Mandarin Chinese Restaurant — Restaurant in Wausau

Had the lunch buffet. The price was lower than I expected. The selection was limited, but the Sausage in Black Bean Sauce was an interesting little international dish that appealed to me greatly as a kid who grew up on kielbasa with a Polish grandma, yet didn't let the sausage overpower the sauce, which is a feat in itself given kielbasa's sharp flavor, and the sauce was modest in salt and instead rich in umami and felt much fuller than its texture would indicate because of it. The egg drop soup is light with a creamy texture, but incredibly flavorful, and white rather than the thick yellow kind like most serve in the area, with a focus on wispy egg whites that were plentiful enough the bottom of the cup was hidden where the yellow kind has more diffuse pennants of it. The sauces are pleasantly thick without being heavy and the veggies are cooked to perfection. The crab rangoons have an interesting hint of spice to them and were unlike any I've had before. The atmosphere is calm and everything is very clean and business-like, but the walls are filled with homey touches like house-style windows, a tasteful number of paintings, and a couple wooden fans. Thoughtful touches abounded, like having the soup cups already sitting on saucers stacked at the soup station, more chopped green onions and dried noodles to add to it than I've seen on offer anywhere else, and full bowls of sauces held in a tasteful tree-style holder. They even had the Chinese ladle spoons rather than making you use a normal one like other buffets in the area. The food was hot and fresh even though it was after the lunch rush. The staff talked to the other patrons like they knew them, even a family who only seemed to have been there once or twice before. It's overall a pleasant experience with pleasant food, all seasoned with a sprinkling of enticing points of interest. What makes it special is subtle and that in itself...

Terrible. We have been going here for years. I'd like to first state that nothing at the restaurant tastes like McDonald's nuggets, and if elderly people don't like spicy food, they shouldn't order it. The menu has always been clearly marked. We have always loved their food, which is why we've gone for years. Yesterday, however, we ordered take-out, and we will NOT return. Arrived around 4 pm. As someone else stated, the place is outdated. The walls are stark. The place is musty. The parking lot is a maize. And they force handicapped to enter from the furthest end of the building. We ordered beef with pea pods, sweet & sour chicken, and had a coupon for free egg rolls. The egg rolls were tiny spring rolls. The beef with pea pods was okay, but not the superior quality we are used to. The sweet & sour chicken was terrible. Few pieces of chicken, hardly any vegetables, and a bucket of sauce that's like that nasty orange stuff that people drown their food in at a Chinese buffet. There were two raw green pepper pieces, the size of a fingernail. Two pineapple pieces the same size. No cherries, no anything else. Barely enough rice for two. Service has always been outstanding, except when they get confused on who entered first and who should be served first. The pot stickers are worth the wait. But we were charged over $26 for two. Definitely not worth it. Yes, there is a view of the Dudley Tower. So? How many times can you look at same tired, old building? The river is nice when the water is flowing. But I think those who enjoy this place so much are the type of people who go out to drink their dinner, and the food is incidental. If we want mediocre Chinese food, we'll head to the buffet, which is about $10 less. In the meantime, we are headed elsewhere. Very...

Updated review: Returned and found that the restaurant was under new management. I didn't expect much going into an empty restaurant that had only been open a month under the current owners, but was very pleasantly surprised.

Menu much more limited than previously, but the food was excellent. The hot and sour soup had great broth, with flavorful mushrooms and bamboo. (I didn't care for the addition of pea and carrot mix, though.)

We ordered pork with fragrant sauce, szechuan chicken (not on the menu, but they offered to sub for the shrimp), and Kung Pao shrimp as entrées. All were excellent, with tender meat and well cooked veggies.

The drinks were also very good. You don't expect to get a margarita or an old fashioned with your Chinese, but you can do that here!

Sergio and Elena were very friendly and the Christmas decor inside is cute. We'll definitely be coming back, especially in the summer to enjoy the patio...