SeanMike Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 So, I just moved over to Ballston Park, and I'm exploring my new neighborhood. I live right behind a number of places including Ravi Kabob #1 and Eastern Carryout. One of the managers for the complex suggested Eastern Carryout. Having had some issues today getting to work, I was stuck running late and decided to just grab something fast from there. Being starving, I decided to grab a few things - after all, this place is literally spitting distance from my front door, and I wanted to know if it'd be worth my usually-hungover Chinese food cravings. A "small" wonton soup is $1.65. It is easily a pint or more of soup with five wontons floating in it (that I've found so far). The broth is dark but not as rich or complex as I'd like, but not bad. There's a plethora of green onions diced up and floating in it, plus some chewy bits of unidentifiable meat (the best kind of meat!). A steal at that price, really. Whoa. Steamed dumplings ($5.25) come with eight of them. They're not the plump doughy ones I expected - instead, they're more of what I'd associate dumplings from a Thai or Vietnamese restaurant. Still, they're not bad at all, just way more than I expected. They don't stint on the filling. The lunch special "chicken with garlic sauce" ($4.75) is mammoth. There's probably solid two pounds of food in here, and most of it ain't the fried rice (which has a texture and feel to it that reminds me almost more of couscous or something, it's kind of weird but it's not bad). There's a nice spice to it, but not overwhelming, though overall it's spicy but not complex. If I was sick, this would be a MONEY dish to break up the congestion while not overwhelming my stomach. In the end? No, this is not great food. But it ain't bad, and holy crap there's a lot of it! I'm thinking the sodium or MSG must be high in this, because I'm guzzling my accompanying beverages (Coke Zero and water), so keep that in mind. But I cannot complain about the price! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted April 29, 2012 Share Posted April 29, 2012 The lunch special "chicken with garlic sauce" ($4.75) is mammoth. There's probably solid two pounds of food in here Two pounds of food for $4.75. Open for seventeen years. And a website! Do not ---> click me <--- because if you do, you'll never, ever get this song out of your head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Landrum Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Do not ---> click me <--- because if you do, you'll never, ever get this song out of your head. Don, Don, Don, what you really mean is this: Moist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Don, Don, Don, what you really mean is this: Fascinating - I never knew - and here's Dave McKenna from Washington City Paper linking the two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanMike Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share Posted June 13, 2012 So I've been sick this week. Like, really sick. Not "oh I'm a bit hungover and my tummy doesn't feel good", but instead "I cannot go to work" sick. Which means No Fun For SeanMike. No Going Out For Dinner. No Going Out For Drinks. Etc. Fortunately for me Eastern Carryout is like, you know, right there, and stuff. Yes, it's full of salt and/or MSG, probably, but I'm also probably better hydrated these days than I ever am, so it only mildly affects me. And a belly full of cheap Americanized Chinese food helps me sleep and rest and hopefully kick this bug. (Because having this bug means I'm not going to Spirits in Black tonight, and I'm really really angry about that.) (Because being sick = no fun but does = lots of Chinese food) Current thoughts: Chicken Noodle Soup is full of WAY TOO MANY noodles, spaghetti-like noodles, and I'm like, How can they afford to put so many noodles and so much chicken in a vat of soup for $3.30? Do I really WANT to know? General Tso's Chicken and Orange Chicken are above-average versions of those dishes. The egg rolls are kind of bland, but not bad. Better than some places. The white rice is perhaps better than the fried. Not always a given at these kind of places. Their crab rangoon are above average, and a hearty portion for $4.25. Be careful the order taker is not confused and wants to give you fried wontons instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheezepowder Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Eastern Carryout on Pershing near Route 50: Chicken wings in General Tso's sauce (appetizer section) - actually not bad, and I'd get them again (but don't expect too much). Wings in your typical sweet sauce. They weren't battered like the usual General Tso's chicken, which made me like them better. Pork spare ribs in black bean sauce - nope, don't get those. They were endlessly chewy chopped pieces of ribs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbh Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 so is the eastern carryout in the same plaza as Astor (the one tied to the linked web page above) related to the eastern carryout at n. glebe and pershing (as mentioned in the sub-heading)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanMike Posted March 16, 2013 Author Share Posted March 16, 2013 The fonts on the storefronts - and on other Eastern Carryouts I've seen in the district - are the same. I haven't been in any other ones yet, but I'm betting they're sort of a franchise? I know there's one on Florida Avenue with the same font/sign as well, and a quick Google search shows probably close to a dozen places in the area all called that, but with different menus/websites/etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheezepowder Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 As an aside, the Eastern Carryout on Pershing near Route 50 has fried chicken wings with the option of getting "mumble" sauce. (and link to shopping/cooking thread on mumbo sauce). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanMike Posted April 25, 2013 Author Share Posted April 25, 2013 My brother accidentally ordered from the one at Pershing and Route 50 the other day. I got an order of crab rangoon. It was much heavier on chives than the ones at the Glebe Road one. They weren't bad, but I prefer my local one's. They did use plastic trays instead of styrofoam, which I liked, and my brother liked their General Tso's. Also, that one has tables and alcohol, which the Glebe Road one does not. (Okay, Glebe has like 1-2 tables, but really, not really.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thistle Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Speaking of songs you'll never get out of your head (vaguely on-topic), how about this one?I heard it in the commissary last week, & since then, it keeps haunting me, especially the mariachis in the aisle. I think I need an exorcist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 The fonts on the storefronts - and on other Eastern Carryouts I've seen in the district - are the same. I haven't been in any other ones yet, but I'm betting they're sort of a franchise? I know there's one on Florida Avenue with the same font/sign as well, and a quick Google search shows probably close to a dozen places in the area all called that, but with different menus/websites/etc. [Well, if anyone can sort through this kluge, please let me know, either via PM, or on this thread.] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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