Very nice restaurant, decent selection of tables and booths, very clean and spacious. The service was excellent, our server was very friendly, not overly aggressive, fast with serving drinks, appetizers, and entrees, yet she allowed time to enjoy them and casually checked to see how things were and if we had any other needs. They have a small assortment of hot & cold sake. A number of wines, and a decent selection of domestic, imported, and local beers. The appetizers and foods were delicious, a nice selection of Korean, Japanese, and Chinese dishes, the pictures can speak for themselves. read more

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Oh, my! I just stopped in because I was hungry and tired, and wanted phô. They don't have phô. So I asked if they have anything with rice noodles. They don't. So I ordered ramen. Listen carefully. This ramen is sooooo good. I've never liked ramen, and I couldn't say why. It might be the vegetables? Anyway, this ramen had beef so tender I could bite a piece off. The bok choy just changed my mind about that vegetable. It was tender and flavorful. I'm sitting at home, slurping this up, and wishing I had enough room to eat it all. The broth is making me smile. It's a quiet little place in a strip mall, next to Pancheros. Don't drive by. You'll be sorry. De Rice gets the love, but this place deserves it. read more

Mandarin Noodle House - Beef ramen. Two thirds gone, and I'm still eating. - Chinese Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

My husband and I ate here for dinner tonight and it was the worst Chinese we've ever had. We were hoping the food would be good as we've been having a hard time finding a good Chinese place since our favorite one (Cheng's Garden) closed during Covid. I had my heart set on getting Szechuan chicken but when I asked the waitress if the sauce was sweet and spicy, she said it was only spicy. Every time I've gotten it elsewhere, it has always been sweet AND spicy, so I was very disappointed. The only dish they had with a sweet and spicy sauce was the General Tso Chicken, so I got that reluctantly. I don't like breaded chicken so I never order this. My husband got the pork ramen. We were both very disappointed with our food. The broccoli that came with my order was steamed or boiled, not stir-fried with the chicken. I've never seen that before. The broccoli was so bland and flavorless because it wasn't cooked with the chicken and didn't have the sauce on it. The sauce was only sweet and not spicy. It tasted like orange chicken or sweet and sour chicken. My husband's ramen was also bland and flavorless. He said it didn't taste like there were any spices in it at all. The food tasted very Americanized and not authentic. I feel like I've gotten better Chinese food at HyVee and mall food courts. The worst thing about this was that we both started feeling sick on our way home. I had sharp pains in my stomach and I got really bloated. My husband had to run to the bathroom as soon as we got home. We will definitely not come back here. read more

Mandarin Noodle House - General Tso Chicken - Chinese Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

We stopped here for our first meal of our Des Moines weekend trip and were really blown away by Mandarin Noodle House. We did not assume we would be eating any Asian Fusion while in Des Moines, let alone actual Japanese dishes you cannot find at most Asian restaurants. We arrived on a Friday evening about an hour before close and there were just a couple other people dining in at this time. Our waitress was very friendly and sat us right away. The menu was not huge but had a wide variety of options, not just Americanized Chinese food dishes. They had authentic Korean and Japanese dishes!! They also have daily specials which are up on a whiteboard near the middle of the restaurant. So we ordered: Crab Rangoon, takoyaki, beef bulgogi, and a vegetable tempura bento box. Crab Rangoon: fried perfectly and had a nice crab/cheese mixture Takoyaki: Not as good as the real thing from Japan, but considering we are in the middle of the United States, these definitely were good enough! Sadly no Benito flakes but everything else was there and it tasted like it should. Bulgogi: The marinade was ok, could have been marinated longer or at least given more of the marinade. The fresh vegetables and steamed rice were perfect. Bento Box: The eel was actually really well done and better than a lot I've had (very mild). And the vegetable tempura was also fried perfectly in a very delicious batter. Overall, we absolutely loved our dinner and left uncomfortably stuffed. The food was really well done considering they do a variety of different Asian countries cuisines. Nothing was perfect or the best I've had, but everything was very good and we had no complaints. We definitely will come back here if we are in the area again. Lastly, the décor inside the restaurant is wonderful to with a lot of different art pieces scattered throughout the restaurant. I still would have never guessed I would have ate takoyaki in Iowa - and really enjoyed it! read more

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I'm thoroughly impressed with this place! It has authentic Korean dishes that I've been looking for around here! They also serve Chinese and Japanese dishes. The atmosphere is quiet and quaint. The service was great! Got there around 6:50pm and left by 7:30pm. Food came out promptly. Everything we tried was good or delicious! Make sure to ask for the authentic foods menu. The Food: -Crab Rangoon is not sweet. More on the savory side. Kids liked it -Kalbi Bento was pretty good. Not as flavorful as I'm used to but it was still good. Would definitely get again. Tempura in box was delicious! -Bibimbap I would skip and just get the Bulgogi meal. It was definitely lacking meat but it wasn't bad! It tasted good, just not worth the price. Get the Bulgogi meal or bento instead -Yushang Eggplant with pork was a little more on the vinegary side than I'm used to but it was still cooked thoroughly and good -Hot and Spicy Chicken had more of a Korean influence in the dish and to me it wasnt spicy but it was good -Kung Pao Beef was good! No complaints -Sesame Chicken was good according to my oldest son All-in-all, we are looking forward to our next meal here! Can't wait to try the other items they have! read more

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We did carry out and it was just okay. The sweet and sour chicken and calamari were soggy.

Really impressed with this place. It's been a challenge finding decent Chinese food in the area and I'm excited to find a spot to hit my cravings. The owners are really nice, service is fast, and the restaurant is very clean. Ordered the honey shrimp, pepper steak, and seafood udon. All great and honey shrimp might be the best Chinese dish I've had in DSM. read more

My favorite place to get Szechuan chicken, a nice balance of vegetables, chicken, and spice!

I was recently in the mood for bibimbap and saw a fellow review in Yelp about this place and I was disappointed with the food. Shouldn't have listened to my fellow reviewers. The bibimbap was not up to standard. The chef was stingy with the protein and the vegetables were cuts too thick. The fried dumplings were store bought and the Korean sweet and sour pork were little cubes of pork when they should be in strips. Needless to say, I wouldn't be revisiting this restaurant. The Korean menu items are a disgrace. read more

Over priced and mediocre. I ordered sesame chicken that was actually just their sweet and sour chicken with sesame seeds sprinkled on it rather than a traditional brown sesame sauce. read more

Mandarin Noodle House - Updated lunch menu prices July 2023 - Chinese Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

Okay so to start this off my standards for Asian food is really high so some of this is probably exaggerated... I got the unagi (eel) bento box and my two friends got the shrimp tempura bento box. I was alright with mine after waiting for a solid twenty minutes maybe. But their shrimp tempuras were so sad and I feel like the restaurant used flour instead of bread crumbs (which I think is what is typically used...). I wish I took pictures but I was too busy laughing... Now me and my friends have a joke surrounding Mandarin and how it's top tier food so we don't understand how good it is. It's so bad that it's good Anyways three stars for effort and for the vibes/memories ‍‍ read more

We got take out for the first time here. The food was very good. Will definitely come here again.

Good, service, cleanliness, and ambiance exceeded our expectations! We started with Combo Tempura Veg and Shrimp, which came with a slightly sweet mustard and ponzu sauce. We were expecting panko, but it was thicker.... Very tasty fresh (not limp) squash, mushrooms, peppers, shrimp -good size. I had the Seafood Delight: shrimp, scallops, calamari with vegetables and rice. All was super fresh and delicious; large scallops, long calamari pieces, and plenty shrimp. He had Szechuan Chicken with vegetables. Service was very fast... we will stop again read more

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We ordered take out one night in support of local family run small businesses during the pandemic. I saw they had good reviews, were nearby and had a decent selection of Chinese. We ordered egg rolls, hot and sour soup, orange chicken, and seafood delight. Our ordered was to be ready in only 15 minutes but with the lower volume of customers this was not surprising. We arrived and went in to pay and received our ready to go order. The bill came to just around $30 which is very reasonable for the order of two entrees (one being seafood) and two sides/appetizers. The egg rolls were absolutely the way I prefer them - not soggy but very crispy with deliciously crisp vegetables inside! They came with 2 in the order, are vegetarian and served with sweet and sour on the side. The hot and sour soup was also delicious. It was a slightly sour broth with just a little spice and had grated bamboo and pork. I could have made a meal of this and the egg rolls! The orange chicken was marked as spicy and my husband is not a fan of heat, but lives orange chicken typically. The dish came with breaded chicken, vegetables and sliced oranges in a slightly spicy red chili pepper sauce. A side of rice also came with the entrees and brown rice could be ordered for a little extra. The dish itself was very good and he enjoyed it as long as he did not bite into the red chili peppers... they packed a punch and the heat did not go away. The seafood delight was a dish of shrimp, scallops, mussels and vegetables in a mild sauce. I was surprised by the mussels as the menu said calamari and the two are very different, and I prefer calamari but am not opposed to the mussels. Also with a side of rice, the portion was perfect and I always enjoy seafood. This small Chinese restaurant is in a strip mall on Northpark and is owned and operated by a family who have been in the business for a number of years in Beaverdale, Clive and most recently moved to this Johnston location. read more

Mandarin Noodle House - Exterior restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

My wife and I ate here for a dinner date in October. I admit I had my misgivings from the outside, it's in a strip mall and there isn't much to go by outside. Don't let the looks fool you, this is a great spot. The food is very fresh and there is a wide menu selection - a little bit of every kind of asian food you can imagine. Ramen, Korean, and Chinese. No sushi, but there are plenty of great choices. They have adult beverages and a nice selection of appetizers. The ambiance is nice and open, but doesn't feel like a cafeteria, it was really comfortable. Our waitress was really prompt and friendly as well. After talking to some other people who have eaten here, I hear the lunch is really good and fast (same with carryout). I liked the whole experience here, and we took leftovers home and they were great the next day. If I had any ideas for improvement I would say the dishes were a little bland, but maybe that's just because they weren't smothered in soy or msg:) We would definitely eat here again. read more

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Excellent food and service! Nice local owned restaurant. Nice place to hang out with families and friends.

Ask for the hidden menu, or Asian traditional menu. Szechuan Peppered Chicken is the BEST. And if you're into more Americanized sweet and sour stuff (I call it "white people asian food") order TangShooYook. once you have that you can never go back to other sweet and sour dishes. they can substitute with beef but pork tastes the best. Other stuffs are decent too but I'd say any fried dishes here are THE top notch items. Stir fried dishes aren't the strongest here tho. So try to avoid them, but if you have more Americanized taste, maybe they suit you just fine. The chef is Korean Chinese. And as a Korean American from Ktown in LA who's been living in Iowa for years now, I think my review is pretty solid for the locals here. (I recognize both good authentic Asian food and Americanized Asian dishes) A lot of Asian dishes are pretty disappointing in Iowa. But I highly recommend this place. read more

We love finding a good local Chinese restaurant. Panda Express and P.F. Chang's have are fine, but nothing beats the authentic taste and nostalgia of local Chinese restaurants. We have been going to this place for several years and they always satisfy us. The interior is cozy and small, and the business is owner-operated. They have a separate traditional menu that is worth trying, but also worth gate keeping. It features Korean-Chinese fusion dishes that are delicious and unique. Everything is fresh and cooked to order. Our orders are usually so hot from the wok that we have to wait a few minutes before digging in. The owners and staff are very friendly, and the service is extremely fast. The number of local Chinese restaurants in the city has dwindled over the past decade, so finding a little gem like this is a treat for us whenever we crave some freshly cooked Chinese food. read more

I am coming out of a long Yelp retirement to get you to eat here. Regular menu? Nah. Throw that thing over your shoulder and hit another diner. Get the traditional menu. Get the Szechuan pepper chicken. They did an absolute banger job with this dish. I've been searching hard around the whole 515 for something like this and they nailed it. It's a bit spicy, a bit crispy, a bit numbing to the tongue and YOU WANT IT. My wife got tang Soo Yok (Korean sweet n sour pork) and it's a banger. Go here. Go go go. read more

I came here after a dentist appointment. I wanted to eat and go to the grocery store. but this is still no dine in. so I got it to go and ate in my car. I got schezuan chicken. The chicken was really good, a lot of times I find the meats at Chinese restaurants to be a lower quality. this was good chicken, lots of different veggies. the white rice was sticky and not that great, but the sauce the rice was good. the egg roll was average. Service was good, I went in to pay and pick up. I was not required to wear a mask. I'll go back for that chicken with extra sauce on the rice. there were several people picking up, I noticed since I called and ordered from their parking lot. read more

Mandarin Noodle House - schezuan chicken - Chinese Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

We have never been disappointed by our various meal selections here. The service is exceptional and very accommodating. Be sure to view both the traditional and American menus for great selection read more

I ordered twice cooked pork and it was quite honestly the worst restaurant food I have ever encountered. The dish was prepared with literally nothing but fat trimmings. There was absolutely no pork to be found. Not edible. read more

The service was exceptional. The ginger salad was also quite good. The egg roll was decent but the Szechuan chicken was just plain inedible. My friend had the special and she too did not like her entree either. So it is not just a one off issue. Bummer!!! I was really looking forward to trying this place and it was a huge let down. It was two bites and push it aside. read more

I tried the spicy beef noodle soup a few weeks ago and have been drooling ever since! Spicy Beef Noodle Soup: It has such a great flavor- kind of a mix between Vietnamese beef stew and Bun Bo Hue. There's a distinct sweetness like you get from a stewed or roasted beef and the fragrant spicy aroma reminiscent of lemongrass like in (bbh). The portion is pretty large. I can eat the entire bowl and go into a food coma but I usually opt to take some to go so I can enjoy it the next day. There's plenty of beef (which I love!) and the beef is super tender. The best part is the inclusion of pickled mustard greens (I believe!). I love pickled things in general. However the addition of the pickled greens was a pleasant surprise and a nice contrast to elevate the other flavors. Special shoutout to the jumbong as well. It's full of different types of seafood and the broth is packed with flavor (not as spicy as the spicy beef noodle soup). read more

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This was an unexpected gem on Christmas Eve night. We wanted to go elsewhere but the line was insane. We came here instead and found it very cozy, welcoming and priced perfectly! I did not care for the cut of beef in my lo mein as it reminded me of stroganoff meat. My nephew raved about his chicken lo mein and my sister and husband both LOVED their orange chicken. I will definitely go back to try something else. The restaurant was warm and clean and our waitress was very friendly and efficient. read more

Mandarin Noodle House - Lo mein - Chinese Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

I went there 20 minutes until 2 pm and got rushed out. The miso soup was cold. How was I supposed to know they were closing at 2 PM?

The food is amazing & the owners are so kind. My family discovered this gem and have come back pretty much every week. Some of our favorite dishes are Mongolian beef, eggplant with pork, Szechuan pepper chicken, home style tofu, and garlic shrimp. You have to try it (but beware because then you will NEED to come back every week after that) read more

We ordered cashew chicken, ok-ish, but bland no flavor or spices. Beef fried rice was good, pot stickers were mushy, like they had sat too long or were refrigerated overnight before being cooked, the sauce for the pot stickers was on point, perfect. All dishes were small portions, they didn't come close to filling the standard entree containers. Disappointing experience. read more

I'd spotted this place in my travels thru the area many a time. I keep thinking I need to make a trip around lunch time, got it done. Who doesn't love a great noodle house? Kind of had me excited. I was greeted at the door to an almost empty restaurant. I was table three, this usually isn't a good sign and I showed up right at noon. It never got any busier while I was there. As a matter of fact no one else showed up while I was there. I hope this changes soon. The menu had an eclectic Asian flavor from Japanese to Korean to Chinese. I tried a spicy soup called Jambong, a seafood blend with pork and misrepresented in the menu. Described as pork, shrimp, and squid with vegetables. They added muscles, how dare they give me more then expected, lol. The seafood was cook perfectly but the pork was a bit chewy and tough. It wasn't spicy in any way shape or form, but this is an easy fix I added chili paste and sriracha problem solved. That took the bland broth to flavorful quickly. I hope they fix the broth and give it a little more flavor, not just spice but depth in layers of flavor. Or maybe this is a family recipe and I'm stepping on toes here. Hope not. The staff were super friendly and very attentive, always a plus. The restaurant was immaculately clean. No hint of seafood smell, which is common in establishments that serve seafood. I'm really looking forward to my next visit, there were to many options to try on just one visit. I'm a huge fan of noodle soups and this isn't to far a drive out of my way as some local place are. Going to keep my fingers crossed!! read more

Mandarin Noodle House - Chinese Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

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I'm so excited to give this place 5 stars. Ive been searching for a really good traditional Chinese restaurant near Des Moines for a loooong time and this place exceeded my expectations. Definitely the best in the area hands down. I went with a group of friends for Chinese new year and we were pleasantly surprised by the authentic flavors and dishes here. When we first arrived we were given a basic, American-ized menu with typical dishes like sesame chicken, lo mein, general tso's, etc. But they have a more traditional menu as well. We asked for that menu and ordered everything from there. The food was AMAZING. We ordered 5 dishes and I have not one single bad thing to say about any of them. We ordered the mapo tofu, sliced beef in chili oil, Szechuan pepper chicken, eggplant, and chow fen. Seriously, none of us could even decide what was our favorite dish because they were all so yummy. Everything came out so fast and hot! Such a satisfying meal. I'm only mad that I didn't discover this place earlier! read more

Mandarin Noodle House - Chinese Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

We came here to try a new place in town. Really noted the variety on the menu. The crispy rice and crab Rangoon were great starters. General Tso was the right mix of sweet and spicy. Really enjoyed that the vegetables and rice weren't also drowning in sauce and overcooked like many places do. Warm tea was great for a cold day and service was excellent. Will come back again. read more

Great service and very tasty food. Ambient was very relaxing and easy to have a converstion during a business visit. Forgot to take pictures but food was great! read more

I was excited when I saw that there was a noodle house opening up. I love the Taiwanese noodle house style and was hoping for something similar. The decor and atmosphere is definitely noodle house feel. Very simple, basic, no frills decor. The overall menu is a mix of mostly Chinese, Korean, and Japanese with a few noodle soup options. The Chinese menu is your basic central Iowa options such as Szechuan chicken. The Japanese options include tempura and edamame for appetizers and udon style noodle soups. We ordered the edamame appetizer and I was disappointed. It was rubbery and difficult to pop the pea out. The Korean options include kalbi bento box, bulgolgi bento box, and Jumbong spicy noodle soup. The noodle soup options were on the lean side for a noodle house. They had 8-10 options and we tried two. The spicy beef noodle soup and the Jumbong. Both spicy and unfortunately both had the same noodles. I think they have udon and then the same noodles for the rest. I will say the soups were tasty. Not too spicy. read more

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Always good. Owners and staff are nice and attentive. We do carry out a lot and lunch in store. Good either way

Everything about this place is great, some of the best food in Des Moines and the service is impeccable would recommend to anyone looking for some good food read more

I'll go back simply for the fried tofu. Most of the dishes I've tried are exactly as you'd expect but that appetizer sparks a craving in me.

The first few days of fall are the hardest for me because the temperature drop feels so cold, but no better antidote to this than a delicious, flavorful ramen noodle soup. Mandarin Noodle House is a lovely option for this! This place is located in a strip mall, its decoration is modern and cozy, not too large but comfortable. I really liked the varied (but not exaggerated) food offerings and appetizers. It was a hard decision but I went with the beef ramen and it was tasty. We had the tempura vegetables for an appetizer, they were crispy and not greasy at all - a must! They also have a nice selection of Asian and domestic beers, wines and sake. My husband got a beef noodle stir fry and was pretty happy with it too. The service was attentive and prompt. I can't wait to return for the Korean offerings like Bulgogi and Bibimbap. They also feature a "traditional" menu that I also want to try read more

Mandarin Noodle House - Beef ramen - Chinese Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

I travel frequently and attempt to try the local Asian places wherever I go. Mandarin started off hot with some delicious potstickers. I came in for lunch just after opening so I was disappointed that their chicken seemed as if it had been sitting for some time. The General Tso chicken left much to be desired as the entire dish was rather bland. The sauce was overly sweet with no spice. The fried rice was a 2/10 Egg roll was 4/10 Should have went for the lo me in or ramen but a previous review says the fried chicken dishes are the way to go. Service was excellent and fast, probably why the chicken seemed old because it was out too quick to have been cooked fresh. I've had better food from mall food court Chinese/asian places. read more

Was able to visit this restaurant with a friend last week and it was really tremendous. I've been to the Mandarin Grill near my house but I have not been to this one and I was not disappointed. The flavors were tremendous, the food was hot, and the spiciness was just right. the hot chili oil beef was my favorite dish. The ma poa tofu was also great Very hospitable hosts and enjoyed the lunch from there.. Very clean restaurant! Want to come back when it is open for sit-down read more

I love this place! I recently became aware of this hidden gem a few months ago and it had become my new favorite spot! The flavors here taste so authentic! The staff is great and they tend to you so well! I could eat their Jumbong everyday read more