I went in to New Mandarin for the lunch service on a Sunday. The restaurant was clean, and decorated as you'd expect for a typical family style Chinese restaurant. There was a good size crowd, but the atmosphere was quiet and pleasant. The waiter greeted me promptly upon arrival and I was quickly seated with a menu and fresh glass of ice water. They had a lunch buffet on offer, which seemed popular with the customers in the dining room, but I chose to order from the menu. I chose a cup of hot and sour soup and an order of the BBQ spareribs, to start, and the Kung Pao Chicken as my entrée, and a pot of tea for my drink. The server who took my order was polite and friendly, and he consistently checked up on me throughout my meal. The first thing to come out was the tea. It came in a beautiful white and blue pot and I set it aside to allow it to steep for full flavor rather than immediately pouring a cup. The tea was soon followed by the hot and sour soup. It was hot enough to almost burn my lips right out of the gate, which is something I look for in a soup, so I was pleased with the temperature. The broth was a rich golden brown color, and had a thick consistency with a good body. The aroma was hearty and peppery, and although I was tempted to dive right in, my spareribs arrived, and I set the soup aside to cool. I was very pleased with the size and color of the ribs. They were liberally glazed in a bright red sweet and sour sauce, and had tons of meat on the bones. They came out hot and fresh, and were accompanied by a moist towelette, which was a nice touch, because I like to get messy with my ribs, and I definitely needed it! The ribs were beautify seared and cooked perfectly. The meat pulled cleanly off the bone when I bit in, but still had plenty of juice and tenderness. No dry, stringy ribs here! The sauce complimented the rich, smokiness of the meat perfectly, adding a nice sweetness that had a surprisingly deep spiced quality to it, and a hint of acidity. After demolishing the ribs, I turned my attention to the tea. It had been steeping for a good few minutes, and I figured it was ready to taste. The tea poured cleanly, from the pot and didn't dribble all over the table, which is a problem I've had in other Chinese restaurants I've been to. It came out steaming hot, and had a beautiful golden hue. From the aroma, I guessed it was Jasmine, and my first sip confirmed that it was. The jasmine flavor was floral, and delicate, no bitterness at all. It cleansed the richness of the ribs from my palate, and although the ribs were hearty and filling, I felt refreshed, and ready to move on to the soup. The soup was cooled by this time, but still satisfyingly hot and fresh. The broth was thick and peppery, but not quite as sour as I would have liked. Nevertheless, there was an abundance of egg, black fungus, bamboo shoots, tofu, and pork, providing lots of texture and body to the soup. The egg and tofu provided a richness that enhanced the thick, viscous broth, while the springy fungus, and crunchy bamboo shoots offered a variety in texture. The addition of pork was a nice touch, and enhanced the flavor of the dish. It was a grey Saturday, threatening rain, and this hot, and hearty soup was exactly the pick me up I needed. After finishing my soup, and enjoying another cup of tea, it was time for the main event. The Kung Pao Chicken. The waiter brought my entrée out, and the portion size was huge! This dish is clearly meant to be shared, and I definitely got plenty of bang for my buck. The dish looked very impressive, a heaping pile of golden chicken pieces, glazed in sauce, with plenty of peanuts, red peppers, green onions, and garlic mixed in, served alongside a bowl of white rice. I decided to try the Kung Pao Chicken on its own, without any rice to get an idea of the flavor. The dish was hot and fresh, and the sauce was coating every piece, without being excessive. The chicken was cooked perfectly, and was juicy on the inside. The sauce was light and savory, with a prominent garlic flavor, with a subtle sweetness to balance it out. Although there were a good amount of dried red chilis visible on the plate, I was a bit disappointed there wasn't more heat to the dish, as I like my Kung Pao spicy, but it was still very enjoyable regardless. When mixed with the rice (which was also cooked perfectly and not dry), the dish really came together, and the green onions and peanuts added the perfect variety in texture and flavor to really make it shine, all of which paired perfectly with the (still hot) tea. As I was coming to the end of the dish, my waiter came out to check on me, and brought out a complimentary plate of sliced fruit. I'm not sure if this is standard practice, or my waiter just took the initiative to do it on his own, but it was a very nice gesture, and all the fruit was fresh and delicious. Overall, great food, and great service! I would recommend giving it a try! read more

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I recently paid a visit to New Mandarin Garden and noticed they interior was remodeled since my last visit. It looks more modern and stylish. Their food continues to be very good and they serve your a generous portion even for a lunch special. The lunch specials come with hot and sour soup which had a pretty good peppery kick to it which I like. I opted for the three flavor chow mein with fried rice. As you can see, the portions are quite big and proportions of beef, chicken and shrimp are generous. If your in San Clemente, stop by for tasty lunch. read more

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I pick up to go food regularly and I like what I get but I was irritated today when the lady didn't even bother to give me my 4$ and some change. I asked in kinda a quick manner and she just sorta blew me off. I didn't make a big deal about it cause that's kinda tip $$ anyway, but that's MY decision to make so two stars. More being crappy. read more

We ordered house special Egg fu Young and house special fried rice and moshu pork. Omg. All was very very good. The egg fuyoung- off the charts!!! We live nearby 1984-1994. We moved to San Diego. We still travel up to the O. C. but on our way home, p/u N. M. G. Thank for not changing, only getting better ‍ read more

We were staying at a local and ordered delivery. The restaurant did not provide eating utensils and when I called to inquire the very rude employee told me that they didn't provide eating utensils that was up to the delivery service. Result I had to go out to a grocery store and buy plastics forks and knives. Obviously by the time I got back with silverware the food was cold. So my impression food was lackluster and cold and the restaurant employees are incredibly rude read more

New Mandarin Garden - Me - Chinese Near Me - San Clemente, California

Thanks SO much for being open on Christmas. Our family appreciates it. Makes sense for take out only from 4-9pm. Food was freshly prepared. We love the dumplings and hot and sour soup. Also enjoyed the chicken and green beans and Kung Pao chicken. Everything is always well packed and with sauces. Easy to park in small lot. Service was friendly as usual. We are big fans of this restaurant. Be patient. It's the holiday and they are working hard for your family and meal. read more

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Great food and kind staff. Food came out quickly and tasted great! Will definitely be back

New Mandarin Garden is one of the restaurants I eat at regularly. Best Chinese food in SC. SOOO GOOOOD! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Appetizer: ALWAYS the Hand-Steamed Dumplings. It comes with this chili flake dipping sauce (SO FREAKN GOOD) + regular dumpling dipping sauce. The way to eat em is cut em in half, dip in the chili sauce, then dip the other corner in the dumpling sauce....thank me later Entree: Either the Kung Pao chicken/ Kung Pao 3 delights / House Special chicken. All are great. Always come out hot with a HUGE portion. It's enough for 2 people if you get rice. If you're craving Chinese food, you've gotta try it The reason it's 4 out of 5 is because of the service. The food is great though read more

SUPER RUDE! That was the second time that they treated me like sh*t I do delivery and sometimes I go there to pick up the orders and all the times this lady was very rude to me, she just threw the food and today I was not delivering I went there as a customer, I was waiting at the window outside and she just YELLED "your food is not ready" and I said "you don't even know who I am" (she didn't talked to me before) I just left and didn't wanted the food anymore, I'm never stepping my foot in this place anymore! read more

This place will close soon! 1. Orange chicken is 5x's better at Panda Express; dry and NOT fresh 2. Noodles way to soggy & poor 3. Beer was cold, whatever Ownership change has been bad; 2nd visit and its worse, because its the only place in town. Lady behind cash register was on speaker phone yelling at husband and we could hear him yelling "yelping" back!! Awful Overall Experience. Ps. Fortune cookies had NO fortune! read more

Very happy with this restaurant, absolutely delicious, we had it delivered what we ordered was perfect. We ordered sizzling rice soup, and the house special chow mein, and fried rice. We will definitely order again from this restaurant this was the first time we have eaten here we had delivery takeout but everything came extremely hot it was a very good experience I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

New Mandarin Garden - Chinese Near Me - San Clemente, California

Great Chinese food. We'll be back. Jung pao shrimp fantastic. Try the Jung pao chicken as well

Exceptional! Hands down the best place in town for Chinese food. So cool to hang there and eat the amazing food. They do value their regulars Try their homemade crack worthy dumplings, they are a must! Hubby loves Kong pow chicken and beef with snow peas! I dig the Shredded pork with peking sauce and the sesame chicken for a Chinese dessert dish. BRAVO to our amazing place in old town!!! read more

This restaurant is what I call a hole in the wall place. I've been eating here for over 30 years with my family. The new owners redecorated the interior years ago, but the food stayed the same. It's high quality Chinese cuisine at a reasonable price. Try their egg rolls, potstickers, Kung Pao shrimp, House Special Chicken, and various soups. read more

Delicious Chinese Food! Take it from someone who grew up in SC! Need I say more? read more

Tucked away in this little garden area near a TARDIS from doctor who! The menu has a lot to offer and the price is really stellar. Interior is very calming and relaxing for a date or for just a good meal with friends. read more

New Mandarin Garden - Family Dinner A on the menu - Chinese Near Me - San Clemente, California

Been coming here for almost 10 years so I have a pretty good idea of the quality and consistency of the food. First of all, you can always count on this place being good! They have all the classic Americanized Chinese dishes and they do them pretty well! If you're local, you know there aren't a lot of options for Chinese food... so unless you want to drive 30 minutes north for the really good stuff (or maybe Dana Point has some options) then check this place out. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because of the orange chicken. I love me a good, saucy, tender orange chicken and while this place has a decent version, their chicken is always a little chewy and REALLY gets caught in my teeth. Their other chicken dishes don't do this for some reason. Great and friendly staff and owners. It's truly a San Clemente institution. read more

Service was bad no one was there to seat is for 10 minutes, server took another 10 to get to us, before we got drinks. The egg rolls the gave us were still frozen in the center. This place needs to step it up. read more

Very nice service. Very Good American Chinese food. Recommend the Hong Kong style beef and the pot stickers. The dough for the dumplings is very thick and the inside of the dumpling is not very juicy like you'd expect but they are Good! Green beans come with a sauce that is kinda thick. Would definitely visit this local gem again soon! read more

Amazing !! My Family and I came here by chance. Phenomenal service , my drink never got half empty . Super authentic and and delicious Chinese food. I would come back over and over again. read more

New Mandarin Garden - Chinese Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Go-to Chinese Restaurant in San Clemente. My favorite dish is their Kung Pao Chicken, very good, with a nice little kick. The House Chicken and the Beef Tenderloin are also favorites in our house. Oddly I've tried Mongolian Beef here (one of my favorite Chinese dishes) and was disappointed both times. It is lacking flavor big time. I'll keep coming for the Kung Pao though Take out is quick and easy. read more

fan favorite for us in san clemente ! we come here as often as possible, great staff, great food!

We are from the east coast. Have been struggling to find good Chinese food. That's until we are here. The wife loves it and trust me she's a picky eater. The kids, forget about it. They keep wanting more every weekend. Thanks New Mandarin Garden. It's our new go to for the weekends. read more

My favorite Chinese food spot in San Clemente!! We discovered this hidden gem during covid so can only speak to the takeout side of the business but their food is soooo good! By far one of the best Chinese food restaurants we have tried in town. We always go for the Special House Chicken and the Beef Lo-mein. Portions are very generous and I'd say you could feed 3-4 adults off of 2 entrees. We always dig right in so I don't have any pictures to pot with this review but will update on our next visit. If you're in the fence- give this place a try. Guarantee it will be your new go to read more

Very solid restaurant in the little Old Town San Clemente shopping center. Hint: extra parking lot on the street that runs along the south side of the main lot. The food is tasty and fresh and portions good sized and not overpriced. We usually take out and they are fast and efficient. We are vegan and there are several options. read more

Coming from the San Francisco area, I am probably not a fair judge of a SoCal beach town Chinese restaurant. We were with a group so did not choose the food. It was ok--really not outstandingly good or bad. It is run by Chinese people who speak fluent Mandarin, but obviously caters to a non-Asian clientele. read more

The food is amazing it comes in big portions and everything is fresh the staff are super friendly and the ambiance is wonderful

Hmmmm....what do you say about a place that has a sign claiming to be the best in Orange County? Well it was a big disappointment. The General Tsao's chicken had no flavor, the lemon chicken tasted like it was liquid Tang as a sauce, Chicken Chow Mein was one of the Best Buy the Broccoli was odd (burnt maybe). The Kung Pao Three Delight is ok but the shrimp was fishy - not good. The wait staff was annoying. Constantly tried to take our plates even when we still had food on them and eating. Then he started to take one of my kids bowl of soup when she was eating from it. Not sure the problem because they were not full. Cost was high but the portion of food was a lot. read more

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Prices are a little high, but the portion sizes are HUGE! Best Chinese I've had in California. read more

Realllyyyy good when your craving a hot and delicious Chinese meal. This is some quality stuff. And their portions are huge. Usually lasts two people for two leftover meals. Delicious! read more

New Mandarin Garden - Chow mein, brócoli beef and Kung pao chicken - Chinese Near Me - San Clemente, California

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I almost always got for the House special fried rice and BBQ rib. Good for two meals or to share. Would like the fried rice a little moister and more shrimp, $23-24 for both is an OK deal read more

Best in town!!! You will not be disappointed in anything you order. Great place. The egg foo young is amazing

Food was awful!! I ordered the orange flavored chicken and it was hard and did not taste fresh.. even the rice was super dry. Ended up just throwing it away. read more

The reviews got me excited for this place but the food was a huge letdown. We ordered about 8 items from the menu and left most all of it on the table. Would not dine here again read more

We were driving back from Rosarito Beach to Los Angeles. We were looking for some good Chinese food in this area. I found this place on google and decided to try it out. We ordered a few items from the lunch special and the food was good. The restaurant is very clean. Bathrooms were clean as well. read more

New Mandarin Garden - Chinese Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Always come to New Mandarin Garden with my family. My favorite item is honey walnut shrimp, it is soooo great! The waiter is nice, and the food is authentic. Portion sizes are huge and good food quality. read more

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Update: My mother-in-law didn't realize I haven't gone here in a long time so she got me a gift card... so I went out with the wife last night. There was no wait. The place is significantly less busy than it used to be. Here are my first impressions: -The remodel is nice. The whole interior is redone and feels very different. -Our table had soy sauce on it when we sat down. I asked to have the table cleaned and it was wiped down with a dry napkin so the soy sauce just smeared in to the table. -Hot tea is still not served when you sit down. Not free like it used to be (realized this in last review). -Prices are up. Orange chicken used to be $10.95- now $13.95. Hot and sour soup was $6- now $8.50. Cream cheese wontons were $6- now $8.95. -Chinese servers are gone and have been replaced by Hispanic servers. -Free mints at the front are GONE! -Food is still on par and delicious. -Good table service. My last review of this place hasn't changed much. The food was delicious, just more expensive. I figured I'll now spend $10-15 more per visit with two people. I was not charged extra for an extra bowl of white rice which my wife ordered . Service was good. I used the gift card I had and a credit card to cover the remainder of the balance. This was rejected by the owner and I was asked if I had cash to cover the balance since it was a smaller amount being charged. Come on! I leave a tip with the credit card after the amount I'm charged. I feel like the lady running this place just hasn't figured out good customer service. Still has a ways to go. I would consider this place for takeout or for an occasional night out with a small party. Bring low expectations if dealing with the female Asian owner. read more

Decent food. Came here for a party in a sort-of closed-off space, so did not choose the food. The fried rice, chow mein, and beef and broccoli were good, but not great. The waiters spoke Chinese which was nice and unexpected. Good service, good location (difficult to find--there were no signs visible from the street.) read more

I've heard great things about it, here, so I finally gave it a try with some friends...the 4 stars I gave were for the taste of my food alone. I had chicken chop suey and it was really tasty and the price was fair. What I didn't like, was that they didn't serve any type of crispy noodle or wonton strips, nor did they offer us complimentary hot tea. When they took our order, we said we weren't ready and the server sort of mumbled something and stood there until we placed our order, anyway. At the end of our meal, they didn't bring any fortune or almond cookies! The above mentioned things are part of why I go to Chinese restaurants and there are plenty that still serve them, so I will frequent those places, instead. read more

We only make it to San Clemente once a year ,and always come here for some really good Chinese food with good service and prices. We have had several tasty entrees but think that the egg foo young is incredible. read more