The first time I went to Mandalay was about 15 years ago and was given a warm wlecome I shall never forget. I was welcomed into the restaurant like a long lost relative and doted on throughout the meal. Suffice to say the owners made a fantastic impression and really made us feel at home and took time to explain the dishes and provide a truly memorable experience.
With this in mind I recently returned to the restaurant a few months ago having been told about it by a friend as being the best 'cheap eat' in London as rated by Timeout. I also browsed the outside window of the restaurant to see that it had since my last visit Mandalay had picked up a few more awards and had received even more favourable reviews from critics. However inspite of its reputation and the accolades it has received the restaurant owners were still incredibly helpful, dilligent, insightful and the service was very pleasing. Go to any other Asian restaurant and you should expect to have dishes slapped on your table, incorrect orders and a hard time explaining or understanding much.
I also very recently returned and found that nothing has changed and the restaurant is still unremarkable from the outside, humble and homely inside with excellent service.
However service aside the food was still impeccable and each dish was a genuine delight. I particularly liked the Balachaung - a Burmese fried shrimp dish served to accompany rice dishes as well as the deep fried bean sprout fritters. The tamarind chicken was also impeccable with no one flavour dominating the taste. In fact every dish was balanced and not at all garish - high street Indian restaurants should take note of this.
Given the quality of food and pleasant dining experience as well as the accolades and favourable reviews Mandalay has received over the past decade, you might expect the price to be bumped up slightly however even the price of the meals is down to earth. It is not unusual to pay £10-15 per head for a meal excluding service.
Overall Mandalay is truly excellent and I am certain I will go back as I have over the years. I would rate it 4 out of 5.
http://www.mandalayway.com/restaurant/index.html
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