Willow Glen, California Since 1992
Cafe Willow Glen
(Photograph by Chad Pilster) Mandarin Chili's appeal comes from secret sauce Sauce Success: Cathy Young, owner of Mandarin Chili, holds up a restaurant specialty - the beef steak salad. 'We try to keep the restaurant nice and clean so the customers feel like they are eating at home. Most important, though, is our food.' - Cathy Young (By Staci Jameson ) Tucked into the then-new Willow Plaza at 860 Willow St. was Mandarin Chili. Owned by Cathy and Christopher Young, the Mandarin and Szechuan restaurant opened in 1994. Being the first tenants of the new building meant that there was nothing inside. "There were no bathrooms, lights or even a ceiling when we moved in. We did it all, including the kitchen," says Cathy. Now the atmosphere is pleasant, from the large fish tank at the front door full of swimming goldfish, to the forest-green tables and chairs that fill the dining room. "We try to keep the restaurant nice and clean so the customers feel like they are eating at home. Most important, though, is our food," Cathy says. "The food is good and the prices are reasonable. That's what keeps the customers coming back." While Mandarin Chili doesn't advertise much, word of mouth keeps Cathy and her employees busy. "We do a lot of catering for the businesses around Willow Glen. We've even done some catering for KNTV and Good Samaritan Hospital," she says. Cathy was studying to be a teacher at Teachers University in Shanghai when she and her husband moved to the United States 14 years ago. "It was my husband's dream to have a restaurant. We bought him lots of cookbooks and he learned a lot of the recipes." This is the third restaurant for the Youngs. The first one was in Santa Rosa. Eventually the Youngs moved to Pleasanton, where they opened their second eatery. The building was torn down and the Youngs moved to Willow Glen. Over time, Cathy was able to have her parents come to the United States from China and stay with her. Her father came over in 1990, followed by her mother in 1993. "My mom takes care of our children. We have two kids and we work seven days a week. It's nice to have her there instead of strangers." The only days you will find Mandarin Chili closed are Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day and July 4th. Cathy says that if there is a house specialty it would have to be their beef steak salad. "It's not greasy and you can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's healthy. We have a lot of seniors who come here and they try to eat healthy, too. My husband makes the sauces. He worked and worked and came up with his own sauce that we use here. That's our secret - his sauces," she says. Mandarin Chili also offers take-out and delivery services. "People get home from a long day at work and they don't want to cook. They don't feel like going out, either. They call us and it's delivered and ready for them." Large groups are no problem. They can readily seat up to 10 people together. More than 10 requires a reservation. There is usually not much of a wait, but reservations assure a table at a particular time. There is no children's menu at Mandarin Chili, but it definitely is a family-oriented business and welcomes children. Mandarin Chili, 860 Willow St. Open Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. - 9:30 p.m, Friday, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Saturday, Noon - 10 p.m. and Sunday, Noon - 9:30 p.m. For more information, call 408-289-8879. |
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