Pao's Mandarin House
2300 Lohman's Crossing Rd.
Austin,
TX
78734
Map
Phone: (512) 263-8869
| Cuisine: | Chinese |
Price: $ = $15 and less
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Just the fragrant impression of a delectable dish is worth the ride when it comes to Pao's and its three-cup chicken, with chunks of dark meat nestled with sliced mushrooms in a spicy brown sauce flavored with basil. The spicy shredded Mandarin beef deserves a trip, too. Forks up. Cheap/moderate.
-- Dale Rice, AA-S
Hours
Call
Meals Served
Lunch
Dinner
Dress Code
Casual
Amenities
- Credit cards
Flavors you'll never forget
By Dale Rice
American-Statesman Restaurant Critic
July 29, 2004
It's amazing how long the fragrant impression of a delectable dish can last. Days. Weeks. Months. Even years.
The aroma of the three-cup chicken, a specialty at the old Pao's Mandarin House in downtown Austin, was implanted deeply: the perfume of the basil ming....
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Flavors you'll never forget
By Dale Rice
American-Statesman Restaurant Critic
July 29, 2004
It's amazing how long the fragrant impression of a delectable dish can last. Days. Weeks. Months. Even years.
The aroma of the three-cup chicken, a specialty at the old Pao's Mandarin House in downtown Austin, was implanted deeply: the perfume of the basil mingling with the earthy smell of mushrooms, together wafting upward in clouds of steam.
The moment the clay bowl arrived recently at the remaining Pao's in Lakeway, my impressions were reaffirmed through deep inhalation.
The chicken ($8.95) was exactly as I remembered it from several years ago. Chunks of dark meat nestled with a variety of sliced mushrooms in a spicy brown sauce flavored with the distinct taste of anise provided by the basil.
The Mandarin beef ($8.95), though not as heady, was equally tasty.
The thin shards of meat, lightly battered and fried, joined julienne carrots, celery and green onions with a multitude of thin garlic slices in a zesty sauce that had a slightly sweet edge.
The entrees, both of which were served with steamed rice, followed appetizers of hot and sour soup ($1.50) and fried dumplings ($4.95).
The soup, thick with ingredients, emanated peppery spice so strong that it lingered minutes after the cup was finished. The dumplings, filled with a nugget of ground meat, were far crisper than those served by most Asian restaurants.
It was the kind of food, led by the three-cup chicken, that will force me to drive more frequently to the strip center at RM 620 and Lohmans Crossing in Lakeway where Pao's is located.
After all, recollections that pleasant deserve to be reaffirmed more often.
You may contact Dale Rice at drice@statesman.com or 445-3859.
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| Wonderful!! |  |
Every time we eat here the service and the food are consistantly wonderful. We love to order off the Chinese menu and the sushi is excellent. It is a 30 minute drive for us but worth it every time!
