I thought it was delicious, had a small portion of Shrimp,beef,chicken and ofc with the chowmein. Staff Was Nice, I'd Recommend Eating Here. i still fw panda tho,Honey Walnut Shrimp Goes Brazy my G's read more

Chef Lee's Mandarin House - Chef Lee 's Chow Mein - Chinese Near Me - Monterey, California

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Honestly, this is our favorite Mandarin cuisine restaurant. We are greeted immediately the food is prepared well. I had the shrimp sweet-and-sour and my guest had the pork sweet-and-sour. Honestly, you cannot go wrong at Chef Lees No Chinese beer, however our server suggested a rice beer. A bit too "wheaty". But it sure did hit the spot. read more

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Terrible experience getting to go food. $15 for chicken chow mein. That took them three minutes to make. UNthinking cashier GAVE ME MY FOOD with no utensils. Not even chopsticks!! U had one job! I had to go back to ask for utensils. Five star price zero star service Taste = good Value = not good Will I go back = NO read more

Chef Lee's Mandarin House - $15 to go chicken chow mein. Napkins and utensils NOT INCLUDED. - Chinese Near Me - Monterey, California

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I think some places have given up. Have eaten here dozens of times over the years but here's another place I'll stop eating at. $90 for dinner for 2 with meal, 1 soda and tip. The worst part is within an hour and 1/2 I was sick. So long chef Lee. I'll stick with Panda Express! Oh- your bathrooms are gross! Like outhouse gross! read more

Whenever we head to Seaside we stop off here! My husband loves their Sweet and Sour Pork, soo crunchy, flavorful, and tender. I love their Honey Walnut Prawns. They are not skimpy on their servings either. I don't think they use MSG cause I never get a headache or feel parched and I can eat a few platefuls! Lol Service was excellent when we went! read more

Chef Lee's Mandarin House - Chinese Near Me - Monterey, California

On my way home from Monterey I stopped and picked up dinner for the family. We ordered pork fried rice, combo chow menu, garlic chicken made spicy, broccoli beef, and won ton soup. Al the dishes were amazing. The chow mein was super good and the shrimp in it was incredible. Just heated up the leftovers and just as good today for lunch. This is one of my favorites in the area. Sorry no photos. read more

Food is always fresh and delicious. It's pricey but what isn't nowadays eating out Mongolian beef, BBQ pork fried rice and shrimp chow mein. Delish! read more

We went at 5pm for dinner on Christmas day and it was pretty crowded. Lot of people were getting takeout, but we waited half hour for a table. Took awhile to be served, but the three dishes we ordered were very very tasty! We ordered crab appetizers, mixed stir fry veggies, mongolian beef, and peking ribs. We also ordered 2 bowls of rice. We got 3% off our bill for paying with cash. read more

Ordered their 1/2 Crispy Duc. Paid $30.00. Don't order this it's dry and no flavor and expensive. I didn't want to drive to Coralitos Market because it's a 40 minute drive from Monterey. I have always bought my duck from them with no complaints. It's worth the drive Coralitos knows their meats. read more

Chef Lee's Mandarin House - Chinese Near Me - Monterey, California

Food is decent but has constantly messed up our to go orders. We learned to double check and the front desk dragon lady is very unfriendly and doesn't budge. I'm done with this place. read more

My party of four tried this place for the first time for my husbands birthday. It was a Friday night and the place was fairly busy with a couple big parties happening inside. Beautiful decor but you can tell it's a bit dated. We ordered the 4 person Chef Lee's Dinner. The waitress- while friendly was not very attentive and we got no refills during the dinner. Our dinner was also supposed to come with hot tea and it wasn't even offered. For the price it was worth it. $88 for enough food to feed 6-8 people, or 4 people with a lot of leftovers. Everything came to the table hot and fresh and was served family style. The sizzling rice was an experience and very tasty. One of the table favorites. The Mongolian beef was tender and everything was packed full of flavor. I would recommend a less day or time but I would definitely go again to try some of the other dishes. read more

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We have had Chef Lee on xmas day a few times alway great, almost a tradition now. Was a little disappointed this year, there where no fortune cookies in the box! read more

We ordered lunch meals to go. Rice is mushy and not good at all. So sad ... it used to our favorite Chinese restaurant, not anymore.

Horrible experience! the cashier/ server was super rude and racist towards us. She over charged me by almost $20 and then got mad when I questioned her and said " UGH!, YOU PEOPLE" I immediately had to walk away because I did not want to stoop to her lever. NEVER again will I be going into that place. I paid $41.50 for a lunch combo and a soda Do not go here. Horrible service and food was not that great. If I could rate them at 0 I would. read more

Sizzling rice soup what a disappointment. Let's say warm tap water with some vegetables. No flavor at all. Service was very rushed. We barely sat down and asking what we wanted. Went to pay bill didn't know who we were. Can't recommend. The soup was so bad I think they forgot some ingredients. I would think if they tasted it they would if figured that out . I should of said something, but maybe this will do. read more

This place has gone down hill so fast and so badly. The other reviewers also noted the same : way too much sauce on everything and too sweet that we had to scrap off all the extra sauces. The Hong Kong style pan fried noodles were supposed to be crispy but all soft because of too much sauce. Same as the mandarin fried chicken. Not crispy but soaked in sauce. I wonder if the chef really knows how Chinese food are supposed to taste like. And the bathrooms were so dirty and disgusting. Clearly no one cleans it regularly cuz there were gross stuff on the toilet seat with a congested toilet. Will never go back read more

Stunning atmosphere. Mediocre food. Unfriendly service. It's a shame to waste such a beautiful restaurant on cheaply, carelessly made food. The menu is extensive. If they focused on quality over quantity they'd create a great dining experience. read more

I used to go here when living in the area. The service was always excellent. The food was always dependable. Never had a bad meal. I loved the pot stickers. Always hot and crispy. Loved their hot and sour soup and won ton soup. The sweet and sour chicken was also delicious. In fact, I guess just about anything you order would be wonderful. read more

I usually read updated reviews before I go back to a place I have not been in awhile. Sorry to say the reviews are correct. No fresh vegetables and way too much sauce on everything that requires a sauce. Egg Foo young for example.... My girlfriend ate 1 piece after scraping the sauce off. The white rice was old, hard in places on the plate and clumped together. I am sooooo very sad I have no where to go for chinese food. read more

Absolutely the worst customer service I've ever received at a restaurant. We were seated and no one came to our table for 35 minutes. I was so thirsty. I even got up and went to the front counter and she said she would send someone. When the waitress came, half the dishes were dirty. Then when she brought the soup, 3 of the bowls were dirty. She got mad and slammed one back on her cart. The food came out before we got any drinks 45 minutes later. I was very thirsty and after I drank my water and soda, we asked for refills after they sat empty for the entire meal. She told us they don't do refills and we couldn't have anymore to drink. Not even offer for us to buy another glass. It was an awful experience and it was on Father's Day. They were not overly busy either. We will never go back again. Very disappointed read more

I have no idea why this place has any bad reviews! Great food, awesome service and large beautiful dining area! Five stars all around!!! We had Mushu chicken, beef chow fun, shrimp fried rice and crab wontons fried. We were working in town till late so needed food for two meals. It was more than enough and delicious!!! Very happy!! read more

Chef Lee's Mandarin House - Beautiful dining room area!! - Chinese Near Me - Monterey, California

Not so good, it was 45 min before closing and the lady up front was rude and making us uncomfortable by staring and walking over rushing us to leave. Food had gone downhill and way overpriced. read more

I just finished the worst take out meal I have ever had hot and sour soup was more like warm and salty. The braised pork was deep fried and I even asked if it was fried. Combination fried rice was bland and lacking. Beef and asparagus was almost OK read more

I've visited this location yesterday with a party of over 25 people. The service was great and fast! The food was pretty good as well. I really liked their beef broccoli dish. I also enjoy their potstickers. I will definitely revisit this location when I'm in town. read more

Chef Lee's Mandarin House - Chinese Near Me - Monterey, California

Good local old school Chinese food , fast service , consistent food, been eating there for 20 years.

If your looking for real Chinese in Monterey area your out of luck. s all other Chinese restaurants here in Monterey area the food is Chinese America. read more

I'm sad to say this is my third time eating at this restaurant and this last was one of the worst experiences of my entire life eating Chinese food. Really the food was spilled on the table while making a rice dish, there was no apology for anything and when I asked for anything the waitress walked away in disgust. My wife and I looked on in wonder how anyone would stand for this treatment and the food was disgusting. The orange chicken was not orange, the ribs were cold and old and we all left as quickly as we could running for the bathroom. This place should be shut down and sold to a family who cares about their customers. If you're still wondering if this is a place to consider the answer is NO do not eat here go somewhere else, anywhere else! read more

Food was cold and the sweet & sour sauce had a bad taste to it--and something in the ingredients is foul. Disappointed!

The ambience is as perfect as you would expect, highly recommend for good food and friendly service.

Family size is a joke!! Will never go back. Food wasn't even good. Don't get sucked into the family size

Growing up in Seaside, CHEF LEES has been the spot for Chinese food in Monterey for as long as I can remember.They have always had good food. I ordered their Black Bean Sauce Noodles for the first time a few weeks ago when I had lunch there with my bestie, and it was BOMB. So I ordered it again (but this time to-go) about a week and a half or so ago. The sauce and the noodles came in separate containers, the noodles in the medium square paper box, and the sauce in a large plastic cylinder container, full to the top... $9.95, with tax, a little under $11. Ok... so... today, I ordered it, again, to-go. The girl tells me $11.82. I'm like WHAT? I ordered it no more than a week and a half ago and it was like a little under $11. She looks at the menu on the wall and says "Oh. Yeah. Sorry. " and she redoes my ticket. Problem solved. She goes to the back 5 minutes later and retrieves my order. I leave and return to work. When I parked, I looked at what was in the bag. Medium square paper box, yes. Large plastic cylinder container, yes. Full to the top... NOPE! This is what I get. SMH CHEF LEES, YOU SUCK. SKIMPIN ON FOOD NOW I SEE!!! NOT COOL! read more

Chef Lee's Mandarin House - Skimpin on the black bean sauce! - Chinese Near Me - Monterey, California

I haven't gone out for Chinese Food for a long time. After eating at Chef Lee's I rediscovered how good Chinese Food is. I have gone back several times after my return to the restaurant early December. I especially enjoyed the sweet and sour pork and the chicken chow menu. read more

Overall, this is my favorite Chinese restaurant in the area. Beautiful decor, value for money, their plate presentation is a work of art, and the food is delicious. Favorites are the wonton soup, Mongolian Beef, Mu Shu, Egg Foo Yung, but most things are really good. read more

I have a problem with this lady being so stingy, Don't get me wrong the food is awesome, but Ive gone twice during shelter in place first time I ordered $64 plus tip. When I picked up the food I asked for hot sauce/ oil sauce she gave 2 please look at the size of this things and there not full they're up to half full. I asked for more she gave me 1 more. At least for a family of 4 everyone was able to try one except my daughter. I honestly felt like an order of $70 would not hurt her budget by giving us 4. But here I go again, I ordered $35 worth of food she gives me 1 hot sauce I ask her for more she gives me one more and says The following" I don't have more 2 is good" my god did my face turn red! Lady what's your problem with the fucken hot sauce, how much can you loose? I mean Im giving you my business during these times.. I came to the conclusion she doesn't give a fuck. She'll rather loose a customer than hand out that " hot sauce made ove GOLD? " makes me think if im getting chiken on my chow mein or something else read more

Chef Lee's Mandarin House - Chinese Near Me - Monterey, California

Chef Lees Mandarin House is dangerously located at the end of Fremont in Monterey. Very worth the risk however and as soon as you pull in the parking lot you are glad you came. A Mandarin Chinese garden with water feature and some seductive looking dragon thing beckons you inside...kids will absolutely love the theme. The senses are increased as you walk inside and are greeted by beautifully carved life sized figurines of surely some important sage of their age. The entire restaurant is a one of a kind experience. Trimming the lighted frescoes of the ceiling is more of this ornament woodwork. Everywhere the eye wanders there seems to be a central intrigue. The staff is service minded and you find their culture evident immediately. An attentive woman of middle age wisps in and out of the dining room anticipating your every need. So light on her feet she seems to float but fast and swift like a Samurai sword. A collection of roles from the family (no doubt) provide a fun distraction if you enjoy the story people often provide. Two are ever so stoic and culturally vigilant. Next in generation from one another but retaining the grit women of their international quest often do. I placed orders for take out during shutdown (after my weekly golf round) and am considering making this venue a weekly stop for Dad and I. I'll leave the menu selection and a food review for a more appropriate time. Once I have tried other things from the choices they offer. Hot mustard is one of the condiments I enjoy with this cuisine and I would like to say it was the reason for my yelp review in this case. I'd like to try it on the rest of my life. Strong and efficient. I hope that is stated simply enough. I save only one star from this review until such time as I can. Is there a way to order just that? Devin Johnston read more

Chef Lee's Mandarin House - Chinese Near Me - Monterey, California

The only thing Chinese about this restaurant is the name and decor. The cooks and waiters look like Mexicans. The two waitresses don't speak Chinese and are apparently Korean. It's great for people who think Chinese-American takeout fare is Chinese food, but for people who know better this is 骗鬼佬。 read more

I mean, it's not horrible. The sweet and sour pork as well as the walnut shrimp (they use pecans) were really good. The sesame chicken was pretty much inedible it was so SALTY. Veggie fried rice was mediocre. More like white rice tossed with peas, broccoli and egg. It had been years since we had been so we thought we would give it another go. read more

One of our last meals here in Monterey. It's got decent service, plenty of parking and decent food. I think they use msg to enhance their taste which is why it's not a four star but the food and quality are fairly decent. The prices are a little steep but maybe because they don't use the cheapest of ingredients and when it says seafood you do get a decent mix of shrimp, scallops, squid. Leftovers also taste good for the next couple days. The portions are family style so you should expect to share a meal. Get a big group and share several plates. Even a medium soup can easy serve 6-8 small bowls. They also have a decent bar, so if you're looking for a solid drink, you have your choices. read more

Chef Lee's Mandarin House - Outsider shot - Chinese Near Me - Monterey, California

Always great food and service. I've been going for 20 years. So many great dishes. Highly recommend.

This is my go-to spot. They always get my order right and fix the food the way I request it. The food is always hot and flavorful. The service is great. read more