Mandarette Chinese Cafe

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

This used to not be the safest spot but with a little communication with the front of house(Davey)he made sure to keep certain protocols. It was a great time when Davey took care of us celiacs to the point he was hosting monthly gluten free dinner events! The business has since let him go and I’ve been glutened numerous times with the same spiel of everything they make is gluten free normally, maybe I have a different allergy? I used to order here with confidence and now I am ashamed to say they are not safe. With my latest glutening from some crispy soft tofu, my guess is the culprit is in one of the woks being used for gluten free and regular dishes. OR from the ladles/strainers they use when prepping veggies. (I’ve definitely found egg noodle in my broccoli before) As a person with celiac I wanted to trust them with my life but I can no longer in good conscious let people think it’s safe when I have not had a safe encounter with this restaurant in 4 consecutive visits.

Bring back Davey and maybe he can salvage the damage that has been done but for now steer clear if you have celiac.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contamination?

— Not very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Average

So sick. Are there last night and am still feeling the effects. My butt has been glued to the toilet for two days

Celiac friendly?

No

It is so nice to find a good Chinese place that actually has GF options. The menu has them and their vegan options clearly listed and my server double checked my order to ensure my fried rice with chicken was made gluten free, which I think means they cook it without soy sauce but the rice still has an amazing flavor.

Make no mistake: here is your gluten free sanctuary for Chinese food. Davey is an absolute pleasure to speak with and made me feel like royalty. I have not had breaded Chinese in years. YEARS. This gem will bring all of your favorites back into your life with an extensive selection that makes deciding a difficult task. The inside has a fantastic atmosphere- very relaxed and tasteful. I have been lurking on yelp for a long time to find my gluten (and dairy) free cuisine and this is my first review. Well deserved.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

FOOD POISONING! I went midday around 2 pm and was the only person in there... when i got my chicken it was a bit cold.... moments adter eating i got a stomach pain tha lasted for hours and stuff was pouring out of both ends of me!!! I can't say if it was GF or not based on how sick i was for 2 days it ruined my vacation! Raw garlic helped calm the symptoms...i dont trust this place! I wish i knew better

As much as I appreciate PF Chang's leadership in GF Chinese food I still prefer to not eat at chain restaurants and it's nice to have variety. Enter Mandarette - an LA standard who now has a GF menu (GF symbols listed within menu). Pretty much all the veggie dishes are GF and a good selection of the meats and seafood as well. That said, BEWARE because many of the dishes they list (e.g. Salt&Pepper Chicken, Tofu... Sesame Chix...) are fried in the same fryer as the egg rolls and any other battered dish. I spoke with the manager who thought that the hot oil burned off the gluten (Wrong!). Once I explained that was incorrect he thanked me for the information and said that they should get a small dedicated fryer. I'll check in with them in the future to see if they in fact do. If so, this is a great bet. If not, the non-deep fried options are tasty as well.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Fantastic fresh Chinese food with many gluten-free options and safe for Celiacs! Chicken is battered with potato flour so I can enjoy their orange chicken, general tso's, etc. Delicious shrimp and veggie dishes. Haven't tried the beef yet but will next time. Very impressed and excited to have found this place!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I ask for the manager Davey and never get sick bc he makes sure of it. Celiacs should let him know that you are getting cross contaminated and who your waiter was

They have GF symbols indicated on their main menu. I didn't and still don't fully trust it though. Had a pork dish and fried rice, didn't feel 100% after but it was good food!