Mandarin Palace - Santa Barbara

I went there for lunch and ordered the dan mian (spicy minced pork over noodles). I was impressed by the depth of flavor in the dish, with subtle hints of garlic and ginger. The texture of the noodles was perfect, complementing the dish wonderfully. If you enjoy spicy food, I highly recommend trying this dish!

To get a good sense of Mandarin Palace, we ordered our favorite dishes that we typically enjoy at our go-to Chinese restaurant. I opted for the salt and pepper fish, but unfortunately, it didn't measure up. The fish was served in small, thin pieces and had a heavy batter, rather than the regular portions of fresh, flavorful fish we were expecting. The vegetables were also sliced very thin and didn’t contribute much to the overall flavor. My dining companion chose the moo goo gai pan, which she appreciated for its thinner vegetable cuts, but it didn't taste as good as we’re used to at our favorite spot. The prices were reasonable, slightly higher than what we usually pay, but not excessive. The servers were friendly enough. Overall, I would consider it just average. We’ll be sticking with our favorite Chinese restaurant from now on.

The Mandarin Palace has consistently delivered quality food over the years. While the standard menu offers few surprises, it features the usual American-Chinese dishes, all well prepared. I believe that if they truly understood authentic Chinese cuisine, they would be able to offer it and it would be excellent. I hope they consider providing authentic Chinese dishes for their Western patrons.

A decent place very fast when eating. it's hard to know exactly what you'll get. it looks as if every restaurant has the same name, but different eat. overall this place was good to go and try, but I can't see that I'm coming back from the choice. it should be a friend or someone who wants to try.

I have had many good meals here. But my most recent take out experience was less than good. Im a vegetarian and this place has a nice selection of vegetarian entrees. Both with veggies as the main and also soy protein meat substitutes. My order of orange chicken was awful. The chicken was dry and chewy. Could hardly swallow it. And the steamed rice was not edible. Under cooked and no moisture to it. Very disappointing.