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Category: Chinese
3132 Vicente StMon. 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Tue. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Wed. 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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My husband and I have become regulars in this restaurant for one simple reason: they serve no fuss, good food. This is a Chinese restaurant but they also observe Islam cooking so they don't serve pork.
We always order the spicy and non-spicy hot pot (bowl is divided into two; one side spicy, the other not). Then we order the following to cook in the pot: assorted vegetables, tofu, noodles, thin lamb slices and thin beef slices.
Everything cooks pretty quickly. Dip it in the thick, peanut buttery sauce, pop 'em in your mouth and yuuuuuum! Oh, and the green onion pancake with beef (which we order as a side dish) is a main stay too.
This is not the type of establishment you go to eat healthy or watch your weight, although I'm guessing the hot pot is probably one of the healthiest in the menu. This is more like a loosen your belt, go to sleep 'coz you're so full after eating type of joint. But this is one of those guilty pleasures that I just have to have every once in a while.
I love the food so much that I come back over and over even if the place smells like armpits (thanks to a strong smelling dish in their menu).
A haiku:
mongolian beef
hot, heavy, calorie laden
delicious but evil
I decided to check this place out based on a glowing review I read in one of the papers.... Chronicle, SF Weekly, Guardian... I don't know which. One of them made this place sound like an absolute gem in the fog.
So, I bit.
Now, I work hard for the money and I love to go out to eat and I like to clear my plate. And if I can't clear it, I'm certainly going to take it home.
IF it can make the journey, that is.
I have to say that although I did enjoy my meal here, the sheer amount of grease that I was ingesting seriously gave me pause and wonder if I should either not continue, or get rid of what I had already consumed.
Graphic, I know. But, I hope that you will get the gist of what I'm putting down here.
That said, we ordered 2 menu items that I had read were highly recommended: Peking Beef Pancake ($7.50) and Stired Eggs with Vegetables ($8.95)
The misspelling is theirs.... the menu is chock full of it and I tend to find that downright charming as all get out.
To this feast we added Salt and Pepper Tofu ($8.95)
the beef pancake - beautifully blistered wrap filled with tasty beef
"stired" eggs with vegetables - a ton (6?) of eggs in an omelette style with seaweed and carrots and mushrooms inside. served mu shu style with pancakes and hoisin
salt and pepper tofu - delectable pillows of the saltiest chunks of tofu. A crisp outer layer and feathery creamy inside. served on a bed of refreshing cabbage spiked with hearty chunks of jalapeno
friendly service. ample portions.
the menu is ridiculous with the amount of choices.
It was just the grease.
Oh.
Ugh.
Wow.
I just don't know how often I want to subject myself to spending my entire day's caloric intake in one sitting. Or, based on the amount of food you get here, potentially three.
Did you know that lambs lay eggs? Neither did I until I tried them, all boiled up in a hot pot. And then, I realized, these are actually lambs balls, and they are delicious in a dipping sauce.
This was my first foray into Islamic Chinese food and I was quite pleased. We started with the Westlake lamb dumplings, which were amazing. I didn't really share very well with the rest of the table and inhaled more than were meant for me.
Then came the hot pot. We had lamb, noodles, tofu, cabbage, and lambs eggs. It was all delicious and filling, but I must admit, I felt like I was coated with oil internally by the end of the meal, as it is a bit greasy.
The place is TINY and cash only, neither of which I expected, but both were tolerable.
It was definitely a fun experience and I look forward to returning to see what other creature parts I can eat.
Another Chef v. City fan, so we had to try this place.
Hot pepper dish wasn't as spicy as I thought it would be, but after awhile we got tired of just eating peppers. Hot and sour soup had too much corn starch, so it was more like a gravy. Pan fried dumplings were okay, a bit doughy for my taste. Fried rice was a little bland. The higlight of the night was the beans and tofu. Man that was good. I'd come back just for that. Super hot wok, crisped up the veggies perfectly, yet still tender inside.
Service was super hospitable. Expansive menu and prices are reasonable. I'd like to come back and try the hot pot and GREEN BEANS!
Beef pancake, check, lamb dumplings, check, but the must-have is still the hot pot. Lamb tastes very fresh. They don't have so much of the 'lamb taste' that a lot of the people fear. If you're one of the people, don't get the lamb dumplings.
If you want traditional Chinese hot pot, this is the closest you can get without flying there. Everything adds up, the service (family oriented), the decor (we were eating in one of their family private dining rooms), and the food.
Winter is here (well, it's like 3/4 of the year in the Lake Merced area) and I will sure make to few more trips in the coming months.
The portion sizes are HUGE, so take your mom your pop sister brother cousin ...
having said that, the beef dishes were outstanding!
the Mongolian beef just melted in your mouth. ordered Hot and sour soup which was spicy, beef paratha which was excellent flaky and crisp, Mongolian beef which was the standout dish and a chicken dish which was okay.
bring your appetite and your entourage
My first 4 star rating. The resto is literally out in the boondocks of Sunset. The L Taraval Streetcar is probably the only public line that I know that gets you close to the resto. You won't have a probably driving to this place because there are ample parking spaces around the area. Check the hours before you go there especially if you are planning to do lunch, on certain days they open @ 5:30pm.
This is my second time to this resto and that's saying a lot given there are so many places to try in Frisco. The wait staff are cordial and kind, but beware that they only speak minimum English, if you can, bring a fren that speaks Mandarin. Also, take notice on the front cover of the dinner menu, you will see the word "dinner manual", didn't know there were special instruction to eat dinner...
Here are the items that I ordered, Westlake lamp dumpling, sweet and sour soup, lamb chow mein, and Mandarin lamb (I could of swear it said Mongolian lamb on the menu, but the wait staff insisted it was Mandarin). My fav is the Westlake lamp dumpling, this item is a must have if you are going there. The sweet and sour soup and lamb chow mein are good and I will try that again the next time I am there. The Mandarin lamb was average, I don't think I will get that again. Also, their beef pancake is really good but also very greasy. If you are a greasy spoon type of person, you got's to get this item. Also, they have a really spicy dish called, "Not Si Li", which literally translate to "Spicy Death You." This dish is very spicy and I would recommend this to the adventurous foodie out there.
Overall, all the dishes serve here are calorie dense, if you are in any kind of special diet, this place mos def is not for you. Peace out!
It's true, like other Yelpers, I saw this place featured on Chefs vs. City on the Food Network, so on Saturday night my husband and I trekked on out to the outer boonies of the Outer Sunset. This place is seriously in the middle of nowhere. Next time we go, we're driving!!!
This energetic place is snug, with about eight tables. I believe six tables for four, two for eight. When we (finally) arrived at around 8:30 on Saturday night, it was packed, and we ended up sharing a table for eight with another couple. The tables are big, so it wasn't like we were all up on each other, but they were nice peeps and we did chat a bit.
Of course we ordered the Hot Pepper Chicken plate, which we saw on the Food Network. I think they went easy on us with the spices since we are presumably too roundy eyed to eat true hot chinese spices (though the waitress tried to speak to me in Chinese. Sadly, my 1/2 Japanese, 1/2 white self just stared at her stupidly). It was certainly a hot dish, but delicious, not made just to melt the inside of your mouth into a bloody swollen tattered mess.
We ordered WAY too much food, and it was all yummy--potstickers, dumplings, legs of lamb-- if you walk through the kitchen to hit the loo you will see 3 or 4 older Chinese people furiously producing everything from scratch, which is then served to the hungry patrons by 4 young Chinese, who are friendly, English-speaking, and look like they just stepped out of The Fast and The Furious (or whatever that movie is called). They forgot to bring out one of our dished (thank goodness!), but didn't charge us for it. It was hard to get them to bring us water, too.
When you go here, you will marvel at how a tiny place has so many staff working there! I really enjoyed our meal there a lot, and we will be back to try the stuffed beef pancake, amongst the other delicious things.
A friendly guy who I thought was a patron, because he and two other folks were noshing at one of the tables, hollers after every leaving customer "Thank you! Xie Xie!" with much enthusiasm and gusto :-)
I have been coming here for 7 years now...noticed an uptick and looked on yelp to see that it showed on a TV show.
This resto is unique in two senses; first the food is mandarin in the sense from Beijing; sensitive guests will hear the difference between the musical mandarin and the usual shrill cantonese at most other chinese resto's in the city...secondly the food is halal; which for muslims is kinda like kosher. The muslim spin on the food results in far more lamb dishes (love the lamb dumplings) and different spices than you are used to...
...definitely one of my most frequent dining experiences...
For a Chinese place, I think it's pretty expensive. $8 for beef pancake?!?!?! but they are good.
I saw this place on Food Network's "Chefs Vs. City." While I was watching, I knew I had been there before, since a friend of mine use to live around there. I couldn't remember what that experience was like, I just remember it smelling like BO, but I'm sure it was the spices.
Well...on this particular episode that I watched, contestants were eating something really really spicy called "la si ni." I was destined to get this so we could play our version of "Chefs vs. City" with some of the exact same stuff. I looked forever for this item on the menu, but I didn't really know what was in it. I think it was under favorites? or chef's specialties? It was #28 this one... http://www.yelp.com/bi...
It was $12 even for tax and everything, weird. It didn't take too long to get my takeout. When I brought it to my car and opened it, I could smell that it was SPICY!!!!!!!!! I brought it home and ate a piece of chicken and pepper, I was done. Ate a little more with bread, still SPICY. Bro and sis ate it too, VERY SPICY!
Friends ate it when it was cold, the spiciness of it wasn't as intense but still spicy. SOOO SPICY that they ate it with bread and drank milk (just like on "Chefs vs. City," the milk not the bread). I could never attempt to eat it again, too hard and too SPICY!!!
Did I mention it was SPICY????
I'd only come back for beef pancakes, but $8 soooo expensive. Oh yeah, all the workers speak Mando, if that makes a difference...
SPICY SPICY SPICY
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
This was the second worst service experience I have ever had at a restaurant (one time it took me three hours to get out from the time I had my reservation). The food was great, though, and I am willing to give it another shot.
My boyfriend and I drove out there and found street parking with ease. We went inside and sat at the only open table - in the corner. He said that he thought we were going to get forgotten there. I thought he was being pessimistic.
Well, he was right. We were served tea and asked for some water to go with it. It never came. It took 15 MINUTES to get our order taken - and that is only because we were finally able to stand up and get someone's attention. We asked for eggrolls, eggplant in spicy garlic sauce, and Mongolian beef, with rice for 2 and again asked for water. The food came out very quickly and we did get our water, but we didn't get rice. We waited for about 5 minutes at the table trying to flag someone down to ask for our rice, but I ended up having to get up and go to the kitchen to ask for our rice.
The food was very good - the eggplant spicier than it comes at many restaurants but in a good way. The servings were quite generous. My meal was very satifsfying, but trying to get the check wasn't.
We went kind of early and by the time we were done there was quite a crowd waiting for tables. This made it even more frustrating that we couldn't get anyone's attention to get the bill. Finally we got our food wrapped up and could not possibly wait any longer to pay, so we went to the register and paid there so that some poor soul could take our table.
The food was so good and the kitchen was clean (to get to the bathroom you have to walk through), so I would like to eat their food again. Next time we are going to get take out or delivery.
Wow... how unprofessional! [SEE business comment]
Sorry, that tone is NOT how a business should handle customers.
In response to business' comment...
I meant to say "fish," NOT chicken.
and there was a charge of $24... NOT $6.
Overall, I agree with other yelpers. I stand by stating this restaurant was way too expensive. We paid over $200. During tough economic times, people try to spend their money wisely. We should have been more wise... and after the comment... We really should have spent our money elsewhere!!!
OVERRATED! Just PASS this place and MOVE ON!
I love Shabu, but I don't like shabu here.
I don't like to shabu with chicken.
I didn't like the…
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Pretty bland and unremarkable. The beef pancake is indeed good, but it's essentially a funnel cake made of meat, so how hard can that be? Also had the lamb with green onions (recommended by waitress) and the beef warm pot. Neither was any good without a heap of soy sauce and spicy red pepper sauce. Not worth the drive.
I came here because I heard about the dish called "Extremely Hot Pepper." I *love* hot food, but I don't like heat just for heat. The combination and preparation of the peppers generated so much heat that my body temperature went up, but the reward was that the layers of flavors in the dish blossomed.
I will be back for more!
We also ordered the lamb fried rice, which was also superb. The pot stickers were ok ... I've had better. There was also an onion pancake that was also excellent with vinegar and soy sauce. It's a trek to get there, but completely worth it. I'm going back.
Tiny location.
The best spicy beef noodle soup I've had in SF yet.
Do you like green onion pancakes and love meat? Just try the stuffed beef pancake. I think there were some green onions in there too.
Will return for the beef noodle soup.
The mirrors are deceiving, this place is small. Luckily we got seated right away. I didn't really know what was "Islamic" about the place, it seemed more like Northern Chinese cuisine, such as dumplings, noodles, green onion cakes, etc.
They do have a lot of lamb dishes though. The food came out fast. The taste is pretty good, a bit salty. We ordered the spicy hot pepper dish, the one featured on Chefs vs. City, and it was not too bad. It was tolerable. Price-wise is average, about $10 or less per dish. A must have is the lamb noodle soup.
We came to the Old Mardarin Islamic Restaurant after reading an archive article in SFGate.
It was a foggy night, and we were on the prowl for the most kick @ss spicy food that SF could offer.
We ordered the noted, "Extremely Hot Pepper" dish which seemed to do the trick on BF. Strangely, it wasn't that spicy on the tongue, but it sure got his circulation going ... for days :-o. They use a ton of chili oil. When ordering, we had asked the server what type of meat they used in the dish and he answered, "beef." However, it didn't seem to be beef, *scratching head* ... it resembled shreds of scrambled eggs among other finely shredded ingredients.
Also had one of the onion and beef pancakes, practically a meal in itself ... the portion was generous.
We also had a spicy chicken dish that was good with rice. We ended up mixing the two saucy entrees together on our plates and it was a better.
The most awkward element to eating here was that the large, flat screen TV mounted high on the wall was on, full volume, showing an Asian version of a "Miss America" or "American Idol" type program. Everyone in this small restaurant was staring up at the screen, mesmerized including the staff ... and my BF :-/
Once the programming ended, everyone seemed to relax a bit, have conversations, eat, and we were served.
It is rare that I find a cuisine style I've never had before (excluding modern fusion experiments). I knew Mandarin style. I knew Islamic style in the context of kabobs and other Middle Eastern fare. I did not know what the 20-100 million Muslims in China might eat if they feel like Mandarin-style food. I came into this restaurant wanting an extreme lamb experience and I was not disappointed. A perfect pre- or post-Zoo restaurant, because there really is not much else compelling in the neighborhood to use as an excuse to reach this out of the way gem.
West Lake Lamb Dumpling: A great dumpling both because of its novelty and because of its rich flavor. The flavor (i.e. fat) was oozing from the meat center making it unintentionally feel like a partial-Shanghai dumpling. The homemade crock of chili oil was a great complement, though I wish there was a ginger scallion dipping sauce as opposed to the mix-your-own soy sauce and vinegar bottles.
Peking Beef Pancake: Imagine a scallion pancake with two layers of thinly spread spiced ground beef in between. It was almost like you put two Lebanese Lahm bi'ajeens together. Amazing savory beef, what a great version of a pancake I thought I knew!
Boiled Lamb w/ Preserved Vegetables in Warm Pot: A mild salty and sour broth with thin glass noodles and pickled cabbage that tastes like kimchi minus the spices. The thin and tender lamb slices steal the show, almost like hot pot without all the effort. There were huge slabs of tofu floating around, subtler than the soup, playing the role of a silent protein extra.
Stired (Stir Fry?) Potatoes with Chili: I was expecting something similar to Chinese-Indian fusion I've had both: chunks of potato in somewhat dry chili curry sauce. What I got was completely unexpected! Finely julienned potatoes stir fried alongside fresh green chilies and dried red chilies. The texture was firm, but not undercooked. Could use some spices outside of the chilies, but excellent as a rice alternative (or addition) for the other dishes that are oozing flavor.
Hot Braised Lamb Rib: Not a common cut of lamb I'm used: no dainty morsel of meat on the end of a rack and no big mutton shank either. They look like typical pork ribs, and fall off the bone like the award winning ones, but embody all the rich lamb flavor that make it unlike any rib I've had before. They come in pot of dark brown sauce so there is never a lack of coating.
Fried Sweet Cake: Take a standard red bean filled mochi. Add nuts and dried fruits to the red bean filling. Roll in sugar and pan fry so the sugar caramelizes on each side. Not sure if this is innovation or tradition, but it sure beats the orange slices, deep fried banana rolls or green tea ice cream Chinese restaurants often try to pass off as a low effort dessert.
Now I'm generally pretty skeptical of all Chinese restaurants in San Francisco except the few that are tried and true just because Chinese restaurants are a dime a dozen here, and it feels like the majority of them just aren't up to par. From questionable food to a dirty establishment, there are truly some scary places were you leave hoping you don't have food poisoning. This place however, was not one of those places, AT ALL.
Old mandarin is small and nestled so deep in the sunset, that you're never just in the neighborhood and decide to drop in for a quick bite. Instead it's something you plan, and very deliberately head over to. Some of these deliberate restaurants are truly worth the journey. So what makes it so great? well, they have about 6 -10 tables inside and as soon as you step in from the billowing fog you are great by warmth and delicious smells. We were a party of 6 when we can here, and were very lucky to not have to wait long for one of their larger tables.
We ordered a spicy hot pot, which I believe should have come with a warning label how spicy it was. But it was delicious all the same. We also ordered a bunch of the tofu items, a few pancakes and noodles. Everything was just so flavorful, and not in a "did they drop the jar of 5 spice in this?" but in a complex and mouth watering way. I think the only complaint I could make about the food was that it was all just a little spicier than I both like and am accustomed to, so I drank a lot of water, which leads to a lot of bathroom.
So if you're ever looking for a cozy, delicious meal in the outer sunset, or just to try something new, I would highly recommend Old Mandarin.
Came here for Islamic hot pot and had a good time. Overall, felt that the quality was just okay and the price was too expensive for what they deliver. I will not return.
Spicy and Oily. I know this place is suppose to be really good but everything i had was just so oily (lamb, beef, even the veggie dishes)I felt sick just looking at all the oil. This was definitely an one night stand.
50% of the meal was amazing; that is until I lifted my chopsticks from my plate and noticed a substance that was identical to a thick sloppy saliva covering them.
I almost lost it. I kept on going to try and "mind over matter" it but still a day later, my dreams are haunted. All I can see is that pool of God knows what. The food for the most part was not too bad, but still sank to the bottom of my stomach faster than Spencer from 'The Hills' ' popularity.
All I can say is for the love of PeptoBismal don't order the beef tendon. The picture looks so delightful, yet the taste I can only imagine is reminiscent of what it would be like to chow on some marinated liposuction.
I wish yelp would allow half stars. Cause I'd give Old Beijing 3 1/2 stars. My friend and I came here a few weeks ago and ordered a spicy lamb soup, green beens and crispy tofu, and a beef pancake. Everything was really tasty, if a little greasy. I was surprised that it ended up being $17 per person. It seemed steep compared to other Chinese restaurants, especially for being so far out there and such a modest location. Athough the last time I ate Chinese food on a regular basis was when I studied in Taiwan in 2001. Ah those were the days.
Don't know that I would make a trip all the way out here again, but I'd eat here again if I was in the neighborhood (and probably come with a group).
The hot pot is super tasty - especially their special lamb!!!! The beef is okay, but I haven't had the chance to try any of their fish fillets and other stuff. The veggies are pretty standard, but I really like the "pickled cabbage"; it's a northern dish and tastes pretty legit.
Other good dishes: Beef pancake and this plate of fried lamb pieces with "jian lan" spice.
Not too cheap either. If you're really hungry, two people can eat up to $70.
And, it's CASH ONLY. I think if you finish eating, then discover you ONLY have credit card, they might still take your card. But they're generally pretty persistent about the cash only thing.
this shop looks, smells, and feels like a real place in beijing. u can hear the thick northern chinese accents in the staff. also must mention, they are fun and friendly too, always up for chit chat. 8)
broth is great, half spicy half regular... but the kicker is the dipping sauce, soooo good!
two side dishes u need to order, mmmm: peking beef pancake ($9), and some beef tendon specialty dish ($15) i forgot the name of. the tendon may have been my favorite item tonite.
$150 after tip, for party of 6. not bad, although i didnt leave drowsy and bloated... huh?
definitely a great place to eat, very unique cusine glad Jasmine came out with me. the lamb dishes were awesome and the beef pancake was a good texture change. great find
When I first heard the combination Chinese and Islamic, I was definitely thrown for a loop. I wasn't sure what to expect, but what I got was just straight up tasty. After an entire day of cooking and binge eating at a friend's post graduation bbq, I quickly gathered myself to join another group of friends for dinner way way way waaaaay out in the outer Sunset. Fortunately, the drive all the way out there gave me plenty of time to get my appetite back up to speed.
Who would've guess though that on an obscure block in the middle of nowhere, there would be such good food to be found. We were the only other group in the restaurant, so service was pretty quick. We ordered several dishes including the pan fried bao, beef pancakes, a spicy lamb dish, a rice noodle dish and a soup of which the names escape me.
Before long the food was on the table and we dug in like vultures to a fresh carcass. Being the usual cool, overcast outer Sunset kind of day, the soup was the perfect way to start off the meal. It was piping hot, with tender slices of lamb, chunks of tofu and lots of clear cellophane noodles. The beef pancake was not unlike some green onion pancakes that I've had... only meatier! The noodles were also very interesting and tasty, pungent with the kick of hot mustard melding perfectly with the sweet crispness of cucumber and shredded chicken. The buns were good but I thought there could been a little more filling and juiciness on the inside. I also could've used a bit more heat with the spiced lamb, but the flavor was good.
This place is totally a hidden gem and I'll definitely have to make my way back here to try the hotpot.
still love it here for a CLOSE to SF Little Sheep Alternative. Definitely still recommend it for trying out a different kind of Chinese
BRING CASH.....no CC.....BEWARE
FINALLY tried out Old Mandarin
I'm a meat whore. I love lamb....it's up there with Rib Eye. It was a…
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With stiff competition in San Francisco, this might be the best Chinese Resturant in all of the Bay Area.
Deep in the Sunset, it is worth going off the beaten track.
Amazing Lamb Dishes, check out the Lamb & Chives, Dried Fried Green Beans with Tofu and of course the Hot Pots!!!
What I thought would be a cheap dinner, turned out to be pretty pricey! Ended up paying $70+ for 3 people. They're so sneaky here!
-Set the hotpot on our table without asking. Sneaky!
-One of the biggest pots I've ever seen! How can one say no?? Sneaky! (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
-$6.95 for a hot pot meat dish. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) $3.95 for a hot pot veggie dish. Those things added up. Sneaky!
-$3 per person for hotpot soup base. Plus additional $3 for spicy soup base. Sneaky!
Sneaky, but the hot pot was good! Soup base was delicious! The lamb, beef and fish were great!
Also had ordered the beef pancake and 3 flavor dumplings on the side. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) Love the pancake! It's a must-have! The dumplings were good too, but I can do without!
Service on the other hand, was not that great. Byebye one star! We noticed that our flame was slowing down and brought it to the waitress's attention. She said its supposed to be like that. Okay, you're saying this to 3 Asians who have multiple hotpot stoves at home?? And of course, the flame died out few minutes later. We tried to get the waitress over, but she was too busy playing some annoying electronic beeping game with another worker, so we ended up having to walk over to get someone. LAME!
The braised lamb ribs were excellent but pricey ($16.95). The meat slides off the bone bursting with rich, deep flavors! My friend from Kazakstan liked the onion pancake, but for me, it was too salty, greasy, hard on the outside and not chewy enough on the inside.The hot pot was mediocre and the "Hot and Spicy" hot pot wasn't very hot nor spicy and the soup based lacked flavor. It cost $6.95 per meat topping and $3.95 for non-meat extras. Stay away from the Hot Pot, because it was mediocre and will run up your tab..for two people, we walked out with a $72 tab! I would be willing to come back to try other lamb dishes, but I wasn't overly impressed by food.
Good god I love this place. I was introduced to hot pot here and have been a convert ever since. I love Shabu Shabu but I think I love Old Mandarin Islamic hot pot more. The prices are awesome. Shabu is always so expensive but Old mandarin is not. You need to come with a group and swivel your hot pot around. Get the beef, get the beef pancake, get the dessert thing that looks like a hot pocket, bring a Chinese person if possible. Just go. That's the point. I know its out of the way for many but it's worth it.
I didn't eat in this place but a friend did order the 'so spicy it'll kill you' dish. I have to say it was not all that spicy, and i'm not one for spicy foods really. The dish was oily and was 70% peppers. The meat was good though. Just wish it weren't so oily.
Finally I have finished reading all the negative comments about this wonderful place
Here is what i have to say
if you are looking for a five star service DON'T GO
if you are looking for non oil based food..DON'T GO
BUT...if you are looking for AUTHENTIC northern style chinese cuizine..this is THE PLACE to GO. I lived in northern part of China up until I have about 10 years old; for the past 13 years living in the States, none of the Chinese restaurants in SF Bay have reminded me the taste of childhoold like Old mandarin (Lao Beijing). Their hotpot with thin sliced lamb is just SOOO good with that special dipping sauce. Cumming Lamb my favorite, lamb dumplings, beef pancake, noodles.....YUMMMM
Northern chinese cuizine tend to be more greasy than southern chinese cuizine like HK and TW, so if you don't mind getting a litttle extra greasy into your system, this is THE place to try. Unfortunately I moved to SoCal...haven't found any place that could compare to Old Mandrain yet (trust me, I tried hard), but I'm already planning a trip up to the north over the next couple weeks!!! CANT WAIT TO GO EAT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Quality and flavors have dissipated.
Stick to take-out as their sit-down service sucks. (Granted, talking to them on the phone sucks too....they're almost hostile. Trust me, if it wasn't for the good food, I'd have been nasty right back at them....*smack*)
Keep eating the beef pancakes, egg surfaced dish, noodles, shrimp with broccoli and dumplings. Everything else is sawdust (or overly seasoned.)
One of my favorite chinese places in town.
Not too greasy, full of flavors. And I like that they…
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Yum! This was our first time at Old Mandarin Islamic, but not our last! I can't believe we have not been sooner! The food was delicious. The service was great and had fantastic recommendations for first timers.
We ordered way too much food, so thankfully we won't need to cook for a couple of days. We got a wide array to sample from and nothing disappointed. Very flavorful and large portions. It is a small place, but I think it adds to the whole experience. You will never be overlooked.
Give it a try! We had a great meal!
Old Mandarin is seriously fantastic food.
Their Onion pancake with a bit of soy sauce and black vinegar is to die for! Spicy stir fried green beans with fried tofu was amazing, the fried tofu was actually done right where it is crispy yet chewy.
All the lamb dishes (no pork here) are darn tasty. Try the lamb with green onion.
Haven't tried the hot pots yet, but it's on the list for next.
Sucks that they don't have creditcards, but that's forgivable with the food being so damn tasty.
This place is overrated. The food is sure authentic northern Chinese style, but it's very pricey for the below average home cooking they do. Maybe they have a good reputation in SF because it is more of a Cantonese territory. You can find much better northern Chinese place in South bay much easier.
Their customer service varies greatly depending on if they like you or not, and if you give the master leads to joke about. Don't get me wrong, he is funny, but I wouldn't take his stories seriously. If they like you they will give you free desert at the end, though.
Food was delicious and filling, but service was poor and the price caught us a little by surprise. 50 dollars for two people to split spicy soup base, 2 meats, 1 tofu, 2 veggies, and a beef pancake. 25 dollars will get you all you can eat shabu shabu at Mums for reference.
Easy commute via the L. Cash only.
Prix-Fixe Dinner
Neighborhood: Financial District
OPEN on Thanksgiving Day
Neighborhood: Mission
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
Category: Dim Sum
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPA
Category: Chinese
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