Most amazing owner ever
My favorite Oberlin restaurant ever! Affordable, delicious Chinese food. There are only a couple of waitresses for what can sometimes be a pretty full restaurant, but they work their butts off to provide excellent service.

The owner is an amazing Chinese woman. Have a conversation with her.    [03 Nov 2005 17:32:13]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Taste of Nirvana

     ­T   

Best kept secret in town
Okay, everybody knows about it, so i guess it's not exactly a secret but nobody GOES to it. It's what I would consider a gem: very cheap, good food, fast service. Beware of people telling you to go to Weia Teia (very expensive) or Too Chinois instead - the Mandarin is your best bet for a quick and easy meal. Especially known for their lunch specials - a LOT of food for somewhere around $5. Simply marvelous.    [04 Feb 2006 17:31:56]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: taste of nirvana (best tofu dish EVER), any sushi, wonton soup.

     ­Meg   

Best chinese food in Oberlin
Love the place. The lunch specials are affordable and filling, and there's a good bunch of dishes, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. The sushi here is also pretty decent for small-town Ohio. They've got a big table for parties, and sometimes extra helpings of rice are free. Service is pretty quick, even on busy days, and the quality has been very consistent for the past 6 months.    [27 Mar 2006 18:04:55]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: general tao's chicken, philly rolls, pork dumplings

     ­Akshat   

Simply the Best
I absolutely love eating at The Mandarin. The service is great. The Chinese woman who runs the place is really cool and she taught me how to make Wasabi sauce (I had no clue). I like everything really spicy! So Hot it makes you cry. The Chinese lady always makes my food super spicy then she asks me if it was hot enough I try to stop my eyes from watering, she chuckles and somehow makes it even hotter next time. They even made me Spicy Orange Chicken (which isn't supposed to be spicy).    [04 Apr 2006 00:13:26]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Sashwan Chicken, any sushi, general tao's chicken, Hunan Chicken ask for them spicy!

     ­Mr. Spicy   

One Fine Restaurant!
My family and I love to get take out from the Mandarin nearly twice a month. The General Tso's Chicken is wonderful!    [19 Apr 2006 16:25:26]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance: -   Overall: 

     ­Ad, Wakeman, Ohio   

The Mandarian is my favorite Oberlin restaurant. It's affordable, great food. The owner is very nice--she is always working there as the hostess.
   [24 Aug 2007 22:30:31]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Taste of Nirvana (which is a wheat gluten dish, NOT tofu or soy), Schezuan Broccoli, Avocado Sushi Roll

     ­TMP   

Greasy... yet satisfying
Honestly, the mandarin falls into a category of restaurant I'd probably label as "greasy spoon"... and yet the food their is amazing in spite of (or maybe because of) this. I'm not a vegetarian, and yet I've tried several of the vegetarian dishes and have been consistently impressed. The staff remembers me and treats me like an honored guest every time I go in there. Plus, the giant fish tank is mesmerizing.    [18 Mar 2008 11:48:34]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Pork Dumplings, Taste of Nirvana (vegetarian!), General Tso's Chicken

     ­Maivillain