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A few months ago, I got to enjoy my birthday with my son, two friends, a horse, and of course, Chinese Food! I’m sure you only want to hear about the latter, so let’s get right to it. On the way home from Monticello Raceway (you can watch the video here), we stopped at O Mandarin, which is located in the Dalewood I II & III Shopping Center at 361 N Central Ave, Hartsdale, NY 10530.
We reviewed the O Mandarin in Hicksville, NY, which opened a few years after this one. That one takes your dining experience to a whole other level. So I was curious to see what the original would serve up for us. Finally, I got that chance.
We arrived late in the afternoon, so the restaurant wasn’t full. Yet.
Walking in, the ambience is very nice, and they hit you right on the wall behind the greeting stand with a montage of all of the awards they have garnered. Including their Michelin Star!
It was a late lunch/early dinner for us, and arrived with our hunger intact, so we jumped right into the menu, and this is what we ordered.
Classic Soup Dumplings – A true classic. Nicely prepared. The soup filling was hot and was very yummy. A great way to start off the day. Especially since it had been raining and it was kind of nasty out. So, this checked off a few boxes for us, especially for my son, Mini Mee, the “Dumpling King!“
Time for the main courses. Four! Only three of us. Do the math. There would likely be leftovers. Perhaps! 😉
Sesame Chicken – Ordered off the lunch menu. Yes, you can do that. They just upsize the portion and, umm, the price. I’ll only mention this year. It is a little pricey. But it was O so good! (See what I did there?) Now one would think that Americanized dishes in an authentic Chinese restaurant would be a non-starter. But they did this dish well. While I would suggest ordering the authentic dishes (that is why you came here after all!), if someone in your party isn’t that adventurous (get new friends. Oops, did I just say that out loud?)
And for something more authentic, we ordered:
Tea Smoked Duck – I have had a similar dish at JUQI in Flushing, NY, a few months prior. That was dry. This was EXCELLENT. So tasty. Just YUMM! The skin was delectably crisp, and the duck was very flavorful, and surprisingly not fatty.
Emperor Grilled Lamb – I must say, this dish packed a potent kick. But it was soooo good! I enjoy a little spice, but it kind of overwhelmed me a bit (Your mileage may vary, and it is quite dependent on your tolerance). I really liked it though, so I ate as much as I could, and took the rest home. My only complaint was that I was expecting the buns to be similar to the ones you get with Peking Duck. But these were harder. Much harder. I think the other buns would have been much better, as the bread really filled me up and took away from my enjoyment.
Hmmm… perhaps there were only three entrees. I must have done the math wrong. I thought I made a mistake once…. but I was wrong! 😉
But still, there were leftovers! The portions were that big.
Since it was my birthday, they surprised me with a special dessert for us to enjoy. It was delicious and made my birthday extra sweet! I don’t know what it was, so if you know please post a comment below.
The “doggie bag” and a trip to the bathroom before the long journey home.
A splendid time was had by all!
Humbly submitted for your consumption,
—Mee Magnum (“Chop! Chop!”)
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