I used to go to Otay Mandarin weekly when I lived down in Chula Vista. I was feeling nostalgic and drove down over the weekend to grab some crackers wings. Servers, space and food is the same, by the price went up. Salt and pepper wings are now $23 for 12! They do come with white or fried rice which is nice since of the other restaurants charge for rice. It was just as addictive, crunchy and delicious as I remember. I bought 2 orders and an order of Mongolian beef (okay, a little bland) to go. Parking lot is tight and the lot could use a refresh. The lot is handy since it has a Dollar Tree, sushi place, Vietnamese restaurant, taco shop, Jack in a Box and a Filipino restaurant. read more

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Been going here for many, many years. I agree with others that prices have gone up which is expected...to a degree. My last in-dining order (Friday night dinner) was honey walnut shrimp (too breaded), spicy garlic chicken wings (meh), shrimp soft noodles and 1 can of soda. The grand total with tax and tip was about $90 bucks. We decided that we're not returning back here anymore for the price, quality and taste. I noticed (awhile back) that the restaurant itself was not busy as it use to be with diners and with to-go orders. read more

I recently moved to San Diego and I am on the hunt for the best salt and pepper wings in San Diego. Otay Mandarin is the first place on the list and it definitely did not disappoint. It is located with in Otay Ranch in Chula Vista and this plaza had plenty of parking spots. I ordered the salt and pepper wings and you are able to get a side of white rice or fried rice. I got the fried rice and I felt did not have any flavor and rice was dark in color. Next time I might get the white rice instead. For the salt and pepper wings and I loved the batter/coating and was very crispy. I did wish the wings held the spice better has I really enjoyed the spice blend on the wings. Make sure you get it on your wing when you take a bite of your wings. Overall, I really enjoyed the wings and were a very good option size for the prices. I would definitely come back for them! I am open to try different dishes in the future! read more

Otay Mandarin - Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings - Chinese Near Me - Chula Vista, California

This place is a Chula Vista staple!! Been going here since high school. It was the third time my friends and I spent Friendsgiving here. They are very accommodating and fast. Place is always bustling Food comes out hot and quickly. Maybe it's the nostalgia, but everything comes out delicious- no notes! Highlights: - salt and pepper chicken/tofu: super crispy and piping hot. "Salt and pepper" seasoning is so garlicy and flavorful - honey walnut shrimp: Even though it's drenched in sauce, it's still very crispy. read more

Otay Mandarin - Chinese Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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The food here is phenomenal. I've been eating here for years my favorite that will never go out of style or the salt and pepper chicken wings salted deep fried shrimps. This place always gets me full. They have good portions Services very nice. It's been the same people running it for at least two decades I could remember and they are great people hard workers and always very friendly. read more

First time trying this place and we ordered to go. The food was delicious. The service was fast. The place looked descent. Since we didn't dine in and it was to go, the quality of food was still excellent. It is a little pricey since just these 4 items were almost $100. However, the food did last us a few days and there's 2 of us. The orange chicken pieces were big. There was a good amount of shrimp too. For the quality and quantity, you get what you pay for. I highly recommend this place specially if you don't feel like dining in. I called and ordered ahead of time. read more

Otay Mandarin - Orange chicken, shrimp honey walnut, shrimp Chow mein, fried rice - Chinese Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Our favorite Chinese food. Kung Pao chicken is ordered to the heat you want. The wings here are perfectly spiced and flavored. The soups like egg drop is perfect for cold/ rainy days and the war wongton soup is full of all the beef , chicken. And shrimp ingredients and veggies. The service is great here. Staff is always kind, and attentive. Sweet and sour dishes are flavored nicely. Beef broccoli is a favorite. At least Good sized portions because it gets pricey. read more

The Chula Vista community is the home to several "Mandarin" restaurants. Each of them specializes in Americanized Chinese food in large servings and relative cheap prices. Our group had a recent dinner at Otay Mandarin in the College Plaza of the Otay Lakes neighborhood. Parking was very easy, and the inside of the suite had about ten booths along the walls and several four-top tables in the middle for seating. Plenty of to-go orders were being processed during our visit while the dining area was about half full. While deciding what to order, a complimentary dish of fried wonton strips with a plum dipping sauce were provided. We selected the following dishes to share... * Beef Chow Fun with Black Bean Sauce * Hot Spicy Eggplant with Pork * Roast Duck (half) * Salted Pepper Chicken Wings (12) The chow fun noodles had a deep brown color from the black bean sauce. There was good caramelization to this dish. The eggplant was stir-fried with pieces of pork that created a mildly spicy mixture. The duck was butchered into smaller pieces and served with au jus on the side. I normally see au jus with crispy roasted pork and not duck which was unusual. The duck meat was fine. The best of the bunch was the chicken wings. The batter was lightly coated and had a nice crispiness. For these four items, we spent less than $30 per person including tax and gratuity. The portion sizes were solid, and the food came out very quickly from the kitchen. The quality of what we tried at Otay Mandarin was between a three and four star level. read more

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Came on a Sunday for dinner it wasn't too crowded. There was lots of parking as it shares the parking lot with isushi, jack in the box, and pho convoy noodle house. We ordered a few things, the meal came with complimentary wonton strips and sweet sour sauce. That was a nice touch as you don't see many complimentary items anymore. Salt and pepper chicken wings were very crispy but were a little bland. They are actually tasty but you have to make sure you put the salty bits on the wing when you eat them. So be sure to pick a piece that has the fried bits on top or take some from the bottom of the plate and put the on the wing before you take a bite. Beef chow fun was tasty. The noodles were soft and had good texture. The beef was soft, they used baking soda to tenderize the meat but also changes the texture a little, most places do this but I wish a little less baking soda or a harder sear on the meat so that the texture isn't so obvious. The noodles had a nice soy flavor and dark color. The spicy eggplant with pork was good. The eggplant was cooked nicely and had a nice soft but not mushy texture. It was a little bland and not spicy at all. I wish it was more spicy. Half roasted duck had a good flavor but the texture was off. I think maybe held in the refrigerator and reheated upon ordering. Not really sure but the texture of the meat and skin were off. The chili oil on the table also lacked spice. Do they just keep adding oil to the container as it gets used? Just like how my mom keeps adding water to the liquid soap, so eventually it's just mostly water. I'm not really sure but it didn't add any heat or flavor. The food here is pretty good and you definitely get your moneys worth with large portions. Service was great as they came around multiple times to offer water refills. I don't recall seeing large round tables for large parties but I think they can push the smaller tables together for large parties. read more

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Part 1 of trying all the wings of Mandarin in Chula Vista. This was my first stop given its proximity to Eastlake where I used to get wings catered at work. I don't recall where they were from other than it had Mandarin in its name. Well, these weren't it. They were a good texture, but lacked flavor. Search continues... read more

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David, is an amazing person very efficient.... The food is amazing and the lunch menu is very good.. Every time I go I always have leftovers.. read more

Expensive for the portion. Royal mandarin is at least reasonable for their price. I paid 56 dollars for a small party tray. The rice was flavorless. This place is a robbery. I guess people pay for convenience. Never again. I hope this place gets shut down read more

Otay Mandarin - $56 party tray of fried rice. - Chinese Near Me - Chula Vista, California

I've been coming to Otay Mandarin for many, many years and can't believe I've never written a review! You can place a telephone order or walk in. This place does get pretty busy so make sure you call ahead of time (especially during the holidays!) They have a small dine in area and their servers are very kind Everything is freshly prepared and consistently delicious. Their salt and pepper chicken wings, Easily some of the best, crispy, flavorful, and downright addictive. Love the house noodles and sweet and sour shrimp. Definitely A neighborhood favorite for a reason! read more

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I've been going to Otay Mandarin Chinese Restaurant for years, and it's my go to whenever that guilty pleasure craving hits, especially during the holiday season. As we were around the area we decided to pass by for our favorite craving, the chicken salt and pepper wings, the house fried rice and honey walnut shrimp these 3 always hit the spot. The ambiance is cozy and the service so quick and satisfactory. read more

We heard that Otay Mandarin was one of the top contenders for Asian Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings and had to try it out! Looking at the restaurant, you wouldn't really expect much and honestly, I had some low expectations. The restaurant looks a little dinky but I guess it's always the unassuming places where you'll find delicious food! When we walked in, we were immediately seated. The restaurant isn't too large and they never had a full house but customers were constantly coming in. We were given the menu and some free wonton chips. The menus have party tray prices so I'm thinking people usually order for catering. Food comes out really fast! Egg Flower Soup (Cup): Perfect for a cold day and a cup is a good serving size for two people to share. It comes with carrots and corn. I didn't really care for the carrots and wish the corn was sweeter. Overall, a decent cup of soup but I've had better. Orange Flavored Chicken: The pieces are pretty large for orange chicken and I was impressed that, even with all the sauce, the pieces were still crunchy. Of course, as time went on, the pieces got soggy but that's understandable. What was unique about their orange chicken was the orange flavor. I thought this was one of the most noticeable orange flavor that I've ever had in orange chicken. Salted Pepper Chicken Wings: Our order came with 15 wings. It's kind of pricey but one order also comes with a large bowl of rice (which you could ask for fried rice too). The wings were very crispy and the aromatics were especially flavorful. The garlic and green onions really stood out. Some dry areas but overall, very good. Sauteed Snow Pea: Very generous with the portion but I think it needed some more flavor. Overall, I was impressed with the food here and would recommend the wings. I think it's comparable to the chicken wing staples like Golden Chopsticks or Royal Mandarin but I just wish I lived closer. read more

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I honestly only came here for the popular salt & pepper chicken wings. I had to compare to the most popular contender. In my opinion? I liked the wings here more. The breading imo is lighter but super crispy. And I feel like the wings here are more flavorful. Service was good even tho I only did a quick wing pick up order. But it only took 10 minutes for my order to be ready. I'll definitely be back for the wings. Yum, yum! read more

Otay Mandarin - Chinese Near Me - Chula Vista, California

One of the best spots to get salted pepper chicken wings. The breading here is extra crispy compared to the competitors. 7/12/2024. Right off the bat, they gave complimentary fried wontons with sweet & sour sauce! Steamed white rice or fried rice comes with the entrées here! The infamous salted pepper chicken wings, 5/5 stars! Lo mein noodles with beef: standard, 3.5/5 stars. Honey walnut shrimp was fire! The batter was light and crispy with the creamy and slightly sweet sauce, 5/5 stars! Egg foo young was ok but a heaping portion, 3/5 stars. A friend ordered this as it is her fave dish. read more

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You simply cannot leave without ordering the Honey Walnut Chicken. Calling it their "best dish" is an understatement; it is, without a doubt, one of the most perfect plates of food you'll find in San Diego. The chicken is impossibly tender, coated in a light, crispy batter, and smothered in a sweet, creamy glaze that is pure magic. The candied walnuts add the perfect crunch. It's a masterpiece. A very close second are their Salt and Pepper Wings. Listen to me carefully: you MUST eat these fresh in the restaurant. Do not get them to-go. The reason? The skin. When it arrives at your table, it is shatteringly crisp, crackling with each bite, and seasoned with a masterful blend of salt, pepper, and aromatic spices. They are, without hyperbole, among the very best wings in the entire county. On our latest visit, we also tried the Kung Pao Chicken, and it was a delightful surprise that brought back memories. It has a slightly different, familiar flavor profile that reminded me of the fantastic Chinese food I had on the East Coast. It's packed with flavor, has a great kick, and is loaded with crunchy peanuts and peppers. Beyond the great food, what truly makes Otay Mandarin special is the people. The owner and staff are exceptionally friendly and welcoming. I get the sense that they truly care about their customers and are proud of the food they serve. This has made me and my family loyal patrons for years. read more

Otay Mandarin - Honey Walnut Chicken - Chinese Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Came here for dinner with a family friend. She lived in Otay and this was one of her favorite places. When we walked in as a party of 5 we were able to be sat right away which was nice. We were served some wonton strips with sweet and sour sauce. I haven't had that in a while and it was nice. We ordered a bunch of food. We got the salt and pepper wings, lo mein, honey walnut shrimp, egg flower soup and some other items. Our family friend's favorite is the salt and pepper wings and they were very good. I still like a few others in town better but most of those are not sit down restaurants to it worked here. The honey walnut shrimp were also very good. The lo mein was fine. Not a lot of flavor and kind of bland for my liking but it was fine. The soup was also fine. Overall, the service was good, the restaurant was busy and the value for the portion size was good. read more

After passing by this restaurant several times, I finally decided to give it a try. We ordered the salt and pepper chicken, beef fun chow, sweet and sour pork, and fried rice. Everything was freshly prepared, and while a bit on the pricier side, the portion sizes were generous. The salt and pepper chicken was extra crispy, with a well-seasoned coating and just the right amount of spice. The sweet and sour pork was also great, with a perfect balance of pork and breading. Overall, it was a very positive experience, and they also offer reasonably priced lunch plates. read more

Otay Mandarin - Salt n pepper chicken - Chinese Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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Out of the 5 places I approve of for Salt & Pepper Chicken wings, this would be my number 1 spot. Haven't tried anything else from here. Hahaha. read more

The best wings I've ever had, I moved away to AZ. And I have gone out of my way 2 hours when we visited Disneyland just to pick up a party tray of these wings. And when my Parents found out, they sent me money for their own party tray! Long live the Salt and Pepper Wings! read more

SALT & PEPPER CHICKEN WINGS (3.75 stars) ... just stick to their wings. - WINGS: good - PRICE: fair - SERVICE: 10m wait - AMBIANCE: hole in the wall plaza Chinese food San Diego has the best salt and pepper chicken wings and this is just another spot that serves a competing flavor amongst the well known establishments in the South Bay. It definitely competes! :: ORDER :: SALT & PEPPER WINGS ($21) - "one order" translates to - not the tray but a single order of (I think I got lucky) 17 mix pieces between flats and drum sticks. Serving amount was generous - but for someone who eats like a bird was full after 3 pieces. Since this order was "to-go" I had to quickly test one out right there at the restaurant and will say it does have a very nice outer layer crunch, good seasoning - no overkill on the salt or msg flavor. The meat itself was a little dry but I honestly prefer crisp and dry over crispy and oily chicken wing meat. This paired well with plain rice to balance out the seasoning. When compared to other s&p wings, this one is moving up the ladder - I have yet selected my "favorite" but this isn't out for elimination. HIGHLY RECOMMEND WONTON SOUP ($16) - the most blandest wonton soup I have ever had and will likely never order it again. This was to-go so they separated the soup in one container and the wontons and vegetables in another and reassembled at home. The wontons and vegetables looked steamed and when incorporated with the soup - all I could taste was broccoli flavor. The vegetables were broccoli, snow peas, watercress, baby corn, mushroom, and stems of some vegetable I couldn't identify that were occasionally bitter. No bachoy?! That's weak! All vegetables you'll find in all their stirfry plates. Their broth was ok, wasn't the crystal broth and had very subtle flavor. And the saddest part... their wontons were plainly assembled. As in, meat with no flavor. Basic steamed meat ball in wonton wrap then dumped into bland-of-everything-else becomes nothing but lackluster. Ate it because it's a rainy cold day and soup was fitting and didn't want to waste food but was disappointed. I DON'T RECOMMEND COMPLIMENTARY WONTON CHIPS - the after taste just tasted weird af. Reminder to self - stick to just s&p wings Until the next review... read more

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The best salt & pepper wings I have ever had! This place wins!! I have tried the top 5 and this is it! I promise! Great service and warm ambiance. Sweetest ladies that serve there! They are so kind to my daughter and I! read more

Otay Mandarin - Chinese Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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We have been ordering take out for years. Salt and pepper chicken wings are still our favorite. Honey walnut shrimp has changed. Way too much breading. Not sure why they are doing this now. Perhaps making up for the size of the shrimp? It's ruining it for us and we will no longer order this dish unless they go back to it where it was just right. Why change a good thing? It's now soggy with an excessive amount of flour. Service is quick - 10 mini red and your order is ready for pick up. Stick to just the wings! read more

We have come here for many years and always loved it. The staff is always so friendly and helpful. Today was different we got the family dinner number one. It comes with the egg drop soup. To our surprise we just 2 individual small bowls. Where we use to get a huge bowl, where we could serve ourselves more. Plus they changed the recipe it didn't have the little corn on the cobs it had corn kernels. Next we should have been served the eggrolls and pork but we were brought the Chop Seuy and fried rice. Then came the appetizer of eggrolls and pork. It tasted very oily and like it was rewarmed very difficult to even chew. Finally the sweet and sour chicken which was worth the wait. I was very disappointed. Plus the prices have all gone up. I will try them again and take pictures. Hopefully will be better. read more

Bad customer service I was at register , 4-5 employees helped everyone else that came after me and I waited patiently to make eye contact with every single worker never acknowledged once read more

Hands down this place has the best salt/pepper (really garlic) wings in the county. I need to stop eating them!!! My friends love them too. We even try other places to see if there are better places. We haven't found any better. Every time I go there are a lot of orders being picked up for the same thing. Others have discovered them too but they still get them out quick. read more

Absolutely delicious Our favorite little spot From the moment we picked our food to the moment we opened the bag at home It was steaming hot and smelled delicious. Our favorite is the chicken wings and shrimp Our kids loved the noodles with beef! Prices are reasonable Portions are very generous. friendly and fast service We will definitely be back! read more

Otay Mandarin - Chinese Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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The crisp, golden, crunch to these chicken wings are absolutely amazing. These are one of my go to wing spots in the South Bay Area. Just make sure to call in advance that way you're not waiting inside. Even then they are pretty quick it took about 10 min. read more

All foods are real delicious and we keep on going back and eat there. One of our favorite restaurants in southbay.

My husband ordered salt and pepper chicken for to go , we're so disappointed coz it's not fresh no more . It's look like old .

Great tasting food, big portions and not too expensive. We came in on a weekday night during dinner time, it was not bad, there are tables available, we ordered and got our food within 10 minutes, take out line is prettu quick too. As far as food quality, this place can compare with Mandarin restaurant in National City. read more

This place never disappoints. The service is always fast and friendly. The food portions are great for the price and the food is co consistently good. The salt and pepper wings and the orange chicken are our go to dishes. The chicken is always hot and crispy with a great seasoning mix. The orange chicken is not over breaded like some places. I highly recommend trying this place. read more

Pepper chicken good, fried rice taste a bit old. Clean dining area. But got stared at the whole time from gentleman read more

Otay Mandarin - Money tree - Chinese Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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Salt and pepper chicken wings are amazing. So crunchy bd flavorful. I also tried the mandarin chicken but it doesn't compare, I'll stick to the chicken wings! Ps. Eat them fresh, they don't taste as good reheated the next day. read more

It's NOT cheap, unless you're used to $25/item. 5 item takeout last week ran $125 with tax-no tip. That fed 5 people + a leftover dinner & lunch for 1 person. Upside is that the food is pretty good. They used to be a lot less expensive before Covid, but when it changed to takeout-only during that period, I think they increased prices to make up for lost table tips. read more

Pepper chicken wings, house fried rice and orange chicken was soo good! Thanks to my brother in law for bringing us here, most definitely returning. read more

Great food and large shareable family sized portions. Called in my order and it was ready in 15 minutes.

This place has my favorite salted pepper wings. It has always been consistent throughout the years. I also really love their house fried rice. They pack it with so much protein that it is a meal all on its own. read more