Mandarin (well, this one) is located at 200 Queens Plate Dr. in Rexdale, a district of Etobicoke in Toronto’s northwest. It’s located close to the Woodbine casino complex so there is plenty of transit to this area. This is now the sixth individual Mandarin location we’ve reviewed, and there are thirty(!) Mandarins in total. As with the others, it’s a large place with several dining areas and a large buffet, colourfully decorated. AYCD pop is available for $2.50.
Happily, unlike at least one other location, this one has grilled steak at lunch. Unfortunately, both of us agreed that it was very dry and with not much flavour, but at least it was there... a little soy sauce could improve this. Mishy loved the lemon chicken, saying it was very good and all white meat. Sausage was quite good, although a touch dry but no complaints. Boston clam chowder soup was good and fresh. Grilled chicken was actually smoky and flavorful. Maple balsamic wings were delicious and a nice addition for the Canada Day holiday.
Mishy liked the Thai chicken, especially the basil, but said the chicken balls were mostly bread. Teppanyaki fish was pretty good, but could have used a touch more seasoning. Dumplings were quite good, like gyoza. Another Canada Day special, poutine, was excellent and part of my reason for going; it had rich gravy and curds and was soggy with the gravy and that's just the way I like it. Broccoli salad’s sauce was good and fresh. Teriyaki meatballs were nicely seasoned with a good flavor and fresh. Hot and sour soup had mushrooms in it but it was still actually pretty good and was just hot enough. Mashed potatoes were nicely seasoned.
Amazingly there is sashimi on lunch, including salmon. The salmon sashimi was not bad at all, almost as fresh as at a Japanese restaurant and the soy sauce was not too salty. The ginger was dyed pink, and it wasn't the freshest however. Red tuna sashimi was not the freshest, but again, it's nice to have it at all so I can't complain much. California roll wasn't bad but didn't have any roe on it, not that I missed it. Spicy salmon roll was a bit too sweet but otherwise alright.
For dessert, for Canada Day there was maple walnut ice cream which was quite good. No-sugar-added cheesecake is available and it was actually impressive, and I would not have known the difference, although there was no topping. Creme brûlée was enjoyable, as well as was the cherry cheesecake, although it was a bit broken up as it was the last on the plate. I think lime sherbet might just be my favourite flavour; it also has much fewer calories than ice cream even though it's sugary. No-sugar-added cappuccino ice cream is quite good and again I don't miss the sugar. Canada Day mini cupcakes were all right but Mishy liked them for the little sprinkles. Weekend lunch was $27.99, and this isn’t excessive these days, and the AYCD pop was reasonable as well. Even with the minor shortcomings, Mandarin’s quality is pretty much consistent at all the locations we’ve visited, and they remain among the better (and most fun!) of the traditional buffet offerings.
Rating: 7.5 – 8 / 10
