- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Mandarin
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
5 reviews for Mandarin
5 reviews in English
-
Review from Edwin A.
This chain has consistent fast fresh food in all locations I've visited throughout the years.
It isn't suppose to be authentic Chinese food, so I don't rate or compare based on that.
It's a Canadian Chinese restaurant concept and it's execution is superb. .
All locations have an extensive salad bar, soup, BBQ, hot foods, drink menu and desert section. This makes it popular place to please a wide variety of patrons palettes.
As for service, I've never had a complaint here. They are very friendly (sometimes so much is feel fake :p ), everybody including the chef, hostesss, and most especially your table servers.
From Barrie, Newmarket, North York, Scarborough, Markham Brampton, and this location I'm reviewing in Woodbridge I would say they are all consistently good.
I just choose based on location not because one place does the food better.
Really I don't know why all the hate for it. Ah haters will be haters. -
Review from Ryan S.
North York, ON
10/31/2011
I have been going to Mandarin about once or twice a year since 1989. As a child, this was the best place to eat - when food was about quantity instead of quality.
The reason they have succeeded in my opinion is that they are consistent. When you go to Mandarin, you know what you're going to get. Decent service and lots of food choices for you to gorge on.
Mandarin is a westernized Chinese buffet restaurant. They have a selection of the western Chinese food classics - pork ribs, chicken balls, fried rice, spicy green beans, crispy chicken wings. They have western foods during dinner - roast beef, mashed potatoes, frozen pizza, steamed carrots, grilled steakettes, chicken and sausage. They also have a few desserts: a decent selection of ice cream, cakes, strawberry. Salads and soups etc! Lots!
Lunch runs you about $15 a person while dinner is about $30 with taxes. The $15 difference is noticeable ie. all the expensive and good stuff (crab legs, prime rib, chocolate strawberries, sushi-ish) is available only for dinner.
When I was young, I'd eat anything and everything.
But now - I'm about maximizing value when I go there. This is essentially what I eat when I'm there (dinner):
Plate #1: 10 steamed crab legs, 6 breaded shrimp sushi roll pieces and 6 Philadelphia cream cheese roll pieces and smoked salmon sushi pieces.
Plate #2: see plate 1
Plate #3: see plate 1 - I might add a slice of roast beef and/or grilled chicken
Plate #4 - 3 steamed crab legs.
Plate #5 - dessert - 3 chocolate covered strawberries and a waffle quarter with a scoop of ice cream.
The wait staff clear our each of your finished plates quickly, and keep the glasses of water filled.
It isn't fine dining - it doesn't claim to be. It's plenty, quick and fairly tasty - consistently so. It's this consistent quality that has kept me coming back.
RS -
Review from Natalie C.
East York, ON
8/16/2011
I was here for the first time last week! I went with about four co-workers for yet another office lunch. Always enjoyable food, and a pretty busy crowd considering it was lunchtime on a Wednesday. Our waitress was super helpful, as one of my co-workers has a list of food allergies. The waitress was able to tell us what was in every dish, and which ones to steer away from. Definitely going to come here again!!
-
Review from WaYnE c.
Maple, ON
4/16/2010
I'm one of those guys that thought negatively about Mandarin growing up. Maybe I was SHORT and that all the adults at a busy Mandarin blocked my vision to the food and I had to wait until my turn. It was also considered "Canadian" and "Expensive" especially the ONLY time I went during dinner.
It wasn't until co-workers taking me back to this Mandarin for Lunch that I've noticed a different vision. I'm the one IN-CHARGE now and expensive only refers to dinner and not LUNCH. In my books Lunch has value and dinner does not.
Mandarin does special CELEBRATIONS and that's usually the period when we go and eat because there's EXCITEMENT in the air or at least NOISY patrons but it's expected of a buffet place.
Nothing out of the usual in terms of the Decor, Setup, Food, Service, etc... I've experienced a 30 min wait here once, as I'm told from the hostess because I fled once I heard the wait time.
The FORTUNE COOKIES do not have Lucky Lotto Numbers anymore and sometimes you might want to ask for more than 1 Cookie as the last few times with a table of 6+ we tend to get duplicates of each others. I'm BAD LUCK so I don't believe anyone can have my identical fate!
I tend to do my own STRATEGY at buffets but now it comes second-nature. It's also one of the GREAT places to experiment with your PLATING DESIGNS. No one will judge you and you have all the time in the world to play around.Listed in: Southern Chinese Food
-
Review from Mila F.
Vaughan, ON
5/17/2010
I love mandarin...yes I know it's very "american" and I know you have to make reservations or prepare to wait...and dinner can be pricey ($21/person) but I love it. Where else can you get fried rice, fried chicken, chicken balls, french fries, roast beef, mashed potatoes, sushi, pizza and shrimp under one roof? No matter when you go and which location you go to they don't dissapoint. I love their variety of salads, their delicious wonton soup and mouth-watering dishes and their tempting desserts! And best of all you eat until you can't move..lol
