Mandarin Chef Restaurant
Seattle, WA 98105
Phone: (206) 528-7596
- Cross Street:
- NE 5oth Street
- Hours:
- Mon-Sat 11:00am-10:00pm , Sun 4:00pm- 9:00pm
Editorial Description for Mandarin Chef Restaurant
Simple and unpretentious eatery serves up Chinese food in a home-style fashion to U-District students and neighborhood locals.
Insider Tips
Know Before You GoMSG is present in certain items--but the staff assure that it can be omitted upon any request.
The ExtrasAsk the waitstaff for any personal recommendations or try ordering off of the "Chef's Specialties" section which offers a variety of traditional favorites such as Mongolian chicken and salt and pepper prawns.
User Reviews for Mandarin Chef Restaurant
08/21/2008 Posted by parkhurst
We just moved to Seattle and particularly enjoy Chinese food. Not talking about American-Chinese here, we want to eat what the cook eats (assuming the cook is Asian). Based on reviews, we decided to try Mandarin Chef. It is owned by a husband and wife. He’s the cook and she (her name is Lang) is the server. They’re from Shanghai. This place is pretty small, plain and clean. We got there at 7:00 on a rainy Wednesday night and were the only customers. Not a good sign, but we decided to stay. Lang suggested homemade pork dumplings, house special chow mien with homemade noodles, and green beans with chicken. We added a few beers and placed the order. The generous portion of dumplings came first and were delicious. They were made of fresh dough wrapped around ground gently-spiced meat and had been either steamed or boiled. A soy-based sauce with vinegar and a touch of sugar was served for dipping. Next came fresh chow mien. The noodles were very delicate – flat and about 1/8” wide, stir-fried with bay shrimp, small pieces of pork and chicken, water chestnuts and a few assorted veggies. The seasoning was nicely calm and perfect; anything more heavy or oily would have overwhelmed the noodles. Eating this dish transported me back to a visit to China in 1977 where, throughout Shanghai, you could see fresh noodles or laundry hanging out to dry on balconies throughout the city - what a treat! Last came the green beans (Chinese long beans). First the beans had been blistered, then stir-fried with sauce and bits of chicken. The beans were bathed in a light coating of a thick tomato-based sauce finished with a touch of sweet and spicy. The preparation was perfect with a nice traditional sauce. With the three dishes, steamed rice and three beers, two people ate for $40 (without tip). We will definitely go back, adding this to our favorites list. The only negative might be that Lang was chatty which might put some people off - we found her charming and amusing.
06/06/2008 Posted by GKH
Love that the food is always as good as the last time. Love that the same couple have been running it for years! Love that they always remember you even if it's been awhile since your last visit. Love the dumplings!
Pros: the dumplings
Cons: the parking on the Ave
Users Like You Also Viewed
Le Fournil LTD French Bakery
3230 Eastlake Ave E
Seattle, WA 98102
Yeas Wok
6969 Coal Creek Pkwy SE
Newcastle, WA 98059-3136
