Mr. Chao's used to be a favorite of ours, but we hadn't been there in a several months. We noticed a new menu with new items and slightly higher prices, so we were wondering if there was an ownership change or just a need to rein in costs.
Ordered the hot and sour soup which was very good, if a touch too vinegary (my wife thought it was perfect). We also ordered the Kung Pao Chicken and Mongolian Beef and that's where the problems came in.
The sauces and flavors were outstanding as usual, but the quality of the meat was very poor. The chicken was all fatty dark meat and the beef was also fatty and too chewy. I had to spit out several pieces.
Also, the proportions of meat to vegetables was much too small, as if the restaurant wanted to fill our plates with cheaper veggies. (The Mongolian Beef should have been called Mongolian Onion.)
I know it's a tough economy and appreciate the need to cut costs. But customers are also cutting expenses, so we'll avoid Chao's until they improve the quality.