New Mandarin
212 E. Oltorf St.
Austin, TX 78704-5531
Today's review is on carry out food, which is not new, but this time someone else went out to bring it back, so I got it probably 15 or more minutes after it was prepared.
Now, if you remember my review of Rice Bowl Cafe, you may remember that I was looking for another restaurant in the same area of town. Well, that was Mandarin Chinese and I think they may be connected with the north Austin Mandarin that went out of business about two years ago. I say this because the New Mandarin website is using exactly the same template as the site for the out-of-business Mandarin website. Fortunately, the south Austin Mandarin, or New Mandarin is still going strong.
I ordered my usual. Sesame Chicken, Hot and Sour Soup, Fried Rice and it came with an eggroll.
The Hot and Sour Soup is quite peppery, and quite good. Now, I am a fan of Hot and Sour Soup, but mostly I am fan of Hot and Sour Broth. I do not mind the egg, but the mushrooms, tofu and other ingredients are not something I care for. I tend to skim off the broth and leave the rest. Well, when I got to the bottom of the bowl, I found that there wasn't much left, so I give them an extra point for giving me lots of broth.
The Eggroll was in the box with the rice and chicken, so it is a bit soggy, though it does retain some of it's crunch. Tasty enough, considering that I did not have to move from my desk to enjoy it.
The sauce is quite dark, and a bit less sweet than average, but still good. The chicken is cut into smallish pieces and mostly cooked properly. As I am eating it, I hit occasional pieces that are a little overdone and chewy, but mostly the chicken is done correctly. The pieces are well coated, but there is not an abundance of sauce.
In an unusual but welcome surprise, there are no vegetables or onions in the fried rice. It's a bit bland, but a little soy sauce takes care of that. I wish there were more of the sesame chicken sauce to mix with the fried rice.
I managed to miss New Mandarin in my own searches for Chinese restaurants, but I will be happy to give them another try.
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