow my instructions to make my order extra-spicy…and C., that my Crab Rangoons were cold when they arrived. :(
Good thing I was 3 sheets to the wind when eating it, or I would have written an even less favorable review.
But seriously, the worst part of the meal was the flavor of the chicken. Was it boiled until tough and then warmed in a microwave? Because that’s what it tasted like! For $ 18.00. ugh.
:(

Ok, so I’ve dined at this inconspicuous little place l twice in the past month, and I have to admit, I’m interested. What really sets this sanctuary apart from a sea of mediocre Madison Chinese restaurants is the pure kindness and joy emanating from the couple who owns it. I can’t stress it enough, these folks are so charming, it makes me feel right at home! The husband is a character, and makes me laugh every time he stops by the table. China Wok, take notes. The food is no doubt of high quality. Fresh, crisp veggies, and delicate sauces. Very attentive water service, and above all an extremely pleasant lunch or dinner experience. The only thing I would critique would be there was an onion skin on one of the onion chunks, which I had to spit out mid-​meal (gross), and the tomatoes in the Veggie Delight were oddly-​shaped. Too large, they seemed like an after-​thought. These things are relatively minor, although they do suggest that Lee’s Garden may need to take a little more care when prepping the food. Makes one wonder what else they may have missed… Could change the music to a more classy station during dinner, rather than Z104. Regardless, this restaurant still manages to pull off a class-​act, if by just a hair… Overall I would recommend it to others, although I would suggest being slightly cautious of food quality.

I’ve never had a bad experience! Dining in, they’re ultra friendly. The fact that they deliver is a plus. I like that their ingredients are fresh and crisp. I’m a huge fan.

I love eating here and have for many years. They are receptive to leaving items out of a dish and are quite friendly. A definite favorite place. I frequently order Singapore Noodles, Subgum Lo Mein, and Cold Sesame Noodle. YUM! Best in town!
One reviewer compares it to Chiang Jiang’s crap, LOL.

Yesterday, it was take your child to work day which also means take your child to lunch day. Lee’s is relatively close to my work so I thought I would give it a try. I am assuming the owner’s were the ones that greeted us at the door and waited on us. Both were attentive but almost too nice… like «put the lotion in the basket» nice. Trust me, I rather have happy waitstaff that one with hipster angst but it almost was too much.
In regards to the food, I thought the value was there. Lunch prices hover around the $ 6 – 7 range and come with a choice of egg roll, wontons, or soup.
The fare is your typical Americanized Chinese but executed well. Nothing to complain about but also nothing that blew my socks off.
The interior could use some general sprucing up. Stained ceiling tiles and dust collecting on the ceiling fans may be ok if it was called «Lee’s Attic» but otherwise, time to get scrubbing.

I decided to give this place a try after some rave friend reviews. My husband and I were actually a little disappointed. The food is way more expensive than other Chinese restaurants in the area and it wasn’t as good. The crab and cheese wontons were very dry and didn’t taste fresh.
You can dine in here, which is good if you’re looking for a dine in chinese place, but we’ll probably continue oging to Chang Jiangs on PD. Much prefer the wontons and orange chicken there.

I’m actually quite saddened when I recount my experiences at Lee’s Garden. When it first opened, it was by far the best and most authentic Chinese food you could find in Madison. There was no doubt about it. But their main chef left after a year. As a result, any, and all of, the genuine, authentic Chinese cuisine they had in their huge selection of dishes was taken off their menu. It was a very, very tragic day. I sincerely hope they are able to find another competent chef.
It’s pointless to rave about the goodness of Lee’s Garden’s past, but their «Americanized» Chinese food isn’t all that bad either. They are less greasy than most and are enticing for takeout.
But the best thing about Lee’s Garden, even in the past, is their service. I have never experienced better and that is truth. This place is owned by a family and the husband and wife are always so joyful, so amiable, and so attentive. They seemed to always accommodate our requests. Moreover, they are extremely honest. I think they recognized my friends and I as we dined at Lee’s Garden quite often. Apparently, I went there one of the days after the main chef had left. As soon as the husband saw me stepping into the restaurant, he approached me (again with his cheery smile) and informed me beforehand that the things that the old chef used to make would no longer be available.

So i decided to give this place a try based on the wonderful reviews on this page. However, i was very disappointed to find that their chinese chef left for chicago so they are no longer serving their specialized authentic chinese cuisine.
The food was just okay. Typical Americanized, sweetened dishes. Nothing special. Go to Tai’s Asian Bistro instead. They have specialty chinese menus that are cheap and come in HUGE portions.

I only ate here once but the General Tso chicken was really good… Its the only time I’ve ever tasted a spicy General Tso, other places say its a spicy dish but its just like a sweet n sour type of sauce. I will have to go again and try something else out…

Ordered food for delivery last night. The General Tso’s Chicken was awful. It was like they didn’t cook the chicken pieces long enough. Breading was droopy/​soggy — there was no crispiness at all. Carrots were not cooked all the way through either. Wontons were cold.

The owners and very friendly and attentive. The chinese food there is far above average (at Madison level) but not best in Town. The price was fair for the taste of the food.

My search for good Chinese food continues. One reviewer said that Lee’s had an authentic Cantonese menu. We weren’t offered one. We got the bland, sweet, and gooey one. However, the nonEnglish-​speaking tables around us got appetizing looking dishes well presented, with hand-​size rice bowls and chopsticks, while we had to eat on plates with fork and knife.

I really hate myself for discovering this treasure so late. Before I found Lee’s Garden I once said that Ichiban and Fugu are the only two authentic Chinese restaurants in the entire Madison city, but now I have to take it back, or, at least revise it because there are actually three! In fact Lee’s Garden even rocks way more than the other two!
A friend of mine from Hong Kong recommended this restaurant to me, so my husband and I went for a try about a month ago. Oh my goodness. it completely swept us off our feet!!! Pls note they offer two different types of menus: one is of American-​Chinese style dishes printed in English, which we’ve always been trying to avoid by all means. lol The other is the traditional Chinese menu printed mainly in Chinese that should only appear in our sweetest dream. it’s just too good to be true! The REAL authentic Cantonese cuisine!
After years of training in the midwest my husband and I have become capable of telling a Chinese restaurant as authentic or not by simply skimming over its menu. some items, ike Mongolian beef or sesame chicken, are just not meant to be existing in the menu of a real Chinese restaurant. We Chinese (Taiwanese) people generally do not eat them… and we DO NOT apply the same sauce to different meat either.
Here at Lee’s garden you’ve got an incredibly wide variety of dishes that are difficult to describe in English. I think the chef just cooks everything exactly the right way we expected! My husband and I were so touched when we had our first taste of their food. It reminded us of our home flavor and we felt great gratitude for having such wonderful Chinese food here in the midwest!
As for the ambiance and décor, everything ws just perfectly right and they also did a great job in service and hygiene, better than so many old-​fashioned Chinese restaurants I’ve been to. The owner is a diligent, super-​cordial couple from Hong Kong who serve as waiter/​waitress themselves. They are always high-​spirited and would greet you with warm smiles no matter how busy they are. Sometimes their teenage son & daughter would help with the serving when there are too many customers. Very nice family!
In brief, we now enjoy dining in Lee’s garden better than any other Chinese restaurants in Madison. It has officially become our second dining room and I believe it deserves my highest compliment! :)

Really liked the Malaysian foods (although I can’t say I’ve tried many dishes). The owner (?) was helpful, nice and very cheerful. The restaurant was pretty dead on a Mon evening, but it seemed that regulars were coming in to eat and pick up meals. Kinda pricey for dinner, but the portions are huge. I’d definitely keep this on my go-​to list and check out how lunch goes. This place is located in the strip mall with Pier 1 and other businesses.

We don’t go there anymore. They had a nice lunch special and there were just a few things to order on that menu for a reasonable price. We only went there for dinner once because the same thing as the lunch menu seemed to cost about twice as much.
We really just got tired of the waitress who was trying to be friendly, maybe thinking it would get her more tips, but she was so incredibly annoying, «You haven’t been here in a long time, why? What have you been doing» blah blah blah every time in our faces every 2 minutes, interrupting our conversations and sticking her nose in our business constantly while we were just trying to choke down a $ 5 plate of Fragrent Chicken.
The food was okay, the prices were okay (for lunch, not dinner). But really, if someone is sitting there trying to read for a few moments at lunch time, do you really have to bug them constantly?
Lee’s Garden took over after a much better Thai restaurant failed. The Thai restaurant was wonderful, the food was the best thing that ever happened to Sauk City, but I guess the locals didn’t appreciate curries and asian eggplant. What a shame, it was exquisite. Lee’s Garden is like many other american chinese restaurants, a business run by non-​cooks who follow the predictable pattern.

Fun fact: the number listed above (608.259.1668) is not the number for Lee’s Garden. I’m thinking it might be the downtown location for Hong Kong Café.
I called the number to place an order for delivery, and after giving my address the person taking my order said they didn’t deliver to my location anymore. Most delivery drivers have never heard of my road, so I figured they thought I was farther west than I am. I’m only about a 1.5 miles away, so I switched my order to pick-​up.
When I got to Lee’s Garden, I told the person at the register I had an order for pickup. She checked the kitchen, then went and got a manager. The manager asked what he could do for me, and I said I had a pickup order for sesame chicken. He said no problem, sesame chicken is quick, 10 minutes.
This means there is a lonely order of sesame chicken congealing somewhere far, far away. Poor little guy.
As for the chicken I got — it’s okay. The veggies are good, but the ratio ²⁄₃ veggies, ¹⁄₃ chicken — and for $ 10 I wish it was reversed, or at least equal. The food is good quality, but it’s pretty flavorless. There’s some heat to it, but not a lot of spice, if that makes sense.
In any case, it’s the best Chinese food I’ve found on the west side, but I think I’ll try something else next time to see if I can bump this up to four stars.

Lee’s Garden was formerly Hong Kong Café — West.
7475 Mineral Point Road,
Madison, WI, 53 717
(608) 829‑1168
-
Hong Kong Café earned the Best of Madison Award (for Oriental Restaurants) after only one year in business.
Now having said that, let’s get into the review. I’ll keep it succinct .
Hours are strange. Website is functional and part of
. Can’t order directly from menu online. It’s text only so you will take down your own order and call. No online placing of orders.
-
Prices are very reasonable. In the $$ range. They have only 1 location in Madison and they deliver to Middleton and they accept pickups.
The food quality is among the top tier in Greater Madison at this price range.
Pricier places don’t really have any advantage. Not that it matters that much, since this is Chinese cooking and not French High Cuisine.
Unless you order something exotic like «phoenix talons», where quality and technique may have an impact, you won’t notice that much of a difference.
So to recap.
Inexpensive, but not cheap. Good food quality.
1 location only.
Website is adequate, and nothing fancy.
Strange hours.
Overall, very good deal.