Mark Pi’s China Gate

Finally tried Mark Pi’s for the first time, but was disappointed and probably won’t go back.
On the positive side, the restaurant is very nice inside. Nicely decorated and clean. An enjoyable environment.
The gentleman who seated us was not very friendly. We went for lunch and it was very busy. We were seated right away, but it took a very long time to get waited on. It didn’t take too long to get our food, but our waitress never came back to refill drinks. Thankfully another waitress noticed my empty glass and refilled it.
The menu looks good — lots of options to choose from. But the flavors were disappointing.
I had cashew chicken with fried rice and spring rolls. The chicken was very bland, and there were only about 7 cashews in the entire dish. The fried rice was awful. It was really dry, and just tasted like dry brown rice. There were some pieces of egg, but not one single pea or carrot. Even the menu says the fried rice has peas and carrots. The spring rolls were the worst I’ve ever had. They were crispy on the outside, but when I bit into them, they were horribly mushy. My husband took a few bites of one and thought maybe they were frozen and not heated up properly.
I really wanted to like this place. The location is convenient, it’s very nice on the inside and feels like more of an upscale Chinese/​Asian food experience. But because of the disappointing food, I doubt I’ll go back. I’ll stick to Pad Thai off Main St. in Carmel — the food is much better there!

We ordered take out dinner for the first time from here tonight. The reviews were just okay but we have yet to find a good Chinese place in North Indy so we gave it a try. The food was okay. We really liked the beef fried rice. We tried their special egg roll but it was soggy and greasy. But the biggest disappointment was the General Tso’s Chicken. We ordered the only size option, the dinner option, and we got a regular sized Chinese take out box that was half full (see picture). We honestly thought it was a mistake and called to inquire. The owner said they potion by weight and they don’t fill the boxes! We said okay, but won’t be ordering from here again.

I’ve been to Mark Pi’s at least three times now, joining a few coworkers who love it so much that they lunch here weekly. It’s pan-​Asian, not just Chinese, but surprisingly, all the different types of dishes are strong and good quality.
I’ve tried the sushi, Tofu Delight (basically stir-​fried tofu with mixed vegetables), Broccoli Stir-​Fry with Tofu, and spring rolls, and they’re all delicious! It’s perfect for a weekday lunch, since our office is right across the street, the service is quick and fantastic, it’s bright and clean, and it’s never very crowded. I love that they offer brown rice as a clear choice for a side, and their lunch prices are very reasonable. The food isn’t mind-​blowing or anything, but it’s consistent and solid and enjoyable.
Thanks, Mark, you’re 3.14 times better than I would’ve expected (haha, I made a pi joke!)

Last night 5 of us had a wonderful fathers day meal at Mark Pi’s in Carmel. We were promptly seated and immediately waited on. We ordered an egg roll, spring rolls, and crab Rangoon to share. All were very good. Entrée’s included lettuce wraps, Classic, Szechuan, Pea Pods with beef, Shrimp Tempura, and vegi Lo Mein. Everyone loved their entrée’s.
We have been getting carry out and eating at Mark Pi’s since it was in Nora. The Carmel location is a go to place for us. Not sure why some of the more negative reviews — we have always had good food /​good service

Good neighborhood place to eat a dinner or lunch. Note nothing special or outstanding here but this is not your china buffet run off the mill. They not only have Chinese but also Korean and other Asian dishes. However I won’t swear authenticity here. If you are living close by and are tired this is a reasonable place to eat in terms if good quality, taste and cost.

Food was good but the owner who takes your carry out order is very rude. He acts as if it is a bother to answer questions you have about the menu items.

Always a delicious meal! I’ve been coming to Mark Pie’s since I was a kid. You can’t go wrong with scallop fried rice!

This place is a regular go-​to lunch spot for myself and my coworkers. They are quick enough to get you through your lunch hour.
The variety of food is fantastic. I’ve tried the Vietnamese Phở, their Japanese sushi, and a variety of their Chinese dishes.
The actual food I’ve had here over the 10 or so times has been consistently good, even if it is nothing that particularly stands out.
A few of the other reviews mention «mushy» rice, but I’ve never had that happen here. I get white rice, and it is always perfectly sticky, completely manageable with chopsticks.
My recommendation would be the Sesame Chicken.

Had the tempura jb, heavenly lime, and Gen. tsao chicken. Sushi was very good, chicken not so much. It almost tasted like it was fried in stale oil. My wife thought it was ok also. But we would definitely come back for the sushi. Service overall was pretty good, no real complaints.

There is virtually always something peculiar with a more-​than-​just-​one cultured restaurant… unless its a fusion. Well Mark Pi’s China Gate brags about having Japanese and maybe even Korean dishes as well, or it might have been Thai, who knows.
But here is my same sad story: I live nearby and just want a decent Asian cuisine nearby… Is that so haaaaaaard? Apparently. High expectations only to be shattered by mushy rice and flavorless entrees.
I’m including the extra star because my husband enjoyed the sushi, which I do not like, but made me tried a fried one and it was actually tasty. I’m not jumping on the band wagon by any means but I didn’t gag like I usually would.
Also we got take out so I can’t judge the service. The interior is great, very clean and well decorated. And a lovely looking bar. But this please is pretty spendy for average food. I’m out.

Wow, I’ve been to a lot of Chinese restaurants, but can’t ever remember one this bad! Where shall I start?
My wife and I were seated promptly… that’s why there’s one star. The maitre de can only be described as irritated by our presence. We waited a good bit before he took our drink order. Then of course he wanted to make sure we had ample time to decide our orders even though our menus were closed. Zero flexibility on the menu though because everything is «made to order»! (huh???).
But, now the food! Crab Rangoon —- should have been named ‘Fried Shells’. Fried rice was soggy, bland and barely warm. Worst General Tso’s chicken I have ever had. No spice, no taste — but, at least it was a small portion.
Save your money, save your time, save your stomach… skip this place.

Traveling through Indy on business and found this to be a nice place for a person to eat alone while traveling. The menu had many selections, the food was really good, they had a good wine selection and the bar was modern and comfortable with two big screens to keep you occupied.

Got spicy California Rolls & they were actually really good. Actually like surprising good, & it was fresh as well

My one word review — meh.
My more words review — there’s not a shit ton of Chinese places in Carmel. And this one is there. The servers are nice, and they have lunch specials. Don’t expect anything… great… from the food. They will kind of maybe meet your expectations but will certainly not exceed it in any way.

Stopped in for lunch with the boy and I was pleased at the selections. Our service was super fast which is important given his half hour lunch break. The lunch menu has a whole slew of tasty options available for around 7 bucks with some higher priced dishes below. I got the pad thai and he got the beef teriyaki.
The pad thai was good, not the best I’ve had but I’m spoiled by the Thai Chef that decided to open a restaurant in Good ol’Muncie and I know it. It was peanutty and just the right amount of spicy. The boy is not one to try new foods and like them but he did like the taste he had of mine. His teriyaki was heartily flavored and hte sauche was thick like a BBQ sauce. Yum!
V: Many options only check with your waitress, Pad Thai for example has fish sauce in it. Still you can put Tofu in place of meet in any of the dishes.
GF: Tons of options very few things are made with wheat flour, most things are made with rice.
Atmosphere: cheery and well decorated it was a relaxing lunch even if his break is only a half hour.

I moved to Carmel a year ago, Mark Pi’s was good but over the last year has gone down hill to the point where I will not be going back.
On Saturday my wife and I were the only customers in the restaurant and had bad service and cold food. $ 32 for two is over priced Chinese food.

No Christmas Cheer at Mark Pi’s
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
December 27, 2012
To enter the service and culinary gates of hell, visit Mark Pi’s China Gate and Sushi Bar on North Meridian Street in Carmel.
Surly to bed and surly to rise should be the philosophy of the management and wait staff at Mark Pi’s who did themselves a disservice by remaining open on Christmas.
For openers, there was the waitress who at first appeared to want to take our order, but while we briefly deliberated over a particular menu item, turned and walked away not to return for several minutes. On her next attempt at taking our order she directed her attention to a neighboring table. When asked if she was planning on taking our order, she snapped that she was busy and seemed irritated that we dared to bother her.
Several minutes later the waitress brought me my Miso soup, slamming it down on the table to the shock of the four of us, and with such force that enough soup flew out of the bowl to fill the bottom of the saucer. She also forcefully dropped the four empty plates on the table as though they were radioactive.
Clearly by the look on my face the waitress knew she was in the wrong, took my soup away, and brought back a fresh one that remained in the bowl along with an apology.
Next up were the Spring Rolls — six on a plate, each roughly the size of a wine bottle neck. Tasteless and greasy at best; devoid of any nutritional value.
Bring on the entrees, bring on the spice. I ordered the Classic Hunan which as advertised is spicy hot, but as food is supposedly made to order, I specifically requested non-​spicy. One bite and I was reminded of a Bobby Slayton stand-​up bit eating spicy Chinese — «head on fire!» More chili peppers than a Santa Fe ranch. Back it goes. Second attempt was better, but there should not have been a need for a second attempt if the server was doing her job and looking at the actual plate prior to serving it.
Then there was the Pad Thai — or should I say the Pad the bill Thai. Two orders of Pad Thai proving that all dishes are not created equally. Both were ordered with chicken (at an additional charge, no less) and while one was appropriately prepared, the other may have had two minute pieces of something resembling poultry. Back it went, this time with an exasperated waitress. Clearly, sifting through the dish, it was painfully obvious that the restaurant was trying to rip us off.
But adding to the culinary cacophony was the speed by which the waitress brought the bill — two of us were barely halfway through our entrees and she made us feel a part of the Indy 500. The four of us agreed we had not felt this rushed in ages.
And adding insult to injury was the insolent attitude of the manager who couldn’t be less patient listening to our legitimate concerns — concerns that when addressed properly would make future patrons’ visits more enjoyable than ours. This manager, said his last name was Wang, claimed not to have fielded a complaint in his 30-​plus years in the restaurant business — a virtual impossibility.
Needless to say, a fine time was not had by all as this was the first and last visit to Mark Pi’s in Carmel. I am happy to furnish a copy of this review to their corporate office in Columbus, OH.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN. He has enjoyed fine Chinese cuisine and service in New York City’s Chinatown, NJ, Washington, DC and Chicago among other locales.

I agree with Rick! The owner is very rude. I waited for my to go order forever. He never said sorry or anything. Food is ok but nothing spectacular.

I don’t care how nice the place looks $ 17 for stir fry veggies and a roll is more than I have ever paid at any other sushi place like this.

I have been eating at Mark Pi’s for as long as I can remember so when I heard that they were opening one up in Carmel I was super excited. I have only been to this location once and I’m still not sure how I feel about it. This is definitely a more laid back version than what I’m used to. But i did like how light and open it was inside. I ordered my usual which is the Wonton soup and the War Su Gai. The wonton soup wasn’t as good as I remember and they didn’t bring the crispy wontons that normally come with the soup. I was a little disappointed. My War Su Gai was delicious as always but they left off the slivered almonds. Not a huge deal as I am not a fan of almonds.
Our server was friendly and knowledgeable, the food was hot and was brought out in a timely manner and our water glasses were always full. I love Mark pi’s so I will give this place another chance and hopefully the have their stuff together by now!