Cuisine type: Chinese, traditional Mandarin
Atmosphere: plain, crammed cafe seating
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 7.25
Nina
With my brother visiting, we found a good opportunity to try out something new - and to expand his palate on the way. Old Mandarin had been on our todo list for a while due to a friend’s enthusiastic recommendation, but it was too far on the west side of San Francisco for us to make our way to it on a casual day out on the town. This time, it worked out that the shortest way from Half Moon Bay to Marin County passes very close to this restaurant, so we decided to stop by for dinner. It turns out not only is it a highly appreciated spot, but it was voted in the top 100 Chinese restaurants in the US, which I think is saying a lot since there must be thousands and thousands of them across the country (not sure how much the large Chinese population in the SF skewed the popular voting process, but it still gives this place bragging rights). They display a poster that says "Top 100 Chinese restaurant" which makes them look even more popular, though we later realized that in fine print it encourages customers to vote for them so that they can be named among top 100. Tricky fine print...
The first minute we walked in we were impressed at how busy this place was - we were the second group in line waiting for a table to open up and every table in the restaurant was packed, even though it was already 8 pm. The aromas in the air were intoxicating, the decor was traditional and the table setup was plain and functional, like most SF Chinese restaurants. Then we had a moment of realization - this restaurant is actually really tiny. There are three rows of maybe 5-6 tables each closely packed together, and the initial impression was due to (very clean) mirrors lining the walls giving the impression of a much larger space. While in other places this might have meant having to wait longer for a table with fewer tables to open up, that was not the case. The servers seemed very efficient in urging customers to finish up and pay for their meal, so we were seated within 5 or 10 minutes of walking inside. We quickly received our drinks (water and hot tea), though our order of beers seemed to get lost somewhere between our table and their fridge and we never got it.
There was a large number of lamb dishes on the menu, which is something I haven’t seen before in a Chinese restaurant; pork was also notably absent. The name of the restaurant provides a simple explanation immediately - the owners are from a Chinese Islamic background, which influences the choice of protein in their dishes. I was intrigued by this twist in the traditional Chinese fare, and I went for one of the most exotic dishes on the menu - the lamb soup. It was not just a plain lamb soup, but rather a concoction that used the whole lamb, and the server dutifully warned me about it. I say, bring it on! When we placed our order there was a little bit of confusion due to the server’s poor understanding of English and our poor understanding of her English. Ben’s order (spicy beef of some sort) was translated into Mandarin lamb, and she enthusiastically endorsed it, so he decided to go with that instead of his original pick.
My soup was served in a huge bowl, and looked like everything I expected, and I was enthusiastic to discover the different meat cuts, some of which I recognized (heart, kidney, liver) and some of which were foreign to me. They brought in smaller bowls and three spoons so we could share it, but I was really the only one interested in the lamb innards so I was left to deal with it on my own. However, the broth was quite plain and mild in flavor, so I grew quickly tired of it, and resolved to mostly pick through the meat and veggies (the usual suspects, water chestnut, sprouts and the like).
When we got the bill we were in for a surprise - it amounted to about twice as much as we expected. A quick inspection revealed the reason - our server had written down everything we ordered (including the beer and a couple of dishes that she misunderstood before we set things right), and the cashier put all of them on our bill. They were very quick to correct it and apologized profusely for the mistake. Even though the broth in my soup wasn’t a big hit, the flavors in some of the other dishes on our table were amazing, with generous portions and just the right level of spice and perfect doneness without being too greasy or heavy. This place has rightfully earned its name for good, tasty food within a unique niche of Chinese cooking.
The first minute we walked in we were impressed at how busy this place was - we were the second group in line waiting for a table to open up and every table in the restaurant was packed, even though it was already 8 pm. The aromas in the air were intoxicating, the decor was traditional and the table setup was plain and functional, like most SF Chinese restaurants. Then we had a moment of realization - this restaurant is actually really tiny. There are three rows of maybe 5-6 tables each closely packed together, and the initial impression was due to (very clean) mirrors lining the walls giving the impression of a much larger space. While in other places this might have meant having to wait longer for a table with fewer tables to open up, that was not the case. The servers seemed very efficient in urging customers to finish up and pay for their meal, so we were seated within 5 or 10 minutes of walking inside. We quickly received our drinks (water and hot tea), though our order of beers seemed to get lost somewhere between our table and their fridge and we never got it.
There was a large number of lamb dishes on the menu, which is something I haven’t seen before in a Chinese restaurant; pork was also notably absent. The name of the restaurant provides a simple explanation immediately - the owners are from a Chinese Islamic background, which influences the choice of protein in their dishes. I was intrigued by this twist in the traditional Chinese fare, and I went for one of the most exotic dishes on the menu - the lamb soup. It was not just a plain lamb soup, but rather a concoction that used the whole lamb, and the server dutifully warned me about it. I say, bring it on! When we placed our order there was a little bit of confusion due to the server’s poor understanding of English and our poor understanding of her English. Ben’s order (spicy beef of some sort) was translated into Mandarin lamb, and she enthusiastically endorsed it, so he decided to go with that instead of his original pick.
My soup was served in a huge bowl, and looked like everything I expected, and I was enthusiastic to discover the different meat cuts, some of which I recognized (heart, kidney, liver) and some of which were foreign to me. They brought in smaller bowls and three spoons so we could share it, but I was really the only one interested in the lamb innards so I was left to deal with it on my own. However, the broth was quite plain and mild in flavor, so I grew quickly tired of it, and resolved to mostly pick through the meat and veggies (the usual suspects, water chestnut, sprouts and the like).
When we got the bill we were in for a surprise - it amounted to about twice as much as we expected. A quick inspection revealed the reason - our server had written down everything we ordered (including the beer and a couple of dishes that she misunderstood before we set things right), and the cashier put all of them on our bill. They were very quick to correct it and apologized profusely for the mistake. Even though the broth in my soup wasn’t a big hit, the flavors in some of the other dishes on our table were amazing, with generous portions and just the right level of spice and perfect doneness without being too greasy or heavy. This place has rightfully earned its name for good, tasty food within a unique niche of Chinese cooking.
Food 8
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 7
Service 6
Value 8
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 7
Service 6
Value 8
Ben
A small place (8-12 tables) in west San Francisco. It is a local favorite, so be prepared to wait some time for a table. The service staff was very lively and (for lack of a better word...) sassy. The menu is and food are very authentic (be prepared, choose carefully if you're not feeling explorative), and offers several hot / cold plates as well as a popular hot-pot option. We ordered a lamb soup, which came with literally all pieces of lamb, from leg, to organs (including liver, heart, kidney.. wonder what else) and heavy cartilage and a lot of bone. It was a subtly flavored broth and I eventually got burned out picking through it, as I am generally not crazy about organ meat (though Nina seemed to quite enjoy it). We also ordered Mandarin lamb, which was a salty, spicy lamb dish again with a good amount of bone and cartilage, but overall very good. The hot and spicy chicken was a good dish, only slightly breaded and with a good amount of flavor (though I also found it a bit salty), with a lot of water chestnuts, onion, and celery. The service was pretty entertaining. First they urged us to order more and more, and when we relented and ordered some beers, they never brought them out though they made it to the bill. The prices are reasonable, ~10-$15 entrees. Overall, I would say it is definitely a place worth checking out, a great way to get acquainted with Islamic Chinese food, which is a real twist on the ubiquitous Chinese classics, and it offers some unique flavors and very authentic dishes.
Food 9
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 7
Service 6
Value 7
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 7
Service 6
Value 7
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