The first time I came here (years ago), I got galbi. Now being Korean, I found this dish relatively repulsive... seasoning was off and the meat was so chewy and greasy I couldn't finish it.
After a long hiatus, I came back and tried a chicken dish. It was better than I expected (but then again, my expectations were prettttyy low after my first visit). The hot and sour soup didn't really taste authentic, but it was pretty tasty nonetheless (and had a big kick... which I enjoyed). I really appreciated the fact that they offered brown rice! Only bad thing was that the chicken was so overloaded with garlic that I felt bad for anybody who spoke to me for hours after.
I've learned to only get bibimbap here if I come (which was normally out convenience) just because otherwise I'd more than likely end up wasting my money.
Things like noodle soup, really really bland.
The lunch specials are an okay deal, but not really good food. Don't get fried rice; it always seems really old like it's been sitting there drying forever.
Cucumber salad - half of a sliced cucumber in some white vinegar. gross.
mandu - once, it was decent, the other couple of times... soggy and gross.
Bulgogi is okay, but somethings kind of soggy-feeling that just isn't pleasant. Can't really describe.
Hot and sour soup - really flavorless, but tongue burns after a while from spiciness, which is not really the point of hot and sour soup
Egg drop soup is okay. I'd get this with the lunch special instead of hot and sour.
bibimbap - 4
90% of everything else that I've wasted my money on trying - 1, maybe 2 on some.
Some stuff is awesome. Â Korean dishes like bulgogi are great (they spell it pool ko kee). Â Some of the Chinese dishes are pretty good too.
Some stuff is no good. Â The mandoo are really effing terrible. Â Also seriously just stay away from the lo mein. Â a) It's not actually lo mein. Â b) It's blander than bland. Â c) It's so full of water chestnuts and bamboo shoots that you can barely get the noodles on your chopsticks.
So if you haven't already figured it out, the restaurant name is a bit of a misnomer because the Korean food is much better than the Chinese food. Even so, it's really just so so. The pros include cheap lunch specials and convenience.
FYI: horrible hot and sour soup (stick with egg drop) and cold bibimbap (you have to pay extra for the hot stone pot one).
Oh Mandarin House, I'm so torn about you.
I don't like your Chinese dishes. The lunch special soups are off in one or more aspects, yet I come for your Korean dishes every so often. The stone-hot bibimbop is a nice novelty, and quite warming on a cold winter's day.
I'm glad you got actual windows installed, so you can see into the restaurant. It makes you seem much less sleazier, even if I didn't think you were in the first place.
the food here is pretty much on par with other Asian restaurants in E-town. in other words, it's mediocre.
came here for lunch; ordered the mongolian beef cause our server said it was the most popular dish. the egg drop soup was lukewarm and flavorless; my mongolian beef was just okay.
nothing to rave about here, but prices are good so I'd say this is still a solid casual lunch.
Mandarin House in a cozy Evanston institution. I've been coming here for years, and food is consistently good. I go back and forth between the Chinese and Korean sides of the menu, but no matter what I order the ingredients are fresh and the food is satisfying. I'm a big fan of the sesame chicken, it has this very unique vinegar flavor to it but finishes sweet. It's different and highly addicting. The Korean items are definitely their forte, and I would recommend any of these. The decor is homey, the service is great, and this place never fails to disappoint. It's the perfect pick-me-up for a dreary winter day in Evanston.
Review Source:I haven't been here for the Korean food (with a name like Mandarin House, why would you?), but apparently that's what they're known for -- not their Chinese food.
The owners and workers are of Korean descent. If you know someone who knows Korean, come with them and order some off-the-menu items; those are supposed to be their top picks.
I ordered a Duck Lo Mein (I felt like being pretty American) and the noodles were very spongy and lacked flavor. The duck was overcooked and rubbery. The sauce was bland. I wouldn't give them a 1 because their server was actually really nice and attentive.
I'll come back sometime soon since I live nearby, but I'm making sure I bring one of my Korean friends with me, too.
I am conflicted about writing this review, because there is already so much hate in the world and much of it seems to be aggregated on sites like this. Â I have no desire to defame anyone for sport or humor. Â I only want to help others avoid making the same mistakes that I have made. Â
This is the worst restaurant I have ever been to. Â The ambiance, decor, service, fish tank, and the dreary and disillusioned patrons were all okay. Â But the food almost ruined eating for me. Â I cannot say that I've tried "authentic Chinese food" and will admit that my taste buds are accustomed to the Americanized version of this culture's cuisine. Â But I have a fairly broad palate and the Lo mein alone almost made me forget about my divorce. Â
Honestly, the meal as a whole is kind of a blur, a hazy migraine of sorts, so I cannot remember many of the dishes or even who I went there with. Â What I have been able to gather from the acid flashback like daymares I get is that the sesame chicken had vinegar on it, the beef and broccoli didn't seem to have beef or broccoli, and the lo mein was drenched in some sort of dark sludge. Â
While many of you will disregard this review as "snark" (as the tone might seem to fit within David Denby's "9th Principle of Snark"), my only hope is that one person will take this seriously and decide to spend their money elsewhere.
Please listen.
Let me just say that this place looks so much better after they took down the scrap plywood that used to cover their windows. Â It's my go-to place for bibimbap in a hot clay pot. Â Definitely a good change of pace from the ubiquitous cheap and unimaginative Thai places that Evanston is populated with (sorry, I used to like Cozy and Thai Sookdee and Zoba, but after 4 years, I just can't take anymore). Â I have yet to try anything else on the menu, but as long as you can do one thing moderately well, you can hang onto customers like me, just looking to mix it up.
Review Source:I came here for lunch at the behest of some friends who were craving bibimbop. While I myself did not get the bibimbop, I found the meal to be pretty 'meh' on the whole.
The lunch special is extraordinarily cheap- something like $7 or $8 a head for a coup and entree w/fried rice. Â Too bad the soup (I chose egg drop) was bland and clearly had been sitting for a while. Â We also ordered a potsticker-like appetizer, but the dough was falling apart and the dipping sauce was very much not to my taste. Â Very disappointing for this gyoza diehard!
The entree I got, I forget the name, but was basically a soy-marinated beef, with the side of fried rice. The beef itself was great- a little sweet, definite char taste, and tender. Â The problem with the entree, though, was twofold: the fried rice was quite possibly the worst I've ever had, and there simply was not very much beef! Â The fried rice was flavorless, dry, and clumpy, to the point where I wished I had ordered plain white rice. Â The beef, delicious, but when you can barely eat the fried rice, there simply was not enough for even a lunch.
I don't think I'll be back here anytime soon unless my friends drag me back.
PS the place always looks deserted from the outside, no matter how many people are actually in it!
The only thing I've ever had here is the Bee Bim Bop. Â I'm always happy I ordered it. Â Very tasty. Â The service is good. Â
Recently they ripped off the front (thank god) and installed an anodized aluminum and glass storefront. Â I don't like the brown color, but the glass lets light into the place, making dining much more pleasant, and passersby can see that it's actually a restaurant, not some seedy bar, which was not evident previously. Â (Someone I know once told me they thought it was a massage parlor!) Â In fact, Mandarin House is a minor icon in the neighborhood, so any improvements are welcome. Now if only they could rip out that nasty vestibule and continue with the aluminum/glass, it would kick things up a notch.
I really wanted to give this place a chance, so I tried several of their dishes. Unfortunately, I hated them all - this is honestly the worst food I've ever had in Evanston, even a step below Northwestern's dining halls on their crappiest days. A couple examples:
Sesame chicken: The vinegar sauce tastes disgusting. Really, it felt as if I were eating solid vomit.
Lo mein: Greasy yet strangely tasteless. Normally, lo mein is one of those greasy comfort foods that you order to satisfy a craving, but the Mandarin House version is destined to disappoint, especially when you factor in the absurd price.
Neither of these aforementioned dishes were visually appealing, either, nor was the staff particularly competent at customer service. Plus, this restaurant is barely visible from Noyes Street, tightly squished between a laundromat and a half-occupied office building.
TLDR: Despite my efforts and repeated visits, I can't find a single redeeming thing about Mandarin House. If you're in the area and are really craving Chinese, hop on the Purple Line to Davis (Joy Yee's, Koi, Pine Yard, etc.) or Linden (Wah Mei).
The owners of this restaurant are Korean. Â Obviously, Korean food will taste more authentic than Chinese food.
Of the numerous dishes that I have personally tried here, I would recommend the bibimbop. Â It's a bowl of rice, vegetables, meat, and red pepper sauce that you mix together with a bowl of miso-like soup.
My personal favorite here is spicy pork-bulgogi sauteed with Kimchi. Â It used to be a custom-order, but I guess it's popular enough now to be on the menu. Â If you like spicy food, you will like this dish.
The owners are nice enough to serve you an extra bowl of rice, if you ask for it.
I don't know what it is about this place that makes me like it but it's a great place. Â The food is good enough, cheap and quick and the odd character of the place makes me like it. Â
It is usually entirely empty but a great place to go with some friends. Â BYOB, so don't forget if you're planning on having a few drinks with dinner. Â I have been here a bunch and will continue to go but be aware that this place is weird.
People are nice, if not often confused. Prices are good. It has survived on a changing street, even with a shady looking exterior. Interior is homey and comforting on rainy or cold days.
Hands down, my favorite bibimbop!
Guess I didn't realize how much I liked it, occasionally rolling eyes over takeout snafus, etc., until they were closed longer than planned for remodeling. I left a message wondering if they were opening ever again and they called me back with a super polite voicemail, thanking me for my interest, and then AGAIN when they did indeed reopen.
Now they got me!
This is where I go for my comfort food. Â A staple for the Northwestern undergrad hungry for a healthy but tasty meal after a late night at the library. Â The prices are reasonable and, boy, is the food good.
I HIGHLY recommend the stone-hot bibimbop, it's a sizzling ceramic bowl filled with rice, vegetables, meat, and a delicious red pepper sauce. Â The heat of the bowl lightly singes the food, giving the bibimbop a delicious texture of soft rice and crisp vegatables enhanced with toasted edge.
I remember this place from undergrad, It's one of the hidden gems in Evanston (and there aren't that many). Its unassuming (read crappy) frontage is just a way to keep out the traditional frat boy / driver bye. The interior decor is also meant to resist the faint of heart. But if you meet the challenge the food is excellent. I've read the other reviews and admit I never had sesame chicken - I stuck primarily with the Korean section. I loved the Bibim Bop and (was actually the first place I had) though I've more since I still like this one. I've had the mongolian beef and loved it. So if you're a newbie and scared about this place try it and it'll get you hooked.
Review Source:Wow, either I came on the wrong day or everyone else here that likes this place is seriously on crack!! I should have seen the signs that this place would be a dump with their tiny window and shady looking decor. Not only that but it was a friday night and the place was one empty restaurant.
The sesame chicken was missing the chicken and was so damn batterdipped and vinegar-y tasting that we couldn't even finish half. The egg rolls were stale and all cut up and gross looking. We were pretty pissed off and the waitress was very apologetic and told us not to pay for the food. We ended up paying half and leaving.
Away from L.A. for the first time I used to really crave Korean food my freshman year at NU.
A place like this wouldn't do well anywhere else, but I commend Mandarin House for being one of two very nearby and accessible restaurants to serve my deep seeded Korean cravings.
I always enjoy the Yookehjang and I've tried a lot of other things on the menu that I can't even remember as particularly wonderful. Â Though the only panchan you get is a little bowl of kimchi and maybe kkakdoogee, you always get a pot of warm tea, the prices are low, and the ladies that serve you are always nice and friendly!
NOTE: This place is NOT open for lunch on Sundays.
We finally got back to Mandarin House after several years (not an intentional boycott by any means!) And promptly realized how much we missed this place which used to be a regular haunt.
I know it doesn't look very promising (and a trip to the bathroom in the back/behind the kitchen is somewhat less than inspiring.)
But rest assured - the food can be very very good. We kind of got hooked on always ordering the Beef Bibim Bop - and I have never tasted better anywhere in the Chicago area. The beef is perfectly seasoned and well balanced with a bright bowl full of rice and an abundance of very fresh vegetables: carrots, spinach, zucchini/baby cukes and more - topped with a fried egg and served with a hot Asian chili sauce on the side - perfect for you to toss altogether to suit your taste. It actually tastes quite healthy too.
(BTW - we tried the Chicken Bibim Bop - and it wasn't nearly as good - rather dry and the Chicken lacked the flavor and texture of the marinated beef.)
We actually get cravings for their version of this dish! (We're also fond of the Wonton Soup.)
During the summer, we frequently get the Bibim Bop to go - and take it down to the beach for a picnic and then watch the sunset (the spouse also goes for a swim...) It makes for a lovely and inexpensive evening! Â The prices are right too - a good value.
They do serve wine and beer - so I'm not sure if there is any BYOB option. And since so many of  you (and the many diners) love the Mongolian Beef - we'll have to try that the next time we go - which will be very soon!
I should have had the Mongolian Beef that everyone is raving about.
I had Sesame chicken, and it was very vinegar-y . Not at all what I expected or wanted.
We ordered take-out and they were very fast. The rest of our food was ok, but I was disappointed at my main course. I'll try it again.
When I lived in Evanston, I was here on a regular basis. Â I've had many of their excellent dishes, but the best dish there is the Mongolian Beef. Â Get it spicy. Â You won't be disappointed. Â Ever since I've moved from Evanston, I crave Mandarin House. Â I would have that food shipped out to California if possible, that's how good it is.
Great prices, small cozy ambience, excellent quick service, nice sized portions. Â This is a hidden gem in Evanston. Â Once you find it, you'll want to keep it a secret as well so you can have it all to yourself. Â You'll see what I mean. Â Go there and get the Mongolian Beef or anything else on the menu. Â You'll love it.
This place serves both Chinese and Korean cuisines, which is great because you don't find many Korean restaurants in the area. In fact, this is the only one in Evanston as far as I know.
Their mongolian beef seems to be quite popular - I see people ordering it all the time. I personally prefer the Korean menu, such as the bibim bop and pool ko kee/marinated beef. The seafood soup is decent, too. Prices are reasonable, perfect for students. Btw, there is (or used to be?) a "no oil" option, though I don't think it makes any difference...
The restaurant is usually packed, so try to get there early. I usually do take-out, because their service can get really slow!
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