ENTERTAINMENT

‘Watts for Dinner’ the Takeout Edition: Su’s Garden has the veggies and so much more

Will Watts
Correspondent

Our next dining destination is Su’s Garden, a Marco Island landmark. Everything we ordered on this trip was vegetarian, but not vegan (meaning we had eggs, broth and food with milk as an ingredient). Su’s has one of the largest vegetarian menus on the island. And we hope to eat less meat in 2021.

Staff were wearing masks and customers dining inside were well distanced from each other. We still opted for takeout, and that’s a specialty here.

Things got off to an appetizing start with some vegetarian spring rolls ($1.75), dumplings (4 for $5.75) and lettuce wraps (chicken or vegetarian $8.50). The first thing you’ll notice about Su’s, the food is not as oily as most Chinese restaurants; that enhances the flavor both the promotes better health.

You can get the dumplings steamed or pan fried. We picked the latter. You won’t miss the meat. These dumplings are huge, hearty and delicious!

Same with the lettuce wraps, featuring water chestnuts and a mildly spicy seasoning served with leafy lettuce. This is a favorite dish of mine that I’ve eaten at P.F. Chang's and Pei Wei, so my expectations were high. And this dish delivers. I highly recommend this appetizer.

We also ordered the vegetable soup for two ($8.50). This was my first time ordering this dish. It features huge vegetables and an amazing base. Good to the last drop.

Another first-time dish for me was the cold sesame noodles ($6.95) featuring noodles tossed in peanut sauce, ginger, garlic, chili paste and soy sauce. They are garnished with sesame seeds, green onions, and cilantro and served at room temperature. Great blend of ingredients. Very satisfying, unique and yummy!

We also ordered two entrees, vegetable fried rice ($8.95) and broccoli with garlic sauce ($12.50). Firstly, you’ll be amazed at how much stronger the other flavors have when you leave out the meat. And I’ve found that rice and pasta dishes can really carry themselves well without adding meat. Both dishes were amazing and plentiful. Huge, huge portions.

And one note on the service: perhaps the most polite and efficient in the community.  

With food like this, it’s easy to see why Su’s Garden has been successful on Marco Island for four decades.

More:‘Watts for Dinner’ the Takeout Edition: Variety is the spice of Mangoes

And:‘Watts for Dinner’ the Takeout Edition: Doreen’s – the perfect place for a picky crowd

Also:‘Watts for Dinner’ the Takeout Edition: Pinchers - Fresh and locally sourced

More:Hey Marco Island, looking for a place to eat?

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If you go

Su's Garden Chinese Restaurant

  • 537 Bald Eagle Dr #2700, Marco Island
  • 239-394-4666
  • susgarden.com