Mandarin House — Restaurant in Bolsover

A Disappointing Encounter with Mandarin House: A Balanced Review

In the realm of culinary experiences, consistency and quality are paramount. My recent encounter with Mandarin House presents a somewhat paradoxical case, marked by an impressively swift delivery service overshadowed by significant shortcomings in order accuracy and food quality. This review aims to provide a balanced assessment, highlighting both the positive and negative aspects of my experience.

Upon placing my order at 5:00 PM, I was pleasantly surprised to receive it by 5:30 PM. Such promptness is commendable, especially in today's fast-paced world where time is a valuable commodity. This efficiency suggests a well-organized delivery system and a commitment to customer satisfaction, at least in terms of speed. It sets a positive initial impression and raises expectations accordingly.

However, this initial optimism was quickly tempered by the realities of the delivered meal. Regrettably, my order was inaccurate. Such errors, while seemingly minor, can significantly detract from the dining experience, particularly when specific cravings or dietary requirements are involved. The frustration of receiving an incorrect order is compounded by the inconvenience of having to rectify the situation, often involving further delays and potential miscommunications.

Beyond the order inaccuracy, the quality of the food itself left much to be desired. The chicken, a staple in many Mandarin-inspired dishes, was disconcertingly greasy. Excessive grease not only diminishes the flavor profile but also raises concerns about the preparation methods and the overall healthfulness of the dish. A properly prepared chicken dish should be succulent and flavorful without being excessively oily.

Furthermore, the accompanying sauce was, to put it bluntly, hideous. Sauce plays a crucial role in complementing and enhancing the flavors of the main ingredients. In this instance, the sauce served as a detriment, overpowering any redeeming qualities the dish might have possessed. The unpleasant taste and texture rendered the entire meal significantly less enjoyable, leaving a lingering negative impression.

In conclusion, while Mandarin House deserves recognition for its remarkably quick delivery service, the issues with order accuracy and food quality cannot be overlooked. The combination of an incorrect order, greasy chicken, and an unpalatable sauce resulted in a disappointing dining experience. While the prompt delivery is a definite advantage, the restaurant must address the deficiencies in its food preparation and order fulfillment processes to ensure customer satisfaction consistently. A rating of three out of five stars reflects the dichotomy of this experience: commendable speed offset by regrettable quality. Future patrons should perhaps exercise caution and carefully review their orders upon arrival, tempering their expectations accordingly. Improved attention to detail in the kitchen and a focus on quality ingredients are crucial for Mandarin House to elevate its standing and deliver a truly satisfying culinary experience. The potential is there, but significant...

First time I've tried this place - new to the area so googled. Read reviews with mixed ratings, wasnt sure what to expect but thought we'd give it a go. It was actually the best Chinese I think I've had in a very very long time.

We ordered.. Sweet & sour chicken balls - freshly cooked wasnt over cooked or over crispy and d8dnt taste drowned in grease!

Beef curry.. this was so nice. Not too spicy. Lovely consistency and full of meet none of which was chewy or fatty.

House special chow mein - this came in a big round plastic container with noodles at the bottom and a mixture of veg meats and sauce. Again it all tasted freshly cooked, veg still nice and crispy and noodles not soggy or dripping in grease.

Chicken chop suey - again freshly cooked taste not dropping in grease amazing taste.

House special fried rice: this came in a big circular container with rice at the bottom and a mixture of veg meats and sauce on top. Very saucy just in case you were expecting a dry version. It was very nice I think you could ask for it dry May be.

Beef and veg in Oyster sauce: came loads with meat and veg. Very tasty.

Salt & pepper chicken: these were cooked well not too crispy however they werent flavoured well enough at all. Tasted more like chicken bites. No spice or seasoning other than garlic.

Chips : huge portion and yummy

Prawn toast: yummy but not a great portion size.

We spent £40 we collected ourselves as the delivery would take a hour. We waited 35 minutes for collection but worth it as it tasted fresh.

Wasnt too happy that we didn't get a free bottle of pop or spring rolls etc as usually you do when you down over £20 yes. I asked for a free bottle of pop - diet coke. When collected we had 2 cams of full fat coke between 6 adults and 2 kids 🤦🏼‍♀️

Wasnt put off by that though will just buy drinks in advance separately next...

We have tried so many different Chinese’s over the past few years and this has been by far the worst one! I have never had food as awfully bland as this and the service response was atrocious!

We ordered £46 worth of food for 4 people and majority of it has gone in the bin, despite still being starving! The first lady on the phone when ordering was pleasant and the food was delivered within an hour. On arrival, we opened our salt and pepper box and were appalled on the portion size for £8! Followed by the empty rattling box of anemic ‘crispy shredded beef’ that shocked us how empty it was and what a strange colour it was too. When opening the curry sauce to pour- it was cold and wasn’t even pourable, which looked extremely unappetising. We heated it up to try and make it hotter and runnier but it made no difference.

We plated it up and sat down ready to eat the food we’d been looking forward to all day. I have never known a whole meal be so bland! The lumpy solid curry sauce, soggy spring rolls, dry chicken chowmein and even egg fried rice tasted of nothingness and not how a Chinese should do! The only thing that was edible were the wings and ribs. We ended up chucking majority of the £46 worth of food which we were absolutely gutted about!

We rang the Chinese to give feedback and the man on the phone asked if we wanted food in return, which we didn’t want after that experience. We then spoke to another man on the phone (either the manager or chef we think) who was extremely rude. He refused to do anything about it or even apologise unless we got the food out of the bin and took it to them that night so he could ‘assess it’.

We will definitely not be returning due to extremely tasteless food, small portions and bad...