Mandarin Restaurant

[slouie]

What do you like/don't like about Mandarin?

Just doing an informal survey.

Thanks

[PrinceMS]

I personally like it.
Lot of of friends think its sea food only so don't go there often.


I do consider it slightly on the pricey side. But quality / variety I guess justify it.

[plisk3n]

Food's really decent. I think they're tops of the western style Chinese buffets in Toronto. They need more sushi/sashimi for my liking though.

Price is outrageous though. $21.99 for Friday, Sat, Sun & Holiday dinners...

[wanted]

Good restaurant. I think after a day of fasting I could stay for 3 hours.


Lower price would be my suggestion.

[shaolinmonk]

Food's really decent. I think they're tops of the western style Chinese buffets in Toronto. They need more sushi/sashimi for my liking though.

Price is outrageous though. $21.99 for Friday, Sat, Sun & Holiday dinners...

$21.99 is a good price

I wish they would charge more...

cheap ass buffets have tarnished the image of food IMO.

most chinese restaurants compete too much based on price.. good for customers but has really hurt the asian food industry.

look at all the "white" restarants out there.. you pay 18.99 just for a steak dinner.

if buffets weren't to busy dumping on to the market restaurant owners wold be better off.

[sankou]

They need more sushi/sashimi for my liking though.

meh, their sushi is gross.

my favorite item at mandarin are the waffles! :lol:

[Degenerate]

Personally I don't like Mandarin buffets at all. Grossly over rated. Food is mediocre at best and for $20 per person I'd rather treat myself to nice big bowl of pasta and calamari.

[wju2004]

I like the fact that it's pretty clean. A bit expensive though and I am also not a big fan of some of their 'funky' sushi rolls (although some do grow on you). I like the seafood and the mussels. MMMMMMussels.

[gdutton]

Mandarin is ok... foods reasonable... $22 bux is a bit steep for what you get though....

[Jay-c]

I haven't eaten in there for a while, but their delivery is pretty decent... dinner for 4 with taxes/delivery and tip is under $50 if I remember, and it's a lot of food.. always leftovers!

[sammy]

i only go a few times in a year, mainly lunch on w/e since cheaper than dinner. too many fried foods - not a very healthy dinner. but i do like it. nice selection of hot foods and desserts. i enjoyed dinner last weekend for their moon festival selection - fresh dragon eye fruit, fish, roast suckling pig etc.

[mtevel]

great firty (I mean buffet) food.. I love it ...
but VERY pricey on wkends and nights....

I'd go more often if it were cheaper....

[shaolinmonk]

Mandarin is ok... foods reasonable... $22 bux is a bit steep for what you get though....

this is what i mean... what do you mean $22 is steep... go eat a pasta at jack astors or a chicken dinner at kelsey's are you've spent the same....

[JustMike]

what do you mean $22 is steep... go eat a pasta at jack astors or a chicken dinner at kelsey's are you've spent the same....

...and you're not getting "all you can eat" at those Jack Astor's or Kelsey's.

Geez guys, Mandarin could be $4.99 for all you can eat lobster and people would still complain about the price.

[Degenerate]

this is what i mean... what do you mean $22 is steep... go eat a pasta at jack astors or a chicken dinner at kelsey's are you've spent the same....

a pasta at Kelsey's and Jack Astor's doesn't cost $22. I can get a order of calamari and pasta at Kelsey's, pay $22 for it and it would be far better quality food than at any ayce.

AYCE is good once in a while for maybe some group event so people can shoot the **** when they're walking around picking up food.

[JustMike]

a pasta at Kelsey's and Jack Astor's doesn't cost $22. I can get a order of calamari and pasta at Kelsey's, pay $22 for it and it would be far better quality food than at any ayce.

I wouldn't just lump Mandarin in with every ayce cause most of them are crap. The food is much better quality... and you get ayce.

Kelsey's ain't exactly high-end food either... it's just another family restaurant.

[Degenerate]

I wouldn't just lump Mandarin in with every ayce cause most of them are crap. The food is much better quality... and you get ayce.

Kelsey's ain't exactly high-end food either... it's just another family restaurant.

I would lump Mandarin with other ayce because I find it to be grossly over rated.

I agree Keley's isn't high end but their food is better than ayce.

[gilboman]

calamari is 7bux minimum even at kelsey, pasta is 14 on average..that is 21 already with no desert and limited to two items. while ayce for 22bux at mandarin gets you prime rib, shrimp, musseles, etc... and desert.

i would agree that some ayce is not as good quality...mandarin may perhaps be over rated, but i find their food while not great, is decent and much better than kelsey's (acutally kelsey's is my least favourite restaurant, i've been multiple times and everytime at different location it was disgusting.) i like casey's, outback and milestone's much more than kelsey. Kelsey is one grade above McDonald's at best

[peoples_Flip]

What do you like/don't like about Mandarin?

Just doing an informal survey.

Thanks

Food's fairly good, price is a little high but the service is good. I especially like those warm towels they give you at the end of your meal. :cheesygri

[JustMike]

I would lump Mandarin with other ayce because I find it to be grossly over rated.

Overrated by who?

[shaolinmonk]

I would lump Mandarin with other ayce because I find it to be grossly over rated.

I agree Keley's isn't high end but their food is better than ayce.

yes your prefer kelseys...but let's put it this way... you walk in to kelseys or Jacks and order one of their "asian" dishes.. noodles...

14.95 noddles/veg chicken, upgrade to casear salad 1.99.. pretty damn close to 18.00 not ayce.. the quality is not better then the mandarin, but yet you don't find that expensive? that makes no sense... i don't blame you .. i'm just saying lots of buffets have shot themselves and their business in the foot with these low ball pricing techniques... which is why i'm very happy with mandarins prices and hope they keep it high...

make chinese food a little respectable again... too many buffets just dump all over the market, drive up costs.. waste food.. and don't have actual business models for success... just short term fast cash schemes...

[Fobulous]

.. i'm just saying lots of buffets have shot themselves and their business in the foot with these low ball pricing techniques... which is why i'm very happy with mandarins prices and hope they keep it high...

make chinese food a little respectable again... too many buffets just dump all over the market, drive up costs.. waste food.. and don't have actual business models for success... just short term fast cash schemes...

sounds good. I agree with what i quoted you saying. Wish that these ppl would put their act together and make some good food rather than hordes of it for very cheap. Some places i go to for AYCE is just gross. The quality is simply digusting.

Never been to Mandarin in recent memory, and I highly doubt a visit will come anytime soon. Not sure why but Chinese buffets don't interest me...
:arrowd: these do though :arrowd:

[jui_jui]

i think that their food are OK but not "that good" !~ and i wouldn't pay that much for it neither ~ i would choose japanese buffet over mandarin !!

[gstylez]

food is good but its overpriced.

[frogger]

Whats sad is that for so many people the Mandarin is as close as they ever get to getting real Chinese food.

Weekend prices are steep. For $22 I can get a decent steak, seafood, or pasta dinner and side dish with a hell of a lot more flavour. Or for $44 a bunch of dishes with flavour to serve 2 at a decent chinese restaurant. Wouldn't have to deal with the big crowd walking around me back and forth to the feeding trough either.

I do ocassionally go their for lunch during the week as its close to work though. So much cheaper.

[gstylez]

just came back from mandarin
17/pp they had the moon celebration
food was pretty good
suckling pig was juicy the sushi was ok
the peel and eat shrimp is excellent.
also the roast beef was very good

[eelfliw]

Mandarin food is not good compared to non-buffet, real Chinese restaurants.

But, as far as AYCE Chinese food buffets go, it's one of the best and one of the most expensive. There are cheaper. But I haven't found one with better food yet.

[M-e-X-x]

$21.99 is a good price

I wish they would charge more...

cheap ass buffets have tarnished the image of food IMO.

most chinese restaurants compete too much based on price.. good for customers but has really hurt the asian food industry.

look at all the "white" restarants out there.. you pay 18.99 just for a steak dinner.

if buffets weren't to busy dumping on to the market restaurant owners wold be better off.

well, it's not good for customers either.. unless they don't care about the quality of the food.. if they're cutting prices, they got to cut their costs to match those prices

[airblade90]

How much does the lunch buffet cost at mandarin? I haven't been there in years and I would like to know. I'm hungry. :D

[cil254]

I used to go to Mandarin for the dinner buffet, untill I tried the Lunch buffet.
Cheapper and the same food as far as I could tell (no roastbeef though).

[JessTheDealHunter]

I think its $10 mon-fri for lunch.

[cil254]

I think its $10 mon-fri for lunch.

I don't know about the Mon-Fri lunch, I was talking about the WE lunch, cheaper than diner and very similar, minus 2-3 things may be.

[coolCAT]

Just returning from their FlagShip at Brampton.
The best one I have found so far - figures since they have made that one their Flagship. $22.00 bucks and worth every penny.
They have every dish there. The roast was great. Lots of sushi. Tons of seafood.
I like it there since you can reserve seats in any one of their 4 theme rooms.
Live fish tank. Live parrots.
I give them a 9 out of a 10.
Have eaten at other Mandarins - Yonge & Eglinton; Finch & Dufferin; Woodbine; Eglinton & Brimley area; Mississauga & the original one in Brampton (now closed)

[Xavier]

i went there for lunch buffet fer like 9.99

was pretty good styll....considering i didn pay :)

[Nacster]

I personally don't really like the Mandarin myself..Would only go if it was the last alternative..I just find that the taste of the FOOD itself is not as good as it used to be when they first opened up locations around the city..Personally I like going to these authentic places for Buffet..I find the they have great value and great taste..Examples would be around the Markham area, and some down around the China town area.. :D