Dining review: Su’s secret to success

Here’s what I was told going in: Su’s Garden, one of only two Chinese restaurants on the Island, is an institution on Marco. Beloved! Sure, no pressure.

Things got off to an appetizing start with the pan-fried pork dumplings (actually, I started a bit earlier with the gratis wonton strips). The dumplings were really good, no complaints; but the wonton strips were downright addictive. Even after half my entrée was packed to go, I was still finding my hand going to the bowl, as if each finger had a mind of its own.

For the main event, my partner in dine ordered the pineapple chicken off the house specialties menu. The dish features white meat chicken – and be aware, not all of the dishes do – assorted veggies with sweet and sour pineapple sauce. He considered the dish a success, but said it leaned more toward the sweet than sour side.

I ordered from the dinner combos on the back of the menu – you can choose from several small appetizers, soup, plates and a small dessert. I picked the egg roll, wonton soup and shrimp fried rice. I wanted the lo mein, one of my favs; but not a fan of dark meat chicken.

The egg roll was on the average side, but acceptable. The wonton soup was amazing. The broth! I slurped down every drop. It should come with a refillable pitcher.   

The fried rice was above average. Quality shrimp and a nice balance of ingredients. What was most amazing about the dish is the size. I had less than half for dinner; some more for lunch the next day; and there’s still some left. And I’m not a dainty diner. Now I understand why there’s a sharing charge.  Otherwise they’d only sell one dish for every two or three customers.

The entrée was so large that I skipped out on the dessert.

You don’t stay in business for three decades without doing something right. On this night, Su’s did everything right.

One last note: we were leaving just as Su’s closed. As I got in my car, I saw that the restaurant employees were sitting down together for dinner. I don’t know if this was a special occasion or an every-night happening, but it was touching. They looked like a family; smiling, engaging with each other. No smart phones were spied.

Perhaps that’s the secret to their success.

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If you go

Su’s Garden

537 Bald Eagle Drive, Marco Island

239-394-4666

susgarden.com