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Wang Manor (Formerly Big Wang's Cuisine), A New Concept, Szechuan Dry Hot-Pot Specialists on Frederick Road in Derwood


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My parents sold their home of 40 years this past spring, exchanging the hassle of maintaining a 2,000 sf house for the simple life of a 2 br rental at Leisure World.  Over the decades, they had not done a good job of curating their possessions, consequently, they were overwhelmed by the decision of what to do with their mountain of stuff.  I helped them figure out what to keep (my 8th grade report on the Mayas, with a picture I drew showing how they formed a baby’s head into a point) and what to donate (3 flour sifters).  Of course, the final home for the majority of stuff was the MoCo dump on 355.

Over the many trips there, I had time to contemplate “Big Wang Cuisine” on the east side of the road, just south of the dump.  I speculated a restaurant with a name that, in English, is quite amusing, would be hardcore.  The majority of contributors to Yelp confirmed this. 

Young SB and I went there last week.  The restaurant specializes in dry hotpot, which, from what I can tell, is a Szechuan stir-fry.  You select what you want from four categories; the categories are priced from $2-$5.  We chose beef, pork belly, dried bean curd, bok choy, wide vermicelli, and Tribute vegetable (a hollow-stemmed vegetable that had been dried) and asked for extra spicy.  We also got House Special Beef Noodle Soup, a lamb skewer, and a beef skewer. 

All the dishes were excellent.  The hotpot, served with rice, had a lot of chili peppers, Szechwan peppercorns, and oil.  The items were cooked well and there was a nice contrast of textures.  There was plenty for two.  The skewers were juicy; both were spiced with hot pepper and cumin.  The lamb was quite fatty and gamy.  The soup had a very nice flavor. 

The restaurant is clean, bright and the service was fine.  They give a 5% discount for cash.  I’ll go back for the hot pot.  Some other diners had ordered the fried pig feet dish and that looked tasty.

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I got a carryout dry hotpot from here over the weekend based upon SIlverBullitt's recommendation.  I got shrimp, tripe, beef, dry tofu, lotus root, and bok choy.  It was a huge bowl of goodies.  I ordered it extra spicy and was  a little let down.  I didn't think it was as spicy as it could have been, but there was a lot of Szechuan peppercorn, as a result, I devoured the dish.  I will be back to try and work through more of the menu.

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The dry hotpot here is really awesome, hit the spot perfectly and now I'm fighting off a spicy food induced coma. For mine I got beef, Fish Balls, Tofu, Rice Cakes, Pork Belly, and Potatoes. I'll do without the Potatoes next time (they were kind of in an odd place of being thin sliced but very soft, I'd rather they were crispy or chunks) and probably swap in a different vegetable, but other than that everything was super good. Just for the hotpot (which has a 6 item minimum) totaled about $20, but that's enough food for 2-3 people or meals easily.

I did also try the chicken wing and lamb skewers, they were both good (especially the lamb though) but considering the quantity of hotpot you get, I'll probably skip them from now on.

I'm curious how good the rest of the menu is, they have plenty of other staples on the menu, though many of them only seem to appear on the to-go menu and were not on the dine-in menu?

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17 hours ago, Al Dente said:

Is this joint at all related to New Big Wong:P

I am not sure if you are trying to be funny, Don obviously does.  This is a pure Szechuan spot. Bog Wong is Cantonese.  Since Silver Bullit's first post, I have had food from here 3 times.  Twice I got the dry hotpot.  Last time I tried skewers (beef, lamb, and whole mackerel), cumin beef, and some other sort of spicy chicken dish.  All were excellent.  The cumin beef was the standout, with a really good flavor, and a heat that really builds to a crescendo. 

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Thanks -- I've driven by (also on my way to the "solid waste transfer station" on 355 -- will stop in the next time (Off topic- if you're not signed up for the infrequent newsletter sent out by the MoCo Solid Waste Services office, get on their list. Each edition ends with a poem, usually tied in to the news or a calendar event. Kind of charming. ).

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43 minutes ago, coolcreek said:

Thanks -- I've driven by (also on my way to the "solid waste transfer station" on 355 -- will stop in the next time (Off topic- if you're not signed up for the infrequent newsletter sent out by the MoCo Solid Waste Services office, get on their list. Each edition ends with a poem, usually tied in to the news or a calendar event. Kind of charming. ).

The former tenant at the Big Wang space was called Momo Taro, it was a sushi spot.  I would always refer to it as the sushi place next to the dump!

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30 minutes ago, pras said:

The former tenant at the Big Wang space was called Momo Taro, it was a sushi spot.  I would always refer to it as the sushi place next to the dump!

Momo Taro still has their original location, open for more than 15 years in the Cabin John Mall. Most of their business must come from catering orders and supplying local markets with sushi - there's never anyone in the store, even at meal times, but they are always busy cutting fish.

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13 minutes ago, DanielK said:

Momo Taro still has their original location, open for more than 15 years in the Cabin John Mall. Most of their business must come from catering orders and supplying local markets with sushi - there's never anyone in the store, even at meal times, but they are always busy cutting fish.

As an aside, the Washington Business Journal reported that Carl Freeman Companies have sold Cabin John to Edens.  It also stated that they can enlarge the property from it's current square footage of ~200,000 square feet to 700,000 square feet.  I think it is reasonable to assume that we will see some redevelopment.

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4 hours ago, pras said:

As an aside, the Washington Business Journal reported that Carl Freeman Companies have sold Cabin John to Edens.  It also stated that they can enlarge the property from it's current square footage of ~200,000 square feet to 700,000 square feet.  I think it is reasonable to assume that we will see some redevelopment.

Story posted just today, in fact.

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2 hours ago, Koozebanian Fazoob said:

Another delicious trip here today, this place (especially due to the location) has quickly become my go-to for Sichuan now. Kept it conservative this time and just got the hotpot, lord knows it's like 3 meals worth of food for me already.

Anyone tried any dumplings here yet? Sometimes I just gotta get my fix.

Your post makes me jealous and even hungrier.  So close to me yet I am now on a diet!  I dream about the hot pot!

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4 hours ago, DanielK said:

I'm the only one in the family that tolerates the sichuan peppercorns - is this place even worth a visit if we have to order everything light on the spicy?

Although I didn't really look that deep beyond the spicy offerings, I recall there being options.  There is also a full American Chinese menu.  Also, you are allowed to select the spiciness of the hot pot.  I have always chosen the spiciness and didn't get blown away, but there is a good amount of peppercorns in there for numbness.

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8 minutes ago, DanielK said:

There are other great options in Rockville for Chinese, so I'd only go here for the hot pot. Will have to try it, spice "medium", and will report back.

Please do!  My parents live nearby and haven't been yet but are intrigued -- they mentioned that dry hot pot ("gan guo") has been a trendy thing at certain restaurants in China recently.

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So, tried it today for lunch.

We got a dry hot pot with beef, pork belly, fish balls, "flammulina" (enoki mushrooms), 5 spice tofu, rice cake, and lotus root. We ordered it "medium", and it was still plenty spicy with a moderate amount of sichuan peppercorns. I could have handled it hotter, but was fine with this level of heat. I think we have to be better at ordering ingredients - the dish didn't really come together in a way that made me go "wow", though it was good. We tried to have them suggest combinations, but there wasn't enough English being spoken there for us to really get our point across.

Also had crispy salty duck (just ok), a fried whole fish with sweet & sour sauce (also just ok), and a Sichuan Beef & Tofu dish that was fabulous.

Huge menu. Will definitely be back to try other things, but there are certainly plenty of Chinese places in Rockville to compete!

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Yeah the menu here is big enough that you know there's probably a handful of really good other things on it, but you might have to sort through a whole lot of okay to mediocre dishes to get to them.

Might try out that Sichuan Beef & Tofu dish next time myself.

The 5 spice tofu is really good. Fish balls will always be my favorite though, maybe I should ask next time if I can just get double fishballs.

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17 hours ago, Koozebanian Fazoob said:

The 5 spice tofu is really good. Fish balls will always be my favorite though, maybe I should ask next time if I can just get double fishballs.

The fish balls were fantastic - possibly the best I've had anywhere. They were not dense or gummy like they are a lot of other places. They were light and just enough chew to hold them together, and tasted like fish, not just "fishy". I completely agree on getting double fishballs.

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On 1/16/2017 at 3:33 PM, DanielK said:

The fish balls were fantastic - possibly the best I've had anywhere. They were not dense or gummy like they are a lot of other places. They were light and just enough chew to hold them together, and tasted like fish, not just "fishy". I completely agree on getting double fishballs.

The shrimp balls were also delicious, and filled with something. I don't know what! Do I want to know what?

Pretty good article too, want to try that Shanghai style braised pork next time I go I think.

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My son is in middle school.  He recently discovered that the most effective way to avoid being bullied is for him to punch the bully in the face.  This lead to his desire to learn boxing.  I found a gym in Derwood, Donte’s Boxing Gym.  Donte is a terrific young man with a real gift for teaching kids proper technique and self-control as well as for motivating them to work hard.

Happily, just a few minutes north of the gym is Big Wang’s.  My son and I have gone there twice so far, me to get the pig’s feet with hot peppers and Szechuan peppercorns.  I really love that dish.  It’s remarkably conceived- the very crispy skin is followed by a collagen-sticky, fatty layer, then fairly juicy meat.  Sometimes I eat all three layers together; other times, I eat them separately.  The peppers don’t stick to the pig’s feet so I dig around the bottom of the bowl to retrieve a few peppers to eat along with them.  The rice that accompanies the dish adds a useful contrast to the tastes and textures of the dish.

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On 12/26/2017 at 12:23 PM, Ericandblueboy said:

I believe Asian Origin is now the flagship of the HKP restaurant group and offers a higher end dining experience than both PC and HKP.  That said, I think PC, HKP and Asian Origin are all pretty consistent (I've been going to AO much more than HKP or PC).

Kliman really likes Big Wang's in Derwood.  Anyone been?

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I picked up carryout the other night before the impeding storm.  I noticed that the Filipino spot next door was closed and that there were building permits posted in the windows.  I asked the person who helped me at Big Wang what was going in and he said that they were taking over the space and were essentially doubling their size (which is already on the large side).  He said they will be open in about 2 months and will have an expanded menu. 

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On 3/22/2018 at 7:42 AM, pras said:

I picked up carryout the other night before the impeding storm.  I noticed that the Filipino spot next door was closed and that there were building permits posted in the windows.  I asked the person who helped me at Big Wang what was going in and he said that they were taking over the space and were essentially doubling their size (which is already on the large side).  He said they will be open in about 2 months and will have an expanded menu. 

16041 Frederick Road ("the Filipino spot next door") was Kapampangan, previously Pampangueña Cafe. I can't find anything online that indicates Big Wang's (16051 Frederick Road) has taken over that space. This isn't a current picture, but it shows the two restaurants in perspective.

Screenshot 2018-05-18 at 17.49.12.png

BTW, it's definitely "Big Wang's" and not "Big Wang" - the internet seems to be split on this, but the sign is clear.

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I was going to head there on Friday, but my daughter had other ideas.  It is possible that something got lost in the translation, but the guy I spoke to was pretty adamant.  Plans can always change though.

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I was finally able to get the dry hot pot that I had desired last night.  I asked the person who took my order for carryout (who is the guy who it seems like manages the place) about the spot next door.  He said that they are in the process of building it out, but that it has taken longer than they anticipated with the normal delays from the county building inspectors.  They are building a bigger kitchen (he explained that the current kitchen isn't big enough, that there is only one day's worth of refrigerator space.  They will convert the rest of the space to a larger dining room, and will also build some party rooms.  They plan to keep the current menu, but expand it slightly.  

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We were there last week.  They are thinking another couple of months before opening the new space.  There was a banner over that space announcing "Wang Manor".  A waiter told us the restaurant will have the same boss (I guess that's Big Wang) but "different company".  I assume that means more investors.  

Hot pot extra spicy and fried pig's feet were still top-notch.

 

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I dined here Saturday night with my daughter. Ordering was a confusing process. I asked about the dry hot pot, because of the raves above and was told the closest thing was lamb with cumin and got a warning about how spicy it was. I had something in the past from Joe's Noodle House with the same description and enjoyed the heat, so I ordered it. There was a lot of cumin, but no other heat. It tasted fine, maybe a little fatty, but I was disappointed by the lack of spiciness. I also ordered the spinach in chicken soup and they tried to talk me out of it because of the "black egg". After telling them I was familiar with century eggs, and insisting I wanted it, they allowed me to order it. This dish was enjoyable with the spinach just cooked enough in a rich yolk-colored broth. My daughter's lo mein was good enough that my daughter ate the vegetables in it.

I feel like I experienced some culinary discrimination (I'm not Asian), but the meal was enjoyable and the price was right. I was intrigued by a lot of items on the menu and would like to go back, but next time I'll go with a larger group so we can order more dishes. 

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1 hour ago, Al Dente said:

I dined here Saturday night with my daughter. Ordering was a confusing process. I asked about the dry hot pot, because of the raves above and was told the closest thing was lamb with cumin and got a warning about how spicy it was. I had something in the past from Joe's Noodle House with the same description and enjoyed the heat, so I ordered it. There was a lot of cumin, but no other heat. It tasted fine, maybe a little fatty, but I was disappointed by the lack of spiciness. I also ordered the spinach in chicken soup and they tried to talk me out of it because of the "black egg". After telling them I was familiar with century eggs, and insisting I wanted it, they allowed me to order it. This dish was enjoyable with the spinach just cooked enough in a rich yolk-colored broth. My daughter's lo mein was good enough that my daughter ate the vegetables in it.

I feel like I experienced some culinary discrimination (I'm not Asian), but the meal was enjoyable and the price was right. I was intrigued by a lot of items on the menu and would like to go back, but next time I'll go with a larger group so we can order more dishes. 

Dry hot pot is a separate menu.  I am going to go out on a limb, but the issue was probably a language barrier one.

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4 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Hell, I went into El Pollo Campero the other day, and they were so tickled to see a white boy trying to speak Spanish that I became the centerpiece of the cashiers. 

I *really* wowed 'em when I ordered tortillas instead of rolls. 🙂

Sadly, the Campero in my neighborhood no longer has tortillas. This makes me sad.

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Drove by last night to get some Dry Hot Pot.  They are closed until August while they complete the transition to "Wang Manor".  I wish they would call it "Big Wang Manor", but that is the 10 year old in me shining through!

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There are photos of the menu on some website where self important people go to yip about their lives being ruined over trivial slights and a touch too much salt in one dish. While said website is worthless in guiding dining decisions, the photos of menus often offers more insight into the food offered than website with little to no menu information.

The pictures of the food at Wang Manor show some pretty impressive traditional dishes, particularly a thrice cooked pork belly over pickled veggies dish that look screamingly tempting. 

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