Set apart by a few blocks from the traditional center of Chinese dim sum restaurants, Mandalay stands alone on the northern side of Alakea Street across from Bishop Square. During lunch and dinner hours in the past it was not unusual to see people waiting in line to get a table at Mandalay. Started by Larry and Linda Chan, former operators of Eastern Garden, the Mandalay stands as a result of a $1.5 million investment by the husband-and-wife team.
Main dining area
Upstairs dining area
The restaurant is decorated in various art forms and the interior is elegantly lit. The yellow tablecloth that is replaced after each customer adds a warm touch to the restaurant as well. Mandalay offers a seating area downstairs and upstairs. Downstairs is typically for larger single-table parties, and is also used for large reservations. The upstairs balcony area is where couples and smaller parties are seated, looking down at the large tables below.
Ordering Sheet
Ordering dim sum is certainly different at the Mandalay. Rather than the traditional setup with dim sum carts rolling about the floor, bringing you freshly steamed orders, the Mandalay uses a kitchen-to-table system. After browsing the menu, you order by filling out a sheet that indicates what you’d like and in what quantity. A very unusual system with a good theory behind it (allowing quick batch ordering of food sent directly from the kitchen), but as we would find out later, not always executed as well as originally designed.
After being seated the server brought along cups of water and a teapot right away, and took our order sheet. She returned a few moments later with an order tally marked with the time the order was placed, 12:26PM. I mention this because of the inexcusably long wait we endured to get our food.
One of the major attractions of dim sum is the concept of getting good tasting Chinese food at a fast pace with relatively inexpensive cost. The Mandalay has increased its prices since first opening, whereby “large” dim sum items now cost $4.10. As with any dim sum restaurant the price of each order varies based on the “size” of the plate, but this system is a little misleading at the Mandalay as there are nearly no items that are considered “small.” In addition items that would typically be considered “small” or “medium” are often listed as “large” on Mandalay’s menu.
On this particular day there was a large party that had reserved what appeared to be most of the downstairs seating area. During our time at the restaurant they had different “entertainment” events. While I am not opposed to families getting together to celebrate important events, it is my personal feeling that any restaurant should not allow them to engage in any type of activity that might disturb other patrons (unless they are in a private room). Because the Mandalay does not offer a separate room, the rest of the customers upstairs were forced to listen to the loud music, speeches, and even microphone feedback of the party below across a speaker system. This certainly is not the kind of environment I had expected to be placed in, and as a paying customer I was rather upset that the Mandalay would allow such an occurrence.
As I glanced at my watch, I noticed the time was now 12:55PM. We had still not received any food or even a refill on water! In fact, a table with a family of 5 that had been seated 10 minutes after us had already received their food, which added to our frustration. When 1:00PM came around I was actually ready to stand up and leave, but my fiancee and I were both starved so we decided to give the restaurant a final 5 minutes. Luckily for us our food finally arrived at around 1:05 (but only 2 out of the 6 things we ordered!), a full 30 minutes after we had ordered. In my experience 10 minutes is a relatively long time to wait for dim sum, let alone 30 minutes. It was not until about 1:15PM that we received all the items we had ordered, nearly 40 minutes after ordering. I should note that even after waiting for so long, the food that was served to us was lukewarm. Being too hungry to send it back, and too impatient to wait a potentially long time again, we didn’t complain.
Here is what we were finally able to eat:
Shrimp Dumpling, $4.10
At $4.10, classified as a “large” plate, I would have expected the shrimp dumplings to be a little bigger. The dumplings were lukewarm, and about average in taste.
Steamed Pork Dumpling, $3.10
The pork dumplings were a bit better than the shrimp, being a little warmer on the inside. The pork itself was seasoned well and had a fine taste to it. I did like the masago topping on each dumpling, which added a bit of color and slight crunch to eat one.
Steamed Scallop & Spinach Dumpling, $4.10
Probably the most disappointing dish we ordered, these dumplings were cold when brought to our table. They were very bland in taste and a bit soggy, which made me question the $4.10 price tag.
Mochi Rice with Chicken
One of the few warm dishes that made it to our table, the Mandalay’s variation on this rice dim sum was not bad. The portion size is more along the lines of what I’d expect at the price point. The rice itself was tasty, with just enough salt and other seasonings to flavor it throughout.
Sizzling Hot Pot Chicken, $12.95
In addition to the dim sum we ordered we decided to try one of the items off the regular menu, the Sizzling Hot Pot Chicken. The chicken itself was brought to our table hot. The snow peas, chicken, and shiitake mushrooms were simmering in a rich brown sauce. Although promising to look at, the taste of this dish was nothing spectacular, tasting too much like ingredients drowning in Oyster sauce. And it was not sizzling!
After finishing our food we waited for someone to come by to grab the check. Throughout the meal I had asked two different servers for more water, both had acknowledged my request but never returned.
Final thoughts: Poor service, long wait time, high price, and mediocre food. These are all phrases I would use to describe my experience at Mandalay. Waiting 40 minutes for lukewarm and cold food is inexcusable, especially at the premium price you pay at this restaurant. Combined with the unfavorable environment at this particular outing (with the party downstairs) and poor/forgetful service, overall this was one of the worst dining experiences I have had in a long time. While Mandalay continues to remain popular, a fact that makes me hope our experience was a fluke, it is apparent that Mandalay is declining (if my experience is becoming more and more commonplace, as I have seen similar comments elsewhere online). It is my personal recommendation that if you are in the mood for dim sum, that you consider other establishments nearby in Chinatown. My fiancee and I will not be returning to the Mandalay anytime soon.
| Service: |   |
Poor |
| Food: | |
Average |
| Atmosphere: | |
Below Average |
| Overall Value: | |
Below Average |
*Star ratings are based in comparison to similar establishments.
The Mandalay
1055 Alakea Street Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: 808.525.8585
Tags: Hawaii Food, Hawaii Food Review, Mandalay Hawaii, Mandalay review, Dim sum
Other Popular Reviews:
This place was indeed a HUGE disappointment. Particularly because we had dined there previously and had much better service and food. The picture of the shrimp dumplings are misleading just because the close-range of it makes them look huge. They were puny, and at best they were about half the size of shrimp dumplings at more generous restaurants where they are considered small dishes and only run you up about $2.50 instead of the RIDICULOUS $4.10.
Sad to hear things are going downhill over there. My boyfriend and I went when they just opened to attend a small party. We were seated in a semi-private room downstairs tucked away in the corner. The food was ok and since we weren’t paying I don’t remember the prices at the time. We had wanted to go back after, but never got around to it. wow, what a shame! >_
[...] of looking up reviews by fellow Hawaii bloggers. My doubts grew as the reviews I came across (1, 2, 3) were not very favorable. But, with only an hour until lunch time, it was too late to search for a [...]