Close message

Hi there. We use cookies to improve your experience on our website. Find out more about how we use cookies.

You can update your settings by clicking the Cookie Policy link which can be found anytime at the bottom of the page.

Belize City Restaurants

Ma Ma Chen Restaurant

1 reviews | Write a review

Good for: desperate vegetarians

Not good for: people who don't like rip offs

  • Address
    • 7 Eve St
  • Phone
    • 223-4568
  • Price
    • Meals from BZ$5
  • Hours
    • breakfast, lunch & dinner

Correct these details

Lonely Planet review for Ma Ma Chen Restaurant

Looking for an antidote for meat-heavy Belizean cuisine? Look no further: Ma Ma Chen’s is a genuine Taiwan-style vegetarian restaurant, serving tofu, brown rice and vegetable dishes. The Chen’s also run a guesthouse of the same name.

 

Traveller reviews for Ma Ma Chen Restaurant (1)

  • Avatar
    To write a review sign in, register or   Connect_light_large_long
    Recommend
     
    Add your experience “ ”
    Say more…
  • Avatar

    unfriendly service, bad food, surprise tax added to bill

    lifewontwait does not recommend this,

    We were there in July 2011.

    When asked whether all the food on their menue was vegetarian (it didn't say so anywhere and it was not clear from the menue itself, some dishes were just called eg "lunchbox"), we got a snappy comment from the proprietor that all the food in her country was vegetarian. We've been there (more recently than she herself i assume) and nope, by far not all food in Taiwan is vegetarian.

    There was not a single rice dish on the menue so we ordered Chow Mein which turned out to be spaghetti with some vegetables, soy meat and *a lot* of pepper. Did not taste Taiwanese/Chinese at all, just like spaghetti with pepper. The portions were rather big though.

    The Chow Mein were 8 Belize Dollar (= 4 usd) and we also had some Bubble Tea/Bubble Juice for 3,50 Belize Dollar (i think?) which was quite nice.

    When we went to the counter to pay, we were presented with a sum considerably larger than what the total should have been. When asking for clarification, we got another snappy comment that there is a general 15% sales tax added on everything in Belize.

    The truth is, there is a general 12.5% sales tax (not 15%) which is always already incorporated in the final price, never added on top at the end. Furthermore, there is a law requiring all restaurants to list all additional costs (such as extra taxes, service...) on the menue (we inquired about that at the national tourism bureau afterwards), which Mama Chen did not do either. Our impression was that she routinely adds the tax to tourists bills.

    Good for: desperate vegetarians

    Not good for: people who don't like rip offs

    report