If I could give Mandarin a 5 rating for their service and a 3.5 for the food I would do that.
Frightfully efficient and friendly service team provides an excellent positive experience constantly refilling your water, clearing plates, and making sure you have everything you need.
The food... IMHO has been slowly declining mainly in variety as well as a bit in quality. They still make a mean chicken ball, spring roll, chicken wing, and most of the staples but certain items that have higher food costs have disappeared off the menu to be replaced by cheaper items. On a Friday night, a cuttlefish salad was not available, alot of scrawny crab legs and not many claws, and chicken dumplings that were not really dumplings but rather a wrapper that was haphazardly folded in half with a smush of ground chicken. Desserts were mainly good but some of the cream pies tasted like edible oil products and not much else.
Having said that, it's still a decent buffet in comparison to others out there so when you want a huge variety and / or wish to be a glutton, just go for it.