Mister Chen

Mr. Chen’s restaurants have become dependable fixtures across Westchester, known for a blend of authentic Chinese cooking and American-Chinese favorites served with a family-first hospitality. Paul Chen owns Mister Chen in Mamaroneck, Mister Chen Express in Scarsdale, and Mister Chen Seafood and Bar. The shops are best known locally for fresh soup dumplings, which Paul identifies as “our secret weapon” and a primary draw for repeat customers.

Paul and his wife returned to Westchester after nearly a decade in Hong Kong. Personal ties helped make the choice obvious. “My wife and I we were living in Hong Kong for close at 9-10 years and we wanted to come back. We were from New York and we wanted to come back and my in-laws and also my wife grew up in Westchester. My brother lives in Westchester and my mother at the time lived with my brother also in Westchester, so Westchester was a no-brainer. Having kind of like grown up in a business I thought Westchester was missing [something], I don't know there were a couple restaurants at the time, but then I had to find a way to differentiate myself into the others so I created his concept and gave it a shot and thankfully it's been working out OK,” he says.

Paul’s menu balances authenticity with neighborhood taste. He describes the approach this way: “I will call authentic Chinese food,” then adds that the menu is “more of a half authentic Chinese and American Chinese combination.” In Scarsdale, where customers expect a certain price point and familiarity, Paul says he chooses items deliberately so the menu fits local expectations while keeping real regional flavors. That selective authenticity extends to the soup dumplings, made fresh in-house and offered in pork, pork-and-crab, truffle, and lobster varieties. “This is our way of drawing customers right,” he says. “What makes someone wanna go to Mr. Chen as opposed to some other Chinese restaurant right? so our secret weapon is the soup dumpling. I believe that is the biggest draw for most of our customers.”

Operating small neighborhood restaurants means constant problem solving. Paul names staff turnover and training as notable issues. “Another difficult part is the employees. You know the amount of people that we hire and you know everybody's got problems right like you know this person can't show up or you know this person is leaving after being with us.” He also points to operational challenges ranging sprinkler testing and refrigeration repairs, situations that require time, money, and a trusted set of service providers. The lesson he offers is practical. Paul finds local professionals and invests in those relationships so that he knows he has a trusted support system to address all the problems of running a restaurant.

Cleanliness, consistency, and an appropriate price point are nonnegotiables in Paul’s view of running a successful business. “Your restaurant needs to be clean when people walk in, restaurants are tough, business is brutal,” he says. Paul speaks seriously about service. The steady presence of his restaurants on holidays, the fresh dumplings, and the family-run warmth all add up to more than commerce. They create a place where neighbors meet and traditions are sustained.