Chinese on Thanksgiving in the Suburbs

[eatruneat]

Renting a car to drive to Thanksgiving festivities again this year. I am not leaving until tomorrow afternoon but am picking up the rental car today. My boyfriend and I are thinking that if the weather lets up and it stops raining (I'm a California girl so driving a rental car in inclement weather is not going to turn out well), we should venture out to Rockville or somewhere in the suburbs for Chinese food. We went to Sichuan Jin River last year, which lead to my first ever donrockwell.com post!

We have narrowed our choices down to:

China Bistro

Bob's Noodle

Bob's Shanghai

Joe's Noodle House

We are also open to other suggestions. Anyone out there with some advice? What I really want are dumplings and noodles.

Thanks!

[deangold]

China Bistro is superb but very down home.  SImple dumplings, great small plates, nothing else has ever been good but the hand made noodles are very good but the soup they come in gloppy.

Joe's has been super the last few times we have been.  Orders ordered "Szechuan Spicy" followed by a "Ma La Ma La" have come out quite spicy.  Perhaps not "Dean" spicy, but with a powerful kick.

We are not on the Bob's bandwagon, preferring the soup dumplings at Shanghai Taste in the little shopping center tucked up by 270.  Watch the speed camera.

My last meal at A & J had superb soup dumplings, very good small plates and a desultory plate of pan fried dumplings.  But I would go back in a flash.

[DanielK]

If you specifically want dumplings and noodles, China Bistro is the place you want. Great handmade dumplings with a variety of fillings, and just get the noodles pan-fried with vegetables (rather than Dean's note about the indifferent broth) and you're good to go.

[deangold]

By the way, you can have the dumplings fried or steamed.  I recall Daniel and I disagree about this too.  I am a fried fan.  Pork and Celery, Porkand Shrimp.

[DanielK]

I am agnostic on fried vs. steamed at China Bistro!

My favorites are Mama's Special and Beef and Celery.

[MarkS]

I am going to bump this thread in hopes of additional feedback.  We are going out on Thursday and in the Jewish tradtion will catch a movie and chinese food.  We live in Rockville but aside from Michaels Noodles I cant remember the last time we ate out Chinese.  We'll be going to the movies at Piek and Rose and hope to stay in that area or north towards 28 as that is close to where we live.

It seems like Joes is a no brainer in case I get no additional feedback.

[DanielK]

Mark, not sure who is open on Xmas Day, but consider, in order going north on 355, Tony Lin's, Seven Seas, Joe's, A&J, East Pearl, Bob's Shanghai, China Bistro.

I will be doing the same exact trip on Xmas Eve...

[goodeats]

I am going to bump this thread in hopes of additional feedback.  We are going out on Thursday and in the Jewish tradtion will catch a movie and chinese food.  We live in Rockville but aside from Michaels Noodles I cant remember the last time we ate out Chinese.  We'll be going to the movies at Piek and Rose and hope to stay in that area or north towards 28 as that is close to where we live.

It seems like Joes is a no brainer in case I get no additional feedback.

I think it depends on the type of Chinese food/experience you are looking for--I wouldn't recommend Joe's, so it's not a "no brainer" case for me. I did not have positive experiences the few times I dined there. Are there particular dishes you are hoping to try? Spicy vs. non-spicy?

[DanielK]

Oh, I forgot to add Super Bowl Noodle between East Pearl and Bob's.