Chattanooga Pulse

Let me start by saying I’m pretty fortunate…I have a pretty sweet gig here.  I get to go to incredible restaurants and get the real story behind them—taste a little food, talk to the owners or managers.  It’s incredible, but it’s a rare treat to come across a completely different concept, and that’s just what happened when I set foot in Formosa Restaurant in Hixson last week.

I had called the owner, Mitchell Lin, earlier in the week to set up a time to come out for an interview.  He mentioned when we set the appointment wanting to do something a little out of the ordinary, but he wasn’t sure what just yet.  I was intrigued, and anxiously awaiting the scheduled time for our assignation.   The big day finally rolled around, and I had no idea what to expect.

As soon as I walked in the door of Formosa Restaurant, I could see this was not just another Chinese restaurant. From the elegant, yet simple atmosphere to the large saltwater fish tank designed to entertain diners while they wait, Formosa is a cut above.  Then my eyes locked on Mitchell’s wall of fame. Wow!  There are letters from congressmen, governors, heck—there was even something up there with a very prestigious return address in Washington, D.C. congratulating Mitchell on more than 20 years of entrepreneurship. And those hang alongside the 11 CityScope awards for “Best Chinese Restaurant.”

Mitchell came in, introduced himself to me and led me to a table, where he seated me with a young man he introduced as Tyler.  He explained that he’s decided to have me interview three of his more experienced wait staff.  Wait!  What’s this?  I’m gonna get to talk to the heart and soul of Formosa?  Mitchell brought Samantha and Spence over to our table and introduced them, then he left to prepare some food for the four of us.

Tyler Brandenburg, at two-and-a-half years at the Formosa, is the “rookie” of the bunch.  At 19, he’s recently completed his associate degree and is saving money to attend MTSU, where he plans to be a guitar performance major.  Samantha Lowy, at 20 years old, has already worked at Formosa for four years.  She’s a student at UTC, where she studies psychology.  Spence Guffey, the final member of our group, is another long-timer at Formosa.

Mitchell brought us three dishes to try: Princess Steak Kew Plus, hearty pieces of rib eye steak plus jumbo shrimp in a hot brown sauce,  Sesame Chicken, lightly breaded white-meat chicken blended with a few vegetables in a brown sauce topped with sesame seeds, and Shrimp Lo Mein with Five Flavor Sauce.  The guys explained that everything at Formosa is cooked to order. Anything can be added or taken away from a dish.   As we sat eating, I listened to the friendly banter between these guys. It was almost like siblings without the rivalry—when suddenly I was hearing lots of numbers. 903, 519, 604…what in the world?

“Everything has got a number. I make it a point to learn them all,” Tyler explained.  “I’ve got a couple of regulars that like to quiz me every week.  They come in every Saturday.  They order by number and see if I can guess what dish it is and they’re always just so excited when I get it right.”

Do they all know all the numbers?  I mean, the menu is massive. There are more than 30 seafood items alone!  “It’s not required,” said Samantha,  “but you just get to know them.”   So how?  How do you learn all these items?  “You either start as a busboy or hostess and then you work your way up to server,” Tyler said.

Owner Mitchell Lin and manager Mike Hendrix are also what these servers count among the great things about working at the restaurant.  Said Samantha, “We’re all kinda like one big happy family in a way.  It’s just a good atmosphere.  Mitchell is a great guy to work for.”

The great guy himself said, “We are very fortunate we have this group always very tight together.  They work together as co-workers and after school they get together sometimes, get some fancy, crazy things to do.”

Formosa: excellent food, cooked to order, incredible levels of customer service, great prices…What more can you ask for?  Happy employees!  And you’ll certainly find them there.

Formosa Restaurant, 5424 Highway 153, #9 in Hixson, Tennessee. Call (423) 875-6953 or find them on the web at www.formosa-restaurant.com.