NATIONAL CITY (CBS 8) - If you're counting your calories, watching your weight or reducing your sodium intake, this may not be the place for you.
Larry Himmel takes us to a National City restaurant, where their special dish just flies out the door.
It's not for weak of palate, nor the faint of heart. But the Royal Mandarin restaurant in National City serves up a deep fried delicacy that folks simply can't stop eating.
Mario Whoo serves a complete menu of Mandarin cuisine at the Plaza Boulevard cafe that he's owned since 1984. But one item he's created has been a standout.
"The most popular one is the chicken wings. The salt and pepper chicken wings. People love it."
The wings are first dipped in a batter of flour, corn starch, salt and water, then, because one fryer is not enough, they are triple-deep fried.
"They put it down, one by one to the first one, and then they move it to the second one. Then when it goes to the third one, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes and they are ready to go."
Well, almost ready to go.
"And this happens everyday. Every single day."
Locals have an insatiable appetite for Mario's salt and pepper chicken wings. Nearly 1,000 pounds of chicken wings are cooked just on the weekdays. Even more on the weekends.
They roll out of the kitchen and right out the door. Or people just order them by the plate full inside the Royal Mandarin restaurant.
"It tastes a lot better, when it recently comes out of the deep fryer."
Despite the frantic pace, the staff is happy. The customers are festive.