This buffet had really stood the test of time. The Pickering market is extremely fickle and many have fallen throughout the decades (Tucker's Marketplace and Yong Super Buffet). A recent visit reminded me why everyone prefers Mandarin. I visited on a Wednesday for lunch and the place was quite busy! We were seated in the back room behind the sushi station and it was completely packed. It seemed like there was only one room that was closed.
The quality of the food is really THE standard for all buffets. It's visually appealing, hot and fresh and tasty. One great indicator of the food quality are the fries/onion rings. If they're soggy, they've been sitting out which means not fresh. In this case I was in crunch heaven! I saw servers from the kitchen constantly bringing out fresh food. There are a lot of meat options so there aren't skimping on ingredient quality at all - very lovely salmon filet, while steamed white fish and many saucy chicken options. There are multiple dessert bars with many individually wrapped items which make for easy helping. There's a self-serve frozen yogurt bar complete with toppings. They also have a cotton candy machine which was very popular with the kids. Calorie information is listed for each and every item which is helpful albeit a little scary as you're on your 4th plate.
The service is always exceptional starting and ending with hot towels and never having to ask for water. The nice decor and automated restraints make it a very pleasant environment. Great visit!