Mandarin Garden Chinese Restaurant in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

I have been going to this restaurant for years and never been disappointed the food is always delicious and the staff are always happy and polite. Sometimes they get very busy but it's well worth sitting and waiting for your food.

Best Chinese in Truro lovely staff nothing to much trouble and great lunch time price's...probs be back again tomorrow always busy that says alot

Nice place. Been to worse been to better. This was as good as I'd hoped for a Cornish town as normally I only have Chinese in china town London (not showing off that's where we live) Staff all seem to be Chinese which is normally a precursor for good food....and it was. We went before a show. Service seemed slow but it wasn't we were just in a rush ! They got the order slightly wrong but corrected it very quickly. A solid 7 out of 10 Oh and it's very clean.

I ordered a takeaway, and this is by far THE WORST Chinese I have ever had. I had sweet and sour chicken balls, chicken fried rice, pancake roll and prawn crackers. The food was tasteless except for the taste of months possibly years old oil that the chicken balls had been fried in along with the pancake roll and prawn crackers which were a shade of brown which tells me the oil has not been changed in a very long time, the sweet and sour sauce was neither it was just bland. The greasy film that the food left in my mouth was so disgusting I could not eat it. I would not recommend this restaurant £20 wasted, I’ve had better Chinese ready meals from the supermarkets for less!! DREADFUL 🤮

Chicken was not tasty. Hot n sour soup medium, vegetables in black bean sauce awful.

Had a large takeaway for family members visiting. We ordered a wide variety of dishes and every one was tasty, well cooked, and warm on collection. I've had some shocking takeaways from other Chinese food places in Truro, and I mean shocking, sometimes bearing little resemblance to Chinese food I've had elsewhere in the country. But this meal was first class. We shall use them again.

Great lunch time menu, nothing extra special just great Chinese food and good prices.

my parents live not far from truro and while staying with them we all fancied a chinese take away for dinner one night. we'd had a take away in the past from another place in truro but didn't think it was very nice so we thought we'd give Mandarin a try We nearly didn't bother in the end as it took about 6 attempts to get through on the phone. there would be no answer. we appreciate it may have been because they were busy, although was a sunday evening, so we almost gave up on trying to order from them we did get through once but it seemed we could hear them but they couldn't hear us finally we got through and gave our order, the lady repeating each item back to ensure the order was correct it was ready to collect in about 1 hour so we drove down into truro to pick it up the Mandarin is a restaurant and there were a few people in there. the restaurant itself inside is a bit bleak i felt. not very inviting in terms of the decor and furniture but i walked over to the counter and our order was ready and got a friendly welcome from 2 of the staff. had a chat with one of the gentlemen there who looked to be one of the owners aswell as one of the Chefs. when we got it home, we tucked in and it was lovely! we ordered a number of things and they all tasted great. very much enjoyed by all! So in summary, food great, friendly service but you may have to try a number of times to get through on the phone!

Staff are incredibly friendly and couldn't be more helpful, lovely food, thank you.

For what this is at lunchtime this was smashing. Value for money and a great menu.

Takeaway and worst were ever eaten, stodgy, thick sauces. Friendly guy served us. Inside is dated.

Lovely lunch Great value Will definitely be back when in Truro

Service was on the slow side - took 5-10 minutes for someone to come over and even ask about drinks, 30 minutes to get starters, and close to an hour in total before we got our mains. There were only a handful of other occupied tables so this was not an excuse. Order for prawn crackers seem to go in one ear and out the other as we never got them. The pancakes that came with the duck were all stuck together and near impossible to separate without them tearing. Satay starter was nice however a bit bland. Mains (lemon chicken + chicken satay) were nice.

Good genuine Chinese food and very friendly service even telling how to get genuine Chinese ingredients to make the Chicken and sweetcorn soup which we love even how to recharge our iPads while we eat—and they do lunchtime specials from a good menu for £10.50 (June -July 2024 except closed Sunday lunch and all day Wednesday-

Very good chinese food with reasonable price.

Noodles tasted burnt, egg fried rice …, barely any egg, salt and pepper chicken with lettuce and cabbage, curry sauce good tho

Amazing service! Amazing food! Amazing vibe! Overall AMAZING

My husband and I had take away on a weekday, which I had rung through earlier. We had 2 starters, chicken and mushrooms, duck in plum sauce and egg fried rice. The meals were almost cold, my duck was 75% fat which was not cooked and the sauce was watery. The price was more than I had estimated and was given a price list. When I worked it out, we had been charged a service charge!! I will definitely not be going back as it was the worst meal I have ever had.

The best Chinese I’ve had in the 8 yrs I’ve lived in Cornwall! The owners were excellent, the chef made us special toffee banana fritters which was absolutely amazing. Starters and main course excellent and came to the table very hot - just how I like my food to be! I’m definitely going to go again very soon. Thank you for an excellent evening x

Outstanding!!! A family business from Hong Kong offer genuinely authentic food! Such an amazing family friendly settling in the heart of Truro! Keith and his wonderful family business are the best in the business! Can’t wait to see them all again soon..

This place reminds my husband/business partner of some places he’s visited in Hong Kong. It’s not flashy inside but the food is good and the staff, a longstanding family firm, are incredible warm and welcoming. Keith who is front of house is clearly a food lover and was telling us how they make their own chilli oil. The slow cooked bbq pork ribs for starter were very well done.

A fantastic Chinese restaurant in Truro. Lovely family run business with friendly helpful staff. The food is absolutely yummy and they can cater for gluten intolerable diets which is a huge bonus. Looking forward to our next visit!

Great restaurant - good food - lovely staff

We missed the lunchtime buffet due to an appointment but the menu looked so good we went back for dinner and were not disappointed. We were not the only people queuing for it to open. Our meal was delicious, plentiful arrived quickly and piping hot. I complimented the chef and mentioned the Jasmine tea was very good. To my delight, he brought me a sample to take home. If we were local we would be regulars!

This charming, old-school, family-run Chinese restaurant, a staple of the town for apparently over 30 years, offers a decent selection of dishes that clearly celebrate simplicity and flavour with their pared-down menu, reminding you of your favourite old-school English Chinese restaurant, which seems to prioritise substance over variety. Everything is cooked fresh, and the restaurant's minimalist approach to dining offers a genuine traditional English-Chinese experience. The staff are gentle, and their unhurried approach, so as not to rush customers into ordering or moving on for the next group, is welcome. Unlike other restaurants, they’ve clearly stayed true to what they know well and been serving loyal locals for some time. It is no-frills and quaint, but sometimes that’s the best as you know you the family running it are focused on consistent good food each time. I’d recommend it for a super casual meal with friends, or to opt to eat there as a family or group rather than just have a takeaway at home. Definitely worth a try.

Such lovely people! We were made to feel so comfortable. will definitely be going again

Table of seven prebooked for 18:30, still not given any food until after 19:45. Poor service and mediocre food. Dissapointed.

Usually this place is very nice, usually good food and good service. The service initially was great, until we received PINK chicken skewers as our starter. My partner ate some without realising it was pink, once he realised we were totally put off. We then were each given chicken chow mein as our main meal like we ordered however we did not feel like eating it after being served the pink skewers. To add to this, instead of refunding the whole meal, or at least everything other than the drinks, they still made us pay despite putting us totally off our food. When we reported the pink dish to the lady working there, she tried convincing us it was supposed to look like that meaning we could’ve eaten more, obviously we didn’t but she still told us it was ok to eat despite it being pink. Finally, they didn’t even apologise to us, they just blankly stared at us and argued with eachother.

Attended for my leavers do, no drinks menu, had to go to the bar and ask if it was bar/table service, was told he was busy and will be with us shortly, 15 minutes later whilst ordering flat coke and minging wine was asked to order a bottle as it made him more money than individual drinks. Food began cooking that made us all cough and the toilet had a used sanitary towel on the floor and was really dirty despite being open and hour and a half. Stated we weren't ordering food, the staff were so rude and dismissive and grubby in appearance. Will never be attending again. Looked beautiful from the outside but obvious they didn't care despite being Chinese new year. Do not go, you will be dissatisfied!

Waited ages for someone to take our order, ordered a bottle of white wine which tasted like vinegar and cokes which were flat. There was a lot of smoke in the room, not a nice environment. Paid for wine which we didn't drink and promptly left.

Usually this place is very nice, usually good food and good service. The service initially was great, until we received PINK chicken skewers as our starter. My partner ate some without realising it was pink, once he realised we were totally put off. We then were each given chicken chow mein as our main meal like we ordered however we did not feel like eating it after being served the pink skewers. To add to this, instead of refunding the whole meal, or at least everything other than the drinks, they still made us pay despite putting us totally off our food. When we reported the pink dish to the lady working there, she tried convincing us it was supposed to look like that meaning we could’ve eaten more, obviously we didn’t but she still told us it was ok to eat despite it being pink.

Beautiful food friendly staff and very good prices well worth a visit

Basic Chinese restaurant run by Chinese people, food is delicious and friendly staff , no fancy decor but a great restaurant

Both our fried rice's didn't even fill up the container!! Was missing some rice! Will never return!! Never experienced this at a Chinese restaurant!

What an absolute dump it felt like we were in the way almost an inconvenience. It was a lunch time and the set menu was uninspiring to say the least . The food was practically thrown at us by impatient and abrupt staff . Portions and presentation was non existent. I would not take my dog to eat in this hole . Try it and find out for yourself . I could go on and on “AWFUL EXPERIENCE “.

The food here is very authentic tasty Hong Kong Chinese cuisine! I've seen posher venues with smarter looking furniture and decoration, but that is inconsequential! The food here is good, freshly cooked and served hot!

This Chinese food is cooking at it's best Always service with a smile Brian Mawer

REAL CHINESE FOOD 老板很好 菜也很好吃又划算

Best place I've eaten in Cornwall by far well worth the money nice friendly staff

Good food. Lovely people. Will definitely return.

Food delicious, but the attitude of the staff (man) was beyond rude. I have never been spoken to so badly when just asking the price of a dish. Was overcharged, so beware and double check all your bills. Have been using this Chinese for years but not now after they overcharged us and were so so RUDE…

Shocking customer service! We were given our takeaway order and as both chicken dishes looked similar,we asked the owner which ones which and he huffed, shook his head and said haven't you had a Chinese before?, it is common sense! when we were extremely polite throughout the whole transaction. If you don't want to have your night ruined please consider going to a better place where people want your custom.

Love the 2 course Lunch special for £9...food is excellent!!!

We visited this place during the summer holiday, myself, wife and our three children. The old lady was beyond rude, sat us on a small table, when I asked if we could sit at a larger table she put her hands in the air, said no and walked off, leaving us standing in the middle of the restaurant. So rude! If I could give this place zero stars I would, one star is too kind for this place. Don’t waste your money. Luckily for us, over the road is a small Indian restaurant called Yak & Yeti. Lovely littler place with the best service and food. Mandarin - 0 Stars! Yak & Yeti 5 Stars

By far the best Chinese food in Truro I have tried all the takeaways in Truro none of them are half as good

AVOID! Our last night of holiday was ruined by this horror story. I went to collect our takeaway and when I entered I was unimpressed by the stacks of dirty plates on every spare bit of side they had, next to the till, on to the utensils table, everywhere. I eventually got ‘served’ after being ignored for two minutes. I told them I was here to collect. Then in absolute shock, I witnessed the gentleman serving me preparing salad for my aromatic duck… he got out a carton, and like it was completely normal, he SCRAPED the leftovers of cucumber and spring onion from one of the dirty plates on the side into the pot before then putting it in my takeaway bag with all the other items. I was in complete disbelief. And angry at myself for not speaking up and commenting about what I saw him do, I took my food and left. And then discarded it in the nearest bin. Absolutely DISGUSTED. I will be reporting this incident to environmental health on Monday.

A very convenient Chinese restaurant in the centre of Truro. Perfectly satisfying food at an inexpensive price.

Huge amount of food Very flavoursome and incredible duck pancakes.

One of the loveliest dining experiences that my family and I have had so far on our holiday to Cornwall. Spicy spare ribs a particular highlight, and plenty of vegetarian options. Friendly staff makes all the difference!!

Food was great, service was good, not stiff and was witty and prices were reasonable. The beef satay skewers starter was amazing.

Had the set menu lunch, very tasty

This place is a landmark. Excellent quality and great value food. Friendly people that should be lauded for the hard work they put in this place for looooooong years. Love it. A must-see place in Truro, really worth a visit.

Excellent food very good price big dishes be back soon

Been going here for YEARS, while visiting family in Truro. The food is fantastic and the owner and his wife are lovely people - always ready for a laugh and a joke. The Restaurant used to be upstairs, but moved downstairs a couple of years ago, so easier for aged or infirm customers to access. BEST Chinese in Truro - you won't be disappointed.

when me, my friend and her 1 year old first arrived to the restaurant we were greeted by a member of staff who quote on quote said “you can come in as long as you keep HER quiet” at first we thought that was rude but we just laughed about it. when we was ready to order the food my friend order food enough for her and her child, he proceeded to say ‘you do know that’s a lot of food’ and she told him it was for all of us to share and he proceeded to take the order. after we had ordered a waitress behind us had pulled a bit of this woman’s hair and gave the woman a bit of a shock but she just brushed it off. the food wasn’t all that bad but wouldn’t recommend.

me, my friend and 15 month old daughter went for a meal early this evening. member of staff was just staring at us for about 5 minutes before we was seated and proceeded to say about my 15 month old daughter "you can come in as long as you keep HER quite". I should've left then and there but I sort of laughed it off as obviously this is pretty much impossible to keep a baby quiet. when we had ordered the man serving us proceeded to say once I had already ordered two dishes and asked for a third "oh...that's a lot of food". I stated that we was all sharing food and the dish that I had ordered (not that it matters!!!) was suitable for my 15 month old daughter to eat. during this process I witnessed another waitress go up behind a customer and jokingly pull a bit of her hair and the customer obviously turned around shocked but also brushed it off as well. the food wasn't all to bad but the staff are totally and utterly rude and I highly do not recommend at all!!

This place offers the best Chinese food I have ever had and is very reasonably priced. Would definitely recommend it. Wish they would move from Truro to Oldham.

well what can I say I have tried all the Chinese restaurants in truro yes I have my favourite but I gotta say my takeaway was absolutely amazing, well done to all the staff chefs for my meal tonight, ribs and mixed meat main was truly tasty, recommended thoroughly 😋

Sweet and sour sauce disgusting,poured it over the special fried rice which was then not fit to eat,phoned them to complain but they put the phone down, rude little @#%@

The food was cold and like rubber the staff was very rude and it took four off the staff to have a go at my daughter because she complained about the food being cold and they never gives her a refund so we will be taking it further

Really great food, and friendly service too. The food was freshly made and tasted truly homemade- will definitely be back :) £10 each and had leftovers!

The worst Chinese takeaway I have ever had.I can only congratulate the cook turning out food that is so bad,that surely is a real skill.

Lunchtime menu was fine I liked the food and the service

Worst Chinese I've ever had. The sweet and sour was too sour, the satay sauce didn't taste like satay at all. Small portions for the price. Also forgot one of the side dishes that we ordered. Won't be going again!

Food yummy going back again in 1923

After waiting 10mins to be seated, we finally got seated, we ordered 2 drinks and a starter meal, we were told we could not not order that as it was too little. We were then asked to leave. If I could leave a 0 star rating I would. Pathetic service.

This was our first time trying Mandarin Garden as we are new to the area. The food was really nice, the vegetarian options are great. The staff were so lovely and friendly. We'll definitely order from them again and recommend them.

Waitress was rude and refused our order

Just what Truro needed, a Chinese restaurant doing a lunch special at a reasonable price! Made our visit to Truro!

Top Chinese takeaway small menu, but really nice food. And very reasonably priced £12 for special chow mein and sweet sour chicken balls. Great after drinking drinking session on a Saturday night. Definitely recommend.

Great take away small menu but very reasonably priced. I pick up a special chow mein and chicken balls after the pub on Saturday. All was great yep I would go back.

This was awful! I should have walked back out again immediately but didn’t 🙄. It started as soon as I arrived, there is absolutely no atmosphere here at all restaurants deathly silent. It has no decoration and it’s incredibly basic. The fittings and tables look like picnic tables and chairs are very comfortable. You get one napkin spoon and a fork. The staff do not smile and barely speak. In the background. There’s a man constantly chopping meat by constantly. I mean he did it there for an hour and 15 minutes, never stopping. I ordered the food whilst looking around me. The restaurant is filled with cardboard boxes and empty bottles just stashed against the walls. There were maybe five clients in the whole restaurant and not a sound except the chopping board. When the food arrived, the hot, sour soup was good and hot. When the main course arrived. I had ordered sweet-and-sour chicken balls. It was warm at best, bland in taste and without flavour. The egg fried rice was lumpy and warm also. I was served a tiny saucer of sour sauce and was left with no knife. I had to get up three times to ask for three different things, a knife, another napkin and some more sauce, no one attended me no one regarded me no one cared about the level of service. The restaurant is decorated awfully the food plant service appalling and the surrounding atmosphere was like a hospital waiting room. This is not a great restaurant. The food is not great food. The service is not great. There is nothing great about this place how it’s still running God only knows. Avoid.

Terrible. Avoid. Really bad experience here. We ordered diet coke and we saw the owner pour out our drinks now from a full sugar coke bottle! I approached him urgently and explained we can only drink sugar free diet coke. He insisted it was diet coke but we insisted on just plain tap water. I said it isn't, I saw you pour it. He still insisted!! Our food tasted very bland, not the best quality by far! We paid and he was rude saying What am I supposed to do with the two cokes now! I explained my friend is diabetic and a full sugar coke could kill him as a glass contains appropriately 7 teaspoons of sugar! I am on a ketogenic diet (no carbohydrates) to control my epilepsy and he literally shouted at us to get out of his restaurant in front of other people. We shall never return again.

Food was really nice 1 stars because as I was waiting to pick my takeaway up the person infront of me order a chicken curry and they said yeah won't be long as we have 1 made and they have not turned up yet. (This was mine) then after waiting for them to cook my order again and getting home I take my order out and they didnt put the pancakes in to have with the duck.

Food was really nice 1 stars because as I was waiting to pick my takeaway up the person infront of me order a chicken curry and they said yeah won't be long as we have 1 made and they have not turned up yet. (This was mine) then after waiting for them to cook my order again and getting home I take my order out and they didnt put the pancakes in to have with the duck.

Our favourite place to dine been going here since 2001 with my husband and then with the children now in there teens they love seeing Jenny and Keith there like family xx❤️😍

Popped in here today again, place was very busy at just after midday. Lunch menu is now £9 per head. Six of us this time, starters were three soups and three portions of spring rolls with a sweet chilli sauce. No problems with any of it although the spring rolls are served on a bed of a few strands of lettuce that looks like it's been sat around for a week. Either do away with the lettuce completely (no-one will ever eat it) or replace it with shredded carrot. Mains: 1 chicken curry (with chips), 1 beef curry (with fried rice), 1 sweet and sour chicken (with fried rice), 1 special chow mein (with fried rice), 1 chicken and mushroom (with fried rice), 1 shrimp foo yung (with fried rice). All very nice although the chow mein apparently had one shrimp and two small pieces of meat in so not so special although what was served was lovely. Plates aren't as hot as I'd like them to be. The place is quite cold and so by the time you're three parts of the way through your meal it's starting to go tepid. However, still recommended to all.

We visited for lunch. The service was efficient & friendly. The food was served hot and was nice, but we both felt that it was very average and our portions were smaller than we would have liked. The rice was sufficient, but a small bowl of prawn crackers is no longer served as part of the menu but would have been nice. The dining room & open kitchen are exceptionally clean. A lady was cleaning tables & chairs as they were being vacated, and everything, including 'legs & seats' were being sprayed with anti bacterial spray and thoroughly wiped down with enthusiasm. A two course lunchtime deal has risen to £9 for a limited choice of starter, a main course & rice. Overall a pleasant lunchtime visit.

This overtakes all the other Chinese restaurants/ takeaways in Truro

We dashed in here after being let down by another restaurant. Waitress was so sweet and friendly, service was quick and efficient. The food was excellent. The tofu dishes were really good which isn't often the case! Chow mein was so yummy. Decent portion sizes and fairly priced. I'm only knocking off a star as it was absolutely freezing in there! Some music would have added to the vibe a little.

We have been before and it has been fine, but just finished a takeaway from there tonight and it was the worst Chinese meal I have ever eaten. Pancake rolls - weird sweet flavour, Egg fried rice, sticky and not fried, some bits not cooked properly odd taste. Sweet and sour chicken balls -tiny chicken in too much batter and odd tasting S&S sauce. Chop suey - was fine. Chicken satay - was just a mild curry taste, nothing close to usual satay flavour, odd taste. Special chow mein essentially had no meat in. Chips dry but edible Prawn crackers fine. Called to complain, but they just pick up the phone and hang up again. (Have experienced this before when ordering.) Tried another 8 times to call but phone off hook, or incredibly busy for a Tuesday. Update happened to pass by and went in to get my money back, or a partial return. I explained the situation, but the rude old guy said there was nothing he could do! Eventually he offered me free prawn crackers on my next visit, I told him that would never happen. Avoid

We have been coming here for years. Very good food and friendly. The restaurant is very basic. However on our last visit which was only a few days ago Xmas. The food was not up to the standard I have always expected. It was extremely busy and a long wait between courses worrying if we would make it in time for the panto. Its not normally like this but I am afraid for me the food was average. Very greasy tasting and as the food got cooler so it seemed more greasy. This will not put me off going again because I know that normally the food is off a high standard. On this occasion I can only give it a 3 star rating normally its four

Been coming here for ages. Food is the best, very well priced. Service is very good ax we.

Authentic Asian food. One of my favourites in Cornwall

So, this was our Christmas night out ~ super excited until we walked in...it was FREEZING. No one else in there for a Saturday night. The food wasn't the best. No character what so ever. No music. Got questioned as to why we chose what WE chose to eat. We thought we may have got some complimentary prawn crackers but we didn't. We then saw a chap come to collect a takeaway and was given a pint AND FREE PRAWN CRACKERS. We also saw the chef go out for a cigarette, which he had in his hand coming from the kitchen...Still in his 'chefs' clothes. Yuck. Won't return.

Fast service with food cooked to order. Ever friendly service. A bit of a bare room, but the food is good

We're not locals, we travel down from Somerset and meet up with family in Truro and this has always been our go-to lunch place. Two course lunch menu is, I think, £7.50 these days but excellent value. Starter used to be just soup or orange...

Nipped in here for an early dinner, we were served after others rather than in order. A course was missed off, mixed starters below average, duck course good, the main course average, king prawns good. Zero atmosphere. Elderly gentleman was charming but I wouldn’t go...

We have been here MANY times and also had their takeaways. They have recently moved downstairs, so is perfect for disabled access. Their menu is 'proper' Chinese and the food is gorgeous and authentic. We have had the set meals and also chosen from the...

Always a warm welcome and delicious food. Great value for money

Have eaten here before and were not disappointed. Service good and the food was piping hot and delicious. Portion size was just right and great value for money. Will definitely return.

We stumbled across here whilst trying to find somewhere to eat. We are from Norfolk with incredible Chinese takeaways and I can safely say this topped them all. Absolutely stunning!!!! Best dinner we’ve had in a while 💙 Staff lovely and food was 10/10 If we come back we will definitely come here again

On entering the restaurant we instantly knew we’d made a mistake. We arrived 10mins before opening and waited in the rain to go to this restaurant before a show at the hall for cornwall. We asked for a table for 2 and was pointed to...

Best Chinese meal by far in a very long time. We had the set meal and execution was flawless This might seem like a hole in the wall place in an unlikely location but they know what they are doing for sure. Would love to...

Lovely food, really enjoyed the set menu (swapped the soup to hot and sour, it was very good). Service with a smile. Really appreciate it's a no dogs pub (like all restaurants were once, and should be on hygiene grounds alone), so my asthmatic husband could eat without worrying that a dog owner would bring their pet in and force us to leave.

Amazing food! Best prawn toast ive ever had!!!

Not only was the food amazing, the service was good the people were very friendly and i had an amazing time with my family there. Contrasting the basic decour, the food in there was flawless, the starters were all served quickly and were absoloutly delicious, the vegetable roll (alongside a sweet chilli sause) was crispy and full of flavour. My main was the egg fried rice and the sweet an dour chicken, The chicken, glased in a sweet and sour sause had a ritch flavour, the chicken was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, whilst the egg fried rice, to no suprise, was stunning, I would definitly come here again and it beats the takeaways from some other chineese resturaunts.

Excellent lunch time deal, two courses £8.50 really tasty food. Always eat here when in Truro.

Delicious Chinese food 😋 but the gentleman is not very lovely…🥺

Fancied a takeaway and most of the reviews where ok. I called to place an order using the menu i found online and the other reviews about the rude staff was correct. The chap on the phone had no patience with me, said i was...