By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO– As this father waited for his son to arrive from work, he took in the sights of the Choice of Mandarin restaurant in the Tierrasanta neighborhood where they would enjoy lunch. From his vantage point he could see, across the room, mirrored panels alternating with sections of dark red papered walls, each of the latter sporting a single shelf upon which sat a vase with a pleasing flower arrangement.
In one corner of the room was a large, chest-high Oriental vase. Shielding the entry door from some of the diners was a divider filled with tall bamboo sticks. And at the reception desk was a slender, graceful statue depicting Kwan Yin, who, one employee explained to me, is “like a female Buddha.”
Internet research said Kwan Yin is the personification of goodness, a watchful mother, devoted daughter, a spiritual being to whom one can always turn in times of need. For Catholics, no doubt, she is a figure reminiscent of the Madonna, or perhaps the Virgin of Guadalupe. We don’t have religious idols in Judaism, but she is everything the Yiddishe mama, celebrated in song, is reputed to be.
Without asking, the smiling waitress brought a pot of tea, two small cups, two tall glasses of water with long black straws, two menus, and a bowl of crispy noodles for dipping into a sweet and sour sauce that was red enough to color-coordinate with the walls.
The two-page menu is divided into sections for “combination platters,” “soup and salad,” “poultry,” “beef and pork,” “shrimp,” “noodles and rice” and “vegetarian entries.” Obviously, this is not a place where someone who keeps kosher could dine, but for Jews who like to honor tradition without exactly following it, there are a variety of $7.50 vegetarian entries with such descriptions as “Buddha’s Delight,” “Broccoli and Fresh Mushrooms,” “Spicy Bean Curd (Tofu),” “Braised Green Beans,” “Vegetable Lo Main, and “Vegetable Fried Rice.”
The foods, along with white or steamed rice, are served on a single plate–the Goldilocks portion not too big, not too small, but seemingly just right. My son and I drank multiple cups of tea, toyed with the crispy noodles and dip, and totally consumed our entrees, he having chosen a combination of chicken and mushrooms and me having selected ginger chicken. I thought mine was tasty; he must have liked his, he ate it so quickly. We both left the restaurant well contented.
If you’d like to give this aesthetically pleasing restaurant a try, Choice of Mandarin is located in a shopping center at 10645-F Tierrasanta Blvd. The restaurant’s telephone is (858) 268-0979.
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted at donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com