Mandarin Restaurant

Note:

The Mandarin Restaurant is just a short drive north of Salt Lake County. Having heard numerous mentions of it, we decided to experience it for ourselves and share our findings. We were able to sample three dishes in our meal because our son joined us to celebrate his birthday. However, as always, our published price reflects the price of dinner for two people. We’re sorry you may not be able to enjoy three entrées for that price.

He said:

My GPS device led us through a residential neighborhood, but I figured we must be close when we encountered an increase in cars parked on the street and then a mass of cars spilling out of the restaurant’s parking lot. I could see that Kathy was right to get a reservation ahead of time.

As I found a parking space, my first impression of the restaurant was that it was a bit plain, despite some ornamental curlicues above the door and two lion statues flanking the entrance. As we waited for the throng to dissipate enough to enter, I took another look at the environs. On one side, red and white flowers popped from a flowerbed. On the other, iron egret¹ statues posed artfully in the ivy in the shade of a colorful beech tree.

Once we entered the building, I found that “plain” could no longer describe the restaurant. Everywhere I looked, I found artistic Chinese décor and ornamentation. In some areas, coffered ceilings presented carved appliqués. Other ceilings featured tiles with fanciful imagery and patterns. Lacquered moldings at the top of walls included geometric patterns as well as dragons and birds. Doorways were arched with carved dragons. Wood screens carved with rocs separated dining areas. Calligraphic and watercolor triptychs adorned the walls. Traditional, red-tasseled Chinese lanterns hung from serpent sculptures. Confucian acolytes looked on from various niches. Rich ornamentation filled every space of the restaurant’s interior.

Our table was colorfully prepared for us in the fourth and final dining room. Atop the cream tablecloth sat bright red plates and red cloth napkins. Black appetizer plates added contrast. A living bamboo shoot rose from a vase. Another vase, in the shape of a large bamboo segment, held a collection of plastic chopsticks.

I scanned the menu for a Family Feast or some similar combination, but all the items were served a la carte. We started with the Chicken Soong Imperial Lettuce Wraps. These were served with Romaine hearts, which I liked. The topping included chicken, water chestnuts, and carrots. Kathy was first to notice the pine nuts. We had a generous serving, which was quite tasty. I don’t think anybody else at the table tried the accompanying hoisin sauce. I thought it was terrific. It must have been made from a black bean sauce because it had a deep, complex flavor that I enjoyed.

We also ordered three entrées, all served family-style. First, we ordered the Coconut Thai Curry Chicken. The menu said this was spicy and could only be served hot. Unfortunately, I found it only mildly spicy and even its temperature was only warm. I was also disappointed in how few green beans and onions it had. I did enjoy its thick, red Thai curry/coconut milk sauce. The chopped peanuts enhanced it nicely.

Our second entrée was the Orange Peel Beef. This dish featured crispy beef with green onions and Szechwan chili peppers in an orange glaze. I didn’t detect any orange zest, but I could taste the orange juice in the glaze. I enjoyed the flavor, but this dish also wasn’t served hot. Though perhaps my favorite of our three entrées, it had the smallest portion.

Our final entrée was the Mu Shu Pork. Mostly full of cabbage, it also included bamboo shoots and a few shredded carrots. Once again, I enjoyed the accompanying hoisin sauce, but I didn’t sample the Mandarin pancakes.

Nothing stood out to us from the dessert menu, so we called it a night.

She said:

When Brian suggested going to the Mandarin, I was a bit reluctant to drive all the way up to Bountiful. However, it was a special occasion, and I wanted to celebrate and honor our son’s birthday. Besides, my curiosity led me to peek at the restaurant’s website, and some of the dishes featured on their page piqued my interest. Such as: the Soong Imperial Lettuce Wraps, the Mu Shu Pork, the Golden Barbecue Duck, and the Ginger Salmon. Oh, and the S’mores Bread Pudding caught my interest, too.

When we first pulled up to the parking lot, my first impression was, “That’s it?” The building is low and painted a dull shade of grayish brown. It was pretty simple and unremarkable. The landscaping included a bed of pretty, red and white flowers, a beautiful European Tri-Color Beech tree, some ivy, and the heavy cherry-wood front doors were flanked by gnarly looking leonine statues. I don’t really know what they were, but they appeared to be fierce and symbolically protective of the premises.

Upon entering to check in for our reservation, we were met with a throng of people in the lobby/waiting area. With so many people waiting to be seated, there was barely any walking or elbow room. We couldn’t even reach the hosting kiosk! I made a hasty exit, went back outside for a few minutes to allow the surge of patrons to dissipate, and then returned to the entrance to notify the hostess that we had arrived.

The presence of a crowd standing in the entrance as well as sitting in the two large areas with plenty of cushioned bench seating testified to the popularity of the Mandarin. Once I was seated on a bench, I took stock of our surroundings. Where everything was plain on the exterior, the same could not be said about the interior! The décor was exceptionally ornate: deep wood-carved wainscotting, gilt curlicues and stenciling, Asian-themed watercolor murals depicting everyday life activities, framed paintings, warm wood crown moldings and dropped or tray ceilings that were embellished with gold-colored accents that screamed Asian origins. It was pretty much over-the-top, but it worked.

There was a cream linen tablecloth draped across our table. Sitting on the table were red dinner plates, black appetizer plates, red linen napkins, and small stalks of bamboo sitting in vases filled with water and tiny pebbles. Everything looked nice.

Now, about the food.

We ordered the lettuce wraps to start. I really appreciated the crunchy texture of the filling, and the sauce was good. The romaine lettuce leaves were crisp and fresh, which made this appetizer wonderful to eat. Limp, wilted lettuce is a no-go. 😉 I do wish we’d had a couple more romaine hearts to last as long as the filling did.

Because we planned on ordering family-style entrees, I skipped ordering the duck or salmon. Brian wouldn’t have enjoyed the salmon and I wasn’t sure if everybody would care for the duck. Instead, we opted on the Mu Shu Pork with Mandarin pancakes to share. However, I refrained from trying out the Thai Curry Chicken. I also avoided the Orange Peel Beef when I saw the chili peppers in it, even though Brian said it wasn’t too hot.

Note: rice is not included with the entrées, so we placed an order for a bowl of combined brown and steamed rice. Half and half. Unfortunately, I found it a bit dry and hard to swallow.

Everything I ate tasted okay, but I really wished for an extra burst of flavor that would have elevated the food above the usual Chinese fare.

At the end, I didn’t order the bread pudding despite my anticipation for dessert because I’d already eaten my fill for the night. Bummer.

Conclusion:

Be sure to make a reservation before heading to the Mandarin Restaurant. With almost 35 years in operation, they have developed quite a popular business.