When a craving for Chinese food begins to set in, Fu Zhou is the place to go. With an assortment of savory dishes, there’s always something new for customers to try at a reasonable price.
Sonoma State University students don’t have to travel far for this delectable food, but rather just down East Cotati Avenue, located in the same shopping center as Oliver’s Market. Customers can call ahead and place an order for pick-up to bring home without any hassle. However, if there’s a night where leaving the house seems impossible, Fu Zhou offers a free delivery option with an $18 order minimum. Even dining in is enjoyable with all the colorful decorations for customers to admire.
“While the service may not be that great, Fu Zhou ends up being an enjoyable place to dine that gets a lot of business from Sonoma State students because of their dishes,” said junior Jimmy Adams. “I think their business thrives because not only is their food really good, but the prices for [the] amount of food you get is awesome.”
Not only is the location a convenience for customers, but the prices of the dishes work well with a college student’s budget. Ranging from around $7 to $13, the amount of food one gets for their money is completely worth it. They even have a daily lunch special, offered from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. During this time, dishes are a few dollars less than normal and are served with fried wontons, a soup of the day, salad and fried rice, or chow mein or steamed rice.
“Fu Zhou is a great place for Sonoma State students to go with friends, bring their parents to or even for a little date night. It has some very tasty Chinese food at prices that honestly aren’t bad at all,” said student Jessie Hoffer. “My favorite dish would have to be the Chicken Chow Fun. While the service may be kind of impersonal, the workers there move quickly and efficiently, even when they have big groups dining there.”
For those who are dining with multiple people, Fu Zhou offers “family dinners,” which gives customers different options that can be split between multiple people that includes a soup, appetizer and entrée. This deal allows for larger groups to come in and get a deal for their meal. With tables against the walls and a line of them down the middle of the restaurant, it gives those who have a lot of people in their party all the space they need.
From their flavorful beef, chicken and pork dishes, to their appetizing Chow Fun and Chow Meins, the restaurant serves a variety of meals that leaves customers with the difficult decision on what to order. They also offer multiple vegetable and tofu dishes, which makes dining at Fu Zhou appealing to vegetarians as well. While Fu Zhou’s food and prices may be good, the service isn’t anything to rave about.
“Honestly, Fu Zhou has some really tasty food, but I just wish that the people that worked there were a bit nicer. They do work to get you your food quickly and if you come with a big group they’re very accommodating,” said sophomore Rachel McCloskey. “However, the workers tend to be very detached from their customers. I normally do take out or delivery because of it, but I’d definitely eat at the restaurant more if their workers were a bit more personable.”
The reason some people may use the to-go or delivery options from Fu Zhou is because they don’t necessarily prefer to deal with the disengaged service of their workers or the generic atmosphere of the restaurant. While the restaurant’s atmosphere and service isn’t anything special, it’s the flavorsome food and inexpensive prices that keep the customers, especially college students, coming back for more. Fu Zhou is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and is located at 572 East Cotati Ave.
