There's nothing bashful about ABC Mandarin Chinese Cuisine in Roy. The initials stand for "America's Best Chinese," a claim that stands up to several tests, certainly one being value. The platters are huge and heaping with the different items from the extensive and moderately priced menu.
And we had not been serenaded in a Chinese restaurant in this country, including San Francisco and New York, until our visit to ABC Mandarin. We had the pleasure of having a tableside concert at the completion of our festive dinner. The owner played both Chinese and Western melodies on a yung chin, a stringed instrument similar to a dulcimer. He also entertained us with some snappy one- liners and several tunes whistled through a silk leaf. This was more ham and humor than we are accustomed to from a culture that is known more for being demure than demonstrative.The dishes we sampled for the nine of us were a somewhat mixed experience, one of the frustrations of having to choose from a menu that presents so many choices. Of our two soups, the hot and sour ($3.50 for two) was clearly the favorite, just spicy and vinegary enough with a smoky accent. While the house special seafood ($4.95 for two) had plenty of briny ingredients, it was slightly thick and surprisingly bland.
Both the egg rolls and homemade potstickers were very good, as was the light sauce that bathed the shrimp, scallops and fish filets with the sizzling seafood platter ($8.95). We also enjoyed the tangerine beef, thin slices of beef quickly stir-fried with a light sweet sautee and then blended with lots of spicy hot red peppers ($7.50). It was apparent why both of these dishes are considered house specialties from a list that recommends over 30.
While a chicken curry ($6.25) was also nicely done, with lots of curry and sauteed white onions, it was just a little salty, as were the shrimp with snow pea pods ($7.25) in a cornstarch gravy. The chicken lo mein was an enormous plate of thick noodles, stir-fried with scallions, that was also pleasing.
Other items on the extensive bill of fare include sizzling scallop in lemon sauce; Szechuan beef, chicken and shrimp; volcano fish filet; lichee chicken; Peking style duck; pineapple shrimp with chicken; barbecue spareribs; minced chicken and corn soup; triple mushrooms in oyster sauce; kung pao scallops; assorted egg foo yung; Mongolian beef; Hunan lamb, General Tso's chicken; shredded pork with garlic sauce; moo shu pork; crispy duck; hot and spicy ye mein; as well as several family combination dinners, combination plates and lunch specials under $5. The dinner platter range in price from $5 to $8.
ABC Mandarin is notable among the proliferating number of Chinese restaurants for both portion and entertainment value. While its cuisine is not exactly "America's best," it has an appeal that may make it one of the area's "better" places for Chinese cuisine.
Rating: * * * 1/2
ABC Mandarin Chinese Cuisine, 5290 S. 1900 West, Roy, 776-6361. Open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. until 9:45 p.m.; until 10:45 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Accepts major credit cards and check with guarantee card. Orders prepared for take-out. Reservations recommended on weekends.