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Full Kee, Cantonese in Chinatown - Unrelated to the Full Kee in Bailey's Crossroads - Closed


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'johnb said:

IIRC, Full Key in Wheaton was affiliated with Full Kee (note the different spellings) downtown/Va a long time ago but is no longer. Kee is definitely better, but Key is passable. However, if in Wheaton, you'd be better off two blocks west at Hollywood East or Good Fortune.

I don't know if I went on an off-night, but I thought Kee was terrible. Or I ordered the wrong stuff - seafood - I felt like I was chewing on rubber.

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Some friends and I ate at the Full Kee in Chinatown last night as it was late (around 11:30) and we had a hankering for some Chinese food. As always, I had a great meal there. Atmosphere was nonexistant, but our food was fantastic. We started off with some congee and some dumplings. Their congee is delicious, and dirt cheap. If I worked closer to their I'd fire that up for lunch regularly. For our main courses a couple of folks went with more "normal" Chinese dishes, Kung Pao Chicken and Orange Beef, while our other two dishes were Baby Clams with Pork and the Pig Skin with Duck Blood. The two Americanized Chinese dishes were very good, but the other two were amazing, particularly the clams.

Anyhow, not much of a review, but just wanted to throw that out there. This is obviously not a fine dining establishment, but it is very good Chinese food.

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I hadn't been to Full Kee in more than a year. A friend called me today to ask if I thought they'd have their soft-shell crabs, and I said probably, let's go. I've had inconsistent results with their crabs in years past, some meaty, some not, some overcooked, some greasy. They are deep-fried, then tossed in a wok with green onions, hot peppers, and a lot of salt. The crabs today were good, meaty, but greasy.

More interesting is the other dish we had, sauteed frog with chive flowers. This was the first time I had eaten frog. It was served with yellow chives instead of flowering chives, with chunks of frog still on the bone and chopped into small pieces. There were a few straw mushrooms in as well, and it was served in a light sauce. It wasn't what I had expected. It didn't taste like chicken. More like a cross between a fish and a chicken. Which, given that it's an amphibian, seems perfectly reasonable. It was good, real good. Plan on picking up little chunks and gnawing on them. A splash of soy sauce was needed as they tasted unsalted. Perhaps this was because they were competing with the crabs.

Anyway, it was interesting, tasty, and just a little bit weird. I'll eat it again, definitely, although after I've had the jumbo oysters casserole again. The frog is not on the regular menu, it's on the printed specials on the wall. At $15.95 each for the frog and the crabs, lunch wasn't cheap. But it was an adventure.

Full Kee DC website

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"Sauteed Frog with Chives" is on the menu at the website you linked to. For what it's worth. Maybe you got that instead of the dish with chive flowers that you say you ordered.

I noticed that. I think the printed one on the wall said chive flowers, as my lunch partner commented on it.

Edited to add: Oh, I see what you mean now.

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I enjoy the one in Chinatown, but I usually go with one of my Chinese friends who can take us off the menu or order from the hangings on the wall. I love the soup made with the dumplings that you watch being made by hand in the front window, and last time I was there my friend ordered us the fried cod, which I thought was very good. Whenever I go to Chinatown, this is my customary stop....

Although I have to mention that Tuesdays for lunch at China Doll, right outside the arch, are kind of fun. That's when a table full of local sports dignitaries shows up and orders American Chinese, like chow mein. John Feinstein, Red Auerbach, George Solomon and quite a few other names usually show up....

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Although I have to mention that Tuesdays for lunch at China Doll, right outside the arch, are kind of fun. That's when a table full of local sports dignitaries shows up and orders American Chinese, like chow mein. John Feinstein, Red Auerbach, George Solomon and quite a few other names usually show up....
Red visits from the afterlife for Chinese food?? :blink:
No, he can't haunt China Doll 'cuz it closed over a year ago. Red outlived it by about four months.

Edit: Just to circle back to Full Kee. It's located a nice walk from the National Building Museum. Several starry weekend afternoons spent this way.

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FWIW my wife who is Cantonese thinks very highly of the Full Kee in China Town. On those rare occasions when we dine ensemble these days, it is at the one at Baily's Crossroads. I love the Shrimp Dumpling soup so that is the extent of my familiarity with the menu at that store.

[Holy Cow! I just became a Hammerhead]

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Perhaps this thread should be split in two. There are no longer any connections between the Bailey's Crossroads and H Street Full Kees. They are both derived from a common owner, but except for some obvious overlap in the traditional Cantonese menu, there is not any reason to think the food, service, etc., at one will be representative of the other. (Nor is either related to the "Full Key" in Wheaton -- except, again, for a common ancestor.)

I haven't been to the Virginia locale in a while. The H Street location has been very consistent of late, however.

Note to the management at the Bailey's Crossroads location:

If you're going to smoke in the kitchen (and it would be really nice if you didn't) you might want to do it somewhere so that customers in the restaurant can't see you. Oh, and you might also want to let the guy up front - the one who chops up the chicken and ducks - know that if he's going to sneak a piece or two of chicken (it is good), that he might need to wash his hands after he does that. Wiping them on the towel on the counter probably doesn't cut it from a health/hygiene perspective. Or, maybe he could come and eat it in that hidden spot that you find for your smoking.

YUCK!!

I've had decent dishes before (always carry-out) like the shrimp dumpling soup and some of the lunch specials, but the Beef and Chinese Broccoli with Chow Foon wasn't one of them. The noodles were separated from everything else - the everything else was a tasteless, brown gravy with too much corn starch in it along with some overcooked carrot slices, the chinese broccoli and some thick but tender slices of beef. There was nothing remotely interesting about any part of this dish (what little of it I ate).

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And while we're at it, can anyone confirm that the Virginia Full Kee is now completely unrelated to the DC Full Kee?

Yes, they're now unrelated in the sense of no common management or kitchen. Obviously, however, they derive from common owners/chefs, and so the menus and recipes are largely similar. Of course, as with all such splits, differences will become more pronounced as time goes on.

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I don't know if I went on an off-night, but I thought Kee was terrible. Or I ordered the wrong stuff - seafood - I felt like I was chewing on rubber.

I think the first post on this thread accurately sums up my feelings on this place. The lunch I just had was gloppy, tasteless, and terribly uncomfortable.

First, the waitress insisted that we sit at a big round table downstairs despite there being a completely open table around the same size on the other side of the dining room (apparently they wanted to set that aside for a new party). We reluctantly agree and squeeze in next to two separate parties who were also clearly uncomfortable with the seating arrangement, as we all stared at each other for an awkward moment or two. It was even worse because we all clearly got there at different times so each group was served their food several minutes before the other, so we had to sit and watch everyone else at our table eat before we got ours. Maybe this is fine for some people, but I did not like it at all.

Second, the food was mediocre at best. The dumplings had a thick, gummy skin on it that took a lot away from the actually decent tasting pork sausage inside. The roasted pork might have been good, but it was never delivered to my table, so I will never know. Why did I not say anything, you ask? Well, because my Lobster with Shredded Pork was delivered almost right after I took my last bite of dumpling. I was confused and didn't turn around fast enough to catch our waitress, who we did not see again until we were flagging her down for our check. The dish was a $19 pile of fishy tasting pork with what I think was probably imitation lobster meat in a dull sauce that couldn't have been saved by the full bottle of chili oil and/or soy sauce.

Finally, when the check came and I was ready to leave, I noticed that my phantom roasted pork was still on the bill that I had unfortunately just paid. I politely explained to who I assumed was the woman in charge that I had never received it and would like it off my check. She proceeded to walk over to a small group of waitresses congregated at a serving table and ask each one of them if they had served me the dish (or so I assumed, because she was speaking Chinese). She came back and asked "are you sure you didn't get it?", to which I incredulously answered "ummmm, yes". She reluctantly gave me the $6 back in cash, of course not accounting for the additional tax and tip I added, but I didn't care, because this place will not be seeing my business again and haggling over a couple dollars was not worth staying there for even another minute.

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Let's say someone (me) wants to get some basic Chinese-American food (say chicken fried rice and maybe some dumplings) delivered. Would Full Kee be my best bet? I have only tried Jackey Cafe and it was awful.

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Let's say someone (me) wants to get some basic Chinese-American food (say chicken fried rice and maybe some dumplings) delivered. Would Full Kee be my best bet? I have only tried Jackey Cafe and it was awful.

Depends on where you are. Mr. Chen's in Woodley Park turns out adequate chinese-american food. I say adequate because, really, I'm spoiled for homemade Chinese food and don't really like standard chinese-american restaurant fare.

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I think Full Kee is your best bet... their beef chow foon is pretty good. I like their hong kong noodle soups. For dumplings, maybe try Chinatown Express... they're making them in the window sometimes.. noodles too. Tony Cheng's is also reliable but also tends to be more expensive than the others.

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The former hole-in-the-wall Full Kee takes credit cards now, and the big-ass wall menus that used to list specials only in Chinese characters now are translated into English (although duck stuffed with shrimp paste probably sounds better in another language-however, it's rich taste transcends language barriers); and the Hong Kong-style Noodles and Shrimp Dumplings seemed to have a different, less light and mouth-watering dumpling, perhaps mistakenly changed for downtown diners' palates; and the soy chicken was juicy but kind of fatty.

Standouts were the chive flowers sauteed with garlic-crunchy and very oniony, with the garlic overtones of the chives brought out by the sliced, stir-fried garlic cloves (duh). And of course the sauteed duck blood with ginger and scallions, a homey dish that will remind you of mom's cooking (someone's mom, probably not your own), in that it has a smooth, almost foie-like texture and taste, but it's singularity is of blood, not liver, although if liver were...well maybe I already said it. Mom's liver but it tastes sweet and mousse-like, with a lot of crunchy scallions, onions, and ginger.

Delicious Blood and Such Photos...

A classic preparation, in a joint that used to be (and for all I know still is) frequented late-night by the top chefs in DC-including the late Jean-Louis Palladin, who once remarked that the pig's knuckle at Full Kee was as delicate and rich as any french charcuterie he had ever tasted. They also do an amazing pig's skin & turnips, marinated pig's intestine, and the all-time favorite, Marinated "Assortments". Parts so evil that their names must remain unspoken. I think of the chefs that used to haunt this place, and I hope that the owners of Full Kee will continue to keep up the standards they've established over their more than twenty years. Because, let's face it, under the skin, we all have the blood in common. Shout-out to waitress Kyu. Kyu!

VERY IMPORTANT!!!Order off the plastic folded table-menu. Here you will find the HK soups, congee, "delicacies" (incl. the excellent Cold Shredded Jelly Fish), and stuff (like roast duck or pork) over rice dishes.

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Quick lunch before beating feet to Union Station.

The waitron came.

"Round eyes, Chinese stomach" I said.

"Oyster ginger scallion" she said.

"Salt and pepper crab?" I said.

She shook her head..

"Ok" I said.

"And gailon broccoli with garlic".

I have eaten these dishes many many times, albeit on this side of the pond.

These were exemplary.

I will return often. The specials are all on the wall--so that's the secret menu I guess.

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Full Kee wonton noodle soups with roast pork are fantastic! We almost exclusively go there for that. Both at Bailey's and Chinatown, although when we eat at the Chinatown Full Kee we normally bring guests, so we order quite a bit more off the menu. Good stuff in general tho, I highly recommend.

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Full Kee wonton noodle soups with roast pork are fantastic! We almost exclusively go there for that. Both at Bailey's and Chinatown, although when we eat at the Chinatown Full Kee we normally bring guests, so we order quite a bit more off the menu. Good stuff in general tho, I highly recommend.

You get it with the wontons, noodles, and roast pork? If so, I'll haev to try that, although it seems like a bit much.

BTW, the BC and H Street locations are no longer related, although they both derive from a common previous owner.

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Full Key continues to make good Chinese, maybe not as good as back in the heyday, but still solid and respectable. Lunch with a friend was the soft shell crabs, oysters with ginger and scallions, and shrimp dumpling soup. The broth on the soup was less flavorful than it used to be, but the dumplings were plump and full of chunks of shrimp. Soft shell crabs were good and meaty, and not very greasy. Oyster casserole needed more ginger and the sauce was thicker than usual, but was otherwise flavorful, with plenty of large oysters.

After my less than pleasant experience at Eat First, it's good to know that there's actually a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown making good Chinese food. And there were a couple of tables occupied by older Chinese folks, which gives me hope that Full Kee might hang on for a little while.

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No posts for Full Kee, Chinatown in over a year.

I think I've had the shrimp dumpling soups here more than 100 times.  Tonight, we went to a movie at E St and didn't time it well.  Arriving at Daikaya with a Wizards game about to tip off at Verizon, it would have been a half hour wait or more; time we couldn't afford. Ran up to Full Kee, got a table straightaway and had steaming bowls of Hong Kong style shrimp dumpling soup in front of us within 10 min of sitting down.  Perfect. $7 or $8 depending on whether you ask for roast pork or some vegetable to be included.

Much of the rest of the menu is hit and miss but those soups (folded plastic card menu on the tables) have always (at least 10 years) been very similar to versions I've had and enjoyed in Lan Kwai Fong (HK).

With all the Gallery Place prompted development that has eroded/changed the old Chinatown, Full Kee is like the proverbial tattered old (and loved) college sweatshirt that can't be replaced.

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When I worked down in chinatown last year, Nick would talk me into getting takeout a couple of times a month. we always get the same thing: beef chow fun, dry, and the spicy fried seafood combo- fish, shrimp, and scallops dredged in a mildly spicy batter and fried with garlic and chile peppers. (Bob's 66 has a salt-and-pepper fish version that is close, but still not as good.) Nick loves the wonton soup but I've never liked wonton soup and the funkier it smells to me, the more he likes it. If we're going for leftovers then we will also get either spinach or snow-pea leaves sauteed with garlic.

I've bought homeless guys some food here before but try not to do it too often because I suspect that eventually the owners would complain about it to Nick's mom; we've had commentary about our ordering practices come back that way. Some mystery cantonese telepathy, I guess, or maybe the in-laws are sneaking down and having dinner at Full Kee without us. They know who we are when we go in, and yet they still bring us forks. But the food is comfort food, and it's rarely disappointed us.

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After attending an event at the Freer we headed up to Full Key...someone was craving noodles and this is her favorite spot.  When we arrived Full Key was mostly empty and we were ushered into the side basement room.  Then we sat and waited.  Service was bizarro.  Like they totally forgot we were there.  And the one server was walking around giggling and was in what looked like a daze.  Then a large group walked in and then shortly after two more large groups walked in.  Finally they took our order...it was like they were packing up for the night and then oh, we have customers.  Since I usually go there for lunch when they are get-you-in-get-you-out quick, it was very odd.  Even our noodle loving friend was like, I've never seen them like this.  

Anyway...Very nice Singapore noodles, the marinated assortment of offal was tasty, especially the intestine.  The stir fried Chinese broccoli was basically just want you wanted for a green.  Friends had bowls of Hong Kong style noodles.  Tab was less than $20 a person.  

Never really sure how this place passes a health code inspection.  But overall good stuff on a rainy Friday night (other than the bizarro service). 

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This is truly, truly, sad, although I hardly begrudge them their retirement after many decades of hard work.  Wish I had known so that I could have had one last meal.

My very first food-blog post was about Full Kee--the beginning of soft-shell season on May 19, 2000.  My family and I had many wonderful meals there--as did my students and I several times a semester; I made countless reservations "for 11 at 1" over the years.  

P.S.  The Full Key in Wheaton hasn't been related to this one in many, many years.

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11 hours ago, Marty L. said:

This is truly, truly, sad, although I hardly begrudge them their retirement after many decades of hard work.  Wish I had known so that I could have had one last meal.

My very first food-blog post was about Full Kee--the beginning of soft-shell season on May 19, 2000.  My family and I had many wonderful meals there--as did my students and I several times a semester; I made countless reservations "for 11 at 1" over the years.  

P.S.  The Full Key in Wheaton hasn't been related to this one in many, many years.

Ray of hope? (although, frankly, that's probably no different than simply the opening of a new Cantonese restaurant--could be better or worse than FK). 

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On 9/7/2019 at 11:58 AM, Tweaked said:

Bring back the marinated assortment! 

Full Kee was always my treat when serving jury duty.  Their Hong Kong dumpling soups and Singapore noodles. 

Definitely! I "discovered" Full Kee for myself when we were kicked out of our office on the Hill because of Anthrax and were temporarily located in the GAO offices. After that I would also often hit this during jury duty. Or pre-some of the delivery service apps we would get carryout from here when it was late and we didn't want to cook. It was among the first "good" Chinese food I ever had. 

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14 minutes ago, Mark Dedrick said:

Definitely! I "discovered" Full Kee for myself when we were kicked out of our office on the Hill because of Anthrax and were temporarily located in the GAO offices. After that I would also often hit this during jury duty. Or pre-some of the delivery service apps we would get carryout from here when it was late and we didn't want to cook. It was among the first "good" Chinese food I ever had. 

With Full Kee's closure, New Big Wong is probably the best remaining Cantonese restaurant on Chinablock.  No one has written a substantive post on it here for over a decade, but my experience is that it's the same it's always been: inconsistent but with occasional flashes of brilliance.

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38 minutes ago, Marty L. said:

With Full Kee's closure, New Big Wong is probably the best remaining Cantonese restaurant on Chinablock.  No one has written a substantive post on it here for over a decade, but my experience is that it's the same it's always been: inconsistent but with occasional flashes of brilliance.

New Big Wong has a special white fried rice with dried scallops and peas that is out of this world. We went once and got to "fishing" in the tanks with the waitress and had some incredible food. Lobster, crab, they had LIVE SHRIMP in one of the tanks that was simply steamed, it was outstanding. 

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1 hour ago, Mark Slater said:

New Big Wong has a special white fried rice with dried scallops and peas that is out of this world. We went once and got to "fishing" in the tanks with the waitress and had some incredible food. Lobster, crab, they had LIVE SHRIMP in one of the tanks that was simply steamed, it was outstanding. 

The dried scallop fried rice is my stand-by.  It's addictive.  But only occasionally sublime.

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FYI- This place is still open.  They are mostly doing carry out, but have 4 or 5 tables on the main level for in-person dining.  I had to ask for the extra one-page menu to get the congee selections and other "weird" items like pig skin and turnips, pig's knuckle, and marinated pig's intestine.

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