Mandarin Kitchen has been serving up Hong Kong-style Chinese food since 1991 from the same strip mall location it’s in today. What started as a takeout and buffet spot morphed into a full-service restaurant that makes its own soy sauce and chili oil! Come for the congee and hot pot, stay for the best dim sum in the metro area, hands down! Starting at 9:30 am on Saturdays and Sundays, expect a bit of a wait for dim sum, but it’s worth it. Besides being able to entertain yourself with fish tanks and a koi pond while you wait, the thing about waiting for dim sum is that you get to start eating pretty much immediately after sitting down. Expect fluffy pork buns and savory shrimp shumai alongside pineapple buns for dessert from the dozens of carts passing by. From start to finish, the experience of getting dim sum at Mandarin Kitchen is well worth the short drive to the suburbs on a weekend morning.
The vibe: A no-frills Chinese restaurant in the suburbs.
The food: Hong Kong-style Chinese with dim sum.
The drinks: Tea, tea, and more tea!
Time Out tip: Get there early (think 9:15am) to try to minimize your wait time for the popular weekend dim sum or when the tables turn over around 10:30am or 11:00am.