Ballard Mandarin

Love the Ballard Mandarin. It’s casual and relaxed. Convenient free parking in back lot and the service and food is great! A large bowl of sizzling rice soup to start the meal is a must. When the hot golden chunks of crispy toasted rice hit the soup, the popping sound serves as a dinner bell to mark the beginning of a delicious meal. Time to eat! I request a side of vinegar and add a splash of that and soy sauce for a little extra zing. Tastes great without but that’s just me. Also had the egg foo young. So old school but always satisfying. The whole dish comes together when you mix a bit of Chinese mustard with soy sauce. A little drizzle with the always present gravy, egg foo young and a bit of white rice, you have the perfect bite. Found out about the Mandarin chicken wings when

I am not sure how this place has 4.2 stars. This was by far the worst meal I have ever had in my life to the point that it felt necessary to go out of my way to leave a review warning others. I hate coming for a small business but serving this quality of food is robbery. We got the chicken broccoli and it was completely inedible. Just tasted like plain boiled chicken. The fried rice had a tiny bit of flavor and egg rolls (more like spring rolls) had no flavor. We also got sesame chicken which was okay but very mushy. There are soo many places in Ballard to spend your money and this place is definitely not it.

Best Chinese restaurant in all of Washington state, hands down! Starting with the quality of their food, literally couldn’t be better. I’ve been to some fine dining Chinese and I would choose this over those any time. Then the prices, almost suspicious how affordable it is here. Best bang for you buck of any food you can find. Then the service, so friendly, prompt, and always go above and beyond. Whenever I have left overs I want to take home, they always ask if I want them to give me some extra rice to take home for no charge. And on top of all that, they give you a free delicious soup with every order and free tea I couldn’t recommend this place any more. I drive from Bellevue all the way over here regularly just because it’s so good!

Ballard Mandarin surprised me—in the best way. The salt and pepper shrimp were perfectly crisp with that just-right garlic kick, and the deluxe tofu vegetables had this fresh, wok-fired zing. Even the Dirty Shirley felt elevated. Service was kind, casual, and refreshingly unhurried. A cozy, no-frills spot that lets the food speak first. I haven’t been to their famous karaoke yet but since I started coming here in 2021 they have gone from every Friday to every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday! Crazy!

Literally my all time favorite place for lunch and dinner! IF YOU DONT KNOW EMMA YOU DONT KNOW AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE! ❤️❤️❤️ My first time was door dashing here 3 years ago! Once my husband and I started coming we never stopped! We LOVE IT HERE! A true family restaurant !