The Transplant's Guide to the Twin Cities: Mandarin

There are a handful of Minneapolis Chinese restaurants that have plenty of fanfare, Shuang Cheng being one of them. But, when I was living in New Jersey, good Chinese food never required a special trip; even the suburban neighborhood joints offered first-class eats. With just such a joint in my own neighborhood, I decided to test this notion.

Mandarin is located in a tiny strip mall and probably only attracts those who travel 85th Avenue on a regular basis. (Having tasted it, I doubt it receives visitors who have gone very far out of their way.) Upon inspection of the paper take-out menu, I was beyond pleased to discover that Mandarin, unlike its more popular competitors, offers a spectrum of lunch and dinner combos at extremely budget-friendly prices. No lunch combo exceeds $6.50. They include a copious amount of fried rice, an egg roll and an entrée ranging from Chicken Lo Mein to Moo Goo Gai Pan. (For just a dollar or two more, the dinner combos throw in Sweet and Sour Chicken.) Having been so disappointed with Shuang Cheng's restrictive and overly exotic combo features, I was ecstatic to find my favorite "staple" entrees on Mandarin's combo menu: Orange Chicken, General Tso's Chicken, Beef with Broccoli.