$$$$ • Shabu-shabu • Flushing
I recently visited Nanshan Panda. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere — clean, comfortable, and well-decorated. Their seafood dishes are very fresh, and the overall food quality is quite good. The staff are polite and attentive, and the location is also convenient.
However, the prices are definitely on the higher side. Even though I understand everything has become more expensive nowadays, I still felt something wasn’t right about how they handle the billing and tipping. They offered some discounts and promotions, but the suggested tip starts at 18% and is calculated after tax, which makes the final total higher than expected. Strangely, even when I calculated my own 20% tip, it came out lower than their suggested 18%.
That part just felt misleading and uncomfortable — it gives the impression of hidden charges or non-transparent calculations. Aside from that, I’d still say they do a great job with food and service, and I’d give them 4 stars overall — mainly because of this tipping and pricing issue.