I tried to get this Dim Sum here for 2 months after seeing all these raving reviews. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed. 10/10 would Dim Sum. read more

This place reminds me of my favorite family owned restaurant in Philadelphia's Chinatown. Amazing and authentic. The roast duck is to die for. read more

This review is for dim sum lovers only. I love dim sum, this place serves that purpose. Large parking, easy finding, large sitting place. It can be very busy during weekend dim sum lunch time. I've been to this place more than once and I found the last time I went, there were lesser choices on dim sum offered. Also foods taste a little different. I sure hope they didn't change much inside their kitchen. Come early if you don't want to wait. And if you do a little searching, there are few more dim sum places around twin cities as good as this one, if not better. read more

This place wasn't so bad. Too bad they ran out of dessert! So you must get there early. It's all basic dim sum options and they all tasted good. They do dim sum on the weekends and holidays. Can't wait to return early on a weekend to get a dim sum fix. read more

Went there for a dinner with friends yesterday, the service is horrible, we had to open the wine ourselves- ridiculous for $25/bottle open fee for the wine- the server didn't mention the fee at all, it totally ruined my day, and I would definitely not go back there again. read more

Mandarin Kitchen is known for some of the best, most authentic Cantonese-style Chinese food in the Twin Cities. The flavors and texture are excellent, and the quality of the food is always consistently good. On Saturdays and Sundays, their dim sum is by far the best in the cities. Prices, while high compared to California or New York standards, are good for the Twin Cities. But the quality is excellent -- the best in this area. Remodelled somewhat recently, there is a loyal following here, and the reason why is simply the excellent food. read more

If you want to be overcharged for food then you have come to the right place. The food was good but their business practices of overcharging my wife and I $7 is more than enough to put a bad taste in your mouth as it did ours. Of note, that is including the mandatory 15% tax and the Chinese lady on the phone was very rude when we disputed the charge saying that they "might" give us the $7 credit next time. But with this experience I highly doubt that there will be a next time. read more

This is the place where I was introduced to Dim Sum. It is amazing. It was worth standing in line to be sure we were able to get in right at 10am on a Saturday morning. We continue to return for Dim Sum on a regular basis. Thanks much for the wonderful experience and fabulous food! read more

I been itching for dim sum and this place definitely helped me fill in that void in my heart. I love love love dim sum. I grew up in San Francisco where my family would go almost weekly on the weekends, or on holidays with my grandparents, so it just warms my heart. After my two tries at Pagoda, I almost gave up and decided that dim sum is just not a midwest/Minny thing. But, one of my friends has been here before and vouch for it. So I came with mildly high expectations + Beef balls: I love red meat, and naturally I almost always order this (and siu mai). Their beef balls are excellent. They have some spinach and cilantro whereas some other places have water chestnut. But I loved it. The meat was tender and moist still + Siu mai: so so so good. Could eat 4 plates of this. Pork was cooked just right and tender +/- Beef stomach stew: I love beef stomach with daikon. It's one of my favorite dishes. Their version here is not what I expected, the braising is more Szechuan than Cantonese (which I found out later, the food there is mixed of both styles). It is interesting because their preparation of food appeared more like Cantonese, but the seasoning used is more Szechuan. Anyways, the braising is not the typical gravy you get from Canto version but the darker soy sauce base. +/-: Fruit tarts: Get in my belly. I love desserts so they can't do me wrong. The tarts and fruits tasted fresh. The cream was just sweet enough to counter the tartiness from the fruit. However, are they different from any fruit tart elsewhere? No. So it was middle of the road for me. - Chicken claws: I sometimes like to order this just to freak out my friends who never had dim sum. I normally love the canto version but they braised it like Szechuan type of sauce, which was less spicy and more salty/soy based. Overall, it was good but not what I expected. I am stubborn and still prefer Canto version with the red colored sauce. - Sticky rice: Wrapped sticky rice comes near and dear to my heart because my grandma also makes them, and they are almost always on our tab when we go to dim sum places back home. Their sticky rice was too dry as were their meat.The rice was not meat or peanut-flavored when typical "jung" (as Cantos or peeps from HK call it). The duck egg yolk that usually comes in the sticky rice was also overcooked. Overall, I would say this version was a dud. It seems like they made it too early in the day so it was way too dry by the time it reached our table. Altogether, with a lot lot lot of food it was about 20 per person after tips. I thought the food was pretty good and interesting mix of traditional Cantonese preparation with Szechuan/mainland sauce base. I definitely will come here again and probably bring my parentals when they visit. Oh and if you call in and give your name and number of people in your party, you might be able to avoid the long wait. read more

I would say this is the best place to get dim sum. They have a bigger selection of food compared to the other dim sum places here. It may be a bit more expensive but nothing that'll break the bank. Yes, some things are better at the other dim sum places but here you can get everything you want all in one place. This place gets crazy busy so go early, like, before they open early. Also, if there's something you like, ask for 2 of them off the bat so you don't have to wait around for the cart to come back to get more. Oh and majority of the servers are not vocal at all so don't let that bother you too much. A few things I've had: - Shrimp Dumplings: They pack these dumplings with huge chunks of shrimp. LOVE! And its lightly seasoned and the dumpling wrap is not super thick. - Beef Tripe w/ scallion and ginger: This is the boyfriend's favorite. He can just go and eat these all morning. All day if he could. These are steamed with scallion and ginger in a thicker sauce. The texture is really soft and not too chewy at all. Its nicely seasoned too so nothing too overwhelming. Definitely try this. If you go late, these will usually be gone already. - Fried Shrimp: Jumbo sized shrimp battered with shell on. Most of the flavor is on the shell so I usually eat the first few with shell on. Yes, shell on. After the first few, I'll peel the skin off but I love the crunch and the flavor. Its addicting. Your hands will get a little dirty eating these though. This is one dish I have to have that other dim sum places do not have. - Clams: The boyfriend always orders this. He loves clams and this is a good portion of clams in a very savory sauce. I usually eat 1 or 2 only because I rather eat my shrimp. - Shrimp and scallop dumplings: Same as the shrimp dumplings but they have scallop on top. - Shrimp rolls: Massive chunks of shrimp rolled in eggroll wrap. Ive had better just because these were not crunchy but it was overly stuffed with shrimp which was a plus. - BBQ chicken feet: Its not as gross as it sounds. Its packed with amazing flavors but they're very time consuming. A few other great things I've tried are roast duck, shrimp shumai, BBQ short ribs, cilantro shrimp dumplings, chinese broccoli, congee, intestines, and several others. EVERYTHING is seasoned well, at least to me they were. The intestines were the only thing I remembered that I would not order again because it was too chewy and I didnt like that. I like the other places for dim sum too but if you want a bigger selection, this place definitely offers a lot more choices. read more

Originally I went for the dim sum but it is only served during weekends during the daytime but I arrived too late to sample the recommended dim sum. An extensive menu selection with modest prices, a good amount of food for your dollar and fresh fresh fresh (did I mention fresh) seafood. Upon entering the restaurant, there are tanks of prawns, crab, lobster, abalone, grouper and there are even more tanks behind them. Dishes are delivered to the table in good time, despite it being busy on a Saturday night. The food is cooked perfectly with the right amount of seasoning. There isn't much bone on the spare ribs which was a surprise. The meat was tender, cooked just right and not too oily. A little light on the dau see but the flavor was still there for the beef with onion and peppers and black beans served as a sizzling platter. The pork fried rice was an interesting fare with the pork being served as cha siu versus slices of pork and it was seasoned with chung choi (which was a first for me). The roast duck wasn't Hong Kong good, but it was juicy, flavorful and the skin was crispy and not rubbery. A little light on the salt and the sauce served with it didn't quite float my boat but that's a matter of personal taste and isn't a reflection of the quality of the dish. The real treat was the walleye with meat sauce. It was fried and served with the sauce on the side, as not to make the fried fish soggy. It was moist, crispy, savory and utterly delicious! Yes there was a sticker shock when the bill came (walleye was "market price" so ask if you aren't sure) but considering it was still swimming when we ordered it, I find that it completely justified the price. Much of the walleye served in Minnesota has been frozen and/or pre-portioned as it comes in from Canada and other states but to have LIVE walleye, well that's dang special. Service ranged for overbearing hovering waiters bugging you to get your order to being completely absent for water and tea refills. The waiter helping us at the end delivered the right amount of service for us and hopefully he was the one who got the tip. He ran the bill up to the counter when we gathering up our leftovers whereas most people were taking their bill up to the counter. Service was inconsistent and it was really was hit or miss with the service. This is the primary reason for dropping down to four stars. On a side note, there is a full bar but the staff is unfamiliar with how to mix drinks and would ask for the glass back if you wanted another drink. This happened to a couple who was at the table next to us and the poor guy had to make the drink himself as no one knew who originally made the drink in the first place. I'm originally from Hawaii where the bad Chinese restaurants are few and far in between and the food quality was comparable to those. This isn't a tourist San Francisco Chinatown joint, this is good honest food without any pretensions. I've had my share of bad Chinese places but when you see old Chinese people and Asian families inside and a bunch of Toyota Camrys and Honda Civics parked outside, you know you're in good company. At Mandarin Kitchen the parking lot was filled with Toyota's and Lexus' many regulars that were known by the staff which is a good indicator of its future longevity. read more

Authentic Chinese (mainly Cantonese) cuisine. Dim sum ( yum cha) on the weekend is rated the best by most reviewers including my relatives. You'll need to get there early to avoid hour+ waits. Parking lot is plentiful. The Peking duck is great for special occasions, comes with the soup. Opens til late and offers a special discounted menu after 9pm. If you like bubble tea, this place has it too. We also get the durian shake to go! :) read more

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It is not often that I give a restaurant a 5 star rating, but Mandarin Kitchen earned it! My wife and I, along with her son and daughter in law, stopped here for a dim sum luncheon during a recent visit. My wife is Chinese and does not like most Chinese restaurants as most are not authentic and serve dishes designed to appeal to Western palates. She really liked Mandarin Kitchen and said it was one of the best dim sum restaurants where she has eaten. This restaurant is very crowded on the weekend when they serve dim sum. There was only one open parking spot in a very large parking lot. We had to wait about 20 minutes before we were seated, but it was well worth the wait. Steamed pork dumplings, steamed shrimp dumplings, diced shrimp in tofu wrappers, roast duck, salt and pepper whole prawns (jumbo size!), and a delicious fresh fruit in custard tart to finish the meal. I would estimate over one half of the diners were Asian, a good sign for an Asian restaurant. Our bill came out to $21 per person. It would have been quite a bit less had we not selected the more expensive duck and prawn dishes. If I lived closer, I would eat here every weekend! Update: I'm taking one star off my review for poor management of the crowds that line up for the dim sum luncheons. Why doesn't someone take names outside at the entrance...to keep people from jamming the entrance and cashier area. Make people without a table wait outside. People can't pay their bill and leave promptly because so many people are standing waiting for a table. If you get a table close to the entrance you literally have people standing over you watching you eat. Very poor crowd management here. No excuse for it. read more

Just moved to MSP from Los Angeles and have been craving some some good Chinese food. I visited Mandarin Kitchen on Saturday morning for their Dim Sum brunch. The Dim Sum was excellent. The many waiters bring carts around with many different small plates on offer. My wife and I went overboard and ordered 8 different small plates. The plates average about $5 each. Everything we had was excellent, the standouts for me were the beef rice noodles, shrimp dumplings and the sticky rice. This Dim Sum is as good as any I have had in San Francisco or Los Angeles. I'll be back soon to enjoy this great restaurant. read more

The reviews for this place seem to be very mixed. I flew to Minnesota for work last week and we went to Mandarin Kitchen for a business dinner. Their seafood was fresh and good. We ordered the king crab. It was the only one in the tank and we felt like we had to take it. The waiter even brought the king crab out for us to check, make sure the size and look of it was good. The flavor was good the way they prepared it. We also ordered lobster, steamed with ginger and scallion, which came on a bed of wide, flat noodles. The lobster was cut into smaller pieces than usual compared to other authentic Chinese seafood restaurants that I've been to. The noodles were a bit oily, but the flavor was good. I really liked the clams. They were big and the even though they were a bit on the saltier side, it went great with my rice. The plate of vegetable was good. We also ordered the duck. The skin was very crispy and it was pretty good, however, I overheard that it was not fresh. It didn't make a big difference to me though because I enjoyed the crab, lobster and clams. If I ever visit Minnesota again, I would go back. read more

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This is the place to come for live seafood.. live pawns are my favorite and live fish, body steamed with green onions and ginger head made with vegetables and tofu soup! Yum!! Service is good never had a problem read more

The food is authentic and delicious. Besides, they have free pre-meal rib soup and free after-meal green bean soup. They are good for health and great for winter! BYW, I love the roasted duck most!!! read more

Food taste ok, but servers are never friendly, as if I owe him lots of money. Make sure you know the price when you order live seafood from the tank, you might end up paying $400 for 1 fish. read more

Very good egg foo young. Dim sum only on weekends. Call before to make sure it is an option. Still very happy ordering off the menu.

We went to their Sunday brunch for dim sum. After seeing so many reviews I was excited but they only had two types of dim sum! We were sat at the back and barely any food came our way. The duck was greasy and gross. Crab balls were mediocre. Tofu shrimp was alright. The two dim sums were good but no worth going back. We put our name down and were told the wait time was 45 min. Noticed almost everyone was called but us. Went to check on it and they said "oh they are being seated at shared tables". At no point during our 40 min wait did they ask if we were ok with shared table! We told them we were ok with shared table and then they finally sat us...at a non shared table. So she obviously lied. I don't understand why so many people go there. read more

3.5 stars - I've been here a couple times already, and I'm glad there's at least one place in this state with decent dim sum. It's your pushcart type of dim sum restaurant (which I think they only do on the weekends), and I do like grabbing a little bit of everything as the carts come around. My go-to's are the same ones in any dim sum restaurant: siu mai, egg custard, shrimp egg roll, tofu. The egg roll was super crunchy and awesome, and the crab balls were another (new!) favorite, the tofu skin with pork inside is pretty decent, and everything else was good on the tummy. I always get egg custard for dessert, and Mandarin Kitchen's was phenomenal. Fresh and still hot, with that shiny yellow custard glistening just waiting for me to devour it. Definitely a solid option for a Sunday brunch. read more

I use to love this place, but lately it really has bummed me out. And I am not talking just one time or one dish. Hubs and I have been really not impressed with our meals the last 3 visits - everything from Mandarin Pork, sesame chicken, kung pao - you name it, it has been kinda, well, gross. The chicken is rubbery, the "hot" is non-existent and the flavor is lacking. I gave two stars 'cause the egg rolls are good and the cheese wantons rock (which, really when you deep fry anything it is hard to mess up). I could overlook some of the issues is this was cheap Chinese in the skyway, but Mandarin Kitchen is a bit spendy - you get a lot of food, just none that is really excellent. read more

I went here once for dim sum, and I was not let down. I havent had good dim sum since Peking Garden moved to Midway. It was pricey, but definitely worth it. read more

Super overpriced, and not worth the wait. I thought the flavors were ok, but not great - especially when I'm paying that much. I also feel like the restaurant overcharges for the dishes because they don't have competition. I come from Texas, where dim sum is around every corner, and it's super good and cheap - if they pulled this in Texas they would be out of business. 3 people ate for $75, ridiculous. I would rather just not eat dim sum than to pay that much to be disappointed, but that's just me. read more

Oh, yeah. Maybe not better than the best dim sum I've had in Taiwan or Hong Kong or San Francisco or Chicago, but they've definitely got it right at this place, from the huge selection of good food (the tripe was amazing) down to the crowds and the trolleys and the harried waitstaff barking the names of dishes at you as they come by - and shouting at each other in actual Cantonese. Big smile. read more

The Dimsum in Rowland Heights, California IS WAY BETTER!! this is the only closest chinese resto near my house in Bloomington, Minnesota, so i have no choice. the ladies on the counter are RUDE unless you're Caucasian coz they'll be ALL smiles. I asked for how big are their serving for rice to-go and she kept telling me in an "asian" language which of course i don't understand coz i'm Asian BUT i'm Filipino. so i asked her "what?" twice and she screamed at me "medium or large?" i was there on dimsum hour to order to-go and my receipt came up 25% more than my usual bill considering i ordered the same thing before, she says I charged you gratuity because it's dimsum hour. WTF!! who the hell charges for that much of gratuity for service that i didn't get? read more

Best dim sum in town? No. Stop overcharging for merely adequate food. This place is not bad if you're not too stingy about the quality of the food, but for the price you're really not getting a very good value. The servers are very nice and work hard at making rounds consistently throughout the restaurant during dim sum, but the quality of the food is not very inspirational or exciting. Honestly, for the money you might as well check out Wondrous Azian Kitchen for dim sum on the weekends. It's $20 per person for all you want, and the quality is by far superior to anything that you'll find at Mandarin Kitchen. The selection might be slightly smaller than Mandarin Kitchen, but the atmosphere is much nicer, and the staff is extremely friendly. At Mandarin Kitchen, the guy who came to refill water spilled all over my plate, and he noticed but didn't seem to mind all that much, at least not enough to apologize or even acknowledge it. Bleh, I'd rather go someplace else. read more

Really good food and FRESH fish. They must have 20 tanks filled with lobster, crab, eel, and fish. The preparations were great and the place looked clean. what more could you ask for. Enjoy!!! read more

First things first, I'm not an expert on dim sum offerings. I cannot speak to the authenticity or craftsmanship of the food. But I can speak to the experience of eating dim sum. If you are looking for a new dining adventure, this place is worth a try. You could say it's like a Chinese version of "Fogo de Chao," where the buffet comes to you. A small army of servers roll carts past your table loaded with dumplings, meats, desserts and seafood. As they pass by, you point to what you want. They plop it on the table, mark the order on your card, and you stuff your face. I felt like I was living my own Andrew Zimmern "Bizarre Foods" fantasy because I had virtually no clue what I was eating. I just knew it was tasty. The pork barbecue buns beautifully straddled the middle ground between sweet and savory. The sesame seed balls were a surprise treat; a crunchy, vibrantly nutty exterior contrasted with a fantastically glutenous interior. The duck breast, lacquered with a dark red-orange sauce, was downright heavenly. The restaurant was packed with families on the Sunday morning I was there. This is definitely a group dining experience; I would recommend coming with a group of three or more. Word to the wise: do not bring picky eaters. Many of the dishes had textures and flavors that a picky eater would find uncomfortable. If being unable to recognize your food makes you nervous, and if squishy textures and unfamiliar flavors weird you out, perhaps try a more traditional breakfast joint. read more

Although dinner can be pricey (but worth it), the lunch specials here are wonderful. The lunch menu has two sides- be sure to order from the well worn side with Chinese characters and bad english translations. All the items are $6-8 and delicious! It is mostly noodle soups or rice dishes featuring generous servings of the wonderful bbq duck and pork you see hanging in the glass case by the cashier. There are also other things such as beef curry or tofu rice that I haven't tried yet but look really good. Try this place for lunch! read more

I finally tried the few places I know in the Twin Cities for dimsum and decided that this place is the best. They don't have the large varieties like Chicago Chinatown, but no one else in the Twin Cities does either. Service has improved and the value is better than other dimsum restaurants where their items were either smaller or cost more. They have remodeled and expanded but it's still very crowded. This is the only restaurant we had to wait for a table and I can see why. With the exception of the deep fried taro dumpling (woo-gog) that was kind of small and not much flavor, everything else was very good. If you go after 12:30 PM, some items may be sold out. read more

Best of the Best Chinese resturant in MN！Offering great and traditional Guang's style Dimsum and dishes！Must-go if u looking for great places to eat！Close to MOA～ read more

Fast service but food is bland. Veggie fried rice only has onions, peas, mushrooms (canned) & a tiny amount of fried egg. No bamboo shoots, sprouts etc. If you have white rice left over from your meal, my husband had over half a pot left, they do NOT give it to you as leftovers. Hmm, makes me wonder why & where it's going...or what it's going into. Also, it's expensive-$45 for two people-no drinks or alcohol. read more

Went here on vacation...amazing setup. FIrstly be prepared to wait since the dim sum event is only one day a week mid day so tons of people show up. They have waiters and waitresses walking around with all kinds of food and you simple opt in/out to what you want and they mark it on a peice of paper and then you pay for what you ordered at the end. This eliminates the "one price fits all" model and you can take home your left overs! So you're able to try as much food as your wallet can handle. I would HIGHLY suggest going with a large party 4-8 to make the bill easier plus be able to try more things on the al la cart food. read more

One of the best Chinese seafood restaurant in the twin cities. We were able to get a table late at night (approx 10PM) and got fresh salt/pepper lobster, black bean sauce clam. Both were superiorly delicious and fresh. We tried their dim sum as well and service is fast and food is very fresh. This place is usually crowded during lunch/dinner hour, so expect a little wait. It is faster for a table if you are ok with sharing a large table with other customers. For someone that is from China, I feel at home eating at this place. read more

As a person came from west coast, their Dim Sum will consider average in west coast standard, but as far as Minnesota, I'll have to say they are the best we can find. Beside Dim Sum, must try their live shrimp dish, if you are craving from fresh seafood. Overall, I'll say it is the best Chinese food in Twin Cities. read more

Order quickly or they will forget about you.. come early for dim sum

Authentic, great prompt service. Go for dim sum on Sunday mid-morning or for a dinner out. Great for groups! Best in the twin cities!

This is a dinner review. Dim sum would rate higher, but I haven't been to Mandarin for Dim Sum in years. I'd rate it as behind Pagoda but similar in quality, variety, and prices to almost everything else. Where was I? Oh yes! Dinner. Mandarin used to be one of our go to places for advanced-for-American Chinese food. (By which I mean, food more adventurous and less Americanized than chow mein and other atrocities, and even more than what you might find at a lunch buffet, but not so adventurous as to require eating animal beaks, claws, brains and viscera, or eating animals Americans didn't know existed). We stopped frequenting it a few years amid escalating prices and a perceived drop in quality. We decided to give them another try yesterday. Unfortunately, our original instincts - too expensive and not good enough - were correct. Now, I'm not a "value eater". I don't first look at the price tag and then measure the restaurant by price/lb. But if it's going to be high and price it better be high in quality. It wasn't. Everything was marginally passable and vegetables seemed less than fresh. Even worse, my chicken in garlic sauce was basically water chestnut porn. I don't hate water chestnuts, don't love em either. But love em or hate em, I know no carnivores who would be happy to pay $14 for chicken stir fry and then receive a tower of sliced water chestnuts. Nobody else's dish was good enough to justify the cost either. We wish Mandarin the best and I know it has devotees for truly authentic Chinese , but we've moved it to our DNR (Do Not Return) list. Which is a shame - our other preferred haunts - Shuang Cheng a the U and several Eat Street joints - are a parking headache. read more

I have been searching the south Metro area of Minneapolis/St. Paul for great Chinese since moving and I have found it. It may cost a couple bucks more per plate for the food, but the flavor was phenomenal. I ate the entire plate and was not satisfied. I want to go back for more when I get another chance. My friend and I stuck to chicken dishes (peapods and garlic) and were not disappointed. As well, the steamed dumplings were amazing. The tanks in the front gave a shockingly authentic appeal, but we didn't have them chop up an eel for us, not quite our thing just yet. :) read more