More Mandarin to love

New Chinese restaurant a fine addition to family

The 3-month-old Mandarin Garden, 4138 S. Staples, serves the same quality Chinese food that its parent, Mandarin Inn, 4455 S. Padre Island Drive, produces.

The difference is in the way they serve it. Mandarin Garden is a traditionally decorated, quiet, softly-lit restaurant. Waiters take their time bringing the fiery Po Po appetizer plate and diners linger over their meals.

On the other hand, Mandarin Inn bustles. The walls are a vibrant cranberry color below the chair rail; the whole place is open and well-lit.

The bright, clean atmosphere is alive with customers and servers scurrying back and forth to the buffet. Although there is a menu, the 16 entrees, 10 appetizers, salad and desserts on the buffet are the main attraction.

The food at both places is a real value.

At either restaurant, I start with hot and sour soup. The base is hot and tangy, but not overpowering. (It doesn't make my nose run.) It is full of shitake-mushroom strips, crunchy bamboo shoots and velvety bean curd. No skimping here.

At Mandarin Inn, the Po Po plate is generously filled with tender, full-sized ribs, crispy shrimp tempura and fresh egg rolls stuffed with tons of cabbage, pork and vegetables, to name a few ingredients.

When I requested vegetable fried rice, which is not on the menu, I was very pleasantly surprised. Whole snow peas, large pieces of zucchini, mushrooms and carrots greeted me. The vegetables were fresh and numerous.

My friend chose the General Tso's chicken. I could taste the red pepper and scallions in every bite, but the dish retained its initial candied sweetness.

Similarly, at the Mandarin Garden buffet, the spicy dishes like General Tso's shine.

The garlic pork was so imbued with this garlic that on the tongue, the tender meat was spicy-hot. The water chestnuts mixed in were a wonderfully crunchy partner for the dish.

The vegetables and bean curd entree had crispy broccoli and other vegetables paired with chunks of tofu in a gentle brown sauce. The soy base added just enough saltiness.

There were out-of-the-ordinary choices, too. Jalapeno chicken and steamed shrimp both seemed to be inspired by South Texas cuisine.

As an appetizer, the pot stickers on the buffet are smaller than the parent restaurant serves, but there is an unlimited amount. The faintly sweet dipping sauce tasted of ginger, soy sauce, scallions and red wine.

My favorite dessert from among offerings like puddings and ice cream is biscuits. Having never been to China, I've no idea if the Chinese actually eat these with their meal, but I like them for dessert. Crisp on the outside and a little doughy on the inside, these renditions were more like triangular donuts covered with sugar than any biscuit I know.

For both dessert and entrees alike, the buffet was consistently well-maintained. No dish stayed empty for very long and our waiter was exceptionally polite. Time will tell if this procedure endures.

Service was slower and a bit more abrupt at the sit-down Mandarin Inn.

Hopefully, the Mandarin Garden will never grow up.

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