Got to go food from them for the first time a few nights ago. Had never been there, but was told that their food was very good. Gotta say, it was pretty darn good. We got the orange chicken, sweet & sour pork, fried rice and egg drop soup. I would definitely recommend this place. It was steady/full inside with a pleasant atmosphere. Look forward to returning.
Review Source:Service continues to be friendly and such , but boy has the chef disappointed me the past 3 times.........
If I wanted dry rice, I would have asked for dry rice, instead of steamed rice....
I ordered the "Sizzling Scallops" plate, not the "Luke-warm onions and bell pepper plate" WHERE THE F are my scallops?!???
AND.....by "Gourmet Vegetables" what they really mean is...."Broccoli and mushrooms drenched in some garlicy sauce" WHAT is so gourmet about that?!? Christ.
Tsk tsk tskkk! Come on New Mandarin Garden!!!!! Get it together!!!
Oh man, you never feel like you have truly moved somewhere and felt at home until you find good local Chinese food. Well at least that is one of my prerequisites...
The honey walnut shrimp is the best I've ever had! Super crispy and fresh and the creamy honey sauce is put on at the last second (also delicious!). Very tasty soups, I wasn't wild about the hot and sour, but it was still good. The beef vegetable was more tasty. The cream cheese wontons also amazing! Super crispy, not overly stuffed or soggy. Drooling just thinking about it. I live like a 5 minute walk from here and it sure takes a lot of willpower to not give in.
The service is not the fastest, but it is enjoyable. The elderly man who served us was the most jovial, friendly guy. So sweet, and was inquiring about the baby I'm pregnant with and such. Big smile!
Also, a plus is that in every San Clemente "pennysaver" you can find a 10% off discount coupon for the restaurant.
Good classic family Chinese restaurant atmosphere. Overall, I'm very excited about this discovery!
New Mandarin Garden is such a treat! My family tries to go there every time we are in San Clemente. The food is an excellent mixture of traditional and American Chinese food. Some of our favorites are honey walnut shrimp (the best I've ever tasted!) hot and sour soup, moo shu pork, and house special chow mien. My 19 month old son loves the food, and the "noodles" keep him busy while we get to enjoy our food. The staff is so friendly and helpful. They've all been there as long as I've been eating at NMG, which has been about 5 years. I think it says a lot for a business if they have such loyal employees. I went to Sunday brunch for the first time lately and it was wondeful. They have a wide selection of food out buffet style with fresh fruit and cheesecake for dessert. It is a great way to try out the restaurant if you haven't been before.
Review Source:The food is amazing! Some of my favs: Hot and Sour Soup (authentic and amazing!), House Special Chicken, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Chow Mein, Moo Shu Pork and  the String Beans! The Sunday Brunch is great for the days we want to try something other than our favorites including some dim sum items and unlimited champagne.
Review Source:Honey walnut shrimp is amazing!! Highly recommended!!
If you like spicy food, try hot and sour Soup too!
It is a family style restaurant with friendly service which makes you feel like eating at home, it is different from those up-scaled American style Chinese restaurants :)
And, they have to-go too so it is a great price with quality genuine Chinese food when you don't feel like cooking that night! haha...
This business is the best Chinese Restaurant in San Clemente. Hot and sour soup awesome! Lunch menu best value. The owners and servers of all levels take pride in what they do! I always am glad to have eaten there. No businesses have done very well in that plaza, but Mandarin Garden have thrived there for about 23 years.
Review Source:Nothing sadder, and financially unfulfilling, to order a $17 seafood dish that consist of shrimp and scallops only to find out that the cook in the little tiny kitchen (this is no chef, trust me on that assessment) impregnates the dish with salt. To the point that all traces of culinary abilities are soundly dismissed. Even worst: spend almost $80 on the whole tab and discover (too late) that this establishment does not know how to cook. Fried rice cover in soy sauce, egg foo young completely submerged in a thick dark brown sauce, I mean ladle after ladle. Fish fillet covered with an equally looking sauce (no mention of it on the menu description), and the worst of all their barbecue pork arrived to the table with this black thin liquid, smothered with it, and more vegetables than actual meat. No taste on the pork or hints of the barbecue (the reason why we friggin order it in the first place!) Big miss and the only thing they serve that was acceptable was their seafood soup, which arrive in large side in the smallest container, it was the highlight of the night. Yes, we could have said take it away and caused a commotion, but it is not in our nature to be this way, so like good little victims we basically ate what they dish out. New Mandarin Garden is beyond redemption, there is no possible way we will ever step foot inside this little, nicely decorated establishment. Panda Bear makes them look bad. Same sauce in three dishes? Loads of it? I previously had rated them 4 Stars and that is why I went there in the first place. This time around we tried a new set of dishes and it backfired in our faces to the tune of $80. All previous praises are indeed obsolete! 2 Stars.
Review Source:I went to this place based on the 4+ star rating on Yelp. Unfortunately I didn't stay.
I had been craving chinese food and egg drop soup, so I thought a lunch combo would be perfect. In reviewing the menu they had lunch specials that included soup. When I asked what type of soup I was told it was either sweet and sour (pork based) or vegetable beef. I asked if I could substitute egg drop for one of these as I didn't eat pork or beef and was told NO. Â I then asked if I could pay to sub the soup, as the menu mentioned "$0.75 and up" (that is kind of vague) to substitute and was told NO.
I then looked at the soup menu and it said a cup of soup of the day was $2.50 (as opposed to the larger size soup choices of small and large). So I asked if I could buy the lunch entree, and then pay for a cup of egg drop soup and was told NO. The waiter went on to say that the cup of soup was only for the soup of the day, which was, you got it, sweet and sour or vegetable beef.
I was told I could order a small egg drop soup for $5.50 though. Add that to the cost of a lunch entree, and you have a very overpriced chinese meal. I asked why he couldn't substitute the egg drop soup for either the soup in the lunch entree or the cup of soup and was told that it has been that way for 15 years, and they weren't going to change things now. What?? What a way to roll with the times.
Needless to say I decided it was best to cut my losses, as at this point I assumed my high maintenance requests could end up with my food being altered in unpleasant ways, so I walked out.
I've only been here for brunch but I'm going to go ahead and give them 5stars! I love New Mandarin Garden! They have an amazing dim sum special for 13bucks per person and it includes unlimited champagne. They have plenty of both indulgent foods and healthier options to fit everyone's tastes. My boyfriend and I love it and this has become our new Sunday tradition. I will be sad when we move and can no longer frequent this lovely little establishment.
Review Source:As good as it gets for a casual Chinese restaurant.
- Have been going here for 7 years+.
- Their service has been consistently outstanding. The owner or the manager has always been more than friendly and truly cares about the guests' experience.
- They have an excellent sunday brunch with an amazing selection of items that they are very generous with. What's interesting is that their selection was not that great but they seemed to have upped the ante about a year or so ago.
- Their honey walnut shrimp is amazing! Truly amazing!
- Their prices are more than reasonable!
What the heck happened to this place? My fam is not a huge fan of Chinese food but occasionally they humor me. On New Years day I ordered take out. I stuck to the basics to keep the rest of the crew happy. I choose Broccoli Beef, Kung Pow Chicken and Egg Rolls. Anyone who knows Chinese food knows these two entrees are very different and therefore the taste should be. Well this was not the case. Both tasted almost identical, tasteless to be more specific. Kung Pow chicken tasteless? Yep and slimy, so was the Beef and Broccoli. I was so disappointed and so were the boys. Mike said the beef was what he imagined re hydrated pork rinds would taste like. Â I think he nailed the overall experience. This disaster is going to make it near impossible to convince them to do this again anytime soon. Which sucks because I love love love Chinese food.
I even really enjoy eating Chinese leftovers the next day (I know not everyone's cup of tea but I do). I actually tried and heated it up again the next day. The end result was me throwing away all the leftovers. What a waste. I don't think I could ever go back and  I've eaten there for years. Sometimes one bad experience is bad enough to be a game changer. Sad
This is my all-time favorite Chinese restaurant. Everything is delicious, authentic, and in spite of being on the pricier side, absolutely worth it. I have been going there for years and years because the food never gets old, it's just fantastic. I love their pork dishes. Even my very old, very prim grandmother loved it, in spite of having grown up with "real Chinese food back East". The staff are very friendly and love their regulars. You won't be disappointed here!
Review Source:Went to this restaurant after trying to seek out a chinese restaurant.
Everything we ordered was great and the hot sour soup was one of the best that I have had in a long, long time.
We were on a short lunch break and shared this with our waiter. Â He said no problem. Â He quickly and efficiently served us and it all totaled under
$20.00. Â A perfect meal.
We will definitely be back!
Since it was within walking distance from the house we were renting my husband and I decided to try it on our last night in town. Â Wow, it was great. Â Wished we would have tried it earlier during our visit. Â Best Chinese food we have had in CA. Â Good menu, fine service and nice enough atmosphere. Â We will be back every time we are in San Clemente.
Barbara, Chandler, AZ
This place is AWESOME... Great Food , Great Price's for 10% off coupons in the Penny saver... Sunday Brunch is excellent, Not as big as others but nice selection of their menu. My family loves coming here and so do I.
Honey Walnut Shrimp is awesome and the Pork Fried rice.....Egg Foo Young is Perfect....
They always treat you like Royalty...Great Staff.....
I've been going to this place often in the past 20 years I've lived here. And to be honest, the quality of the food here has gone down significantly. It just isnt as good as it used to be. It doesn't taste as fresh as before. Â They do make great crispy shrimp and honey walnut shrimp though.
Their service is excellent though. I know the owner of the place and she is a very nice lady. She and her husband have been running the place for years. I hope she doesnt see this and know who this is. HAHA Well actually if she does see this, I hope she takes the criticism constructively because I still do love this place.
My favorite. Â Their egg rolls have a hint of five-spice that is absolutely delicious, and their "daily soup" -- I can't describe it other than sour and sweet with cabbage and ground beef. Â I don't know if it's Chinese, but I don't care. Â It tastes wonderful.
Best potstickers I've ever had, too.
Their main entrees are excellent. Â Never had a bad one.
They have a Sunday brunch that's okay. Â It's kind of like a dim sum buffet with mimosas. Â The shrimp har gao are wonderful, the rest is meh, and the price is a little high. Â But hey, all you can eat, so if your goal is to stuff yourself silly, then mission accomplished! Â Personally, I would pass on it in favor of a place that specializes in dim sum.
But lunch and dinner are definitely awesome, and don't forget those apps I mentioned above. Â Quite possibly some of the best I've ever had.
Not bad! We stopped in on Sunday for lunch, but ended up having the brunch. There was a small selection of dim sum and finger foods that were all pretty good. The bbq ribs are outstanding. All of the dishes had quality chunks of beef and chicken. The Corn and Chicken soup was really good too. Topped off with some jasmine tea, it was a good meal! If you're on the 5 and need a break in San Clemente, stop in.
Review Source:I knew we should've gotten the honey walnut shrimp! But, we went for the vegetarian spring rolls, vegetable chow mein, and the Mandarin Garden shrimp. I enjoyed the spring rolls. The shrimp was supposed to be spicy, but it wasn't at all! We then asked for hot sauce and we got minced chilli in oil. My bf said it wasn't that spicy. On the upside, the service was great! Our waiter, Alan, was a very friendly man. He kept speaking to me in Japanese. Maybe he wanted to practice? Or maybe he thought I was FOB.
Review Source:Had an early dinner here with the b.f. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive. We started off our meal with the Sizzling Rice Soup which was delicious. I love how the rice snaps, crackles and pops when they mix it in at your table. The chicken pieces in the soup were especially good- very tender with great flavor. I added just a dash of the low sodium soy sauce and it was perfect. Next came the fried pot stickers which were okay- I don't think I would order them again though. They were a little too big for my taste with too much filling. The sauce they serve them with is very good though. For dinner we had the House Beef and it was excellent! Tender and flavorful- couldn't stop eating it. We of course had to try the Honey Walnut Shrimp after reading all of the reviews on here. Verdict: BEST I've ever had. This is a dish I order at every Chinese restaurant I go to. It has been perfected here. Large, perfectly crispy shrimp in just a glaze of sweet sauce. Yum. The prices were about what you'd expect them to be- and the portions are quite large. We had plenty of leftovers to take home and I eat a lot. The decor is very cheesy and outdated but who the hell cares??! The food is great and the service is good. I will be coming back!
Review Source:We've lived in SC for thirteen years and have seen Chinese restaurants come and go and have eaten at most. Traveled to San Juan Cap, Dana Point, etc, same deal. Word of mouth was that this place was good. Finally made our first visit and were very pleased. Sesame Chicken - very good. House Chow Mien - good. Hot and Sour Soup - in the top three I've ever had anywhere anytime. Definitely going back. Gotta try that Honey Walnut Shrimp!
Review Source:Second time here wasn't the best. Â
Service - I Called in my order and they said it would be ready in 20 minutes. Â I got there after 25 minutes and waited another 20 after that. Â I don't mind if it is going to be 45 minutes, but don't lie and make me sit there and wait. This was at about 5 o'clock on a Saturday, they just opened and it was empty. Â I honestly think they forgot to put the food in until I got there. Â
Food - The honey walnut shrimp is excellent, I will probably get that every time I go here. Â The pot stickers are huge! and good, not the best ever but a great value. Â The sesame chicken wasn't very good. Battered chicken with orange sauce caked on like you would find in a $6.99 buffet.
I'll be back, but disappointed after the 1st go round, maybe eating in is the only way to go.
Another instance I wish Yelp had the half-star system (hint, hint)... 3.5 stars.
I had such high hopes for this place. Based on the Yelp reviews and word around town, I thought we surely wouldn't be disappointed (maybe we're just pains in the a**?).Guess it must have been what we ordered - chicken fried rice, chicken chow mein, orange chicken and vegetable egg foo young. The rice in the chicken fried rice was dry, as was the chicken in the orange chicken. The egg foo young, however, was most excellent - probably the best I've ever had in South OC.
The service was friendly and fast. Just wish the food we ordered had overall tasted a little better. Chinese food depression setting in...
Pretty authentic Chinese food served in a very traditional environment (i.e. waiters who are actually Chinese & still wear white shirts & black bow-ties, outdated 80s decor). Â I know that's a turn off for some people, but for me, that means the food is REALLY good.
Their honey-walnut shrimp is the best in OC. Â Perfectly fried large shrimp in a batter that's not to doughy, then tossed in a mayo-based honey sauce that is heavenly.
The sauteed dishes are really tasty, they use fresh veggies & proteins. Â The sauces are perfect, not too greasy but are flavorful. Â Definitely worth ordering take-out here rather than a Chinese fast food place.
Well Its not the best chinese food of OC this spot is more like a 3.7 on my scale. Â I still think Panda inn not express don't get them confused, is my all time favorite chinese restaurant and im pissed that Ting Sing closed up shop a few years ago in Gardena, because that was the BEST chinese food around, especially those beef tomato noodles (BTW anyone have that recipe holla !!!!)
Anyway I heard the buzz on this spot and had to see what it was all about. We ordered a few things: The house kung pao (all 3 meats) Cream cheese wontons, Crunchy scallops, chow mein, house fried rice......  The cheese wontons were delish, the Crunchy scallops were a great consistency BUT a tad bit salty. The chow mein very good and the friend rice was good as well. Overall their food is a tad bit on the toooooo seasoned side but when I crave chinese in San clemente, I will go back here, they have a huge menu of things  I'd still like to try.
Best Chinese food ever!!!! I used to live in San Clemente and eat here 1-2 times a week it was so tasty. Now I love 1 1/2 hours away and I find myself craving it. I have tried other places and nothing ever measures up. My family even drives out special from las Vegas to eat here.
Reccommendations: Cilantro chicken, cheese wontons (I usually eat two orders myself), green beans, and egg foo young! Also for the ultimate pig out, the have a all you can eat Sunday brunch (sadly no cilantro chicken though :( )
I am surprised that they don't have a ton of reviews. The locals keep this place slammed with to go orders.
One of the best Chinese places in Southern OC. The food is awesome, best fried won tons and won ton soup hands down. Â I have never had bad food from this place. Â The staff is super friendly also, one of the waiters always has a hug for us. Â If you want great food and service then this is the place for you.
Review Source:This restaurant has great food. Â We recently moved to San Clemente & are seeking out the best restaurants. Â We tried a couple of other small chinese restaurants, but none were good enough, so we kept looking. Â We found this little gem tucked inside a small little "courtyard" style shopping center, off the beaten path. Â Their Honey Walnut Shrimp is heavenly. Â The patties of the Egg Foo Yung are huge. Â Everything we have tried has been perfect. Â Can't wait to go again!
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