Mulan Chinese Restaurant

AMAZING! We have been traveling in the Palm Springs area from Ohio while visiting family and have been trying a lot of new places to eat. Honestly, feel like a lot of them have been overhyped and disappointing. Alot of them with great reviews too unfortunately. BUT THIS PLACE DID NOT DISAPPOINT! We had been really craving some old school, good Chinese food. Saw they had some really good reviews so we rolled the dice and gave it a try. It was a weekday and they was no wait. Restaurant was about half full. Restrooms & interior a little dated but very tidy. We ordered the orange chicken with white meat and chicken with broccoli. We got the combo plate - which is the lunch menu combo plate minus the soup and iced tea. Still came with spring roll. Nice option and more reasonable pricing. I did order a cup of hot & sour soup too as I feel like that is the benchmark of a lot of Chinese restaurants. It was delicious! Perfect flavor. Some of the best soup I’ve had. The spring rolls were decent - a little too much MSG for me - had a kinda chemically taste to me my partner loved them. But the entrees….Wow!! Super flavorful and quality meat. The orange chicken was yummy. A teeny cumin undertone? The chicken and broccoli’s sauce had really good depth of flavor. LOTS of meat and broccoli. Good portion sizes even with the “lunch” size. We were so happily surprised to finally have a great meal while in the area!! Our server was attentive and bill was so reasonable. Under $30. WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! You won’t be disappointed.

If you want a quick and easy lunch, this restaurant is great. The lunch specials are under $11 and they include soup, main, rice, and iced tea. These are dinner sized portions. Food was good, and it hit the spot. To the person who complained about the service: I had the same server you had and let me tell you. She runs the entire dining room by herself, also serves drinks, handles take out and seats guests. I’m a server myself and she doesn’t have to be smiley through all of that. She’s efficient and doing a lot at once. I’d like to see you try. To the guy who complained about the rice being “too grainy” (you might be the same person): Really? Is your water too wet, too?

Haven't been here since they changed ownership. Food was wonderful. Very fresh and very ample. Couldn't finish my chicken chow mein. Highly recommend it.l

Food portion to price: 5 star Ordered to 2 set lunch. Fried rice - is too grainy. Brocoli with shrimp : 3 and half star Sweet and sour pork: 3 and half star Service: the lady at cashier wearing spectables - must had a difficult day. She has no smile, no politeness when taking your order. 1 star for service.

this place is absolute rubbish,this food is absolutely disgusting (almost made me vomit). i feel like this restaurant should be SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY!!! the 2 only good parts is that they have a chair in the restroom,and that the food is cheap (we all understand why) this restaurant is also like..really empty your glad you had me as a customer,also i genuinely felt like i was going to die right on the spot,also your rice is made out of rubber lol. get better,please and thank you. (P.S LOOK AT YOUR FOOD GIRL..it looks uncooked lol) aye also you have to order egg rolls separately..LIKE WHAT? THATS SO DUMB COME ON.

Small eatery with about 5 tables. Inside and cool. Food was quick and made to order. Price was very reasonable. I had 3 meal takeout. Good meals and inexpensive. Evening hours are short and I believe they close at 7pm most days.

Great food. Large portions. All made fresh.

New ownership since December 2022 I haven’t been here in a very long time but the food is very good. They know what they’re doing.

This was our go to lunch spot for many years when we lived close by. Now, it's been ten years since we've visited and I was very happy to stop by for lunch! They still have their lunchtime special combination plates. It includes an egg roll, egg fried rice or steamed rice along with your choice of plate. I chose the curry chicken with egg fried rice. It was just as delicious as I remembered! They have nice large tables inside or you can order something to go. The restrooms are very clean and well kept. Plenty of parking in this strip mall lot. Service was friendly and speedy. Just like I remembered!

Probably the most authentic Chinese restaurant in the desert area. I came here last year and was shocked by how flavorful the noodles and rice dishes were.

Came here with my family, i ordered fried rice and noodles and asked if they could bring it on separate plates and they refused, I ordered a special that comes with soup and they didn't ask me what soup I wanted but they asked the table next to us what soup they wanted, the lady working front desk never came to check on us and there was hair in my soup and fork. When I brought it to their attention they offered no apology and angrily took the plate The fried rice like the bottom of the pot burnt.

Friendly, good service and good food. Excellent. She remembers me and she's very courteous.

The food is delicious, the price is good, and the portions are large. Always !!! Love it!

For a quick and easy Chinese meal, the lunch menu options never disappoint. This place hasn't changed in years.

Spare of the moment adventure to this location, it's down the street and Chinese food was the appetite for the day. I'm not sure how he found this place but it was found. I thought it was further from my location thank goodness it wasnt Located in the shopping center with in and out , Wells Fargo and harbor freight. It's tucked away in the back closer to Wells Fargo than anything. Walked in the decor needs some improvements, for sure a flash back in time. The place is clean though, the lady who took my order was nice. Most of the items on the menu come on a shareable plate or they have special limited what you can get as a combo, it's not like one of our regular Chinese restaurants where you have a choice of items. Got home, the food was hot other than that it wasn't good at all. We didn't even finish it. Beef broccoli, I'm not sure how to explain it but flavor was not there. Sweet and sour chicken was a no as well. It wasn't our speed when it came to their food. I think people should try stuff and give an honest review, we just did not like but someone else may. So give it a try if your in around the area

Not bad for a quick takeout spot. Food is prepared when ordered which is good. The food was lacking flavor. Rice seemed to have been sitting too long

Perfectly fine Chinese food. All the usual, of which we had Mongolian Beef and Sweet & Sour Pork. The lunch combinations are inexpensive and you get a lot of food. Half of our lunch became dinner later. Service was wonderful. The server checked in, refilled my Pepsi, and generally fussed over us.

We were craving some chinese and thought we'd give this place a shot. We ordered the Szechuan beef and lo mein with egg rolls as appetizer. The food was a 4/5. Overall very good food but the meat seemed interesting... The reason for the 4/5 star overall is because of the ambiance. It's not a place to take a date as there are sketchy characters all around and one of them even kept running into the restaurant and the store owner had to keep shooing them out. It felt a little unnerving having to eat with the hopes that some bum doesn't start major drama. Service was good but kind of impersonal, so there's that. I'd recommend takeout from here if anything. Prices are definitely fair.

Possibly the worst food ever. Fried rice? More like fried goop. Soup horrible and service even worse.

The ownership change resulted in slightly higher prices, but the portion size also went up. Actually, the food quality improved, as the recipes are more tasteful now. Avoid Tuesday, as their three main competitors are closed and the restaurant is busy than usual.

Closed @ 1:30 on Wednesday, call before coming!! Although it said open both on Yelp & Google maps. I drive outta my way to go here, not happy.

The food was great here with generous portions. Server was kind and gave excellent service. First time here, and I will definitely be back. Restaurant was clean and casual.

Food is great, service is always with a smile, prices are affordable. Must try this place you won't be disappointed!

Lunch special is a great deal. Comes with a good amount of food, can be shared between two people. Ordered twice this week.

The food is so tasty and well prepared. So far have tried szechuan chicken, bbq pork egg foo young, sweet and sour pork and chicken lo mein. My favorite was the bbq pork egg foo young, but they are all really good. The owners are nice and service is great . The portions are generous and prices very affordable.

Came here based on a recommendation. Service was excellent. Food was fresh. We had fried rice, orange chicken, chow mein, walnut shrimp and egg rolls. The egg rolls were huge and probably the best I've ever had. Orange chicken and walnut shrimp was solid. I loved how you could choose breast meat or leg meat for the orange chicken. I definitely recommend this place. Ambiance was quaint and welcoming I definitely will go back and I do recommend checking this place out.

We have been going to this place for years! The previous owners were hard working and the food consistently great! The NEW owners as of December 2022 have managed to go a step beyond with even larger portions and food that is even more delicious! Today we ordered the War Wonton soup which was fresh, clean and chocked full of shrimp wonton and fresh clean vegetables.. broth was the best we have ever had. Lunch specials come with a little side egg drop soup, and huge spring roll. My chicken broccoli was hot, fresh, and cooked perfectly! Only place in the valley to get good fresh clean Chinese food.

Beware of the 'NEW' Mulan Chinese Restaurant, especially if you've enjoyed the food in the past. New owners, VERY different recipes, not anywhere near the quality of past visits. The Orange Chicken used to be crispy and amazing - what we got was neither orange nor crispy! Also received the most disgusting Mongolian Beef - never had MB with snow peas, zucchini and mushrooms that had no spice to it! Called the restaurant and they wanted to argue about the dish I was given and was told 'that's how we cook it'. Mulan had been a long time local jewel, but sadly not anymore! We will not be coming back and back on the hunt for a new local favorite.

Had the family dinner and started with Hot and Sour soup. Which was really good. Appetizers were good but especially the foil-wrapped chicken and egg roll. Love the hot mustard. Main course was szechwan chicken, sweet and sour pork, and fried rice. Reminded me of Chinatown in SF. I miss it, but this helped. More authentic and good flavors. Service was really good and quick.

Food is amazing and the services is great . Best food I ever had . Food is hot and tasty as well

Ordered orange chicken and it had a fishy aftertaste, very poor quality, rice was dry and service was not good

First time to this New Ownership (saw some bad reviews from previous owners) so we thought we would try the NEW husband and wife business. The service and food was excellent! We both ordered the dinner special for approx $14 Ea: includes: 3 choices for soup, a pre-fox 4 item appetizer plate, and 1 entree with a huge family style rice service enough for 4. The bonus was that although there were roughly 6 entree choices in the dinner special, the owner was accommodating if we wanted a comparable item I asked for chicken and green beans (already elsewhere on the menu that was not on the list) and They were so accommodating. The food was fresh and excellent quality! Wish them good luck for their business! We are coming back!

Food is very good. Had a few young several times great service and great Porsches. Always clean inside and has great service you could take food in or out.

As several have said, it's a shame but "I wish them well." Nothing stays the same. Customer for 30 years. This the kind of coarse food you get in a drive through, there's no excuse for this. Hopefully Joanne and her family are ok.

Not sure what happened but the food was horrible. We had the Beef and broccoli, chicken curry and orange peel chicken plus the pork fried rice Not one item was eatable. Maybe new owners or it just has gone downhill. Definitely will not return

I came here with my family and we ordered the orange chicken and beef and broccoli and it was delicious! The service and the atmosphere was great as well. We definitely plan on coming back :)

On our way back into California and stopped by this jewel in the desert. We ordered the lunch specials chicken chop suey and bbq pork egg foo young. Very, very good. We will be back very soon. I highly recommend this place.

New owners.....food nowhere near as good as it used to be. Our usuals (orange chicken and kung pao chicken) were soggy and somehow flavorless as compared to the previous ownership Would have been nice if they kept the same recipes...while some people may be ok with the change, the food is not the same.

Not the same great recipes as the previous owners. So sad that they are no longer serving their signature orange chicken.

Very lovely and clean little place with excellent service. Beware.....they are closed on Saturday.Food is very fresh and delicious. Unlike other chinese restaurants where all the food is basically the same stuff, this place has unique and different offerings. The shezuan (?) beef was good but could have used MUCH more heat and a lot less carrots. Sweet and sour chicken very tasty, as was the vegie fried rice. The shrimp chop suey loaded with both veggies and shrimp! We always enjoy supporting small businesses and this one will be on our regular restaurant rotation.

Just lacking flavor. I got the sweet sour chicken dinner special. Not sure what the appetizers were honestly. My mother got the combination low mein and only ate a couple bites. The presentation was great though

Recently moved from the Bay Area, where we had no shortage of great places to eat. I'm having a difficult time finding good places to eat in Indio. Thankfully, we found Mulan. I'll keep this brief. Everything we have tried is hot, fresh, and tasty. The Orange Chicken is a must order every time. The woman that takes the orders makes sure everything is correct before I leave, and she is a sweetheart. I tip her every time. We have never had a bad meal and its our Go-To spot when we are ordering out. Highly recommended.

Found this gem when me and friend driving to Palm Spring before heading to salvation mountain for some short a day trip. We deceived to stop by this place to get lunch. We ordered Chicken Kungpao and Pork Fried Rice. Both are good. Very cheap omg ! Definitely recomendable and a must visit restaurant when you are around this area.

Been living in Indio all this time & had never tried this little place. I was missing out! The bf ordered the basic fried rice & I had the orange chicken. It was all so delish! The woman who helped me was so kind and helpful. Explained that their orange chicken is not made how most expect it to be cooked but rather theirs are slices of chicken. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed! If you're looking for great food stop here. Well worth the stop.

The food is great. Will go there again. I had the sweet and sour chicken it was some of the best I ever ate !!!

First time visit and the food was very delicious. My friend Mike and so went over since he recommended their good Chinese lunch specials. I ordered the Almond Chicken with fried rice and a cup of Wor Wonton soup and everything was very fresh and great tasting. With 2 drinks and the two lunch specials along with the soup, it was all under $21.00!! Great place! I highly recommend it for their lunch.

The Emperor of China: The flower that blooms in adversity... is the most rare and beautiful of them all. Mulan The scent. It's the scent that wells up the desire in me. That and the sight. The sight of those delicious egg noodles sizzling on the hot plate then they pour the sauce, chicken, beef, shrimp, and broccoli on top while you watch. It's an excellent show which whets my appetite for the delicious combination of flavors from this dish. Back in the day I was able to get pan fried noodles this good at Mandarin Dynasty in San Diego. I use to go there all the time right after a trip to the San Diego Zoo as it was only blocks away. Sadly Mandarin Dynasty closed. Now I have to make a trip to Mulan's out in the desert(Indio). The service was excellent here. The owners were very friendly. :-) Other dishes I've tried: Cup of won ton soup was crammed full of goodness! There were 2 tasty won tons a piece of bbq pork and a few pieces of veggies. The soup base was good too. Bbq pork fried rice. The mix of onions, egg, bbq pork combined into a delicious mixture. This dish is very similar to the bbq pork fried rice at Shanghai Cafe which I like alot. I should mention that the fried rice on the dinner menu which I ordered this time is very good while the fried rice you get as part of the lunch special is not that good as they don't put in the onions, egg, and generous amounts of bbq pork which is what gives the rice the awesome flavors. Lo mein mixed meat lunch special. The egg drop soup was ok. I'm not a big fan of this kind of soup. It was hot and had good flavor. The fried noodles that came with were pretty good. The egg roll was pretty good. Crunchy wrapper and the insides were good. This is pretty much the standard egg roll for lunch specials. The fried won ton was pretty much a fried won ton wrapper which was crunchy and had good flavor. The fried rice with bbq pork was average. Rice tasted ok but there wasn't much pork. The mixed meat lo mein was average. I liked the beef and shrimp. Noodles and veggies were good. Lunch special was $6.50 which is reasonably priced.

I thought Mulan Restaurant is a good one. There is the drinks. There is also the appetizers. There is also the entrees. There is also the soups. I also think the interior is good.

No ambiance whatsoever. Minimal service. Good food except for the lo mein. Go there for mostly good old fashioned Chinese food.

Wonderful food from a clean, modest and tucked away family restaurant. Had a great takeout experience at Mulan on a Monday night. Everything was perfectly done and the sauce was packaged separately so things would not get soggy in transit. Seemed like a family operation and the lady who helped me was very kind. New to town and I think we found our go-to for Chinese takeout.

Best Chinese food in the desert so far, not much to pick from here. But this has been great.

New ownership and we found it to be amazing. Service was excellent also. We tried the beef and peppers, Szechuan chicken and fried rice. Dinner served with appetizers and choice of soup also. Highly recommend.

I came in on a whim because the In n out next door was crazy busy, so I popped in here to give it a try. Very happy I did. Food was fresh, tasty and service was quick and friendly. Was in town for work and am looking forward to visiting again next time I'm in town. I had the broccoli shrimp lunch special, yum!

We've been coming here for ever!! Our favorite for Fresh Chinese food! Owned & operated by JoAnn & her husband. The place is very clean, quiet & inviting. All the dishes are authentic dishes served hot n tasty. It's not easy to find noW that the city changed Monroe St. Easiest entrance is the driveway just past In n Out Burger. Mulans is back behind there. A locals favorite!

So good!! I love their orange peel chicken. It's thin and crispy. I've never had it like this anywhere else. The wor won ton soup is so yummy and comforting. There's really nothing here I've disliked. They are closed on saturdays BTW.

The chop suey I had last Wed was very bland, no flavor whatsoever from the vegetables, even using soy sauce! Disappointing.

First time take out customers. The orange chicken was amazing. The rest of the food not so good. Kung pow chicken more peanuts than chicken. Eggs rolls were good but small and the wonton soup had an awful Taste to it.