Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'Szechuan'.
-
Arlnow.com reports an off-shoot hot pot/shabu shabu in Virginia Square now, by the name of Mala Tang (as in ma2 la4=hot, spicy and tang4=to heat by water) to occupy the former Mei's Asian Bistro vacancy. -
Does anyone have a good recipe for this? I've looked at a few, there are some significant differences. Trying to recreate Chang's or HKP's version at the home front...
-
Rolling Cooking is a restaurant that has only been open since 2016 on Rolling Road near Old Keene Mill Road in Springfield. It's in the same plaza as Afghan Kabob and TCS Computer, behind Einstein Bagels. However, this version of Rolling Cooking is only 4 weeks old, according to the hostess, meaning it changed ownership at the end of January 2018. In the past 3 days I've ordered delivery and carry out, and right now, this is the best of Springfield's Americanized Chinese restaurants. What strikes me is how greaseless the fried dishes are -- the shrimp tempura has a heavier crust than I'm used to, but the greaseless crunch on the outside gives way to soft shrimp on the inside, and the salt-and-pepper flounder filet are delightful pillows of deliciousness. And I had this latter dish after delivery and carry out, both, and in both cases, it was delectable. In my delivery order a few days ago came shredded pork with chili peppers and General Tso's chicken. The pork was OK, not spectacular, but tasty. The General Tso's chicken was a nice rendition, with perfectly portioned chicken cubes bathed in a not-overly-sweet sauce that had a nice kick. In my take-out order tonight, I repeated the salt-and-pepper flounder to prove I wasn't imaging its goodness a few days -- I wasn't -- and I added the whole fried rockfish. The rockfish was a bit over-fried, so it had some dryness, and when the dryness co-mingled with the bony fish, it was as pleasant as I would have liked. This appears to be a dish to be eaten in the restaurant as soon as it comes out of the fryer. As I was waiting for my carry-out order, the hostess brought me a plate of warm, salty peanuts, followed by a cup of hot and sour soup, and a nice tumbler of hot tea. These treats were gratis, but inspired me to add a nice tip to the carry-out check. I also noticed a six-top occupied by a Hispanic family, and a beautiful dish of chicken fried rice in the middle of that table. A four-top with an Asian family speaking Chinese to the hostess is always a sign that the indigenous population enjoys the food here too. I'll keep an eye on Rolling Cooking to make sure that it stays consistent, but it ranks at least a nose ahead of Springfield's other Chinese offerings at this point.-
- 2
-
-
- Rolling Cooking
- Rolling Road
- (and 4 more)
-
I hadn't been to North China in 10 or 15 years. The last time I had been there, it was a better-than-average Szechuan place, but nothing terribly out of the ordinary. About a month or two ago, I got a menu from North China in the mail, and I saw that they had a lot of more traditional dishes listed. We decided to try it. We were in for a surprise when we arrived. The restaurant used to have two rooms; now it was down to one. And whereas the decor had been sort of upscale suburban, now it was much more bare-bones. The food was outstanding. We had first-rate ma-po tofu, a very spicy shredded pork and chili appetizer, a sauteed squid dish with shredded pork and finely chopped greens, and a more conventional beef & mixed vegatables dish that was very well prepared. We didn't delve as deeply into the menu was I would have liked, because there were only three of us, one of whom was my son, who is more limited in his tastes than my wife and I. But there was lots of unfamiliar (to me) stuff to try. Fish stomach, anyone? Although one visit isn't enough to base a comparison on, based on what we ate it wouldn't be outrageous to put North China roughly in the same ballpark as Joe's Noodle House. It's certainly a closer-in alternative if you're looking for non-Americanized Chinese food. The address is 7814 Old Georgetown Rd. -
_svg.thumb.png.c50387abb33133634363845f12199fa0.png)
I was out in Fairfax so I finally stopped in Nanjing Bistro (in the same shopping center as Chuy's). It's supposed to be authentic Nanjing cuisine. The menu I received has lots of pictures, so if you didn't get an authentic looking Chinese menu with pictures, you should request it. I had a cold spicy chicken dish (the sauce is surprisingly sweet with a hint of fishiness, probably from some kind of fish sauce), a bean paste fish filet, and some stirred fried veggies. None of them knocked my socks off but the food is pretty good. -
Is it possible that there's anything approaching Jin River out near Reston?
-
Breaking News! Bethesda Magazine is reporting that Peter Chang will open a new "flagship" restaurant called "Q by Peter Chang" in Bethesda. Don will have to decide if this qualifies for it's own thread. -
Soooooo Little Pepper has been getting lots of press. Like literally the times did a whole article on just this restaurant. People have made pilgrimages to this place en masse it seems. It's in a very strange location compared to it's counterparts in and around the main drag in Flushing central. This is in College Point. I was a bit skeptical as places that get SOOOOO much press tend to enliven my skepticism particularly when it's been throughout a relatively long period of time. Anywho, I went and had a very nice meal. They have that balance between the sweetness, the savory, and the spicy downnnnn. Sometimes I go to Sichuan restos and they like need to prove that they are from Sichuan and they just go all out on the spice. I can handle spice but having been to the Sichuan province and having quite a lot of experience with Chinese food I've found it's besssstttt when you get a certain balance in the flavors. I got a whole spread despite it being just me based on recommendations from several of the articles I had read about the restaurant. The menu is quite large which isn't strange but it is chock full of very nice dishes some beyond the usual dan dan noodles and such (they have those tooooo and I love Dan Dan just using it to make a point!!). I got the Chongqing Chicken, the Spicy Potatos, the Cumin Lamb, and the Beef Tendons. My two faves were the chicken and the potatos. The chicken had a great flavor but be warned it is very peppery and not to be eaten if u don't really like spiceeeee. Usually dishes like this with diced meat and chili can be mixed in quality I've found. Sometimes the meat loses out to the rest of ingredients!!! Spot on here in my opinion!! The potatos however could be said to be revelatory. Imagine french fries made by a Sichuan chef and thats what its like. I don't even LOVE French Fries and I felt this was a knock out. It had the perfect flavor blend of that herby peppery mouth numbing taste along with the gloriousness of a French Fry put together. SOOOOOO I would def make the trek and go here it's well worth it!!! Maybe ya'll disagree as well perhaps it has declined from a height it was once at before the hype etc LMKKKK!!- 3 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- College Point
- Chinese
- (and 2 more)
-
I have not yet set foot inside Rolling Cooking (alternate website), but I pass it regularly and I'm hearing good things. From its menu (too long to download and post), it looks a little like a neighborhood Chinese restaurant, but I hear that the dishes are more authentic than Americanized, that Mapo Tofu is on the menu, that the Flaming Lamb is tremendous, and that they deliver. More to follow upon first-hand observation. I'm not sure what to make of the dual websites. One seems to indicate Bayonne is the location, but both point to the Springfield location. What Rolling Cooking replaced was a pretty bad Chinese place, maybe as long as 6 months ago....but I only recently noted the funky sign out front.
-
A new star appears to have entered the Chinese restaurant firmament. TemptAsian, a rather non-descript place on Little River Turnpike, is the new home of Peter Chang, previously the chef at China Star, arguably the best local Sichuan restaurant at least until he left it several weeks ago. The menu follows the old China Star fairly closely--the Sichuan menu has 88 items in English and Chinese (there is also a Chinese-only first page with another 10 or so and a chalkboard on the wall with 7-8 more, also Chinese only). Be sure to get that menu, as there is also the usual American menu. Two visits, one with a group of 8, confirm that the quality is there, including the baby wontons, diced rabbit, ma po bean curd, Lake Windless prawns, fish with bean curd (or was it wheat gluten), etc. No weekly specials yet, and I'm not clear if these will be part of the new regime--remains to be seen. Apparently PC left CS because they were trying to have him do too many things he didn't wish to do--he has a freer hand in his new digs. The place is at 6259 Little River Turnpike. It is immediately west of 395, in the same strip center as Grand Mart and Hee Been. It is in a little building close to LRT, across the parking lot from GM and facing it. FWIW, Washingtonian gives it a favorable review in the new (July) issue which also has some useful information. -
On my way back from the library today, I stopped to pickup a lunch special from Hunan Deli, which despite it's name, serves Korean food. It's in a small strip mall on Telegraph Rd., near Rt. 1. I ordered the jjampong, a spicy seafood soup, & it is delicious. I've had a bit of a cold & congestion, & the taste of this will clear your throat right up! It's a small place w/ just a few tables, but most of them were full with folks happily eating big bowls of yummy looking food. I look forward to going back & trying something else... -
This place has opened up in the place formerly occupied by Chef Chen's. The space is much bigger than Tempt Asian but still kind of drab despite a remodel. We have been there a couple of times. They have a "Chinese menu" that is translated and easily available along with the usual Sino-American fare. We have had the spicy fish pot that was Excellent. Also loved the Nanjing salty duck, bamboo cumin fish (although the cumin could have been more pronounced and beef in dry pot. The spicy dishes are hot but not unbearable so. Talked to the owner's son one evening before he went back to school. He said they have high hopes for this location and might even consider moving the whole operation here. Asked couple of different people but didn't get an answer to why they didn't just name it Tempt Asian II. My little corner of Alexandria desperately needed a good Chinese joint. I am excited. Looking forward to reviews better written than this one. -
Had Sichuan food on my mind last night, as so often happens, so I visited the poorly-programmed website for Hong Kong Palace. (hint: URL tags, like fading relationships, need some sort of closure) Ah. The owners just bought a place called China Jade up near Shady Grove Metro. So I just happened to find myself in the Shady Grove area at lunchtime today, and can report that the Cumin Beef recipe successfully made the trip north. Much of the HKP menu is duplicated here, plus they've added Cantonese seafood dishes to the mix. When I sat down, Maggie the manager handed me the traditional and Americanized menus, and suggested some of the traditional specialties. This was before she even noticed I looked Asian. We chatted a little about HKP, and she pointed out a family also making its first visit after discovering the change in ownership. So if you're craving some of that HKP cumin beef or fish in peppery broth, but can't cope with crossing the river and getting lost in Seven Corners (Dean, I'm looking at you), give China Jade a try. China Jade 16805 Crabbs Branch Way Rockville, MD 20855 301-963-1570 11am-10pm daily It's at the intersection of Shady Grove Rd and Crabbs Branch Way, in the shopping center with Giant and Red Hot & Blue.
-
[posted on eGullet 2003-2004] This outstanding find is in the same shopping center as the Fair City Cinemas, one of the best houses for independent film in all of Virginia (Little River Turnpike and Pickett Road, sort of). China Star is right up there near the top of all Szechuan restaurants in the DC area, the key word being Szechuan, incorrectly dissed as China's Tar, hence the name. The Scallion Pancake is hors classe, served in a globular puff and just an unbelievable combination with the pickled cabbage and broccoli that are served as a small amuse-gueule (along with spicy peanuts which are equally irresistible). Fish with Sour Mustard is a must, the filets of white fish simmering in a quasi-hot-pot of burbling hoodoo spices and chiles. You might not think it necessary or even desirable to order Marinated Duck Feet with such a dish, but it's beautiful combination when the two dishes are worked together: the duck feet served with root vegetables (carrots, turnip-like things), in a cold vinaigrette sauce, and presented in a locked-lid apothecary jar. You need the sweetness and coolness of this dish to neutralize the fires of the first, and they work wonderfully in tandem. Crystal Shrimp is a fine, glossy plate of good shrimp, and Shredded Pork with Dried Tofu is another dish that manages to be soulful without excessive spicing. On another visit, this restaurant proved useful for people I know ranging in age from 7 to 80, and even their Americanized fare such as Beef with Broccoli and Lemon Chicken are a strong cut above what you would normally find in a local restaurant. I've found "authentic" Chinese restaurants that do a great Chinese menu, but completely drop the ball on the Americanized stuff; not here. By my experience, you can order the entire menu with confidence. Shredded Pork with Green Pepper is a completely different dish than the Shredded Pork with Dried Tofu, hotter, deeply sauced and homestyle. Man, there's so much left I haven't explored on this menu. Look at this stuff: Five Flavored Smoke Shredded Tofu, Ma La Diced Rabbit, Pork Scallion Pie, Triple Stuffed Bean Curd Skin, Spicy Peppercorn Pig Feet in Hot Pot, Beef Triple and Pig Blood with Bean Sprouts, Braised Fish, Spicy and Sour Squid Roll, the list goes on. Tsing Taos, $3.25, and you'll need them, too. I was there today with a Chinese woman who asked the waiter why they weren't that crowded for lunch. The reply? "Because people are in a hurry for lunch, and it's difficult to eat Szechuan food in ten minutes and then rush out. When people do come, it's often in large groups, and we're busy for dinner every night of the week." China Star is a huge addition to the Northern Virginia chinese scene - many Chinese people feel that for spicy food, it's the best Chinese restaurant around, and I've seen no reason not to defer to their wisdom and experience. -
Tried 88 China on Saturday and was disappointed. Spicy capsicum chicken was certainly hot enough, but was more heat than flavor. Shredded chicken with leek was terrible. Crabmeat and asparagus chowder was tasteless. Every time we get one of these "Authentic" places out here in Western Fairfax, I get my hopes up and they are always dashed. Happened with Sichuan Village. Happened with 100 Degree Chinese Cuisine. Happened with Taste @ Hong Kong. All these places have some good dishes, but none comes close to a stellar eatery like HKP. Cheng's Asian Cuisine has some potential. And we haven't had even a decent dim sum spot out here since Fortune Reston closed. -
How recently? I was there about 6 weeks ago, and things seemed fine. Is the Gaithersburg place open yet? Name, location??!!? -
Florence Fabricant of the New York Times reports on the new Han Dynasty at 90 Third Ave. "A First Look at Han Dynasty in the East Village" by Robert Sietsema on ny.eater.com
-
Brian Freedman's review of Xi'an Sizzling Woks in philadelphiaweekly.com website (Note: the website says Xi'an Sizzling Woks is closed Mondays; the article implies otherwise).
-
I've had many a Ma Po Tofu, including at Hong Kong Palace, that had the perception of overwhelming saltiness. Maybe this is a "cilantro-soap" thing? [Reminder to N00bs - click on the "snapback arrow" (top-right of quoted text) to snap back to the original conversation.]
-
Guess chaofun had a scoop, as he added this location to our dim sum guide before any of us posted. I had seen this place advertise in the local Chinese paper but not visited until today. I saw an acquaintance post about dim sum today, so, well, I felt I wanted to have some dim sum on a dreary day, so I went. Golden King opens as early as 10am, which is great, given the congee selections on the menu. I stopped by at 11:00, knowing that they serve dim sum off the menu during weekdays (carts on weekends). The portions were big, I feel, given the price; I think dim sum is just getting pricey. My bill came to $21 and change after taxes, pre-tip. I ordered: Shrimp Har Gow Fried Shrimp & Pork Dumpling Pan-Fried Radish Cake & Twist Cruller Rice Noodle Crepe 1/4 order roast duck All were pretty good, with lots of leftovers since it was just me. I liked some of the things but I also like HK Pearl, which is closer, but it's nice to know there are now two options in Northern Virginia. I think I would like to try ordering from the menu next time, as I love Cantonese rice platters. Definite comfort food. The server said you can order the dim sum or regular menu to go. Delivery is within 5miles (I think) with minimum order of $15. Definitely worth a second look. I will scan in menu tomorrow. 703-433-5888 Hours: 10:00am - 11:00pm Dim sum: 10:00am - 3:00pm 21800 Town Center Plaza, Suite 269 Sterling, VA
_svg.thumb.png.c50387abb33133634363845f12199fa0.png)
