Frommer's Review
Far be it for Carmel to have an ordinary Chinese restaurant. Chef/owner Tommy Mao has eschewed the typical red-and-gold color scheme for a far more austere, almost Japanese, decor. The small 12-table restaurant -- with its soothing pastel hues, rice-paper posters, semiopen kitchen, and glossy wood floor -- is an apt setting for Mao's stylish presentations and unique combinations of Szechuan, Hunan, and Mandarin dishes. Mao makes everything from scratch: pot stickers are made with fresh Napa cabbage, moo shu vegetables with house-made pancakes, tea-smoked duck is marinated for 48 hours. The hot and spicy string beans, pine nut chicken, marinated Lover's Prawns, and Mongolian lamb are also winners. The combo lunch plates are a bargain, and a modest dim sum menu is offered for lunch as well.
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planning your trip.
