Always come to New Mandarin Garden with my family. My favorite item is honey walnut shrimp, it is soooo great! The waiter is nice, and the food is authentic. Portion sizes are huge and good food quality.
N D.
Nice spot for Chinese food. Portions are good and there are lots of selections. My wife and I got Shrimp with Garlic Sauce, Pot Stickers and Combination Fried Rice. All the food was tasty. Can't wait to go back!!
Siren R.
This is the worse restaurant I've ever been to in my entire life! The waiters are extremely rude and barley speak English, the food is soooooo bad! The fried rice is just rice with soy sauce! The orange chicken is so dry it almost broke my tooth, the shrimp was so cold that we had to stop eating it in fear of getting sick. Please do not ever eat here ... the waiter had orange chicken sauce on all over his face . Maybe he licked our chicken before he brought it out ! Do not eat here!
Amanda H.
We ordered the orange chicken. It was like shoe leather. The chicken was almost too leathery to chew. It's hard to mess up this dish so we will not be going back.
H V.
So enjoy this little hidden gem once or twice a month, usually as take out. HK Style Black Pepper Beef and Shrimp is always a favorite, so is the Honey Walnut Shrimp. However, I don't think there is a bad item on the menu. They offer a buffet on the weekends. Not all menu items are offered but the variety is good. Portion size is very generous. One main dish is plenty for 2 adults and offsets the higher price of some of the items well. I would definitely not consider the selections expensive. Always friendly and always fast. I'll be back soon.
Daniel O.
Best place to get Chinese in San Clemente just a little expensive. Recommend the chow mein and fried rice.
Judy Z.
Food was great. We ordered Kung pao chicken, beef and broccoli and shrimp fried rice. Fortune cookies really encouraging people to eat Chinese food ;-)
Genny C.
I've heard great things about it, here, so I finally gave it a try with some friends...the 4 stars I gave were for the taste of my food alone. I had chicken chop suey and it was really tasty and the price was fair. What I didn't like, was that they didn't serve any type of crispy noodle or wonton strips, nor did they offer us complimentary hot tea. When they took our order, we said we weren't ready and the server sort of mumbled something and stood there until we placed our order, anyway. At the end of our meal, they didn't bring any fortune or almond cookies! The above mentioned things are part of why I go to Chinese restaurants and there are plenty that still serve them, so I will frequent those places, instead.
Garrett G.
Update: My mother-in-law didn't realize I haven't gone here in a long time so she got me a gift card... so I went out with the wife last night. There was no wait. The place is significantly less busy than it used to be. Here are my first impressions: -The remodel is nice. The whole interior is redone and feels very different. -Our table had soy sauce on it when we sat down. I asked to have the table cleaned and it was wiped down with a dry napkin so the soy sauce just smeared in to the table. -Hot tea is still not served when you sit down. Not free like it used to be (realized this in last review). -Prices are up. Orange chicken used to be $10.95- now $13.95. Hot and sour soup was $6- now $8.50. Cream cheese wontons were $6- now $8.95. -Chinese servers are gone and have been replaced by Hispanic servers. -Free mints at the front are GONE! -Food is still on par and delicious. -Good table service. My last review of this place hasn't changed much. The food was delicious, just more expensive. I figured I'll now spend $10-15 more per visit with two people. I was not charged extra for an extra bowl of white rice which my wife ordered . Service was good. I used the gift card I had and a credit card to cover the remainder of the balance. This was rejected by the owner and I was asked if I had cash to cover the balance since it was a smaller amount being charged. Come on! I leave a tip with the credit card after the amount I'm charged. I feel like the lady running this place just hasn't figured out good customer service. Still has a ways to go. I would consider this place for takeout or for an occasional night out with a small party. Bring low expectations if dealing with the female Asian owner.
Mindi C.
My hubs lived in SC years ago and spoke highly of this place, and we happened to have a craving for something outside our Ladera Ranch 'hood tonight, so here we landed. Sweet family-run restaurant tucked back into an adorable plaza called Old Town. Attentive service, for sure! They only serve beer and wine, but I love the way they keep the sake hot in a metal pot with hot water!!! The egg drop was really delicious, and their hot and sour soup did not disappoint! We shared house fried rice, Hong Kong-style shrimp and beef tenderloin and the 3-ingredient sizzling platter. The only disappointment was with the latter entree; it sizzled VERY briefly when our server added the sauce to the skillet, so subsequently, the food didn't really get a ton of flavor or sear. Secondly, it was listed as a shrimp, chicken and beef dish, but when served to us was all scallops, imitation crab and shrimp, which delighted my hunny none since he barely eats shrimp. Fresh ingredients (just not always the correct ones) still gets 4 stars from us!
the owners of this restaurant are so nice but unfortunately this is the worst Chinese food I have ever had. The orange chicken was obviously made much much earlier in the day and was rubbery to the point that it was hard to swallow. It was honestly barely recognizable as chicken. The fried rice was white rice cooked in soy sauce with sparse pieces of egg and that was it. The kind of fried rice you make in your dorm room. We were so excited because we got the family dinner for $20 but i guess you get what you pay for.
Joel G.
The New Mandarin Garden is the best kept secret in Orange Country. I grew up in New York and ate Chinese food for Two Months straight on a Fraternity bet and went to almost every restaurant in NEW YORK CHINATOWN.....and this is as good as any one of them..... Look for JOHNNIE the nicest guy and server in the place and tell him the guy fro NEW YORK sent you in...... I'll let him know I wrote the review and will get an extra ALMOND COOKIE for every one of you that shows up!!!!!!!!!
R L.
Oops! Came at noon on Thursday and it was closed. Sign said closed early today. I have to remember to call first !!!!! Called , they were open, we had a great lunch!!!
Brittany C.
Jimmy is the best! Sings Happy Birthday in Chinese on request. Always so friendly and you feel like an old friend when you're in there. Food is always good and portion sizes are huge! Always leftovers
Paul W.
Suzy has a hit!! We are headed back there Thursday....real down home food at a fair price. You can even eat in the old jail!! She uses first-rate ingredients and all is made to order.
Always come to New Mandarin Garden with my family. My favorite item is honey walnut shrimp, it is soooo great! The waiter is nice, and the food is authentic. Portion sizes are huge and good food quality.
Nice spot for Chinese food. Portions are good and there are lots of selections. My wife and I got Shrimp with Garlic Sauce, Pot Stickers and Combination Fried Rice. All the food was tasty. Can't wait to go back!!
This is the worse restaurant I've ever been to in my entire life! The waiters are extremely rude and barley speak English, the food is soooooo bad! The fried rice is just rice with soy sauce! The orange chicken is so dry it almost broke my tooth, the shrimp was so cold that we had to stop eating it in fear of getting sick. Please do not ever eat here ... the waiter had orange chicken sauce on all over his face . Maybe he licked our chicken before he brought it out ! Do not eat here!
We ordered the orange chicken. It was like shoe leather. The chicken was almost too leathery to chew. It's hard to mess up this dish so we will not be going back.
So enjoy this little hidden gem once or twice a month, usually as take out. HK Style Black Pepper Beef and Shrimp is always a favorite, so is the Honey Walnut Shrimp. However, I don't think there is a bad item on the menu. They offer a buffet on the weekends. Not all menu items are offered but the variety is good. Portion size is very generous. One main dish is plenty for 2 adults and offsets the higher price of some of the items well. I would definitely not consider the selections expensive. Always friendly and always fast. I'll be back soon.
Best place to get Chinese in San Clemente just a little expensive. Recommend the chow mein and fried rice.
Food was great. We ordered Kung pao chicken, beef and broccoli and shrimp fried rice. Fortune cookies really encouraging people to eat Chinese food ;-)
I've heard great things about it, here, so I finally gave it a try with some friends...the 4 stars I gave were for the taste of my food alone. I had chicken chop suey and it was really tasty and the price was fair. What I didn't like, was that they didn't serve any type of crispy noodle or wonton strips, nor did they offer us complimentary hot tea. When they took our order, we said we weren't ready and the server sort of mumbled something and stood there until we placed our order, anyway. At the end of our meal, they didn't bring any fortune or almond cookies! The above mentioned things are part of why I go to Chinese restaurants and there are plenty that still serve them, so I will frequent those places, instead.
Update: My mother-in-law didn't realize I haven't gone here in a long time so she got me a gift card... so I went out with the wife last night. There was no wait. The place is significantly less busy than it used to be. Here are my first impressions: -The remodel is nice. The whole interior is redone and feels very different. -Our table had soy sauce on it when we sat down. I asked to have the table cleaned and it was wiped down with a dry napkin so the soy sauce just smeared in to the table. -Hot tea is still not served when you sit down. Not free like it used to be (realized this in last review). -Prices are up. Orange chicken used to be $10.95- now $13.95. Hot and sour soup was $6- now $8.50. Cream cheese wontons were $6- now $8.95. -Chinese servers are gone and have been replaced by Hispanic servers. -Free mints at the front are GONE! -Food is still on par and delicious. -Good table service. My last review of this place hasn't changed much. The food was delicious, just more expensive. I figured I'll now spend $10-15 more per visit with two people. I was not charged extra for an extra bowl of white rice which my wife ordered . Service was good. I used the gift card I had and a credit card to cover the remainder of the balance. This was rejected by the owner and I was asked if I had cash to cover the balance since it was a smaller amount being charged. Come on! I leave a tip with the credit card after the amount I'm charged. I feel like the lady running this place just hasn't figured out good customer service. Still has a ways to go. I would consider this place for takeout or for an occasional night out with a small party. Bring low expectations if dealing with the female Asian owner.
My hubs lived in SC years ago and spoke highly of this place, and we happened to have a craving for something outside our Ladera Ranch 'hood tonight, so here we landed. Sweet family-run restaurant tucked back into an adorable plaza called Old Town. Attentive service, for sure! They only serve beer and wine, but I love the way they keep the sake hot in a metal pot with hot water!!! The egg drop was really delicious, and their hot and sour soup did not disappoint! We shared house fried rice, Hong Kong-style shrimp and beef tenderloin and the 3-ingredient sizzling platter. The only disappointment was with the latter entree; it sizzled VERY briefly when our server added the sauce to the skillet, so subsequently, the food didn't really get a ton of flavor or sear. Secondly, it was listed as a shrimp, chicken and beef dish, but when served to us was all scallops, imitation crab and shrimp, which delighted my hunny none since he barely eats shrimp. Fresh ingredients (just not always the correct ones) still gets 4 stars from us!
Restaurantji Recommends
the owners of this restaurant are so nice but unfortunately this is the worst Chinese food I have ever had. The orange chicken was obviously made much much earlier in the day and was rubbery to the point that it was hard to swallow. It was honestly barely recognizable as chicken. The fried rice was white rice cooked in soy sauce with sparse pieces of egg and that was it. The kind of fried rice you make in your dorm room. We were so excited because we got the family dinner for $20 but i guess you get what you pay for.
The New Mandarin Garden is the best kept secret in Orange Country. I grew up in New York and ate Chinese food for Two Months straight on a Fraternity bet and went to almost every restaurant in NEW YORK CHINATOWN.....and this is as good as any one of them..... Look for JOHNNIE the nicest guy and server in the place and tell him the guy fro NEW YORK sent you in...... I'll let him know I wrote the review and will get an extra ALMOND COOKIE for every one of you that shows up!!!!!!!!!
Oops! Came at noon on Thursday and it was closed. Sign said closed early today. I have to remember to call first !!!!! Called , they were open, we had a great lunch!!!
Jimmy is the best! Sings Happy Birthday in Chinese on request. Always so friendly and you feel like an old friend when you're in there. Food is always good and portion sizes are huge! Always leftovers
Suzy has a hit!! We are headed back there Thursday....real down home food at a fair price. You can even eat in the old jail!! She uses first-rate ingredients and all is made to order.