The original Mandarin Wok moved away, now it's back- in Mahomet, different name, same great owners! Order from the Chinese Menu, you won't be disappointed!
I tend to eek out my ethnic food restaurants by putting my ear to the ground and listening to visiting students on campus. I'm almost never steered wrong. My Chinese friends took me to Mandarin Wok on Green St. a long time ago, and when I went back a number of years ago, I was disappointed the food had changed. Well, the answer was a long story that I'll spare you here... but Tina and her family (esp. her father, the amazing cook) is back, but now in Mahomet (20 min. out of town). They didn't even advertise they were coming, but they had students waiting for the door to open on their very first day. You know it's a good place when there's a buzz without even an attempt at making buzz. These guys even flew a Taiwanese chef from Taiwan here and flew him back home because he wouldn't cook in the old-school way required for these recipes.
The place is small, understated, nothing fancy. Don't let this fool you, the hand-written wall of Chinese dishes and the almost ever-packed state of the restaurant on weekends is your clue you've hit a place for great food. [Make reservations, tables go quickly!!] One caveat- I wince anytime I hear a local order from the English menu. Sure, the food is good, but you've got to get food from the Chinese menu. Ask Tina which dishes she suggests based on your tastes (don't be afraid to be adventurous!). Trust her thoughts and you won't go wrong.
Spicy Basil Chicken never fails to hit the spot for all of my friends who I've dragged to the Wok. Garlic Salty Green Beans is also a favorite. [Salty and sweet play off each other nicely with those two.] There is so much to try here that I'm thankful I'll be visiting frequently to try more dishes out!