Mandarin Lotus Fine Chinese Fusion Cuisine

Reviews 5

A

A Private User

I had heard good things about this restaurant from my co-workers, and I was excited to try their food one day for lunch. I was greeted by the friendly owners, who seem to be genuinely trying to offer great customer service with a smile. The decor left a lot to be desired, but really what do you expect from a chinese restaurant in a strip mall? There was another customer in at the same time who seemed like a regular, and he was very excited about his orange chicken. So far, so good. I ordered the schezwan chicken. I have no idea what meat was in the food, but it didnt taste like any chicken Ive ever had before, and I am not a picky eater. Some bites even tasted distinctly like fish. It tasted like they took the scraps from a bunch of different dishes they had left over from the night before and threw them in the wok and served it up disguised as schezwan chicken. I ended up throwing the whole plate in the trash, it was not edible. I was afraid if I kept eating that I would end up with food poisoning. Id like to note that never before have I ever thrown a plate of food away like that. I do not have a lot of money to throw around and I ended up going hungry until I got home that night. I told my co-workers about my experience and they seemed surprised to hear that the food had been so horrible. They said they had good experiences when they went there, but I will personally not give them another chance because I am afraid I will be met with disappointment again. I really wanted to love this place because they have the imitation meat options (imitation chicken, fish, beef... etc.) and I have not been able to find those in many restaurants. I also tend to find that when a restaurant has so many different items on their menu, the food is usually not that great. Just my two cents. For a much tastier, more affordable lunch, try the Agoura Deli two doors down.

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A

A Private User

Dan the Chief for Mandarin Express is amazing. If you dont find something that you like on their menu of over 460 delicious masterpiece choices, Dan will make something up for you that will meet your taste buds along with making sure that your all dietary needs are taken care of. I personally need to eat Gluten and Casein Free, and Dan always makes me something that is out of this world that is safe for me to eat. One of the meals that he makes for me is with Giant Scallops and lots of green vegetables with a medium hot sauce that’s amazing. Anyway, Mandarin Express does not create ordinary Chinese food, if that’s what you want don’t eat here at Mandarin Express. But if you looking for fresh organic amazing tasting Chinese Fusion this is where you want to eat. The price is well worth it too. Again this is not cheap Ordinary Chinese Food. . .this is amazing Chinese Fusion made with the freshest of organic vegetables, fruits and meats. Dan does not use MSG or Corn Syrup for his seasonings or sauces. He uses organic Vegetable and Fruit juices to sweeten his foods. He also has Gluten Free Soy Sauce. His wife, Kim is always a wonderful host and she provides a wonderful service. Just so you all know “Mandarin Express” IS NOT a “fast food restaurant” that uses cheap meats and cheap products as some of the reviewers mentioned below. I’m not even sure if they are talking about the same place. I think it is possible that some of the reviewers got their restaurant experience mixed up with another Chinese restaurant in the area, because I have never experienced any of the negative problems that some have spoken in their review below. I have been eating at Mandarin Express for about 6 years now, and the experience is always incredible.

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A

A Private User

Yes 15 dollars is expensive. I understand that times are tough. You can easily get diarrhea at any of the local fast-food joints in the area. Seriously if you want to take an enormous dump later today, dont go to Mandarin Express. Yeah, go spend 4 bucks on a value meal, spend an extra buck and get some extra fat and sodium in your diet. Really, this place is worth every bit of the expense, and effort to get there. It is incredibly hard to find good food out here in this area and I would rather eat out half as often, and get food at places like this than eat so much other crap thats out there. Especially great for those of you who dont want an MSG migraine later, or even maybe some of you are even (dare I say) vegetarian. I have eaten at Mandarin Express dozens of times and have found Kim to be one of the most genuinely nice and accommodating hosts, and the food is always amazing. The reason she suggests the food there is because she knows it. She often has steered me to a menu item that was either more or less expensive than the one I was ordering, and I have never been disappointed. As a regular customer, she often throws in an extra order of spring rolls, or gives doesnt charge us for a large instead of small order of soup. All this and yes, she works with an insanely small staff, and always has a smile. Go check out some real restaurant reviews to see what experts have had to say about the place and then just go in. Dont worry about the extra few bucks, your body will thank you.

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A

A Private User

I need for anything billing itself as "Chinese Cuisine" to be fresh, flavorful and most of all AUTHENTIC. Outside of the San Gabriel Valley its really hard to find truly authentic Chinese Food in Los Angeles. This dirty and pretentious Asian Fusion Cuisine boasts Tangerine Chicken dishes named after TVs FRASIER. Decor consisting of, not Paper Lanterns and soft pastels, but harsh dirty walls lined with has-been actors headshots, and nearly nude pictures of Pamela Anderson in all her busty glory, VERY distracting to the dining experience and terribly INAUTHENTIC to say the very least. Atmosphere: NEGATIVE 10 While some may be fanboys of bland, gargantuanly overpriced FRENCH style Chinese fusion cuisine made with Aligator meat and named after has been actors, pandering to the Americanized tastes of the local Yuppies complimented by an equally dull, stripped down Cafe style environment, where the name and atmosphere are in stark contrast with the want-to-be trendy, upscale clienteles expectations. Their food is served, not on fine China diningware, but rather on Styrofoam to-go containers! Upscale Chinese Cuisine, served up piping hot over a bed of starchy, gelatinous MICROWAVE REHEATED rice! FOOD: NEGATIVE 11 (this one goes to ELEVEN!) Back when I didnt know real Chinese food I really liked Mandarin Express, and even wrote positive reviews, now that Ive wised up, all my review is simply this... UGH!!!

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DA

Darth Rad

So, this is my seventh year living in Oak Park, and the first time that Ive been to this amazing hole in the wall restaurant! Id always been vaguely aware of this nondescript restaurant - its squeezed in a tiny space in a strip mall, near the karate center, Nick Rails music, behind the IHOP, and way behind the Jack in the Box at the corner of Kanan and the 101 off-ramp. I guess it was the "Express" in the name which made me think it was something like "Panda Express" - take out pseudo-Chinese junk food. Or maybe it was the small restaurant space and buffet-like store counter which you can see through the front windows, also reminiscent of a fast food take out restaurant. Panda Express it most definitely is not. Mandarin Express is of all things a fancy gourmet restaurant! Chinese-Mediterranean-Californian fusion food. They take some basic Chinese food ingredients and cook it with a variety of vegetables and spices from around the world. You can eat an all-vegetarian meal here! Theres an entire page of mock duck/chicken/shrimp/pork dishes. But their shrimp and other meat dishes are terrific too. The food just bursts with multiple flavors in your mouth. I really think they should re-name the place, or at least take out the "Express" part from the name. It just doesnt do the place justice. The owner-cooks are really friendly too. A great place to take your best friends and family!

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