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Mandarin Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Chinese Restaurants Buffets Chinese, Buffets [Edit]
2200 Yonge StToronto, ON M4S 2C6
Neighbourhoods: Mount Pleasant and Davisville, Yonge and Eglinton
(416) 486-2222
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 12 pm - 9:30 pm
Fri-Sat 12 pm - 10:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
25 reviews for Mandarin Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"...styles of food from Chinese to seafood to ribs / roast beef." In 8 reviews -
"...were plentiful including crab legs, shrimp & mussels." In 5 reviews
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"Oh I cant forget to mention the sushi." In 10 reviews
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25 reviews in English
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Review from Alana C.
3/25/2012
You have to rate Mandarin based on what it is: a North American Chinese buffet. Of course, not everything is going to be the most delicious thing in the world. I've been going to Mandarin since I was a kid - it has been around forever. I have very fond memories of birthdays galore at other locations but as I grew up we leaned more towards their takeout as opposed to the buffet itself. It is a WAY better deal.
The delivery boundaries for this location SUCK. They won't come south of Bloor - so we have to order and then drive and pick it up. The food is always fresh and ready almost immediately. Also, their takeout portions are HUGE. When my room mate and I order a dinner for 4 and plain soft noodles, we have food for about 3 days. Also, it reheats well. And it only costs $35! For 3 days of lunch and/or dinner!
BUT, if I get one more reusable take out bag and I'm going to freak right out. -
Review from Daniel B.
11/20/2011
You don't come to the Mandarin for the food. You come because you want to completely gorge yourself senseless. It's self-immolation. You're trying to hurt yourself, most likely to subconsciously prove a point.
It's amazing that this gluttonous slopfest actually has a "sugarfree cheesecake" option for the diabetics. Perhaps it's because almost all of their frequent patrons will come down with the chronic condition and they're trying to proactively acclimatize folk to the future. It's hard to say.
While waiting in the feed line for dollops of trollop, I came to the instant realization that it's hard to fault this place for being exactly as advertised. I mean, it's not exactly fair to compare this to Toronto's culinary hotspots. That's like comparing apples to buckets of MSG-infused gravy.
Everything ran smoothly. The food was always plentiful, and empty plates disappeared faster than you could say "vomit soaked food coma".
Hey, at least no one died. -
Review from Mauricio A.
Toronto, ON
10/13/2011
Is Mandarin's food authentic Chinese food? No more than Tex-Mex being real authentic Mexican food. So no, it is not. It can be quite bland and flavourless. However this is not why you come to Mandarin and if you did, you may have just thrown away $25 --or however much you paid.
Now this particular Mandarin is clean, gets really packed during dinner hours and depending on the night, reservations may be required in order to avoid unnecessary waiting and hassle.
Which of the few times I have visited I have always gotten beforehand and they have always proven handy.
So, like in a Masters chess game, if you selectively decide, pick and sacrifice items you will be eating, then your visit can truly become a feast to behold!
Also ignore the tried and true attempts of an AYCE staff to constantly re-fill your glass with water in order to fill your stomach with inexpensive liquids. That is not why you are there for! :P
Of course what I pick is completely subjective but this is what I do.
Ignore:
* All Western food. I can get pizza, BBQ Beef, etc, at better restaurants.
* All deep-fried stuff. Which I generally do anyways.
* Most rice dishes. Who needs those calories at this point?
* Most breaded dishes as they would just taking up valuable stomach real estate.
* Most soups, as they tend not to be the best and for the same reason as above.
* Ignore most deserts, as;
A-) Most of their desserts tend to be kind of sub-par.
B-) Personally, I am not big on the sweet-tooth.
What to love:
* Shrimps & more shrimps
* Mussels
* Crab Legs
* Sushi (Yes, it is only okay and limited but I *did* say I was being highly subjective and I like me some seafood.
* I break for ribs!
* Seaweed salad!
* Seafood!
* Wontons and maybe the odd dumpling.
* Some steamed veggies just for taste.
And once you are winding down, for your final moves, maybe a touch of soup or a dessert to quench the palate!
Then, pay the bill.
Checkmate!Listed in: My Reviews, 30-Day Oct '11 Challenge &…
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Review from Sandra T.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 7/6/2011
So Mandarin has definitely lost its shine in my eyes ... we've visited a couple more times since our first visit but I think this will be the last time.
During this visit, the only thing that appealed to me were the desserts - the waffles, the caramel flan, creme brulee, and deep fried honey sticks. Basically, that is what I ate as my meal. For $27 including tax and tip, that is waaay too much to pay for an unhealthy diabetes inducing meal.Listed in: Buffets/ AYCE!!!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/27/2010
I heart this place!!! What a great place to have a party. Its big, its loud, its colourful and… Read more »
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Review from Monica B.
Toronto, ON
5/10/2011
Mandarin is a buffet style restaurant and it's the same in almost every location. The buffet is massive and has a variety of Oriental food and desserts.
This location is nice and big. I love the huge colourful fish tanks, cozy and fun décor and their food! At the buffet you can expect: A variety of hot soups, salads, grilled veggies, plenty of Chinese and Thai dishes, sushi bar, ribs, meatloaf, seafood, waffles, desserts that include jelly, cakes, pies, fresh fruit, a sundae bar with tons of topping choices etc. Besides water, all other drinks are not included in the buffet price. Those other drinks include- wine, coffee, cocktails, soft drinks etc.
I've always experienced the staff here to be very kind and efficient. The service has always been good. The prices are very reasonable; I think I paid under $23 for the buffet- not bad. The variety of the dishes is great, but I would not say the food is excellent quality. The food is not bad either, just in between- it's good.
The major downfall about this particular Mandarin location for me is that it's almost always crowded with either kids who are running around or large groups of very loud teenagers. Also, every time I came here I had to wait some time in line in order to get a table. I would highly recommend making reservations to beat the line-up.
Overall, I would recommend Mandarin if you're looking for some yummy Oriental food. However, do expect crowds and noise. Personally, I can't wait to go back for their jumbo fresh strawberries half dipped in milk chocolate!Listed in: Yonge & Eglinton, Asian Fusion
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Review from Ayesha A.
6/4/2011
I went there for lunch and am still stuffed 10 hours later.
Starting out with one spoonfull of every single salad, moving onto the "chinese" food, then the "white" food, the sushi, then....the dessert. O-M-G
Note please that I am veggie these days and still managed to beyond stuff myself satisfactorily and then some whilst touching zero ex-land creatures (I did however try the 'Torpedo Shrimp' which is probably the best thing I had the entire day, which includes about 15 kinds of dessert).
I think I put on 5 pounds at lunch alone, I skipped dinner and wanted to nap the rest of the day.
Oh I cant forget to mention the sushi. I am not a huge sushi person, find it super over-rated and I hate raw fish or any kind of that scary seafood uncooked stuff. They had more veggie sushi options than fishy ones, and they were so scrumptiously awesome...well, for sushi.
My fav. the yam, they also had inari, avocado, veggie, and many more I didn't have room in my tummy to even look at.
If you like sushi, there was a surprisingly awesome plethora of options, even for the veggies!
And the dessert....where do I begin?
I tried one bite of *almost* every dessert but then I gave up after about 10-15...
SUGARFREE cheesecake (start with this bc after a few bites of the amazing other goodies this will taste like nothing, but I really like that there is a dessert option, however limited, for the diabetics) squares, ice cream...although the flavour options were disappointing, amazing variety of cakes including fudge, cheese, lemon meringuey-style, black forest and god knows what else. There were chocolate dipped marshmallows, bananas dipped in chocolate, eclaires or something that resembled them, mini croissants, waffles!!!!, so many toppings....god you could seriously go there for the dessert alone.
I love eating, but I don't want to look at food for like...3 days after this.
But for dinner it's gotten kinda expensive in recent years. Lunch is $12.99 and seniros get 20% off :-) for those of you dining with the wiser ones. -
Review from Justin M.
Milton, ON
2/10/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Once again, we enter the realm of "I wish I could half star this". Because I'm not 100% sure if the Mandarin, one of the fine captains of the sit down and gorge buffet chain, deserve four stars. But I follow the same rule with stars that I do with tipping: if you think you've given too much, you probably have given enough.
I go to this particular Mandarin exactly once a year, for a dinner party thrown by a friend. Yes, yes, we go to Chinese buffet for a dinner party. That's how she rolls.
Anyway, my trips here have been an ongoing education. Each year, I learn how much I can eat at a time. How many plates I can consume, how fast I can scarf them down.
And now, I can finish dinner and not be pleading for the sweet release of death.
The food is tasty enough. You can get a variety of Chinese-Canadian dishes.
There's a wonderful ambiance to be had there on a Saturday night. Large groups celebrating something or another, small parties, bridal showers carb loading before the festivities, it's all quite something to see. -
Review from Ken L.
Toronto, ON
7/5/2011
We come to this location for consistent quality, service and a great selection. I've been to this particular location many times over the years with friends, family and company functions. I rarely eat at Chinese AYCE places but when I do it's usually where the eaters can't decide what to eat and it's a mixed group then this is our go to place cos there is something for everyone. If you are on diet and trying to lose weight I'd suggest to stay away cos the selection is overwhelming. For the money, it's good value and if you eat in moderation, this will be a good experience. The high turnover of food in a busy buffet restaurant is a very good thing... nothing worse than having food under a heat lamp drying up cos no one is eating it.
Oddly enough, I don't really enjoy the Chinese food (not much is really authentic and the taste tolerable so nothing you would write home about), sushi or pizza is a forgettable experience (or regrettable depending on your stomach) but it's the roast beef I like here. If you like beef ribs, this is my personal pick though I'm rather fussy when it comes to handling food requiring the use of hands to eat. It's also not good for you if you have health issues which is why I would restrict my appearances here to less than 3-4 times a year unless you enjoy seeing your heart surgeon on a regular basis. Still they have enough variety here where a vegetarian can get by or if you want to just have desserts and salads alone, you can still have someone cart you out in a wheel barrel.
One of the good aspects of the Mandarin is you will get the same experience at all their locations and they're always busy. Having said that, I strongly suggest reservations but this caused some problems with our group on our last visit cos there was a party that reserved an entire section for 90 people but only 50 showed up when we requested a section for our group of 70 and all of us showed up. This resulted in us being shoehorned into a smaller section where we were crammed eating (14-15 sitting squeezed at a table that sits 12) while the section next to us had 6 people eating at a table of 12. It was the only time we've encountered this situation and clearly an operations issue that they may want to address. Still this is a solid 4 star establishment. -
Review from Terry P.
12/21/2010
This was actually better than I expected it would be. It is a huge place (the different rooms are labelled so that you don't get lost trying to get back to your table), and the food is constantly refilled. The service was prompt and efficient - our dirty plates were taken away almost instantly.
I would say the food quality here is average, but the beauty is in the variety. I can't even begin to remember all the things that I sampled but it included hot and sour soup, crab legs (special for the holidays I think), torpedo shrimp, spare ribs, lots of stir-fried veggies, mussels with cheese, salmon, dumplings, and curry chicken. Same thing with dessert - nothing that I tried was absolutely amazing but I did enjoy the cherry cheesecake, lemon meringue pie, mango pudding, nanaimo bars, and the waffles (with a variety of fruit toppings). There is also a salad bar, a sushi section, and a section of french fries, pizza, roast beef, mashed potatoes, etc.
I've heard that there can be long waits for tables, especially on weekends, so a reservation would be a good idea. $23.99 for dinner on the weekends (and on holidays, and during the entire Christmas season). While the food quality here doesn't quite stand up to some of the best buffets in Vegas, it's not a bad substitute. -
Review from jocelyn l.
5/5/2011
I ordered takeout on a rainy day...picked up dinner on the way home.
The fried chicken appetizer was good- huge portion, freshly fried and crispy. Enough for 2 people
The Black Pepper Beef Hor Fun was terrible.
Huge portions, but they simply dumped boiled noodles into the container and poured a not-tasty-at-all black pepper gravy over it. The noodles were not stir-fried in the gravy, it was Very clumpy and extremely unappetizing. I was not impressed at all. That was simply lazy cooking at its worst. -
Review from Ali Z.
11/16/2010
During a whirlwind trip in TO several people had mentioned eating at Mandarin. Not being a local I assumed it was a standard Chinese restaurant that was particularly popular. The fact there was a line-up for the opening should have been a give-away about how wrong I was. My first thought looking over the four aisles of food was: how do we not have one of these in Calgary? (Followed by, do they have ginger beef in Toronto?)
Mandarin is an over sized buffet that has varying styles of food from Chinese to seafood to ribs / roast beef. I can't say any of the food was excellent however the variety was impressive. The seafood options were plentiful including crab legs, shrimp & mussels. Sadly of all the choices available the one I fixated on was waffles for lunch. The one item would caution on is the dessert, most of the items were tasteless and I would recommend skipping the various pies / bars and heading straight for the ice cream station.
The service is very quick, our waitress was patient w/ first timers however did tell us up front that there was a table time-limit given the rush. The location is central however the parking lot isn't well marked though street parking is readily available; and after the buffet you could do with the walk. -
Review from Alida S.
Toronto, ON
10/14/2010
Let me start by saying that I've never been a fan of buffets. There is something unnatural about food that has been sitting there for god knows how long, being touched by anyone who walks by.
My issue with the Mandarin is not so much that it is a buffet, but the fact that you are paying so much to eat there. I understand that eating until you burst is what draws people to a buffet, but would you really want to pay so much to stuff yourself with generic food? Toronto has great Asian restaurants, and most of them are pretty cheap. What is the appeal of the Mandarin?
I can imagine people keep going to the Mandarin because they like to sample everything they offer. And trust me, they offer a lot. With so many options, you are bound to find something you like.
And now that my biases are out of the way, I can begin my review. I went for lunch. The place was packed as usual. The service was pretty slow. As soon as we got our drinks, we headed to the buffet. I sampled a little bit of everything. The food was warm, but I never found any dish that I loved. The person I was with said this particular location was no good, and that other locations were much better. I'm gonna have to agree. I recently went to the Oakville location, and the food was a thousand times better.
Give it a try if you are into buffets. If you are not sure, then avoid at all costs. -
Review from Craig P.
Brampton, ON
9/30/2011
This is like their other locations, the food here is also lacking in flavor. But on top of that this location also overcooks the breaded items, and if you choose the buffet here the plates aren't always clean.
Oh but they'll validate your parking, and the ice cream's always good. -
Review from Amanda A.
Toronto, ON
1/4/2010
Let me start off by saying when I go to the Mandarin, I am not expecting the greatest quality food. I am expecting chinese take out quality, and a hell of a lot of dessert. Oh and soup and salad to make me feel better about my over indulgence. I also expect to spend the rest of the evening on the couch or in bed, hating myself and planning my visit to the gym in the AM. This is why I go once a year, at most, but people: do NOT go to the Mandarin before a night out of drinking. I have so many friends who do this, and while it seems like a good idea, it never turns out well.
The Mandarin (not just this location) has the friendliest staff ever. Really, if it weren't for the staff and excellent service, I wouldn't return. I'm not big on buffets but it is always nice to go somewhere where there is truly food for everyone (pizza, sushi, roast beef, yorkshire pudding, even a full turkey dinner around thanksgiving) and I'm telling you, the staff always put a smile on my face!
Avoid this (and any Mandarin) like the plague on holidays though. The wait to get seated is crazy.Listed in: The Best and Worst and…
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Review from John F.
North York, ON
1/13/2010
Large and reasonable buffet, but hardly any real Chinese dishes and most of the Chinese dishes there are involve breading and deep frying. The first time I was here I has diarrhea for two days; since I was with a group and no one else complained, I was able to trace it by interviewing people about what they ate to the mussels. Avoid them.
Cocktail shrimp are nice here, and it is worth filling up on them to get the most expensive item for you money. I don't trust the sushi on a buffet and have avoided it.
Staff is very friendy as other reviewers mentioned. Because the place is so busy and so friendly - and because of the yuppie digs in which this particular one is located - a lot of rude and spoiled brats are usually running around unsupervised by Mr. and Mrs. Yuppieparent. Last time I was run into twice and nearly knocked over. -
Review from Sarah Y.
Vancouver, BC
7/11/2010
OMFG....a place that serves Chinese food where the chicken balls are made of WHITE meat...
I just got home from this place -- for what it is, it's amazing. Crab legs! BBQ ribs! Mussels! Shrimp! Seaweed salad! Even the sushi was decent.
I signed on, expecting low quality but massive quantity and was extremely surprised to find decent quality -- I'm Asian, and I've had my fair share of dining in Chinese dives and over-priced 5 stars, but this place...for $23.99 (weekend, prime time, crab legs action)...I can't complain.
They even had no sugar added cappucino ice cream and these amazing chewey chocolate chip cookies. And massive strawberries dipped in chocolate.
There were so many stations, I couldn't even make it to three of them I was so full....sadly I missed out on the made-to-order dessert waffles, the grilled kabob station and the sliced roast beef/prime rib station.
If you want to get your money's worth, stick to the seafood. I sure hope I don't sound like I'm stereotyping my own type, but Chinese who focus on the seafood at these buffets really know how to get their money's worth -- so follow suit! =)
You know it's a good place for Chinese food when you actually see other Chinese people dining there.
Will be back again. Especially on a lazy week night where its about $18.99 and brunch is $16.99 -
Review from Paul G.
Toronto, ON
5/26/2011
This Mandarin is the one I usually go to, as it is close to my work and when I have a big time Chinese food craving, the food here hits all the right spots hehe. Service is great, I never have to wait to be seated and the food selection is very good and very tasty every time I go. Never had any problems dining at this location.
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Review from David T.
Toronto, ON
7/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
There isn't much that I can add to the excellent reviews here already. However, don't eat for about two days before going to this place :-)
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Review from K V.
Thornhill, ON
3/14/2011
The only reason we go to Mandarin is for their Crab Leg Festival. The amount of crab legs my love can shuffle down his throat would have left our bank account overdrawn if purchased at market prices (I actually checked that). The crab legs are always top notch fresh, lightly salted, and pre-cut, and although I don't get into the messy business of getting them out of their shells, my other half says it is very easy as he proceeds to unshell the fifth plate of the evening. As for everything else in this buffet, it is average or even below average. I don't like a single salad from the bar, they are mainly bland and boring. The soups are Ok with 3-4 to choose from including favourites like Won Ton and Hot and Sour and perhaps a chowder or other cream soup depending on your luck. There is no Peking Duck at Mandarin, I really don't know why, as it really seems to be a staple of other buffets, guess they dared to be different, not in a good way though. They offer roast beef which is again bland bland bland. The selection from the hot table is standard with fried foods and some of the familiar to the white men Chinese dishes, all incredibly westernized. Sushi are just plain wrong, I mean chicken with peach roll? what is that? French take on Japanese cuisine? No sashimi either.
The desserts are plentiful but nothing to stand out really. When ordering tea ask for one tea bag, or you will get two overpowering tea bags in a small pot, for which you'll be charged.
Other than that service is uber friendly, fast and efficient. At dinner they validate your parking ticket, but not for lunch.
Overall as I said, crab legs are the only thing that keeps this place on my list.Listed in: Buffet/AUCE around GTA
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Review from a t.
3/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very busy Saturday night. The food was restocked without any delay. The quality was typical for a buffet. Not the best but adequate.
The waiter was friendly and attentive despite the busy atmosphere. -
Review from Shieva R.
7/7/2009
Better than any chinese buffet I've been to in the states but it's still a buffet with unauthentic Chinese food and mediocre Canadian dishes. I don't know why every time I'm visiting my family in Toronto they want to take me here, I wish they'd stop.
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Review from willi p.
Markham, ON
10/30/2008
All you can eat buffet. Kids love it, but I prefer more authentic chinese, and there is lots of choice in in other parts of the city.
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Review from Kevin F.
Toronto, ON
8/4/2010
I'm not under any illusions that this place is an authentic Chinese restaurant. I mean, they serve pizza, mashed potatoes and roast beef in the 'white people food' corner of the buffet line. Mandarin is great because it offers a variety of well made dishes. Let me clarify, well made buffet style dishes. For a buffet it's pretty decent, you have to admit. The restaurant itself is cheesy in its decor, but the staff are friendly and attentive. Not a bad place to spend 20 bucks.
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Review from Wayne S.
Toronto, ON
6/15/2010
like others, i don't go to Mandarin for an authentic Chinese meal, I go because the quality is good, the selection great, the staff are friendly, they validate parking. Lunch is by far the best deal, and I would not darken their door on any holiday (too busy for me).
I don't eat that much, but I get to eat exactly what I want :-) -
Review from Nora T.
4/20/2009
Let's put it this way: once my husband asked me where I wanted to eat on my birthday and I said "The Mandarin" so we went there---and the Mandarin is in Toronto, and we live in Chicago. I have counted 48 hot Chinese entrees on the Mandarin's Chinese buffet, plus six kinds of soup and ten kinds of ice cream, a vast salad bar with ad lib shrimp, a grill with salmon or chicken or steak (also the Mandarin in London ONT had baby lamb chops when we were there), the Canadian buffet has roast beef with mashed potatoes and Yorkshire pudding, and the last time we were at Yonge Street they had added a waffle station. I do not want to hear ONE WORD about this not being authentic Chinese food: fall silent at once. The Mandarin is a Canadian treasure.
