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A Mandarin Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
2102 Chestnut StPhiladelphia, PA 19103
Neighborhoods: Rittenhouse Square, Penn Center
(215) 496-0828
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
40 reviews for A Mandarin Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"Also, free ice cream if you eat in (mango, green tea, or..." In 3 reviews -
"I always request white meat chicken." In 3 reviews -
"They have some really quality green tea ice cream." In 4 reviews
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40 reviews in English
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Review from Jen K.
5/23/2012
The food was pretty good, maybe a little heavy on the sauce. But now that I know, I can order light sauce next time. I had the chicken pad Thai. Nice quality food, fresh and tasty. My friends shared some other dishes with lots of fresh veggies and meats.
The waitstaff was very nice. My friend that was with us is a long-time customer here, and was really treated like family. It was a very pleasant dinner and a beautiful night to sit outside and dine. -
Review from Jonathan O.
Philadelphia, PA
4/30/2012
A Mandarin Restaurant messed up my order and made no attempt to rectify the situation. The food is okay, but to me, customer service should be a top priority and I was sadly disappointed with the service we received.
Today, I ordered lunch for a group of friends. The woman ordering had a very difficult time understanding me -- both the address and the items ordered -- so I made sure she repeated everything to be sure it was correct. Unfortunately, when it arrived, they had substituted one dish I ordered with something completely different. When I called back, they said, yes we know -- the delivery person is on his way back to exchange it.
After waiting another 1/2 hour with no sign of said delivery, I called back again. At this point, I spoke with the manager. She repeated the order, but with the wrong item instead of what I ordered. I explained to her that I did NOT order that and wanted my item instead. She asked if I wanted to pay cash or credit! I said that, no, I should not have to pay extra for something I should have received in the first place.
To make matters worse, the order slip was written up in Chinese with no English translation, so I have no idea what I was or wasn't charged for. After adding everything else up, it turned out that they DID charge me for the wrong item even though she said they didn't.
To make a long story short, I would not order delivery from this place again. I would consider dining in or take out -- but would carefully check my order. Or better yet -- there are enough other mediocre Chinese restaurants in Center City to order from, so I would try someplace else. -
Review from Meredith B.
Philadelphia, PA
2/20/2012 2 Check-ins Here
You are my absolute go-to chinese restaurant in the city. Clean, friendly and with an atmosphere you'd stay and eat in.
Everything i've order I've enjoyed. Here are some of my usuals in the rotation.
Dumplings
House Special Wonton Soup**
Chicken lettuce wraps
Shrimp with garlic sauce
** this is a must get! Wonton soup full of veggies, chicken, pork and shrimp! Such a great deal and comes in a size for two!
The restaurant itself is very clean and the people are friendly. It's the type of Chinese place you feel comfortable going and eating in at - family or friends with you.
Prices are reasonable and the quality consistently there. -
Review from deb k.
Philadelphia, PA
5/18/2012
My go-to has failed me. The last time I stopped in to grab something on the way home, the place was dark and deserted, and, frankly, a little dirtier looking that other times. I placed my order, which I received in about three minutes (not particularly reassuring considering that it was not even 5:30 yet). The woman at the register then bid me good night and turned back to chatting with her co-worker -- not usually a big deal except that she hadn't given me a bill and I hadn't paid. I'm guessing that's not what the owner would expect. After pulling her away from her conversation and paying, I took my food home only to find that my vegetable dumplings were not vegetable. I'm not a vegetarian and I was starving so I tried them and immediately regretted it. They were chewy and lacked flavor (oh, they forgot the dipping sauce too), and the sauce on the entree turned out to be an unpleasant consistency and flavorless. I was crushed...not so much by the experience in the restaurant (it was only moderately better other times), but by the food, which had always been pretty decent for this type of joint. I'll be looking for a new go-to, I think.
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Review from Prasath S.
Hoboken, NJ
5/3/2012
Pad Thai at a Chinese place? YES !!! Try it. You'll be shocked just as I was.
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Review from Grant B.
Philadelphia, PA
1/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great service with terrible food.
Must Haves:
-N/A
Pros:
-Great friendly service
Cons:
-Food is terrible
Quick Tips:
-Don't come
The service was really great here. I was greeted promptly, and they really tried to make the experience enjoyable. Unfortunately the soup I had tasted just like chicken stock and the tofu dish I got (Ma Po Tofu) was TERRIBLE tasting. Their rice also tasted funny. I've had rice all my life and love it, but couldn't finish this food. I feel bad, but I would never come here again.
The terrible food overshadows their great service. -
Review from Lauren S.
Philadelphia, PA
1/4/2012
Mandarin is on speed-dial in my phone (at least the iPhone equivalent of speed-dial). They are my neighborhood Chinese place. I love their chicken with eggplant, and the lady who works there is so sweet.
They have a bunch of tables, but it seems most people do take-out, so if you decide to eat in, you pretty much have the place to yourself. No waiting! -
Review from Sarah E.
Philadelphia, PA
8/19/2011
It was the first time that I ordered from here, but I do know that my coworkers often eat here and very much enjoy it.
I concur with Ashley L.; I love food, but when it comes to Chinese take-out for lunch I usually only order two things. A quart of miso soup and a pint of brown rice. Not so Chinese...you bet cha. A filling and yummy lunch for under $7.00...absolutely.
And I have to say as well as being cheaper than other local Chinese places, their miso soup is surprisingly good. The broth is very flavorful and it's chock-a-block with tofu and seaweed. Me gusta.
The service is very friendly and it's one of the few Chinese take-out places I would consider dining in, due to the nice and clean interior. I will return another day and will sample some of the dishes fellow Yelpers have been talkin' about. -
Review from Laura S.
12/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is my go-to spot for Chinese takeout. Quick service, good food, reasonable prices. You're not going to get anything particularly special - General Tso's chicken, fried rice, lo mein, etc. It all tastes exactly the way I expect it to - solid Americanized Chinese food. Which is what I want when I am ordering Chinese food. Mmmmm MSG. Food is always delivered fast - usually well-before the time they estimate. And ordering online through Foodler makes it super-easy to make sure everything is exactly the way I like it. I've eaten in once or twice and service is always super-quick and friendly. Thumbs-up!
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Review from Ashley L.
6/6/2011
First time ordering from here but would definitely order from here again. Although I like to consider myself a "foodie," I'm pretty boring when it comes to Chinese takeout (maybe this is a good thing?). I always order chicken and broccoli in brown sauce. Sometimes I'll spring for a soup or maybe even dumplings, but the chicken and broccoli is a must. Anyway, while this is a simple dish, Madarin Restaurant somehow managed to spruce it up, in a good way! They added hints of ginger to sauce, which I've never tasted in this dish before. It was subtle enough not to overpower it, but still made it very tasty. I was pleasantly described.
I do have one negative about this place, however. The wonton soup was pretty bad. Unlike my chicken dish, this soup was completely bland. The wontons were also thick and hard. Wouldn't get this soup again, but would be willing to try another type. -
Review from Sarah B.
5/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Meh.
Ordered a small beef and broccoli to go. Service was friendly enough but I hate places that require a minimum credit card purchase - ugh. (At A Mandarin the minimum is $10.)
Walked out with the beef and broccoli (which included rice) and three canned drinks, so I could meet the credit card minimum.
Rice was mushy and sad. Broccoli was fine, beef was bleggh. I ate a little and ditched my plan to eat the leftovers for lunch - I gave it to my boyfriend. -
Review from Christopher R.
Philadelphia, PA
3/22/2010
My quest for the Platonic ideal of Chinese take-out in Rittenhouse continues.* Per my usual methodology, I stuck with the standards in making my evaluation.
- Wonton Soup: The first thing I noticed was the very thin-tasting broth. Things got worse with the wontons themselves, whose filling was sparse and bland. Very disappointing.
- Boneless Spare Ribs: Tender and good flavor but also on the oily side and lacking in burnt/crispy bits. The sheer volume of pork you receive makes it a bargain at $6.50.
- General Tso's Chicken: I liked the all white meat chicken and light breading on this. The sauce wasn't too heavy and the steamed broccoli came on the side; most of the time its drowning in sickly-sweet gunk and worthlessly soggy. I would include this as one of the best versions in Rittenhouse.
All of that came to just over $16, including the free wonton soup (or egg roll) with purchase over $15, making it a fair value. I look forward to checking out other dishes from A Mandarin Restaurant.
*N.B.: I recognize that its an absurd quest to be on, as far as quests go. I appreciate you indulging this.Listed in: Chinese take-out
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Review from Tom D.
Philadelphia, PA
2/2/2010
Back in December I had a terrible cold. I really wanted some soup delivered directly to me. I read Deann's review and said "hey, that's me, too." So I ordered then. It was fine, I wasn't really in a place to critique since my sense of taste was severely inhibited.
Tonight, I was kinda hungry for Chinese food and this was the first menu I could find. I weighed my options. I didn't really want something like sweet and sour chicken or tso's chicken, which is what'd normally order, I guess. I looked over the menu and I thought "I am going to go out on a limb, and order something really different."
This time I ordered the following: an egg roll, 10 ingredients noodle soup, and the four seasons specialty dish. Admittedly, the egg roll was crappy. That's what I get for choosing something in my comfort zone.
But that soup! It was the dopest soup I have ever had. I'll have to ask when I order it again, but I think one of the ten ingredients was awesomeness. The other ingredients included baby bok choy, straw mushrooms, carrots, baby corn, chicken, pork, and shrimp (slightly overcooked, but it was likely cooking during the delivery). The broth was flavorful, but more importantly not salty.
The Four Seasons was great as well. Pork, beef, chicken, and shrimp (this shrimp was perfect). The sauce was flavored with ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce. The dish was loaded with toothsome fresh veggies. I was swooning at my dinner table.
The total was kinda expensive: it came to 21 bucks for three items. But I have probably enough left over for two meals. So that isn't too bad. And it was delivered in exactly 33 minutes.
Oh, and they threw in a can of ginger ale for free. How did they know I love ginger ale? -
Review from Lauren G.
Philadelphia, PA
7/27/2010
Bleh!! That's all I have to say...
Alright...here's a little more explanation.
After coming back from a long trip, all I wanted to do was settle into my couch with some good Chinese take-out. I could have gone with my old faithful, JoJo Place, but instead I thought to myself....what if I'm missing out on some really good Chinese? How would I know? So I took a chance and order from A Mandarin. Bad Move!!!!
Knowing how much I love leftover Chinese I ordered wonton soup, general tso's, and steamed veg dumplings. All basics! How could you go wrong?!!
The wontons in the soup had a very odd color to them, but I put that aside and tried them out. They were very chewy and the soup had a weird after taste.
The only positive of the general tso's was that the broccoli was on the side. The meat itself was completely dried out.
And the steamed dumplings....thick and mushy and I'm still confused as to what the vegetable resemblance was.
Not good!!! Stick to JoJo Place....it's only a block away. -
Review from Joe R.
Philadelphia, PA
10/10/2008
This is a good solid place to go sit down and eat some Chinese food in the restaurant that made it. I've had the take-out and it's just as good at home, but the atmosphere and the service are worth sticking around. Everything is fresh and prepared promptly.
I am sort of becoming a 4-Star wonder and I really want to complain about something.
But I can't. They have some really quality green tea ice cream. They have a couple of other flavors, too, but who cares when you can have green tea ice cream?
With dinner and dessert covered, I want to disparage the the fact that they brought the check before asking if I wanted dessert (did I mention green tea ice cream yet?), but I'm so satisfied by deliciously-not-overcooked Chinese cuisine, including perfectly-prepared tofu, which they let me substitute for the chicken in the sweet-and-sour dish without so much as a second thought or a sideways glance, that I can't come up with one respectable complaint.
Go forth and consume delicious Chinese food in the heart of Center City, my friends! -
Review from Pat D.
Oreland, PA
9/25/2008
Actually went for lunch today with fellow Yelper, Karen F. She is as cool in person as she is in her reviews!
Good food, very inexpensive and very fresh. Their luncheon specials include soup, rice and an entree. I had spicey chicken with scallops, and it was quite good. Very fresh veggies, and generous amounts of chicken & scallops. H&S soup was also good, nice broth, and not the "glue" you get in some places. Not the best I've ever had; still very nice, and certainly good enough to warm me up on a damp,chilly day. Service was excellent, probably because there were very few people in the restaurant Total for the 2 of us was @ $16, not including tip.
I like the fact that it is clean, not overly "fake Chinese-ified", and close to the office. The food tastes fresh. It's nice to have another good lunch option available in our immediate work neighborhood. As The Arnold says: "I'll be back!"! -
Review from Katie R.
Philadelphia, PA
1/5/2011
Seriously the best chinese in Rittenhouse. Every time I get a new menu shoved under my apartment door from a competing chinese restaurant, I go out on a limb and give them a try- and I am always disappointed. And I Always return to A Mandarin. There isn't a single thing on their menu that isn't superb, the staff in the restaurant itself are extremely friendly, and when ordering delivery, they've never taken more than a half hour (usually much less). And their coupons, both in their menu and on grub hub- fantastic!
A+++! -
Review from Deann M.
12/3/2009
Fighting a cold, I went into A Mandarin today to get a bowl of soup. They have 11 different soups on their menu, so I asked for a suggestion. The server began explaining some of the choices and I opted for the mixed wonton soup. It was a mix of fresh vegetables, including bok choy, carrots, broccoli, squash, a variety of mushrooms, and more. It also had chicken, shrimp, and BBQ pork all in a great steamy clear broth. It was delicious with juicy white meat chicken, and perfectly cooked shrimp and pork. The veggies were steamed but not overly mushy and it came in a huge quart size for just under five dollars. The perfect meal for someone nursing a cold.
In a previous experience I order take-out and ordered vegetarian items for my BF and meat items for myself. Everything was superb! I had the shrimp with honey walnuts, Szechwan Tofu, veggie dumplings, and crab rangoon.
The icing on the cake is the awesome staff, super friendly and attentive. Definite spot to have good chinese or thai food and great service. Also, free ice cream if you eat in (mango, green tea, or red bean flavors!) -
Review from Dima M.
Philadelphia, PA
7/27/2008
I've mostly ordered take out from here, so I haven't had the sit-down experience. But I've been happy with my food every time. It's not very expensive and the portions are good. Dinner combos come with soup and an egg roll. There are many options on the menu and I've been trying different things. The kung-pao chicken was very good.
The inside looks clean and the staff is very nice so I would consider eating inside in the future. -
Review from M F.
Philadelphia, PA
11/21/2009
Worst food I have eaten in Philly. Orange chicken had essentially no sauce and wasn't even warm. Egg rolls had clearly not been fried hot enough - they were sopping with grease and not crunchy. But the mushu tofu was where things really went wrong - it was completely inedible. I'm pretty tolerant, especially with cheap delivery food, but we threw the mushu away. I don't even know how to describe it - it was basically pure cabbage with no other vegetables, and tasted like it had been boiled for a week in a trash can.
Maybe there are other better options on their menu, but we will not be giving them another try. -
Review from Anthony M.
Philadelphia, PA
12/9/2011
bad bad bad- who are these people giving it four stars? that's crazy. i've eaten better chinese food out of the garbage. (true story)
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Review from stephanie y.
Philadelphia, PA
9/23/2011
barf a doo. order was 25 minutes late and I wish it never came. pale, and soggy and bland. we ordered general tso's chicken, crab rangoon (sad goon), the worst shrimp lo mein (little bugs in ramen)...
choose something else. -
Review from Karen F.
7/28/2008
For cheap Chinese - this place is great. Inexpensive, relatively clean and safe.
The lunch specials are usually what we get - as it is near out office.
Also try the steamed dumplings (Get the watercress kind - they seem to be home made.).
Service can get slow - as they are usually under staffed (1 waitress and the mam-san Owner/Manager) during a busy lunch time can be a bit harried.
The used to give out free ice cream - but that is over now. (They made it past the 6 month mark.)
Did I mention the prices are sooooooo low?
It ain't Susanna Foo - but for 6.99 for Shrimp & Broccoli with brown rice (not too gloppy either) I'll be back!
Oh - and they WILL deliver. -
Review from Michael C.
Philadelphia, PA
11/9/2010
Extremely disappointing chinese restaurant. Not your typical americanized chinese food place (which is what I was looking for). I prefer Golden Lake on Market Street if you want your standard americanized take-out food. If I want authentic chinese food, I'll go to chinatown. A Mandarin aims to be somewhere in between and fails horribly--it ends up being less tasty and more expensive.
Examples below:
Chicken Mei Fun - uses cellophane noodles instead of rice vermicelli
Cantonese Style Pan Fried Noodles - uses strange lo mein noodles instead of thin egg noodles.
Sesame Chicken - really strange orange sauce, resembles orange chicken. They also don't put any sesame seeds on the chicken.
There's also too much celery, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts used in many of the dishes that don't conventionally have them. -
Review from Nicey J.
2/22/2010
After trying to get Thai and everything being closed at that awkward time of day or just being too cold to walk any farther we stumbled upon this place...
There were hardly any decent vegetarian options and when we ordered the dinner specials i had to pay an extra dollar to get a veggie roll and miso soup smh .. Anyway the food was ok the ONLY reason I'd come back would be for the complimentary ice cream at the end which was delish ( had the green tea flavor) .. Otherwise I'll keep it moving -
Review from J G.
Glenmoore, PA
2/2/2010
This is a block from office, so I go there pretty regularly.
I love their Mai-Po Tofu (very spicy tofu over rice with pork/black bean sauce). Their spring rolls are extra crispy and filled with fresh vegetables. I've also tried their cashew chicken and mongolian beef, both of which are quite tasty.
This is one of my favorite chinese restaurants. The service is always very friendly and I can get a quick lunch with good quality. -
Review from Martmi M.
Philadelphia, PA
6/20/2011
Excellent Chinese food. The orange chicken is particularly good, given that they use high quality chicken in their dishes. Service here is quick and super friendly. Great place. Would certainly recommend to friends.
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Review from Holly F.
Brooklyn, NY
3/8/2009
I'm surprised to read the last review! This is your basic chinese food delivery, although their chicken is particularly good quality and everything seems really fresh. I am a huge fan of the dumplings.
The thing that makes me call this place is that they are so freakin' nice, lIke the nicest place I've ever called for takeout. Then they guy who brings the food is really nice too. -
Review from Sarah L.
Annapolis, MD
3/14/2010
There was a limited choice for Gluten and Dairy free options but they did understand my needs. They made the rice noodle dish without soy sauce. We did get a free green tea ice cream (which of course I couldn't eat) but it didn't really make up for the average tasting meal. The tofu dish had so much tofu (which was very wobbly) and no vegetables.
On the plus side it was quick and when its cold and windy outside the unlimited green tea to warm you up was much appreciated. -
Review from Stef A.
Philadelphia, PA
1/3/2011
Ordered General Tso's and an eggroll from here last night in my quest to find delicious Chinese delivery in my neighborhood. The search continues. Eggroll was decent but General Tso's was too sugary and not crispy enough for my liking. The food was at my door within 10 minutes of me ordering. For some reason, this scares me.
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Review from Candace C.
New York, NY
11/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
this place is super convenient and fast. and the interior is pretty modern.
the food is very average, and very much a "i'm too lazy too cook" type of place. it is americanized chinese food, but done alright. they have good pan fried buns, but everything else is ehh.
if you are hungry and want a quick, relatively inexpensive meal, this is a good place to go. -
Review from Michelle S.
Philadelphia, PA
2/7/2011
A Mandarin has become our go-to Center City restaurant outside of Chinatown. We have yet to be disappointed. My husband loves that the hot and sour soup is made without pork. Stardard dishes are just as you would expect. We really like the Lemon Grass Chicken in Thai Garlic Sauce.
The owners and waitstaff are very friendly and the services is great although very rarely there is some translation issues.
Food is served quickly, whether you're eating in or taking out.
We've eaten here at least a dozen times and have ordered delivery about 5 times. Sometimes we get free goodies with our order and the ice cream at the end of the meal is great. All the flavors are wonderful. -
Review from Kathryn M.
San Francisco, CA
8/21/2009
The best part about this place is that they have great chinese food AND great Thai options! I go back and forth between A Mandarin and Jojo's a block away and A Mandarin seems to do better overall among groups I've ordered with. At the very least, it's more consistent in the quality of food. They have a large menu with both chinese and thai food (which to me usually means both will be mediocre) yet everything is good. I particularly like their Pad Thai and their mango chicken. With a few good options in the neighborhood (I would add Square on Square to the list as well) this place holds it's own. Oh and the staff is super friendly which wins me over if you're dining in or going in for take-out.
Listed in: Delivery in Center City…
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Review from David R.
Philadelphia, PA
10/6/2009
I've gotten takeout from this place a few times. I'll echo the sentiment that I appreciate that it's not overly "fake chinese". The dishes I've gotten from here actually tasted like something except salt and MSG.
Plus, their "steamed tiny buns" are kinda like soup dumplings, although very light on the soup. Good though. I think this will be my go-to chinese place. -
Review from Ari P.
Chicago, IL
7/8/2010
This is the go to spot for Americanized Chinese delivery and takeout. Yea, it's way too sugary etc, but it's best of the breed.
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Review from Sophiya S.
Philadelphia, PA
7/9/2010
I was taking N to Devil's Alley for lunch and I was tired of walking so, I suggested we have some chinese instead. My lomein was average and N hated his lemon chicken. I think it is one of the few lemon-XX that disappointed him so much. he practically didn't eat anything.
When N saw Devil's alley in the next block, N was def mad at me. He could have had a nice burger instead haha. -
Review from Steven S.
Philadelphia, PA
1/23/2010
I had the Mongolian beef. It had a nice blend of seasonings and was well cooked. The waitress was very friendly, serving us tea and water and constantly offering us refills. We were seated quickly and could bring along our own alcohol (They serve none). Not the best Chinese I've had but tasty and reasonably priced.
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Review from M. D.
Bethlehem, PA
10/27/2009
I've eaten here twice: first time the shrimp with mixed veggies was good and even had asparagus in it which was a nice surprise; however the beef with brocolli was of much lower quality -- the beef was unusually soft and the sauce was watery and lacked flavor (I'm sure the chicken is better). The Hot and Sour soup was good both times.
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Review from Clara Y.
Philadelphia, PA
5/2/2010
My roommates and I ordered take-out from here for dinner and were very pleased with the quality/taste/and amt of food. We got the chicken with string bean, chicken with broccoli, sweet and sour chicken, veggie lo mein, and hot and sour soup.
for spending over 30 dollars, we got a free large order of general tso's chicken! (which was really delicious--very light on the breading and sauce, and i liked that you could tell that the chicken was all white meat).
hot and sour soup was ok--too much bamboo for my taste.
free delivery is also a big plus :) definitely will be ordering from here again! -
Review from Kevin H.
Philadelphia, PA
10/19/2009
I always request white meat chicken. Here, that is no problem, they only use white meat chicken. Everything that we have had has been A+, especially the spring rolls. If you eat in, they give free ice cream. Delivery is quick and the delivery person is very friendly, as is everyone here.
