Take a break from work with a tasty meal

Golden Shrimp ($19.95)

Workday lunches can be a tough thing to figure out. You want something reasonably priced, yet tasty; quick, yet relaxing.

Downtown workers seem to have found the answer to lunchtime quandaries at The Mandalay, which serves up a mix of traditional and modern Chinese cuisine. It’s such the perfect lunch spot, server Wilfred Leung says, that many workers in the area are regulars.

“Some people will come down and have lunch maybe two or three times in one week,” Leung says. “Some people come four times.”

Visit The Mandalay on Alakea Street Downtown.

Apart from being a lunch-break stop, The Mandalay, with its sleek, upscale design, also is a popular party destination. The restaurant holds 330 people. (And, if you’re holding an off-site party, the eatery notes that it also offers catering.)

The Mandalay serves dim sum, along with a wide variety of a la carte items. Of course, you’ll find all the goto Chinese favorites. But the restaurant also specializes in concocting more unusual dishes.

“We try to do it a little bit different,” Leung says.

Taro and Chicken in Clay Pot ($14.95)

One popular selection is Golden Shrimp ($19.95), featuring large, succulent shrimp sauteed with pumpkin pieces and egg yolk. Another creative offering is Taro and Chicken in Clay Pot ($14.95), featuring diced taro with chicken in a casserole pot.

“The flavor is very intense,” Leung says. “And of a lot of people like taro, and it’s healthy, too.”

The Mandalay offers various specials in honor of holidays — and next up is its Easter Brunch, featuring a buffet of dim sum and entrees. Some items you’ll find include pork hash, taro cake, egg drop soup, Chinese chicken salad, beef broccoli, salt and pepper shrimp, orange chicken, custard tarts, tapioca and much more. It runs April 16 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and again from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. And for all of that food, it’s quite a deal: $23.99 for adults, $18.99 for seniors and $14.99 for children ages 3-12.

The Mandalay

1055 Alakea St., Downtown
525-8585
Daily, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m.