The Mandarin House
120 SW Ankeny, Portland, OR, 97204
The Mandarin House Menu
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Address :
120 SW Ankeny
Portland, OR, 97204 - Phone (503) 228-1820
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
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Brandon V.
The horrible experience I had at this place prompted me to write my first review ever. I wanted to like this place, I really did. I was reeled in by the setting, which had a good atmosphere, and the staff was friendly. It wasn't very busy so I was surprised when it took a while for them to give us menus situated 10 feet away (maybe I should have served myself). The food took an eternity to arrive and didn't deliver (maybe because the staff was busy cooking their own food and eating at the table behind mine). Between the four people at my table we were given one napkin. The "pad thai" I ordered was overpriced and laughably bad (I'm the type of person who can usually eat everything and anything). They had no lime and the dish was blazingly hot even though they had no heat choices - it's a$$ burner or nothing. I was famished yet I couldn't down more than a third of this mess. My friend's sesame chicken dish was mediocre (although the pad thai made it appear all-world), but the portion was scant for the price, consisting mostly of white rice and sliced cabbage. We finally got our water after the bill had come, and we were greeted by grimy cups and a friendly little cockroach-looking bug perched on the rim of one of the cups. The server didn't seem to notice, maybe they just get used to seeing that sort of thing around there. The only thing the staff did quickly and efficiently, was swiping my card and giving us fortune cookies, props. Anyways it was my choice to lead my group here, and I left feeling like I'd been had, and embarrassed. I hope this was a one time blunder for their sake, because the experience/food/cleanliness was a joke. I guess I will never find out, as there many other better places that deserve my money.
(1)Troy P.
I don't like giving out bad reviews. Typically, if I don't like a place, it won't receive any review at all. But Mandarin House was a real disappointment. All I wanted was some kung pao. I'm not a Chinese food snob. I wouldn't know "authentic" Chinese vs. anything else. All I know is whether it tastes good. The kung pao at Mandarin House was atrocious. It was just chicken (albeit white-meat, gristle-less chicken, to their credit), onions and green bell peppers smothered in an unidentifiable, thick red sauce. It was far-inferior to even the hours-old kung pao one might receive at a Panda Express. I left hungry and unsatisfied... :(
(1)Coco L.
Handmade noodles, potstickers, onion pan fried cake, and fresh soy milk are must :) hole in the wall kind of place, but servers are friendly!
(4)John W.
Mandarin House is the best Chinese restaurant in Portland - hands down. Unfortunately, it is not very well known. Do yourself a favor and check this place out - it is much better than Lucky Strike or other more well-known restaurants. My favorite dishes are from the Chinese language menu (which you can ask the owner to help you with) and are: Fish Hot Pot, the Spicy Fried Chicken, the Sour cabbage noodle soup (house made sour cabbage) and order all with their homemade bread instead of (or in addition to) rice. Just ask the owner what he recommends, very nice family and very hospitable. I crave this food on a regular basis! I also assume that Ling J.'s review is bogus and from a competitor, as there is no way that this homemade cuisine was as he describes. By "humiliated" he must mean that the food he is serving is much less good. Go and enjoy!
(5)Kody L.
This year my work will be relocating very close to this restaurant and I wanted to preview the food scene. I've always had trouble finding a good Chinese restaurant in Portland, which is weird since it's easy to find good Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, etc. anywhere around town. Fortunately, we have a whole department at work that centers around China, so I asked my co-workers what place to try. Their answer: The Mandarin House, apparently the most-authentic Chinese food they've come across in Portland. You start off with a radish kimchi, which I usually don't see served as a starter. It was good -- not very spicy, if you're concerned about that. We got the sauteed green beans, sweet and sour pork and sesame chicken. I loved the plates! The sweet and sour isn't the bright red variety you get everywhere else, but something more brownish-orange and thicker, almost like a jam. It was so good! The sesame chicken seemed to be glazed in honey, but the flavor didn't seem like honey to me (sorry, I'm not an expert, but my taste buds approve!). The sauteed green beans were the best I've ever had and my vegetarian lunch companion approved. The food was incredibly flavorful! I'm going to make the friend who recommended this place go with me so I can try his favorites for a more-authentic experience: on the left side of the menu, you've got an English menu. On the right, a what-am-I-missing-out-on menu in Chinese. Now, the most obvious reason I didn't give this place a five star review is because it suffers from the stereotypical "How clean is this place?" uncertainty that you get with most Chinese restaurants. Even more unfortunately, we had a concrete reason to wonder: my vegetarian friend didn't go family style with us, ordered a noodle dish and found a strand of metal from a scouring pad amid the noodles. I'm willing to give every place a one-time break on things like this, because this can just happen, but I hope I never experience similar events because I really like this place. Oh! The space, though filled with tacky decor, is refreshingly flooded with light. I almost always fall in love with places with tons of sunlight, probably because I'm too blinded to pay attention to anything else going on around me. This place is a glassy outcrop from a brick building, so aside from the wall that's attached to the building, it's all windows! Perfect for the SADD-afflicted.
(4)Scott K.
Authentic Northern Chinese cuisine. Protip the Chinese language menu is much better so bring someone who knows how to order or ask the staff for suggestions on authentic dishes. The owners make you feel like family.
(5)Alan N.
The people and the service was nice.... We ordered several dishes from this establishment and I remember distinctly how dissatisfied I was with the Chicken Fried Rice w/ Salty Fish. The rice was still white! It looked hardly fried and there was hardly any Chicken and Fish. Otherwise I enjoyed the locale and the decor. The prices were about what I expected but the most important thing this place lacked were some good dishes. Maybe I just ordered the wrong ones?
(2)John T.
The dozen or so times I've been here I was treated with exceptional service and dishes that were either off-menu or their best. Of course it's not b/c they were graced by my presence and decided to indulge me in excellence. No, it was b/c of the people I was with. One of my gigs in life is to interact with Cohorts of managers from China and we frequent this place b/c of Mandarin House's ability to be at a level acceptable to these Chinese natives. This should be enough to tell you that they know authentic Northern Chinese cuisine. Their hunk of pork stewed for 4 hours is ooohh so flavorful and satisfying. (I think its called Zhou Zi, but just ask the owner for the pork that has to be ordered 4 hours in advanced, literally). THE BEST! Also they have the extra spicy fish stew served pipping hot. also good. Essentially, what you have to do is come up to the owners and let him or her (couple that manage the place) know to cut the BS and give it to you truly Chinese style. They'll keep the food and flavors coming for days. I've also had breakfast here numerous times. But this is a specialty that they did just for our group. If you ask in advance, they'll might make accommodations. Chinese breakfast is out of this world (meaning different when compared to western breakfast). Porridge, stir-fried beef, pickled cabbage, boiled eggs and Chinese donuts? WHAT... try it! Not a fancy place, but possibly the most Authentic Chinese food in PDX if ordered right.
(5)Teek K.
Interesting place, do a google search, you'll find this place has some specialty items that aren't on the English part of the menu...or the menu at all. I had red pepper chicken or something similar, really good and spicy, opened up the sinuses. Still, the tab seemed a bit on the pricey side. Probably won't bother with a return trip.
(3)Plume Z.
A little pricy. Dishes are regular. Service is good. Recommend sesame lamb.
(3)Steven W.
I have been to this restaurant before and have had wonderful food and service. This was when I with a Mandarin speaking, native born Chinese friend. That is why I went there today with a friend who asked if there was a place in Portland to have authentic Mandarin cuisine. Today I had the worst meal ever plus terrible service, and quite honestly, I believe that it was a racist experience. There were only two other tables with people at them when we arrived, and they were both occupied by Mandarin speaking Chinese young adults. After we placed our order, we proceeded to wait and wait while the servers gave all of their attention to the tables of Chinese youths. On previous visits with my Chinese friend, we were immediately served a small bowl of radish kim chee and a bowl of warm salted peanuts as a snack while awaiting the meal. I asked the owner whom I recognized from previous meals with mylChinese friend for a bowl of each as I saw on the other tables. She was surprised I asked but said of course and then never brought either. Just before we left a couple came in (American man with a Chinese woman), and as soon as they sat down, they were brought what I had asked for and never got. In the meanwhile, we got nothing as we watched the Chinese tables get dish after dish of their orders and very attentive service as we were virtually ignored. The owner walked past our table several times, made phone calls, reset empty, dirty tables, and acted as though she really did not want our business. When our food finally came, it was truly horrible, possibly the worst I have ever had in any city or country in the world. We had to ask several times for rice and even it was dry and hard. I have actually had more tasty and well prepared food at mall food court Chinese restaurants, I lived in San Francisco for 19 years and worked as an agent of the Chinese government owned shipping company. I ate many Chinese banquets prepared by chefs from China as well as travelling extensively throughout Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, and the People's Republic of China. I am a professional, degreed chef with more than a decade teaching experience of aspiring professional chefs. This meal was offensive to me on so many levels, I would not recommend this to my worst enemy. Now if you are Chinese, you might get a good meal and service there. If you are gwai lo (foreign devil i.e. Caucasian) beware. Our horrible meal and service cost $38.85 for two. I left $40.00 because I did not want to wait for change. I could not wait to get out of there. The $1.15 change I would have gotten was $1.15 more tip than that racially biased server deserved. DO NOT GO TO THIS RESTAURANT UNLESS YOU REALLY LIKE POORLY PREPARED, UNINSPIRED, OVERPRICED FOOD.
(1)Ravi A.
Good food and service. We went for a snack and ended up having a full meal. Good choice for vegetarians. They even give peanuts as an appetizer
(4)Amy L.
My favorite Northern Chinese place, very ambient not over crowded like most Chinese places. I love the appetizers my favorite green onion pancake, dumplings and fried buns with condensed milk. Love the candied fruit dessert very tasty. Been going for years
(5)Kyle R.
The food is amazing, the service rocks, and it's refreshingly different Northern cuisine. Everything we ordered was top quality and amazingly delicious, so I don't think you can go wrong here. Definitely try the curry chicken though!
(5)Don B.
Authentic Northern Chinese food in Portland? NO! NO WAY! Sichiuan numbing peppers? Check. Bottle of baijo in the liquor cabinet? Check. An entire page of the menu in Chinese (with no English translation)? Double-check! I am pretty impressed by the food at this place. We ordered off the "Chinese" menu, and got a spicy fish, spicy chicken, dry wok green beans, and pork dumplings. It was WAY too much food for 2 people. The fish was amazing, a white fish in a sweet, spicy sauce with lots of ginger and garlic, and some bamboo hearts. Y to the U to the M! I will definitely be ordering this again. The spicy chicken was cooked with the Sichuan numbing peppers. It had a great flavor, although the chicken was a bit tough. Aside - I got sick in China while eating hot-pot, with a ton of the Sichuan numbing peppers in it. These are little peppers that have a really strong and distinct flavor, and they numb the tongue (kind of like how cloves do). Once you eat one, you can't taste any other flavor, and your tongue is numb. Well, imagine eating a whole crapload of these peppers then getting food poisoning. Let me say, that's a flavor I never wanted to taste again. Just understand, it was a brave thing for me to try a dish with these peppers again, and I was pleasantly surprised. The green beans were as close as I have come yet to these amazing green beans I had in Jinan, Shandong. Yum. The dumplings were really quite good. The filling was nicely spiced. I will be returning for more... if at least for the fish... and maybe some baijo!
(4)Tim B.
This is a very solid Portland Chinese restaurant. I learned of this place from my old boss (from southwestern China) who highly recommended it to me. It is a northern Chinese restaurant, but I was told the chef trained in Sichuan (southwestern China). I lived in Sichuan for awhile, and that type of food is hard to find, so I was exited to give it a try. So, the two times I've gone, I ordered Sichuan dishes, which they will be happy to make for you even though they aren't on the menu. They won't make you feel weird asking for things not on the menu, I simply mentioned I heard they could make Sichuan dishes, and my waiter seemed to be exited I had heard of the place and made a few suggestions. If you have never had a dish with Sichuan peppercorns, give it a shot. They are kind of wierd until you get used to them, they kind of make your mouth buzz after you eat them. They are addictive once you get used to them, and if you don't like them they are worth the experience anyway. A couple the dishes I especially liked were the Sichuan chicken, the lamb and scallions, and the fish hot pot. Service at this place is definately 5 stars, and the food is pretty damn good. It is a great place to go with a group of friends, and you will all leave in a better mood than when you arrived.
(4)Ling J.
It was my decision to go there. I felt humiliated when I took the first bite. We ordered five dishes. All terrible. The food was not delicious. Don't even talk about authentic.
(1)Anna B.
Beef soup with handmade noodles is flavorful. Pancakes (both beef and vegetarian) and potstickers are nicely done. Boiled pork is a bit too tough. Fresh soybean milk is just ok.
(3)Bad Davvy L.
As you have already figure out that this place serves mostly Northern Chinese cuisine, a departure from you Americanized / Cantonese Chineses food. Ask for the Hot Oil Pig Ears, it's in the menu but written in Chinese...
(5)Catherine L.
Had a hankering for Chinese Food so we visited The Mandarin House. Service is friendly, the food tasted catered to American's since not as flavorful and a little heavy in pepper for Chinese. Call me a hard judge, it's ok since I grew up eating homemade Chinese food. For Portland, I would suggest this restaurant. It's on the 2nd floor of I think a milk tea store. The spicy noodles was good. Lots of pepper flavor, made my face sweat and my pores felt cleansed after. The pickled mustard with pork was okay. Too light, very little pork (which is good since I dont really eat meat) and noodles were a little overcooked.
(3)Mark R.
The Sichuan noodles were really spicy and really good. Best Chinese food I've had downtown.
(5)Marian L.
General Tsao's chicken = bad Beef and broccoli = less bad Spring rolls = fine Only thing worse than the food is being asked on the phone and when picking up take-out if we want rice and then getting home and finding it isn't there.
(1)Rene F.
Egg flower soup was unique and liked it. Sweet and sour pork was good. But asking for mild General Tso chicken should not mean bland and tasteless. Fried rice not really fried and a little too oily. Not bad but not good enough to warrant a return visit.
(3)Kat Y.
My friend and I ordered their handmade noodles and the length of their noodles followed a normal distribution centered around 3 inches. Chinese tradition states that noodles must be long so the eater lives a long life. For those of you in tune with Chinese traditions and the length of noodles...you'd understand my sadness. For those who don't, can you imagine trying to pick up short noodles out of a large bowl of soup? Oh and their soup was watered down and not spicy as it should be. The service was horrific. After waiting for eons for the owner to pick up our money and make change....she had her ~8 year old son walk 15 feet to hand us change instead of doing it herself. Throughout the meal her two sons were watching tv and playing with their iPad near the cash register. Highly unprofessional.
(1)Chow H.
We looked up this place and decided to try it. Very friendly staff, family operated business. Place is not that clean due to fruit flies and flies that go around your table. With regards to the food, we ordered 10 dishes and about 40% came out ok. The bad dishes were: The chicken fried rice was terrible and flavorless, the green onion pan cake was very chewy, the seafood hotpot was very fishy, house fried noodle, the string bean was old, beef short ribs was chewy. What was good was the pot stickers and the spicy fish/meat in hotpot. We will not go back.
(2)Diana C.
Saw that they had black bean noodles and they said they have Beijing style or Korean style so I ordered the Korean style. I was unfortunately sorely disappointed. I barely ate 3 bites and I left. It was vinegary and otherwise bland, watered down sauce. They stuck me in the back corner and kind of closed the curtain on me a bit. If they didn't want to serve me I would have rather been turned away at the door. I also ordered their beef pancake and it was just okay. Maybe if I had gotten the hot pot it would have been better... Service other than sticking me in the corner was friendly. I think they were just trying to make their family dinner, but again... just tell me you're not open for business.
(2)Miwako T.
OK. So we wandered in this place since it's right on the side of the Saturday market. Well.. a mistake. Maybe it's just that I ordered a wrong thing. My "hand-made" noodles was, well, strange. First of all, the noodles didn't feel 'hand-made' at all to me (it was the regular thin kind that were not especially impressive.), and the soup had maybe beaten eggs (like in egg drop soup) and vegetables, and was definitely not cheaper or better than those Sat market stall food. They did have a booth downstairs selling some dishes (chicken teriyaki, etc.?) slightly cheaper (even not counting tips) and maybe we'd have been better off with it. Well, the potstickers looked ok and my kid loved them. Oh also, this place doesn't provide the 'regular condiments' (soy sauce, spicy sauce) on tables. Also they don't bring water. I guess you can get these if you ask for them but the servers in our case wasn't that attentive I'm not sure. It was Sunday and the place had a heavy Mom&Pop-owned atmosphere, oh, make it a 'family-owned' since I saw a small kid (presumably theirs) wandering around in the dining room while mooning. So, if this is not your thing, you may want to avoid eating here. One thing I liked about it was the dining area. It's actually an extension to the building so the brick wall that's right next to your table is actually an outer building wall.
(2)Mark B.
Wow! Surprisingly good food here in this hidden little loft.
(5)Ronald W.
Love this place. Nothing fancy, no pretensions... But it's comfortable, the owners are friendly, the service is quick and the food is great. I almost always order the sesame chicken and the hot and sour soup, but - when I've ordered other items - they were also delicious.
(5)Honua D.
The is the best Northern Chinese cuisine to be had anywhere in the metropolitan area. As stated by others, ASK! The proprietor is most helpful and eager to make your dining experience the best he can. We had the numbing chicken, 4 seasons green beans, hot oil pig ears (thinly sliced with basil and served cold), montau and beef pancake. Everything was excellent!
(5)Paige Z.
This is our family Chinese restaurant. Food is fresh and flavor-full. The only problem I have is that they have a mental block with water. If you order soda you will receive it immediately. The drink selection is lame. I actually brought my own soda last time I went there. It doesn't matter the food is the best Chinese in Portland.
(5)Cedric J.
The place where those who love authentic Chinese food come. Food: 5 (Stellar) Atmosphere: 3 (Better than most Chinese places) Drink: 2 (This isn't a place for drinks) Service: 2 (It can be slow, but they're friendly) Value: 3 (Average) Sustainability: 1 I first came to this place with my Chinese class years ago. It is renowned by Chinese restaurant owners throughout town (at least the ones I talk to). And now I work close to it so I try to come as often as possible. Here's the scoop: Sueli is right: the mala ji is amazing. Like one of the best dishes ever. It is Sichuan peppercorn chicken and makes me so happy. They have a wide variety of real Chinese dishes, and yes, it helps to speak Chinese because access to everything on the menu is sometimes hard. Like a typical 'real' Chinese place, it is best when you go family style and bring 5-7 friends with you so you can try the variety at hand. Green beans, soup, don't forget veggies and pork buns. Noodles, fried rice: it all needs to be in my mouth. But always get the mala ji. The setting is long and narrow, with exposed brick and pretty much full-on skylight. It isn't cheesy like House of Louie or stark like the spartan places I've gone for dim sum. It overlooks a parking lot and the Burnside Bridge, though, so isn't all that impressive. Look, I'm not an authentic-Chinese-food-Nazi. I think 'Americanised' Chinese food is completely valid and tasty (I've been to China; much of the food is a dare that most Americans wouldn't touch... I think chicken feet are great, for the record). That said, this place is the real deal. It is hidden away in the former Saturday Market area in a dingy part of down at the foot of the Burnside Bridge, but it is open for lunch and I try to go as often as possible. The owners and their family are all quite friendly and it feels nice supporting a family business. Most importantly, though, the food is damned good. And while it may take a while to get the check or whatever, all of the other downsides are worth it with food this good.
(4)Al L.
I did not have a good experience. The general tso's chicken was not good, service was poor, and we we the only customers there. I might be willing to try again, but my wife wool breve step back in this place.
(2)Anthony I.
Hands down the best non-cantonese food in Portland (and yes, I have been to Lucky Strike). John cooks Sichuan and Shandong food. The best dishes are on the Chinese only menu and even if you know the english names, you need to ask him to cook the food like real Chinese food. It isn't strange to ask, if you don't speak Chinese or ask, he will give you what he thinks Americans want to eat. It's like a speakeasy restaurant. Some of the highlights on the menu are: hot and numbing chicken (, Water Boiled Beef with Tofu (this name is like a joke, it is very spicy, Pork belly stifried with garlic scapes when it's in season (, Mouth watering chicken (, the tomato and eggs if you ask for it not sweet , the pea vines are good veggies when in season as is the chrysanthemum (both garlic stirfried). Make sure to order the mantou with your food, it's like Chinese bread and goes well with the dishes. It's also what people from his hometown eat for their starch. All in all, the atmosphere can be distracting sometimes (TV on and kids running around) and the walkup isn't the best, but once John knows that you want the good stuff, you are in for a real treat. *Yelp isn't showing the Chinese but I think if you know the dishes you can guess their names
(5)Bob S.
My brother has spent many years in China and Japan. What he misses most is fresh-pulled noodles. When he gets frustrated with international corporate intrigue he swears he's going to open up a fresh Chinese noodle joint. I have less experience, although I can attest to fresh Italian-style pasta being far superior to dried stuff. So when I read Don B. and Kody L. (and others) yelp that they've found a fresh noodle spot. I have to go check it out, if only so that I can call my brother and try to entice him to come visit. I went in on a solo lunch mission: Sichuan-style fresh noodles please. Spicy ground pork and bean sauce. Bright red and oily, YUMMM!! The texture of fresh noodles, the flavor of fresh noodles! YuMMM! I need to go back and try a few other things but it makes me want to start a fresh hand-pulled noodle campaign in Portland (yeah Pastaworks). If we all ask at every place we eat. Are these noodles made fresh? Maybe? (Long noodles, Long life!!)
(4)Amanda G.
The food here is gross, and the service was a bit surly. I ordered the Kung Pao chicken to go, and it was awful. Way too greasy, big chunks of onion, bad flavor, and the rice was mushy. If I could give it negative stars, I would. Skip this place!
(1)Sueli C.
If your looking for authentic Chinese Food you've come to the right place. This place has the BEST "Ma La Ji Ding" (Spicy and Numbing Chicken) you will find in Portland. Trust me, I've gone EVERYWHERE looking for this dish, cannot find it anywhere but at Mandarin House, I just wished I lived closer to it...although the Spicy and Numbing chicken dish sounds extremly spicy, it's actually not that bad at all. I saw my boyfriend's brother eat it and he never eats spicy foods. The owners are some of the sweetest people you will ever meet. They recognize me now because I go there so much. Recommended Spicy Fish Dish: "Shui Zhu Yu" Boiling Hot Fish (Warning this is really hot) Recommended Spicy Beef Dish: "Shui Zhu Niu Rou" Boiling Hot Beef (warning this is really hot too) Recommended Vegi Dish: "Gan Bian Si Ji Dou" 4 Season Green Beans Their Dumplings or "Jiao zi" is one of the best...they also have hand made noodles. Don't miss out and check it out for those of you missing authentic Chinese food. I can't wait to go back...
(5)Kristina K.
We may not know how to order off the Chinese menu due to the language barrier, but we know really good Chinese food. Over the course of eight (8) months, each time we try a new Chinese food restaurant in Portland, we find ourselves more and more disappointed. The food fell flat. We ordered the Sichuan Fish in Hot Pot and were looking forward to the crying and sweating (think yelp.com/biz/lao-sze-chu… ), but there was no crying nor sweating. The fish was okay, but the broth was barely passable, lacking both flavor and heat. Looking forward to the handmade noodles, we ordered the Seafood Chow Mein. The mein was good, but there was as much cabbage as there were noodles in the dish. When we order seafood dishes, we usually receive a plate teeming with fresh seafood, but we sadly found only 5 un-deveined small-to-medium shrimp and a few small pieces of squid. Honestly, the noodle dish seemed like a vegetarian dish with a couple of shrimp accidentally scattered about. The Eggplant in Garlic Sauce tasted bland. There was no wok hay in any of the dishes, and it has us questioning if they are using an electric range in the kitchen. We ordered other dishes, but I'll spare you the time; seemingly exciting dishes made boring. There were two other small tables in the restaurant besides ours, but the service was more often miss than hit. After we asked for more tea, our tea pot was never returned, and we had to remind them twice to send over water. We received several dishes and waited patiently for dining utensils, but they weren't delivered until we asked for them. Every dish was served with a tiny soup spoon, with the exception of the Sichuan Fish Hot Pot. Have you tried dishing noodles with a soup spoon? The Mandarin House advertised healthy dishes on their sign. Even serving deep fried cheese curds or deep fried twinkies with a soup spoon would be considered healthy, kind of. At the end of the meal, they tried hard to redeem the evening with a complementary dessert along with the fortune cookies. The fried bao with sweetened condensed milk was appreciated, but we wished that service picked up before we were almost out the door. We're interested in pig ears and other items on their Chinese menu, but we'd like to hope our next experience is worthwhile.
(2)Kayla H.
Took my fiancé here because he'd spent a while living in China and has only been able to find Cantonese food in the states. He was very excited to be able to order in Chinese and talk with the staff about the different dishes. I'm definitely not the biggest fan of authentic Chinese, but the food here was very close to what I'd eaten while visiting China. The chef's special fried noodles were very good, and the dumplings were definitely authentic. The staff was super patient with us trying to figure out what we wanted off the Chinese menu. I'd definitely recommend this place to someone who wants to have something more authentic. They even had a bottle of Maotai on their shelf.
(4)