Thanks to a tip from reader David N., we learned that Hayes Valley's only Chinese restaurant, Mandarin Villa, closed for business at 101 Oak St. earlier this week. Several stops by the restaurant and unanswered phone calls have deepened the mystery.

The restaurant had been a longtime presence in the area, with business permits indicating that's been around since at least 2004. With a three-star rating on Yelp, Mandarin Villa's cuisine earned mixed reviews, with some praising the food while others described rude servers and post-meal sickness. 

Photo: Tuan T. / Yelp

A review from May 29th foreshadowed that all might not be well with the restaurant. "WTH is wrong with these people ... never picks up the phone. Never opens the door. Always closed," wrote one irate Yelp reviewer. "Call them one time when I was in front of the store ... there would be a bunch of people inside hanging out. They just look at the phone and ignore it."

"Eat here now, because I suspect it won't be here too much longer," wrote another on May 25th. 

The windows of the Oak Street restaurant are covered in brown paper, which often signifies construction or renovation, but no building permits have been filed with the city. 

We'll let you know if we learn more about Mandarin Villa's closure or what might be taking its place at 101 Oak St. In the meantime, those who crave Chinese food will have to venture outside the neighborhood.