Mandarin Oriental Restaurant

This place isn’t one of the hipster new Chinatown places. Still left in the 80’s the food was good and the service okay. It’s not a date night fancy place, more I’m sure of a lunch and take out. It’s been here for over 20 years, so they must have something right. Kung pow chicken was good not too spicy. Crispy beef was good and crispy.

Kung pap chicken was pretty good, a little run down looking, but food is good

I love this restaurant.
I know what other reviewers have said about the older woman, and I’ve experienced some of that too, but if you can put that aside, you’ll have a great meal. It’s a family business, and they’re doing their best.
Without being from that culture, my guess is that her way of being that puts people off is a cultural thing, sort of «old Chinese»? Yes, she doesn’t communicate well, but give this place a chance.
Best parts:
#1. The food is really good. Most days I get the hot and sour soup to start. It always comes with really fresh and wonderful crispy noodles.
#2.DELIVERY!
They deliver, which is a big pull for me, mostly what business I give them, and even tho they say it will take 45min, it’s always more like 25 – 30.
Lastly, again
#3.the food is really good.
Order in like I do, and you’ll appreciate this place!

My parents were going to China so I thought it would be fun to take my daughters to a Chinese Restaurant and explain the trip to them. I definitely did not pick the right place. The minute we walked in I knew I had made a BIG MISTAKE. The older woman who seated us made it very clear she was not happy we were there. I figured ok she doesn’t like kids. My daughters eat out often and it was lunchtime so I wasn’t worried, I figured she would get over it once she saw how well behaved they were. Long story short, I couldn’t take her attitude. She glared, stomped around, yelled at us for asking for water. Frankly she scared me. The whole experience was so uncomfortable that we left without even ordering. Definitely won’t be back.
By the way: This place also seems to be listed as «Golden Bowl Restaurant» so read there as well.

Man, what is with this place?!
First off when you visit there is a choice of 2 servers, one a really sweet young girl who is always smiling. The other an old woman who shouldn’t be anywhere near a customer.
Well, most of the times we’ve eaten here we ended up with the older woman unfortunately. The last time was so bad I had to walk out. She is rude, argumentative and just a bitch on wheels.
The food is a step below fair so you aren’t missing anything by not going here, however Encinitas really has no good Chinese Food.

What happened to this place!!! My dad used to take me here for lunch and loved the food.
Last week, me and my friends were craving Chinese and I told them about how great this place is.
First of all, the service was so horrible! OMG… it’s kinda funny how rude the waitress was. So I thought, ok whatever, the food will fix that! I ordered their Sweet & Sour Pork and one of my friends ordered the Orange chicken. Honestly, the food was horrible! I was so hungry and tried forcing my self to eat the food and I couldn’t finish it. I thought Pick Up Stix was bad Chinese Food, but this one tops it. That lunch experience just put me in a bad mood for a whole day :(
A couple days ago, I heard another friend complaining about his restaurant. Mostly about the really bad service.
Will never come back to this place… ever again.
Does not even deserve 1 star.

I have to completely disagree with most of the reviews. Got takeout from this place and although the kung pao chicken was ok, the hot and sour soup and cream cheese wontons were a different story. It wasn’t hot or sour, mainly it just tasted like soy sauce thickened with cornstarch. The cream cheese wontons were just plain not good. I’m sorry, I won’t be going back… even if they have cheap lunch specials.

I have to agree with James, both about this being a main attraction back in high school, and about the demise of good Asian food in North County. After the Great Wall closed on Santa Fe. Drive, this is the last remaining outpost of Chinese food in town!
Though i do appreciate Pei Wei and Pick up Stix for the certain niche they fill, there’s nothing like good ol’ Golden Bowl to get your Chow Fun fix! Their Wor Wonton soup has always been pretty fantastic, as is any fish dishes, chicken dishes, BBQ pork, beef Chow Fun, and a half dozen other things on the menu. Lunch specials are fantastic, though the dinner prices are par for the course for a family style, Chinese-​American restaurant.
Fair enough, the service is not stellar, but when they’re serving up a mean dish of freshly wok’d noodles, I’m not complaining! For Encinitas being such a progessive haven, of folks flocking to Henry’s with their reusable tote bags and metal carcinogen-​free water bottles, I’d think that more people would give this mom-​n-​pop restaurant a shot before lining up at Pick Up Stix down the street!
My five stars are for the Beef Chow Fun, Wor Wonton Soup, and the fact that it’s not Pei Wei, Pick up Sticks, or Panda Express…

Reading James’ review made me think I had found my new last minute I’m hungry take out meal place. A good restaurant should have flavorful food and fast service. This place had neither.
The interior of this restaurant is filled with plum colored booths and decorative Confucius red Chinese balls on the ceiling. It’s not overdone, but I wouldn’t say it was classy either.
I ordered my food and was told it would be ready in 5 minutes. Fifteen minutes… one five? Five minutes i was told. So I left right away to go pick up my food. I arrived in about four minutes and expected my food to be in a brown paper bag behind the counter, ready for me to sweep it off its feet and take it home. There was one couple eating. No waitress, no host, no busboy, nothing. I noticed a bell on the counter but didn’t want to disturb the couple trying to enjoy a romantic meal inside so I refrained from dinging the bell. Five minutes later still no signs of life from the kitchen area. I finally gave in and hit the bell. Another five minutes and I was growing impatient. Ding one more time. I was about ready to leave after a couple minutes when what I’m assuming is the owner (an older Chinese lady) peeked out of the kitchen and said «orange chicken?» and ducked back in. So I knew they knew I was here.
Waited some more. Finally she came to give me my $ 10.72 order of chicken. In my 8 minutes of waiting I was able to memorize the menu. Entrees are $ 9 – 12. Better be good for that price.
I brought the chicken and steamed rice home and dug right in. I like my orange chicken to be spicy. It has a freakin’ chili pepper next to the item on the menu, it’s meant to be spicy. This was sweet. A light orange color with orange wedges dispersed throughout. They used to offer a tangerine peel chicken (it was printed on the menu but crossed out in blue ball point pen) and I’m sure that was more my taste.
Props to them for offering delivery service. $ 25 minimum order plus a $ 3 fee and a 5 mile radius delivery area.
If I can get this for $ 6.95 with a spring roll and a cream cheese wanton I will. Reluctantly and as a last resort, but I still would.

We used to go here in high school, back when it was called the Golden Bowl. The main attraction back then was it was cheap, and that’s still true today, especially the lunch specials (11am to 3pm).
I had the kung pao chicken, and it was good. Only $ 6.95, spring roll and cream cheese wonton included. The décor is about what you’d expect from a Chinese restaurant in a mini mall, maybe a little more elegant, same with the service. It’s perfect.
Considerding the dearth of good Chinese food in North County, this place is solid. Btw, it’s next door to Henry’s in Encinitas. And they deliver.