Formosa Chinese Restaurant

**IF YOU HAVE FOOD ALLERGIES** eat here at you own risk!!! My mother and I both are allergic to seafood. We are always sure to inform them when placing our orders that we have a food allergy to let them know to avoid cross contamination. In multiple occasions, we have had seafood DIRECTLY IN our food!! The first time was maybe 2 or 3 years ago (we didn't eat here often, but occasionally) when I found a shrimp tail in our food. They apologized and promised to be very careful in the future. Recently, we ordered from them, telling them about our allergies as usual. This time, I found AN ENTIRE SHRIMP in my food!! I immediately told my mom to stop eating and we called the restaurant. Once we had them on the phone, they insisted that there couldn't be any seafood in our meal (as we are looking at the shrimp in our to-go box) and they only offered to prepare another order for us. At this point, we didn't trust them or feel safe eating anything they would prepare and demanded a full refund. If you have allergies, avoid this place at all costs!

It was my first and last time eating at this restaurant. I ordered shrimp fried rice and they gave me reheated and half-cooked rice. The food doesn't have a hint of salt, which makes it totally tasteless. I even told the person who served me that it was my first time, hoping that would help with what they served Something good to come back to. I'M SORRY BUT I WON'T BE BACK,

Went in for lunch and really enjoyed it. Nice clean restaurant. The service was great. Good size portions. The chicken wing and spring roll that comes with the lunch were soooo tasty! It wasn't my favorite hot and sour soup because it was a little sweet for me. But I liked everything else. We will definitely go again and try other things.

I've been going here for almost 20 years and it is still consistently one of the best Chinese restaurants around. Highly recommend the hot and sour soup and then any chicken dish you prefer.

Food was pretty good. The restaurant was nice and clean. Staff was friendly. The Rangoon was amazing. We ordered pepper steak, it was good. Chicken fried rice was good. They packed the container. The Mongolian Beef wasn't that great though. I will go back.

This was our first visit and it was AMAZIN!!!! The food is served family style was fresh and delicious. Quality ingredients and enormous portions. If u leave hungry it's because u chose to. My only complaint is they only have spring rolls, no egg rolls. But that's just a personal preference everythin else was PHENOMENAL.

Great food. Food tastes great at a reasonable price.

This is one of those rare places where people steal Dine in. The ambience is great for a conversation and the lunch specials come out fairly quickly. Great old style dining in Chinese restaurant right off the interstate. Professional traditional full service.

My wife and I dined here again last night and it is always very good. We had fried won ton for appetizer. Main courses: Kung Pow Chicken and Moo Shu Pork. We always have enough left to bring home for another meal.

The best Chinese food in Memphis. Always delicious every time. The service is amazing.

Had another great meal. Their Lunch specials really hit the spot with the appetizer and soup added in. Hard working folks who open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. But note they're closed from 2 pm - 4 pm.

My go to for Chinese takeout. Love the shrimp egg rolls- absolutely divine! The fried rice is also simple yet flavorful.

Great Chinese restaurant love the springs rolls they are the best in town, make sure you order the sweet and sour sauce on the side. Their chicken fried rice is also good and they give a generous portion. Friendly staff and if you order Togo your food will be packaged nicely and there is hardly any waiting time.

Good food, can't complain. Chicken in the fried rice was a little dry. The egg drop soup is not thick, which is normally a concern of mine but it was good.

Revisited Formosa and was wondering why it took me so long to come back. Got the family dinner with sweet and sour chicken and snow pea chicken. Great flavor great price. Will not wait so long to come back. Oh the vegetables soup is the best.

Outstanding service and food for an unbeatable price. I came here for lunch and was impressed at the quality and servings for an $11 lunch. They start with an eggroll and fried chicken wing, then egg drop soup, then the entree. All was made from scratch in house and excellent.

"Authentic Chinese cuisine with rich flavors, generous portions, and outstanding service. A must-visit!"

I've been a fan of Formosa for close to 20 years but since moving away from the Memphis area I haven't had the opportunity to visit. Now back in Memphis for the weekend and stopped in. This restaurant is now better than I ever. The lunch specials we tried today was sweet and sour chicken, sesame chicken and beef and broccoli. All 3 entrees were a 10 out of 10. Great Formosa customer service and atmosphere to go along with great food. I highly recommend if you're in the area. Wish I had pics to show but we ate it all.

My family and I have' always loved Formosa's food. And it's consistently delicious. Dishes that we've eaten for years still taste wonderful. The staff is always friendly. We often do take-out. But the ambiance of the restaurant is very attractive and pleasant.

The green pepper beef was amazing! The service was great! I highly recommend this restaurant. For lunch, they give you a piece of chicken and spring roll. The egg drop soup is hot and tasty and the crispies are fresh. I love Asian food and was extremely satisfied!

Always consistent. Good food and service. Hot and sour soup is my favorite in the city.

Fresh ingredients, cooked to order, never been disappointed, perfect temperature, owner and staff are attentive, just a good experience

I live in Memphis because I have to and every place I have went to eat out at has been absolutely horrible... over priced... horrible service.. like the absolute worse imaginable... I was shocked when I caved and decided to try take our form this highly rated place not far away from where I live... It's very good... above avg good... like I felt while eating it I wasn't in this blind spot of Gods view hell hole Memphis!!! Anyways... it's great food perfectly seasoned... professional staff and can't wait to go eat in person this weekend with family... Take a chance and try it you won't be sorry :)

Went there for lunch. They have various lunch specials to choose from. Their fried chicken wings are the best! The service was fast and the wait staff is friendly. The place is clean and bright with alot of windows. I never been there for dinner. I recommend this place for lunch.

Great food and helpful polite staff. Takeout is fast and accurate which a lot of take out restaurants are not. Order from them several times a year when craving great Chinese food.

Staff is always courteous and professional. The food is outstanding and always fresh. A little pricey but worth it. I recommend this restaurant highly

I ordered Formosa on Christmas Day. Which was weird for me. My mother used to come order food for us, and she'd always come to this exact location. And the food I remembered then was a bit pricy because everything is made to order, but is high quality and consistent. My mother passed away years ago and this is my first time on this side of Memphis since then. So Formosa hasn't been in any of my conversations for a very long time. Obviously I no longer have my mother but this was an awesome way to remember her because Formosa you were there for me on Christmas. Not only that, this was the largest order I've ever ordered here and it fed 3 grown men. 2-3 times. And it was excellent. I used to work at a Chinese restaurant in West Hollywood and I've tasted some pretty good/authentic Chinese food... And I'd have to be honest, Formosa can compete with anyone. I definitely recommend.

Great food and great service. Kung pao beef was great. I would definitely recommend going here.

I had such high hopes for this place. What a let down. We're from NYC, we know both gourmet and American Chinese food. IT was a rainy day today, so why not sack out with some amazing Lo Mein, and other "americanized" Chinese food?!? First, their Lo Mein is thick pasta noodles, versus the small/medium size noodle associated with a true Lo Mein dish. Awful flavor, the vegetables are diced or small, they are big chunks of carrots and snow peas. Who does this? The pork was tender, and was big pieces, which is nice, but, again, just didn't work with the dish. There was more veggies/pork than noodles.... Mongolian Beef - grey meat, flavorless sauce. Giant chunks of beef and more green onions than meat. Steamed dumplings - epic failure here. The meat is bland, the dipping sauce is not that sweet/tangy sauce one is used to. It's also considered an entree and is served on a bed of vegetables (not upset over that part, but just not needed). Hunan chicken - terrible. Chicken itself was nice strips of chicken, but the dish was a huge disappointment. Asked for egg rolls, they were vegetable spring rolls with a piece of shrimp in there. There is no Genera Tso's Chicken either. If you're looking for good Chinese, stick to Wangs or Mosa (more fusion).

Website states they're open for lunch and dinner. When we drove out to the location, they are not open for inside dining at dinner, only at lunchtime. Why?

Awful. Beef was slimey. Broccoli was under cooked and unchewable. Will never go back or recommend.

It was sooo good ! This was my first time Ordering and I was very impressed! I just wish they had gave me more than one soy sauce ! I'll be ordering again. !

I like this place. I like it more every time I go. List of reasons why: Hot and Sour soup is fantastic Fried Rice is really good, perfectly cooked The prices are modest for what you receive You get a bonus chicken wing with lunch special I have never looked for soy sauce any time I dined The chicken is recognizable and cooked nicely The veggies are fresh They will make your dish mild, medium, or spicy The spices and cooking techniques are great The spring rolls are homemade and very tasty I've always had fantastic service, team service I drink lots of water and it never even gets low They cook it all fresh and fast I feel good eating at a place with a long history It's most definitely family run I like eating off of glass... Not sure why Oh yea, that damn Hot and Sour soup!!! I'm sure there is more to appreciate, but that's what I've got tonight folks. Like I said, I like it, if you go here based off my recommendation good. If it sucks, it's not my fault, it's yours, you probably have a poor outlook on life or something.

Don't order the sesame chicken, it's not like any other sesame chicken around here. It is deep fried strings of chicken with a cold sweet sauce on the side- absolutely NOT what I wanted when I ordered.

Another excellent lunch from Formosa. This isn't the best Asian food I've ever eaten, and it's not the most food I've ever gotten for my money, but dad gum, it's good, and I got lots of different things. For those places that serve on paper and plastic, who don't want to wash dishes, I counted 10 dishes on my table that had to be washed. Not including silverware and not including the condiment stuff on my table, they brought me ten dishes just for lunch. That shows hard work and dedication. Great food for a great price. These guys are all right. And they do have sweet tea now.

Every time we order from them, they mess up the order. Tonight when I called to try to get the order fixed, the woman who answered the phone hung up on me. The food is overpriced. $4 for a can of coke?!?! And while some things on the menu are quite good, others are simple mediocre. Not worth the price or the headache. Terrible customer service. We will not be eating there again.

A family favorite. Always stop by here for the spicy Szechuan shrimp, soup and spring rolls when I'm back home in Memphis visiting family. The lunch specials are a great deal but I prefer the dinner portion and extra spring rolls so I can enjoy it twice.

I love Formosa! Best Chinese food in the mid-south! The food is consistently good, and the owners and workers are so nice! Cashew chicken is my fav and love the wonton soup!

My food was burnt and tasted horrible they use to be good but I guess they changed cooks or something

I use to really love this restaurant especially since they packed the to go boxes to the top but that just doesn't seem to be the case anymore. Tonight I ordered the fragrant beef, fried rice and egg rolls to go - so disappointed that they still left at least an inch of the top of the box empty - and the box gets wider at the top. Don't know if I will ordering from them again - this has happened the last several time I ordered from them. I gave them the benefit of the doubt the first few times but not again.

Andrew Zimmern of television fame offers up some delicious advice when he says (and I paraphrase): "One of the best ways to understand and get to know another culture is through its food." It has been and continues to be an impassioned mission of this reviewer to find the best, most authentic Memphis-area restaurants to serve as truthful representatives of their respective cultural origins. I must say with a heavy heart that, after visiting Formosa Restaurant, my search for truly authentic Chinese food continues. Chinese cuisine has always been a great love of mine. I've had several great experiences in this city and beyond concerning China's rich culinary history. It's out there, if one knows where to look and how to look for it. One of the standard procedures in acquiring a truly Chinese meal is to ask for "the other menu." So, when i was seated with a menu featuring the dreaded likes of cashew shrimp and General Zuo's Chicken, I wasn't too worried. Yet to my dismay, when I politely asked as to whether or not "the other menu," was an option, I was informed that the menu placed in front of me was "all they had." I was quiet in my surprise. I hate making a big deal of things at restaurants. I work in the business, for God's sake. It was disappointing, I will say, that a kitchen and house full of Chinese staff did not have an alternate menu. So, it seemed that I was to be stuck with Americanized dishes this time. As such, I didn't bother asking for tea or chopsticks, though I'm sure they had both. As far as the meal itself went, I decided to take it for what it was. The lunch deal is a steal. About ten dollars yields soup, spring roll, lunch platter, and (oddly enough) a piece of fried chicken. If a Memphian would like a top notch ---American--- Chinese experience, I would give him a nudge in the direction of Formosa Restaurant. For that person, the hot and sour soup would be divine, the spring rolls crisp and flavorful, the wontons crunchy, the fried rice exceptional, and the forks and spoons all too convenient. But for someone searching for something more, for one who is so sick and tired of the necessity for good people with, pardon my French, fucking incredible culinary histories to dumb down their menus and traditions to cater to a grease-hungry clientele...well, I'm afraid that someone will have to look elsewhere. It could be argued that the fact that I'm an idealist destroys the integrity of this review. To be honest, in retrospect, perhaps what I expected when I walked in the door was a bit unfair. I mean, lunchtime at a Chinese restaurant in Memphis? Did I expect Dim Sum or something? Carts traveling the floor loaded up with tripe, chicken feet, steamed buns, dumplings, et al? Duck? Eggplant? Hot pots? There are other places I could have gone for that. So yes, I realize that these expectations are completely unfair. However, considering that Formosa is a place which advertises itself as a traditional Chinese restaurant blending traditional and modern flavors, I feel that my expectations were grounded in some sort of truth. So, for this Chinese Restaurant, Service: Good. Decor: Lovely. Food: American. P.S. and Addendum: Perhaps I will go again for dinner service sometime. I would love to see if they offer an alternate menu then. Nothing would make me happier than to add Formosa to my list of Authentic Chinese Havens in Memphis!

1st time eating here... Kung pao beef...$7.95 Lunch special. I called in my order. The place was sorta empty but it was only 1230 on a Saturday. Seems like it is a place where a lot of older people eat. The food... nothing special. It has flavor... and the wing they gave me was dark brown and bland. Wasn't much beef in the dish... but it was pretty decent. I will probably never go back.

The last time I had Chinese food, it was in NYC/Chinatown/Dim Sum authentic insanity. I'm a big time Chinese food snob and only go out of my way for the real stuff these days. My Memphis family chose Formosa as our gathering spot for an early dinner last night (since they all really like it). It's definitely an old-school Chinese "restaurant" with white linen tablecloths under glass; food served on large oval metal plates with metal covers..etc. The staff was super friendly and didn't mind that we sat around and took up space to catch up on family stuff (and go goo goo over the babies at our table)... waaaay after we finished eating. (When I said an "early dinner".... we beat the senior citizen crowd last night...which they seem to have a pretty solid contingency of on a Friday evening). I kept it simple since I've had some orthodontist work recently - I stuck with soft(er) foods: -Hot and Sour soup - very good as the other reviews say. Different from what I've had in the past as it's quite a bit sweeter than I'm used to - but definitely tasty. -Hot and Spicy Wontons - this is what I ordered for dinner (it's an appetizer but it's a very generous portion) - I think there were 6 wontons (I shared so that I wouldn't eat them all!) served in a bowl of a spicy soy-based sauce. Yum - had a very good kick. -Steamed dumplings - they only had pork dumplings (was hoping for veggie) - these were shared with the table and they were great. Side sauce was nice - super salty/tangy/onion-y (the way it's supposed to be). There are 10 per order (again - big portion!) -Fried Rice - ordered 2 of these for the table (there were 5 adults and 2 little ones - there was a ton left over...). Really good flavor - not too greasy - incredibly generous portions. The other entrees ordered (that I didn't try but got rave reviews) were: -Shrimp and Lobster sauce -Shrimp and Vegetables -Spicy Chicken Formosa was a nice surprise; I would go back there again if I had a hankering for Chinese in Memphis.

Have been waiting for this place to finally open back up and you would think in all that time they could get things right, well no. Been coming here for decades and would not ever saw I would have rated it anything but a 4 or 5. This time was different. My meal was spiced to the extreme that left me unable to breath by maybe new staff?? Who knows. When questioned about it I was told "we will try and get it right next time". Really?! WTF! Should have threw it on the floor and walked out. Bad joke or something here. Wait staff should have known better. Next time will not come

This is one of my favorite restaurants to eat at when I visit Memphis. I ordered takeout during lunchtime. Inside dining is available. There is an outside patio as well. Paper menus are available at the front door. I ordered the chicken chop suey which was very light and flavorful. The lunch broccoli chicken was a generous portion of fresh florets. The fried rice was a great compliment. I love the egg drop soup and ate two servings. The cashier was very welcoming and courteous. The food and service were great.

Okay, admittedly I thought that this would strictly be an restaurant based on the name. It's Chinese, and its interior boasts nice decor -- and I really enjoyed my hot and sour soup. I made a special request -- and I wasn't given the side-eye. Bonus.

We stop by for lunch one afternoon. Upon entering, restaurant looked almost upscale. Service was friendly. They had a lot of selections for lunch for a little price. And you get a lot of food- your entree, fried rice, soup, a chicken wing, and chinese donut. I was very impressed for under $8. And the food was actually tasty, not overly greasy like most other basic Chinese restaurants that I have been to. I will definitely be back.

Formosa is one of the best and oldest American-Chinese restaurants in town. I can't give them anything less than 4 stars for this reason. If I craved pure American-Chinese food with service in Memphis, as opposed to authentic Chinese or whatever it is that P.F. Chang's serve, here is where I go. That said, most of the other American-Chinese places serve a selection of authentic dishes, so I hardly ever bother ordering the American dishes. Ha ha! For American-Chinese food without service, I go to Green China in Germantown because of its vicinity to my house. Like with Mosa's review, the other sibling restaurant, I love the Hot and Sour soup and Wonton soup here. The Hot and Sour Wonton appetizer is also something I order often, mostly because Formosa has a credit card minimum policy at $10. Formosa's fried rice is up there as one of the best in town. If no one is going to take about their sweet and sour sauce, let me get down to it. It's all natural. It's made from fruits with a little bit of beets and a whole lot of love. It's frigging fantastic. Biggest negative of this place is that Tycoon is nearby and Mosa is the superior sibling restaurant. If you're looking for more authentic varieties, this is definitely not the place.

Sesame Chicken is delicious!!! The owners of this restaurant are wonderful people. i met them and really see they love to make good food. The interor ambiance is typical. As a New Yorker eating in Memphis what I found interesting was differences. The duck sauce I used amply on my egg roll was different - much sweeter and very delicous. The most surprising thing was the preparation of Sesame Chicken. The trick here seems to be a sesame flour or something like that for the breading. That is a much different preparaation than what we see up north. I LOVED it. Do yourself a favor and order this dish. The serving is huge. I would say it feeds 3 easily. We were a party of nine and order 2 to share on top of other dishes. Great crunch, delicious chicken inside - with a dip into that duck sauce..... yuuuuuuummmm. I really liked the hot and sour soup too. Wifey had egg drop and it really had a satin finish.

By far one of the best Chinese restaurants in Memphis. Their lunch specials are amazing but by far my favorite is hot and sour soup and sa chine chicken

This was my first time ordering from the restaurant. I ordered hot and sour soup and sesame chicken to go. The soup was amazing I loved it! However, I really was not a fan of the sesame chicken. It didn't taste like any sesame chicken I've had before. Maybe they accidentally gave me the wrong sauce? Not sure, but I ended up throwing it away cause it was just not what I wanted. The portions were very large though they really give you your moneys worth. It did only come with one soy sauce which was a little disappointing considering how much food there was.

Okay honestly, i was very disappointed by the food, the staff, and customer service. I specifically told them i needed chow mien, they gave lo mien. I asked for sesame chicken, they gave s&s. Both of my entire orders were wrong. Their pictures of their food on the website are misleading bc that's not actually what they serve. When i told them my order was wrong they literally yelled and told me it was not and that i was wrong. Horrible experience over all.

Formosa is my neighborhood Chinese go to every time. I was in my early teens when I first went here and it has stayed the same quality since then. The dining area is clean. There is hardly ever a packed restaurant, but when it is busy, the service is great. Every person I have ever dealt with has been friendly and efficient. The lunch specials are my favorite! Hot and sour soup, rice, meat and veggies, AND a really good little donut? All for $7? Unreal! The cashew chicken, broccoli chicken, and sesame chicken are what I go for. Cashew chicken is loaded with cashews and celery. The sesame chicken is cooked perfectly. Crispy and yet light and airy breading. I think the most appreciated aspect of Formosa for me is the flavors. This is what I want Chinese fare to taste like. Everything is well seasoned and chock full of veggies. You get more than your money's worth. Especially on take out. One order is like 2 or 3 servings. Please don't ever go Formosa!

Formosa is a gem of a restaurant with a menu featuring the traditional dishes you'd find in a Chinese restaurant as well as creative chef specials-all at a very reasonable price. The atmosphere is well done and clean, portions generous and service is fast and friendly. So, why the 4 stars instead of 5? A good dinner is made a lovely dinner with wine. But you cannot get wine at Formosa, which is very unfortunate, indeed.

Food is usually great and service quick enough to go on an hour lunch. On 5/27 we visited (3 people), service was unfriendly and food wasn't great at all....not a great experience.

Only place in Memphis to get real hot and sour soup or egg drop soup. This is a great neighborhood Chinese restaurant owned by a wonderful family. I've been going here for years (almost a decade). While the shopping center has been having trouble securing leases, this restaurant has remained safe and consistent. Don't be turned away. The lack of other stores means more parking spots. For real deals: The brunch/lunch special is a great deal: soup, wonton, fried rice, entree, fried chicken.

To say that this place is nothing special would be high praise. Even the most mediocre Chinese restaurants where I lived previously were better than Formosa. I ordered the Family Dinner for 4, and the dishes were all either too greasy or totally bland. Not a good experience at all. By the way, I found out that I have a sensitivity to MSG after eating here. I actually developed VERTIGO a few hours after I finished the meal, and apparently that is one of the potential complications of MSG "poisoning". Also - sorry - severe diarrhea. If you like being dizzy on the toilet for 8-12 hours, eat at this restaurant...