This place is located in a great spot, and has a nice relaxing comfortable environment. I usually do not like chineese food, but this place is GREAT. I love all the new items and different... More

This place is located in a great spot, and has a nice relaxing comfortable environment. I usually do not like chineese food, but this place is GREAT. I love all the new items and different variations on our old favorites. The Crab Rangoons were great! Pros: Nice Service, Friendly Waitress, Super Yummy Food Cons: none
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Wow - just read some brutal reviews on this place. Wonder how much influence the person you are with,& your mood at the time, distorts your review. I'll try to be diplomatic. Went there on Sat 6/28... More

Wow - just read some brutal reviews on this place. Wonder how much influence the person you are with,& your mood at the time, distorts your review. I'll try to be diplomatic. Went there on Sat 6/28 at 1:30pm. Nice decor - tasteful wall hangings, wooden tables (mine had a metal top with Chinese-influenced etchings, comfy chairs, and small bar if you had to wait to be seated. Tables not right on top of each other. Server prompt & pleasant when she asked for drink order My friend is a wimp so we avoided items with the chili symbol - much to my dismay. Ordered Pork Dumplings, Crisp Sesame Shrimp, Sauteed Chicken with Asparagus & Bean Sauce, steamed white rice. Our food was delivered promptly. Dumplings & rice were very good. I knew there was pork in them (questionable in other restaurants) because I could taste it and it was moist. Dipping sauce okay. Good sticky rice. Chicken arrived.. Again, I have in the past wondered what mystery meat others claim as chicken (or what horrible, inedible part of the chicken they are using). Chicken excellent - moist & w/o gristle or fat. The asparagus was perfectly al dente. The bean sauce complimented the dish. The medium-sized shrimp had a crispy, non-oily tempura coating - not so thick as to disguise the size of the shrimp. Again, accompanying sauce was well-balanced - not too sweet or salty. And, although I ordered a second glass of wine from the server, it was the PLEASANT owner (who some claim to be a wicked witch) brought it to me. Yes, the portions are probably way too small for someone who considers a double cheeseburger, fries & shake a snack, but my friend & I were pleased. Prices do seem a bit hi, but the place does have overhead. If you want quantity over quality (which seems to be the case in the US, this place is NOT for you. (Hey, if you want cheap, heat-lamp food, go to Panda Express.) Haven't tried take-out/delivery so can't comment. Parking can be challenging. Oh, dear, one might have to walk 2 blocks!
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Please save yourself thousands of calories and a waste of a meal. This chinese restaurant is owned by an extremely cheap and money hungry owner. The prices are ridiculous. I would not mind paying... More

Please save yourself thousands of calories and a waste of a meal. This chinese restaurant is owned by an extremely cheap and money hungry owner. The prices are ridiculous. I would not mind paying good money for GOOD food. But when you fork over insane amounts for tiny portions of tasteless 'food' it will leave you feeling robbed and unsatisfied. The worst thing you could probably do is order for delivery. The food will arrive cold, soggy, microwaved-tasting and if you try and complain, you will get hung up on. I understand delivery is not the same as eating in, but it is pretty simple to tell when food has sitting around for a few centuries. All in all, customer service should be important. Guess what? At Mandarette, it is definitely not a priority. It is not even on their list of things to do. Instead that list consists of being rude to costumers, putting zero effort into creating good food, and then just for kicks, charging you an arm and a leg.. and a head... and a stomach. So don't hold your breath (unless it's to avoid smelling a bunch of tasteless food). But hey, if you feel like ordering from Panda Express, then letting it sit around for a day and then heating it up in your microwave till its luke worm, then Mandarette is the taste you are going for. Pros: I heard that enough people have complained so it might get closed down Cons: worst chinese in LA with the rudest owner of all time
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I've frequented this restaurant for nearly twenty years now and am still a fan. I also frequent Shanghai, Bejing and Hong Kong and have a pretty good idea of what authentic Chinese is like. The food... More

I've frequented this restaurant for nearly twenty years now and am still a fan. I also frequent Shanghai, Bejing and Hong Kong and have a pretty good idea of what authentic Chinese is like. The food here reminds me very much of several restaurants in Shanghai. The onion pancakes are delicious and the same article as in better eateries in China. Also, though the cold noodles may not resemble the New York variety (as asserted by another reviewer) they are very reminiscent of the the Chinese variety..... Perhaps a bit too authentic for some tastes. Pros: Flavorful, real Chinese in a hip setting. Reasonably priced. Cons: Can be very noisy.
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II love Chinese cuisine. So I must say to have me drive during my lunch break from downtown Los Angeles to a place very near to the Beverly Center just to get a combo fried rice, the food must be... More

II love Chinese cuisine. So I must say to have me drive during my lunch break from downtown Los Angeles to a place very near to the Beverly Center just to get a combo fried rice, the food must be very very good. And that it is! I thoroughly enjoy Mandarette's fried rice. I have even brought my kids to experience the food in the evenings during the week during rush hour and my 5 year old who is very picky loved it. I would recommend it. It is worth a visit. The staff are always very nice and very accommodating. Pros: The food is delicious Cons: Why does it have to be located so far away from downtown LA!
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I have to say, this is the worst Chinese I have ever had. We've tried it twice now because our friends told us it was ?great.? The first time it was sub-par but we gave them the benefit of the doubt... More

I have to say, this is the worst Chinese I have ever had. We've tried it twice now because our friends told us it was ?great.? The first time it was sub-par but we gave them the benefit of the doubt and figured maybe it was an off night. The second time it was as bad if not worse. We ordered the chicken with sauteed vegetables - pretty standard....or so we thought. The chicken didn?t even look like chicken - it tasted like rubber - disgusting. We also ordered General Tao?s chicken - doesn?t get any more basic that that, right? Wrong - it was bready and had no kick at all. The icing on the cake was the rice - steamed rice - you can't get that wrong can you???!!! Even the rice was terrible - not sticky at all...tasted like day after rice that's been reheated. Needless to say we will not be giving Mandarette a third try. I'd go looking elsewhere if you want yummy Chinese.
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Still busy at 10 pm, this place offers good Chinese food with friendly waiters. The Chinese tea is outstanding. The Cold Noodles are my favorite dish. It offers up mostly classic fare (Lemon... More

Still busy at 10 pm, this place offers good Chinese food with friendly waiters. The Chinese tea is outstanding. The Cold Noodles are my favorite dish. It offers up mostly classic fare (Lemon Chicken, Orange Peel Chicken, Sesame Beef) with some spicy Szechuan dishes put into the mix. Pros: food, decor, service Cons: parking around third street a headache
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The food here is great! So if you like Chinese food, check out this spot. But beware, you are not the only person in town that has heard this place has good food. So expect a wait. A long wait. Or... More

The food here is great! So if you like Chinese food, check out this spot. But beware, you are not the only person in town that has heard this place has good food. So expect a wait. A long wait. Or go on a weeknight. I live right down the street and can walk and I do, probably three times a week, but I avoid it completely on the weekends. If you want geat food, with a great atmosphere, come by on a Tuesday night and they will take great care of you.
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I really wanted to experience chinese food again since I just got back from China a month ago. Madarette had good ratings and I decided to try it. The food was good at a good price but the service... More

I really wanted to experience chinese food again since I just got back from China a month ago. Madarette had good ratings and I decided to try it. The food was good at a good price but the service was terrible. Try anything on menu and you won't be dissatisfied. The service is another story. The server would not reccomend anything and was very cold. I would go back due to the service. Pros: food Cons: service
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this is honestly my favorite chinese restaurant in l.a. when we lived nearby we'd have dinner there at LEAST once a week. that's how good it is. the kung pao chicken has cahsews (instead of the... More

this is honestly my favorite chinese restaurant in l.a. when we lived nearby we'd have dinner there at LEAST once a week. that's how good it is. the kung pao chicken has cahsews (instead of the standard cheap peanuts), the black peppercorn scallops are AMAZING as are the garlic shrimp, and the homemade ginger ale? the perfect thing to drink it all down with. i can't say enough good things....
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