Mandarin Restaurant opening first location in Windsor at mall

Do you like Chinese-Canadian food? You’ll have all you can eat when popular Asian buffet chain Mandarin Restaurant arrives at Windsor’s Devonshire Mall this summer.

The mall’s management has announced that work is underway to open a 15,000 square-foot Mandarin location in the south end of the mall, scheduled for completion in June.

The restaurant — Mandarin’s first Windsor location — is part of the mall’s ongoing $70-million renovation, undertaken by Cushman & Wakefield Asset Management Inc.

Mandarin Restaurant president James Chiu said Windsor will be the chain’s 28th location in southern Ontario. “We are looking forward to serving new Mandarin fans in the Windsor-Essex community,” he added.

The popular all-you-can-eat buffet-style restaurants are advertised as having 100 dishes available at any time during business hours.

While they’re known for Chinese-Canadian fare — spring rolls, fried rice, crispy noodles, kung pao chicken, etc. — the eateries also have extensive soup and salad bars, grill tables, hand-carved prime rib counters, sushi counters, dessert tables, sundae bars, frozen yogurt stations and more. Every Mandarin location offers take-out and delivery service, and food made fresh to order. Buffet prices are typically: $18.99 for lunch Monday to Friday, $22.99 for lunch on weekends and holidays; $26.99 for dinner Monday to Thursday, $28.99 for dinner on Fridays, weekends, and holidays.

Half-price for children ages 5 to 12. Children ages 4 and younger can share with an adult for an additional $2. Seniors 65 and older get a 20 per cent discount. Devonshire Mall’s general manager Chris Savard said the restaurant will be accessible from a new entranceway on the south side of the shopping centre facing Howard Avenue, along with a relocated Shoppers Drug Mart. Mandarin Restaurant was founded in 1979 in Brampton. The business adopted the all-you-caneat buffet style in 1986.

The buffet chain has no connection with Mandarin House — a small but long-standing Chinese diner in downtown Windsor.