Occupying the former site of Yong Sing on Alakea St., The Mandalay exudes an air of elegance, from its hotel-like stone-and-travertine exterior and grandiose foyer, to its gold-embroidered chairs and impressive upper mezzanine dining area.

This is certainly no mom-and-pop operation.

During lunch last week, word had obviously reached the masses about the restaurant's grand opening, as the room was abuzz with activity.

While servers raced around delivering plates of dim sum, I kept looking for the carts; not a single one could be be spotted.

Hmm...

Plunking down a sharpened No. 2 pencil and a form that resembles one of those fill-in-the-box, standardized scholastic tests, our energetic server Lily instructed us how to fill out the sheet for our dim sum.

She then walked away with a coy smile and jokingly wished us good luck on our "test."

If only all exams were this easy — and appetite awarding. While filling in our order, we were able to refer to a menu with photos of the actual dim sum items. (Like I said, this was a no-brainer.)

We drew lines across boxes that corresponded with the following photos: siu mai, taro puff, mochi rice, barbecue pork bun, beef balls with bean curd and pan-fried gyoza.

Within minutes, Lily and fellow server Selina arrived with our plates of dim sum, proving this made-to-order system is not only efficient, but it's also much easier for the waitstaff and diners.

The advantage of this system is obvious: because dim sum items are made to order, they're remarkably fresher compared to those found in a roving cart. The steamed siu mai, for example, is plump, firm —and not soggy as if they've been sitting in a bamboo basket for any length of time — and filled with a flavorful mixture of ground pork and bits of shrimp.

The mini baked barbecue pork bun was moist and soft to the touch, and its exterior glistened with a bronze egg-washed luster that gave it an attractive and inviting pastry appearance.

Plates of dim sum start at $2.25 for a small plate and incrementally increase to $2.85 for medium and $3.75 for large. Specialty items, such as deep-fried crispy tofu, poached gai lan (broccoli) and mixed vegetable salad, cost $4.95 each. Deluxe items of Chinese chicken salad, spicy marinated jelly fish salad and shrimp with fresh fruit salad are priced at $5.95.

While I leaned toward the house-special tea-smoked chicken ($14.50 for a half portion or $28 for a whole bird) and the salt-and-pepper pork ribs, I ended up trying the fillet of sole ($13.95). Half was deep-fried and had as much texture and flavor as any crunchy English-style, beer-battered fish. The other half was simply sauteed and enhanced with slivers of ginger then set atop a bed of crispy fried noodles. This dish had it all; it had wonderful texture and the right amount of seasonings.