I have been coming to the Mandarino for years. Over time they have changed and each location also seems to cater to their local community.
Every location has the water feature in the front
Every location has little umbrellas in their signature drinks
This restaurant has become a place for groups to celebrate special occasions because it can satisfy every guests tastes including Mr. McDonalds
That guy can have roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, and corn Niblett and a casa salad
Mr chinois will enjoy some asian treats
Kids go crazy for the dessert bar and pizza slices
Being a pizzaiolo means I am critical of their horrible pizza but it's for kids not for people like me
One thing that has changed over the years is a better sushi story with more selection. Sadly it still is a generic offering and their customers don't mind. Jiro who? They ask
For 35 years they have truly offered a big spread and a chance for customers to fill their belly to the brim (which they do) with a very fresh offering of Chinese food
One thing that the group table commented on was how the plates are smaller. That just means you take 2 extra trips to the trough and battle through the crowd around the torpedo shrimps
In order to beat the owner and push him into poverty by eating more than what you pay requires arriving hungry and having a systematic approach to loading your plate on each trip
My 3 tips are to enjoy a half portion of soup as your starter and to scope out the hot grill servings where they may have sirloin steak right off the grill. Don't have garlic bread or buns as that can fill you up with empty carbs that can be better served with more kung pao chicken