Hong Kong Palace, Seven Corners Center - New Owners Go from Cantonese to Szechuan

[Vince]

Hong Kong Palace has been a wonderful source of Hong Kong-style Chinese food for the last couple of years. But the restaurant of last week is no more.

In its place is Hong Kong Palace, a place of the same name but with some major changes. The kitchen is now staffed with a pair of Chengdu-trained Szechuan chefs (part owners!) who seem to know what they are doing. Yes, the restaurant has some rough spots that might be expected in any place that has just changed hands in the past week, but it appears to be very promising.

We stopped by last night expecting typical HK fare, but were surprised by all the new faces for the staff. The real change came we asked for the Chinese Menu, and we were handed a total different menu from the one we had seen in the past. It was brimming with all manner of Szechuan-style dishes. Speaking with our waiter then made things clear. The previous owners had sold the restaurant and the new owners were heading in a different direction, cuisine-wise.

As we continued to speak with the waiter we considered that this new place might have promise. We decided to share the Chengdu Spicy Cold Noodles for appetizer and ordered the Ma Po To Fu and Sliced Pork with Dried Bean Curd for dinner.

What we received were very fine renditions of classic Szechuan fare! If there were any complaints they centered around our inability to convince the waiter (and chef?) that we wanted the food spiced authentically. While there was some heat and numbing character in the entrees, it was just a little short of what we had come to expect from the best of the local Szechuan restuarants, such as Joe's Noodle House (in Rockville).

We will be definitely be going back, and I suspect that with a little effort we will be able to get the kitchen to pull out all the stops and make the dishes with the bold flavors that is the hallmark of classic Szechuan food.

I would be interested to hear reports from others.

Vince

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Hey Vince, welcome to DR.com. Great first post; keep 'em coming.

[Vince]

Hey Vince, welcome to DR.com. Great first post; keep 'em coming.

Thanks JG!

[crackers]

Here is a link to the menu until the restaurant gets its website up and running. Thanks to Wayne Kaiser, who posted it on chowhound.com and also provided a good early report.

[JimRice]

Barbara (Biscuit Girl) and I had lunch here yesterday. The food was good, and we'll be investigating the menu more closely in the coming months.

When we sat down, the manager (I think, maybe an owner too) asked us if we wanted the 'typical' menu, printed like a takeout menu, or the 'traditional' menu in binders. Not knowing which was which, I told him I had heard they made good Szechuan Chinese, so whichever of the menus had that. "Ah, you want the traditional!" he said happily and gave us the binders.

The manager also asked us if we had seen the pictures on e-mail. I told him we hadn't. Apparently there was a large group of non-Chinese in recently ordering a lot of stuff and taking pictures of it. They told him they were going to e-mail it to their friends. If anyone knows where those are, I'd appreciate a link.

While we were waiting for our food to come out, the manager brought over a small dish with boiled peanuts with five flavors and a little pickled vegetable. The peanuts were good, nothing at all like southern boiled peanuts, still firm but infused with five spice flavors. The pickled veggie was thin strips of something (either radish or stems of cabbage or some other veg) in a sauce that reminded me of kimchee. Both were tasty treats.

Wontons with spicy tasty sauce were very good, not as much broth as the Peter Cheng variety, but more concentrated. Make sure you stir them around in the sauce. Scallion pancake was your typical scallion pancake, good for soaking up the sauce. We asked about the fish filet and vegetable in spicy broth, and the manager(?) suggested we get the fish and tofu flower in spicy broth, same sauce but tastier if you like tofu. It was good but I prefer firm to soft tofu. Next time I'll just get the fish and veg instead. It wasn't as spicy as H20 at Joe's, but was the same type of preparation. (Note - this is what Fuchsia Dunlop describes as beef boiled in fiery broth in "Land of Plenty".) We also asked about twice-cooked pork with green beans, and the manager explained that it was with fatty pork (I assume pork belly) and if we liked fatty pork, we'd like this. We talked about it and decided on another dish with thin slices of pork belly that were cooked a little longer in the wok to render more of the fat out, with red bell peppers, what appeared to be green finger hot peppers, and onions stir-fried together. I think the menu described it as sliced pork with chiles. This was a highlight of the meal. The pork belly was sliced thin, and the fat was crisp on the edges.

As the meal was coming to the end, and we were getting our leftovers boxed up for taking home, we were already planning our next trip. I'll be bringing our camera too. It deserves more attention.

[Lydia R]

The manager also asked us if we had seen the pictures on e-mail. I told him we hadn't. Apparently there was a large group of non-Chinese in recently ordering a lot of stuff and taking pictures of it. They told him they were going to e-mail it to their friends. If anyone knows where those are, I'd appreciate a link....<snip>...I'll be bringing our camera too. It deserves more attention.

I was in the Friday lunch group "Tom" described to you. It was a great meal - field report. At lunch, we discussed if it was appropriate to post about the restaurant because it would be more easily overrun than China Gourmet/Sichuan Boy.

Please note: our group of seven was a tight squeeze at their largest table (it had a Lazy Susan) and there were only about 6 other tables (mainly 4 tops) in the restaurant. Hong Kong Palace may be too small to accommodate one of our standard DR group meals. This restaurant deserves good business, but not the "smother it in the cradle" kind.

The kitchen is now staffed with a pair of Chengdu-trained Szechuan chefs (part owners!) who seem to know what they are doing. Yes, the restaurant has some rough spots that might be expected in any place that has just changed hands in the past week, but it appears to be very promising.

Thanks for your information and crosspost. Are there other Chinese restaurants you can recommend?

[Vince]

Thanks for your information and crosspost. Are there other Chinese restaurants you can recommend?

I keep looking...

Oriental Gourmet's (N. Harrison St, just North of Lee Hwy) Chinese menu has some good Szechuan dishes, but I have found it very difficult to get the staff to translate to the chef my desire for the authentic bold spicing that is the heart Szechuan cooking. As I work my way through Fushia Dunlop's great cookbook, I find myself becoming much more critical of many local restaurants.

HKP is not perfect, but is is one of the best locally (Arlington/Falls Church). I still prefer Joe's Noodle House, but that is a long trip for most everyday meals.

Vince

[jparrott]

Some people have been high on Sichuan Village in Chantilly. I work a few blocks from there, but no one wants to go try it (and I'd like to go with a Mandarin speaker/someone more confident than I in ordering).

[johnb]

The manager also asked us if we had seen the pictures on e-mail. I told him we hadn't. Apparently there was a large group of non-Chinese in recently ordering a lot of stuff and taking pictures of it. They told him they were going to e-mail it to their friends. If anyone knows where those are, I'd appreciate a link.

The pictures are linked in the Chowhound thread started by Steve which Lydia linked earlier. If that is too complicated, here is a direct link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knazna/HKPCopy...570716745731170

[JimRice]

Thanks for the links. I hope they don't get burned out or overcrowded there as well.

So, who's going to be the first one to try and report back on the Ox Penis?

[Saycheese]

Could someone please post the address of this restaurant. Thanks very much!

[Lydia R]

Could someone please post the address of this restaurant. Thanks very much!

It was in both Tyler Cowan's guide and had its own website before the change in ownership (website doesn't look updated): 6387 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 703-532-0940 - off Route 7 past Seven Corners headed towards Alexandria and in the Shoppers Food Warehouse shopping center.

[chazas]

Great find! We had lunch there the Saturday before Xmas. It was almost empty when we arrived about noon, but there not a free table when we left at 1. We were asked how spicy we wanted our food, and asked for it to be spicy. I think that our request was heeded. I remember eating at a Szechuan restaurant in Beijing where the food was so hot and I was sweating so much my hair was matted - and the other patrons were giggling at us. It wasn't quite that spicy, but did come close.

The meal started with complimentary 5-spice soybeans, a nice touch.

We officially started with the Spicy Szechuan Beef Tendon, a nice cold dish that appeared to be very popular - we saw it going to a lot of other tables. Spicy hot, but not unbearably so.

For our mains, we split three dishes between the two of us. That's standard practice for us at authentic Chinese restuaurants when we're hungry, but here it was just too much. The portions were quite large, and we had too much food on the table.

For me, the highlight of the meal was Fried Chicken with Dry Chili Peppers. This was fried boneless chicken chunks, dipped in tons of ground Szechuan peppercorns, stir fried with dried red peppers and sliced, unseeded jalapenos. This dish came the closest to making my head sweat - and clearly made my mouth tingle, so much that I finally had to stop, even though I would have liked to eat more. I suspect that I'm grateful for the use of jalapenos rather than something hotter.

We also had the Twice Cooked Pork with Dry Long Bean. I was ready for the belly pork, which a prevous poster reported - and it was delicious. I was also expecting the long beans to be dry fried - basically, stir fried until they were wrinkled. I was surprised to get some kind of long bean that clearly had been dried and then reconstituted. They were very dark in color, and a little sweet - very unusual and very good. The dish had a nice flavor of hot bean sauce but wasn't too spicy at all, a very refined flavor. It was quite oily, however.

Finally, we had the Stir-Fried Pumpkin, which was a huge plate of shredded squash of some kind, in a very mild, light sauce. Very simple, but very cooling after the other dishes.

We're definitely going back - I'm even willing to try the "Ox P" and will also try to get some translation help for the specials on the wall.

[Sthitch]

I have missed all of the previous attempts at authentic Sichuan around the area. This was mostly because my wife is a wimp when it comes to hot foods. With a large dose of pouting, I convinced her to give it a try. The deal was that for every hot dish we ordered that we would order one that was not.

As we approached the restaurant, I quickly noticed that we would be the only non-Asians in the restaurant, always a good sign. We were greeted by the affable owner who excitedly asked "traditional menu?". He was very happy that we said yes. He brought the menus and immediately apologized for any misspellings. Yes, there were some, but I doubt I would have even noticed if he had not mentioned it. I tried to convince my wife to get the bull frog, but to no avail, so we decided on the scallion pancake and the tangy wontons (one of the misspelled items). Alas, they were out of the pancake, so we asked what he recommended, he suggested the tea smoked duck. The wontons were as good as described above, and I would definitely order these again, but they need the oil and/or the pepper to complete the dish. The tea smoked duck was fabulous, not only was the skin nicely seasoned with he smoke, but deeper into the meat other spices showed themselves.

For our entrees we decided on the Chicken with Pickled Vegetables and the Twice Cooked Pork. The owner was happy that we ordered the pork, and explained that it was fatty, and made just like in China. The Chicken was not marked as being hot, but it was. Oh was it hot, it made the pork seem like a bowl of ice cream. The flavor was fabulous, and the texture of the chicken was sublime. But damn was it hot. The twice cooked pork with long beans was fantastic. The meat was good and fatty (as advertised) and as Chavas wrote, the beans were quite unusual. These were the favorite part of the meal for my wife. Personally, I liked the pork better than the beans, but then again, I am far more of a carnivore than she is.

I want to go back again tomorrow night and explore more of the menu, but I doubt that I am going to be able to convince my wife to make a return trip for another few weeks.

[porcupine]

A small group of us met for lunch at Hong Kong Palace, and I have to report that the Cumin Beef was the tastiest dish I've had at a Chinese restaurant in a long, long time. The beef itself was still juicy*, and the balance of cumin and Szechuan peppercorn was just right: hot and numbing enough to make your mouth water without killing your tastebuds, teasing you to keep tasting just one more bite to figure out what those other flavors are. Also outstanding was the snow pea leaves with garlic. I would brave the onerous trip through Seven Corners at any time to eat these two dishes again.

*I know that beef is cooked all the way through in Chinese cuisines, but I usually find it too tough and dry to stomach

[JimRice]

I take it nobody's tried the "Ox P" yet? Oh well, neither have I. But I finally got back there last night. mainly because Barb and I were too tired to cook and I had just looked at Tyler Cowen's page and saw the pictures of the food he had.

Tyler Cowen's page on Hong Kong Palace

So, we had the cumin lamb, Chengdu style kung pao chicken, szechuan dried beef, and scallion pancake. All were as good as everyone else has said. The hottest one was the dried beef, which had us sweating before diving into the relative comfort of the kung pao chicken and cumin lamb.

I've got to make this a regular stop, the food is just too good to be ignored.

[Sthitch]

The Chengdu style kung pao chicken was one of the best Chinese dishes I have ever had. Every bite made my happy. One thing that I have not seen mentioned on this thread was the quality of the rice that is served with the entrees is a step above that at other Chinese restaurants in the area. But this all makes their choice of soy sauce all the more perplexing, nowhere on the ingredient list do you find soy mentioned.

[Heather]

I had lunch here with a couple of friends today and tried a few of the spicy dishes. I don't have a lot of time to spend on this post, but had to make two comments:

1. the spicy noodle soup with intestine is terrific, and a terrific bargain at $7.

2. the cumin lamb there is the best cumin lamb I've ever had.

[V.H.]

Goldenticket and I had lunch there earlier this week and were very impressed with the quality of the food. We started with the tangy spicy wonton. We had ordered this dish at Temptasian where it was tiny wontons in a large bowl of tangy spicy broth. At Hong Kong Palace, the wontons are bigger, less delicate, but absolutely delicious when swiped in the slick of spicy oil and sauce that cover the bottom of the plate. From there, we moved onto the Twice Cooked Pork with Dry Long Bean and the Old Buddha's Braised pork. The Twice Cooked Pork was very good but the braised pork was a stunner. It was small chunks of very fatty pork braised with peppers and dried shitakes in a fragrant brown stew. The five spice flavors complemented it without being overpowering and every bite was luscious with all that good fatty porkness. I think you could stew shoelaces in this sauce and they would be amazing.

Because my 4 yr old was with us, we also ordered the bbq pork with snow peas off of the americanized menu for her. Unlike many places, the bbq pork here was juicy and tender, showing that the restaurant's attention to quality does not lie solely within its traditional menu. The only downside to this place is the service. They have a small staff and probably only one or two people back in the kitchen. This quality food does not come out quickly so you should plan for that if you're eating with kids or a large group.

I went back there today to get some takeout and talked to the hostess about the tank of live tilapia in the back. She pointed out that the fish were prepared whole on the menu in three different ways, including a whole fried fish served with a spicy black bean sauce. I had already placed my order for the chengdu kung pao chicken (spicy! awesome! not like other places!) but now I know what to get the next time I'm there.

[JimRice]

Mapo Tofu travels well, and tonights may be the best we've ever had. Also, the beef with pickled vegetable (mostly cabbage) is an unsung hero, one that cools and soothes before you get another spoonful of the spicy stuff. With BiscuitGirl having a pinched nerve in her neck and us not going out for dinner, we'll be getting takeout from here weekly at least.

[Toby]

Had lunch at Hong Kong Palace today and I am already planning to go back. The dry beef appetizer was amazing. Served cold in a dark, spicy sauce topped with sesame seeds the delightfully chewy meat had a haunting taste of cinnamon (5 spice?) that was not overpowered by the hot spices. Ma po tofu was exemplary, cumin lamb was the best rendition I have ever had. The ish with vegetable in spicy broth was quite good. The spicy wontons good but not up to Peter Cheng's or some wonderful ones we had in London. To top it off the service was absolutely delightful, the waitress spoke English and was very accommodating. We ordered our food prepared with the traditional spiciness and the result was perfect, hot but not overwhelming.

[Ilaine]

We ordered so much food at Hong Kong Palace last night they let us have one of the big tables. Really good, better than China Star, better than Temptasian. Cumin lamb lives up to the recommendations.

[Antonio Burrell]

i really want to like this place as it is much closer than JNH but after my first visit, ithink i'll pass. I have been craving chili, chili, chili and wanted some schezuan crispy beef. Ordered some here, specified that I didn't want it to be sweet and that I wanted it as hot as they could make it. Unfortunately it was still sweet, no dried chilis, no schezuan pepper; the saving grace was that it was very, very crispy, which I loved. The dumplings with chili oil were flat, wet and flavorless. I wish my experience mirrored others here, and I'll probably try again if in the area, but for great schezuan, I'll probably stick to JNH. On the plus side, the service was great and the Lo Mein my wife ordered was as good a rendition as I've ever had.

[StephenB]

i really want to like this place as it is much closer than JNH but after my first visit, ithink i'll pass. I have been craving chili, chili, chili and wanted some schezuan crispy beef. Ordered some here, specified that I didn't want it to be sweet and that I wanted it as hot as they could make it. Unfortunately it was still sweet, no dried chilis, no schezuan pepper; the saving grace was that it was very, very crispy, which I loved. The dumplings with chili oil were flat, wet and flavorless. I wish my experience mirrored others here, and I'll probably try again if in the area, but for great schezuan, I'll probably stick to JNH. On the plus side, the service was great and the Lo Mein my wife ordered was as good a rendition as I've ever had.

Antonio, Melony says the next time you're there you should speak with her when you order.

[Bob Wells]

i really want to like this place as it is much closer than JNH but after my first visit, ithink i'll pass. I have been craving chili, chili, chili and wanted some schezuan crispy beef. Ordered some here, specified that I didn't want it to be sweet and that I wanted it as hot as they could make it. Unfortunately it was still sweet, no dried chilis, no schezuan pepper; the saving grace was that it was very, very crispy, which I loved. The dumplings with chili oil were flat, wet and flavorless. I wish my experience mirrored others here, and I'll probably try again if in the area, but for great schezuan, I'll probably stick to JNH. On the plus side, the service was great and the Lo Mein my wife ordered was as good a rendition as I've ever had.

You want hot? Try the tiger skin peppers. Make sure you have a bottle of beer handy.

In my experience crispy beef is not what I'd order if I wanted a spicy dish. Please give it another try and let the server (I don't know Melony personally but might as well seek her advice) offer some suggestions.

For a few cell-phone photos of a meal my brother and I shared at HKP, go to his entertaining blog, EatWells LiveWells, http://www.eatwellslivewells.com/2007/08/h...-church-va.html

[StephenB]

Escoffier, Grover and I arrived yesterday, Saturday, at 5:30 when only one other table was occupied. By the time we left an hour later, the place was teeming, with several people waiting on line. The place has definitely been discovered by the local Chinese community. We had the sliced pork with garlic sauce, the spicy wontons, that crispy chicken with dried chili that's advertised in Mandarin on the wall (luckily, Grover can read it), and the fish in hot, peppery broth, which they refused to admit is a soup. Thus we had to ask for soup bowls. Then we had to ask for soup spoons. What is the problem anyway? The only other way to consume it would have been with a straw. Anyway, everything was spiced to the max, and made us happy (and me sweaty). Moral: Joe's Noodle House doesn't know about noodles and Hong Kong Palace is far afield, tastewise, from Hong Kong. But good.

[StephenB]

The chef has just returned from Szechuan and is augmenting the menu. Unfortunately, none of the new stuff is in English. It's up on pastel sheets on the wall. Today, with the help of Melony (who runs the place), we ordered:

--Squid with garlic sauce.

--Fish in broth with vegetables and peppercorns

--Preserved pork (ultimate bacon)

More than enough for two people, enough for significant carryout.

Melony says she can't do an English translation because the list changes every day. I might contend that it's no more energy than writing it in Cantonese. But I'm too busy working my chopsticks.

[ema]

I have been to this restaurant several times and its always crowded with Chinese families. The food at Hong Kong Palace is not as spicy as some of the other Sichun restaurants I have been to, such as Lao Sichuan in Chicago. http://www.laoszechuan.com/menu.htm Its possible for me to order all spicy dishes and not need any none spicy dishes in between to balance the flavors. I haven't had anything bad there, but for almost every dish I tried, I have had a better version in either Chicago or Ann Arbor. For example, Lao Sichuan had better water cooked fish, the broth was spicier, more flavorful, and the fish was more tender. Middle Kingdom in Ann Arbor had better fish with bean curd flower (bean curd flower means very soft tofu, but Hong Kong Palace uses medium firm tofu) and Sichuan cold noodle.

The two dishes I liked the most in HKP are Corn and egg yolk and Fei Teng fish. Corn and egg yolk was a surprisingly good dish. The kernels were sweet and juicy on the inside and crunchy and eggy on the outside. You can't get this dish to go because the steam inside the container will destroy the crunchiness of each kernel. Fei Teng fish used to be a special on the wall, which has no English translations, but now they put it on the menu due to popular demands. Its basically a live tailapia from the tank, hacked to pieces, and boiled with a spicy hot pot like broth. The fish is savory and tender and its a dish that I saw alot of tables ordered.

Next time, I am going to try the fried fish with peanut and the kong pao chicken. Saw several tables ordering fish with peanut and it looked very intriguing. I like to order my food and constantly look at other tables and figure out what I am going to savor next time.

[JimRice]

I was there tonight, and noticed they had a new webpage. Hong Kong Palace Maybe next time I'll get something other than kung pao chicken and mapo tofu. Then again, maybe not. Yum.

[SeanMike]

Nice music. Thank goodness for AdBlock!

I'm going to do my best to hit it this weekend.

[StephenB]

On Christmas day, four mixed non-Christians sneaked in before the flood at 5:30, and ingested:

A 4 tangy spicy wonton

preserved pork (special)

fish in broth with vegetables and peppercorns (special)

C 33 chengdu smoking tea duck

C 2 ma po tofu

C 20 spicy sichuan ribs

pan fried celery & wooden ear mushroom

This is what I will order on the eve of execution.

[StephenB]

13 people showed up at HKP. Here's what we had:

tangy spicy wonton (2 orders)

preserved pork (special) (2 orders)

beef & beef tendon with szechuan spicy sauce(2 orders)

fried dry fish with peanut(2 orders)

spicy oil-touched chicken(2 orders)

steamed cod fish with ginger & green onion(2 orders)

chicken with hot garlic sauce

beef with vegetable in peppery broth

chengdu smoking tea duck(2 orders)

ma po tofu

spicy sichuan ribs

pan fried celery & wooden ear mushroom(2 orders)

cumin lamb(2 orders)

stir-fried sliced pork with chili pepper

garlic flavor fried flounder

It was exactly the right amount, neither too much nor too little. We paid $25 pp. I hope the attendees will say what they liked best.

[Ericandblueboy]

Thank you Stephen for doing the legwork. 15 dishes in any one evening is stupendous. These are my takes on the food:

tangy spicy wonton - not necessarily a starter to a big meal, wontons can be a meal in itself

preserved pork - cured pork with plenty of fat, stir-fried (not for weight watchers)

beef & beef tendon with szechuan spicy sauce - tripe and beef with tendon, marinated in hot sauce and served cold

fried dry fish with peanut - tiny little fish, about an inch long each, fried crispy without batter, you can taste the fish but it's not overwhelming

spicy oil-touched chicken - skin and bone, tender, but not very spicy or flavorful.

steamed cod fish with ginger & green onion - nicely done, not fishy, this recipe goes with many types of fish, many times with whole fish

chicken with hot garlic sauce - didn't try

beef with vegetable in peppery broth - (water cooked beef in Chinese), beef stewed with napa cabbage in a spicy star anise broth, also available as a delicious fish dish (I've had it a Jasmine Gardne and Peking Village)

chengdu smoking tea duck - duck with skin and bone (poultry is always well done in Chinese cooking)

ma po tofu - a good version, definitely try it if you like tofu

spicy sichuan ribs - I've never had this before, a little overcooked and not much flavor to me

pan fried celery & wooden ear mushroom - I like veggies but I've never had this combination....lightly stir-fried

cumin lamb - intro to Sichuan cuisine, you gotta try it, then try the cumin fish at HKP

stir-fried sliced pork with chili pepper - this is chinese comfort food, nothing fancy, just tender pork stir fried with spicy pepper, the spiciness makes you eat rice and get filled up (that's what yo mama wants you to do)

garlic flavor fried flounder - nice batter and great frying, could use a little more pepper in the batter....serve this with fries and and they can serve this in the UK (you can say I'm comparing apples to oranges but how many people have had English fish and chips but never had Chinese filet o' fish?)

[catharine]

A great meal last night. Thanks, all!

Cumin lamb is always one of my top picks and it didn't disappoint last night. I plan to follow Eric's suggestion to try the cumin fish next time. My new favorites from last night are the Garlic Fried Flounder (which is almost as good as my favorite Salt and Pepper Shrimp) and the Spicy Sichuan Ribs. I really enjoyed the steamed cod more than I expected to, and the tea-smoked duck was also a nice surprise.

[Tweaked]

The winners for me were:

Cumin Lamb

cod dish

beef (tripe) & beef tenderloin

preserved pork (think bacon)

spicy riblets

tea smoked duck

stir fried pork with chili pepper.

well worth the trip over the river.

[u-bet!]

Pics?

[DanielK]

Pics?

I didn't notice anyone taking pictures.

I thought most of the dishes were very good. A couple of misses - the spicy oil-touched chicken was bland, and the chicken with hot garlic sauce was too sweet. Overall, the heat level wasn't high enough - I think they toned it down for us.

If I had to choose, I still think that Joe's Noodle House does a better job with many of the dishes that we had, but for the NoVa folks it's a good substitute for the drive to Rockville!

[ema]

I wish I was there. Was the steamed cod nice and tender like the ones in Cantonese restaurants?

[Ericandblueboy]

I wish I was there. Was the steamed cod nice and tender like the ones in Cantonese restaurants?

I think Miu Kee did the cod a little better on the tenderness front on my last visit there. It could've been the particularly fish, the timing, etc. The fish last night was very flavorful.

[Bob Wells]

Glad to see HKP has some new fans. One note: For anyone who thinks HKP's food is not spicy enough/toned down, etc., try the tiger skin peppers. You won't complain anymore.

[deangold]

Kay & I used Super Bowl Sunday as an excuse for a lazy mid afternoon lunch at Hong Kong Palace. After actually finding the place without misadventure, we over ordered yet managed to polish off most of it. The result is a desire to go back and try some more.

We started with cucumber in sauce, an inauspicious start: a pile of cucumber sliced with a jazzed up hoisin sauce dip. Nothing special. The fried dried fish with peanuts was a much better dish, although I prefer the Taiwanese version at bobs with more flavors from the seaweed addition. Our third started was the boiled dumplings in spicy sauce. I found the dumplings a bit doughy and the bowl too small to allow for the dumplings to really soak in the sauce. After the three apps, I was thinking what's the big deal? Then the entrees came and I found out!

We had the chicken with the crunchy peppers. The peppers are filled with a peanut & sesame crunchy candy and add a sweet hotness to the dish that was just addictive. This was superb! Even better was the fish with vegetables, also from the untranslated dishes on the wall. Similar in appearance to H20 from Joe's. this was fried flounder in a brown sauce atop a pile various veggies including something pickled. The amazing thing of this dish was how the flavor changed with every bite. These two dishes had us stuffing our faces, sweating and gulping beer and wishing we had brought friends so we could have ordered more!

Usually I go for Sichuan for the small plates especially, and here it was the entrees that made the day. A great find and thanks to the many posters who have talked up this place enough to make me want to venture into the Bermuda's Triangle that is 7 corners.

[deangold]

A late lunch today and another mixed bag...

Starter of wood ear mushroom salad a wondrous garlicky mix tangy with vinegar and some sort of bean/nut overtone was superb. The chopped chicken with green and red pepper and corn was a plate of lots of frozen or fresh but not fresh corn, a very salty/soy dominated chopped chicken base that was slightly greasy. Good but nothing to go our of the way for.

So far, my experiences are when HHP hits the, its out of the park (having screwed the thirdbaseman, Madonna or the pooch I know not ) but when it doesn't, its just OK and certainly not worth the while of taking on the dangers of driving in Virginia and that Bermuda's Triangle known as 7 Corners! But I will be back to see more of the home run hitting contest!

[goodeats]

Starter of wood ear mushroom salad a wondrous garlicky mix tangy with vinegar and some sort of bean/nut overtone was superb.

Wood ears are hard to compliment as they tend to acquire a very slimy texture if not done well, as evinced at the DR.com dinner of "wood ear with celery" dish. I've seen it worked mainly in herbal soups when it would take on the medicinal flavor, but otherwise, have seen many a misses with its misuse. I would avoid here in the future, even though it sounds like you will.

[StephenB]

At lunch today, Melony the Manager volunteered that on January 29, when a baker's dozen of us convened there, she was off duty, and the woman who was taking her place confessed subsequently that the group seemed to be uninspired by the spice level of the servings. It's true that the Scoville Scale was down a bit from what I'm used to at that place. This is not to say that the food was bland, only that it could have been kicked up a notch. Anyway, the woman in question is now gone, and Melony promises that dishes will not be dumbed down, even a little, when she recognizes us. Of course we all understand that extreme Szechuan food is not palatable to everyone who frequents the restaurant. So we just need to say we're from the rockwell group -- or flash our membership card. And let the peppers erupt.

As if to balance the equation, the tilapia bathed in a variety of spices, and the jumbo shriimp with garlic and cumin, brought tears to my eyes, mostly but not all of joy.

[deangold]

Third meal here. They are open till 11 on Friday and Saturday night and we closed the place on Friday.

The sublime: spicy Sichuan dry beef: somewhere between Joe's beef jerky and the crispy beef in style. Just beef, thick sauce clinging to said beef, sesame seeds. Exceedingly hot and lovely.

bacon from the special menu: smoky dense bacon with peppers- red, green & hot green), black beans & some other veggies. Great flavor, very reminiscent of the dishes I used to feast on at Henry's Hunan & Brandy Ho's in SF many years ago, but to my mind the sauce was not particularly Sichuan in style as it was a little runny and lighter than what I expect in sichuan style. Not a knock, just an observation.

Good: wood ear mushroom salad (cold). wood ears, chopped garlic, sesame oil) first bites nice, then it seemed a little boring. Made a nice refresher for the beef. If it had more galic it would have been better.

Miss: fish fillet soup with sour cabbage. Advertized as hot and was not. Needed more sour veggie and more heat. The broth was pretty watery. The H25 at Joe's kills this one.

HKP continues to be a mixed bag to me but one I will continue to explore. There are some absolutely killer dishes, some dishs miss and some are in between. They are super friendly and, important for me, open late. With a few more visits our roster of dishes we like will be large enough to allow for a good rotation. If placed in the middle and have the choice of Joe's and HKP, I would probably pick Joe's a majority of the time, but HKP would get definite play. But when in the general area, it is one of my top four Asian: Honey Pig, Od Gad Jib, HKP and Il Mee Buffet in that order. Another trip to Temp Asian may make that a top 5 list.

[goodeats]

Good: wood ear mushroom salad (cold). wood ears, chopped garlic, sesame oil) first bites nice, then it seemed a little boring. Made a nice refresher for the beef. If it had more galic it would have been better.

I find wood ear is best used in soups or stews. I don't think it's really meant for salads, due to its slippery, slimey texture, which is also why I have found this dish to be an odd pairing on their menu.

ETA: I just asked my Sichuan colleague (hence the strikeout) and he said that they usually add hot/chili oil, chopped garlic, cilantro, shredded ginger, vinegar, sugar (a touch), and soy sauce (he also said the soy, sesame oil, or vinegar are optional. Just whatever you would like in the "chilled" meals).

Edited July 19, 2009 by goodeats

[StephenB]

Lunching solo, I tried the shredded pork with pickled vegetables and was glad I did. It was not marked as spicy but it could have been.

[RWBooneJr]

Anyone looking to experience the wonderful numbing sensation created by real Sichuan pepercorns should try the Chengdu Kung Pao Chicken. It sounds, and looks, like the typical Americanized version. But the subtle, carmel sweetness of the chicken shows it to be much more, and also proves to be the perfect vehicle to showcase the pepercorns.

[mame11]

On a rainy night, a friend and I headed to Hong Kong Palace. Even though it took forever to get home in the monsoon, the trip was worth it. Starving, I put in an order for Dan Dan Noodles as soon as we were seated. My friend asked what's that... I said a great way to experience the Schezwaun pepper. Unlike Joe's, their version did not disappoint. It was loaded with heat and pork. It was really a treat.

For our entrees we ordered the special crispy chicken that is on the Chinese board and Tea Smoked Duck. The chicken was outstanding and completely addictive. It is fried along with fried peppers of some kind which are actually sweet and edible. However, the Tea Smoked Duck was gross. I have had Tea Smoked Duck before and never been able to smell the smoke before it gets to the table. To me it smelled like it had been steeped in liquid smoke for days. The texture of the duck was off and it was cold. For the first time ever I sent a dish back in a Chinese restaurant. At first the manager (who is incredibly nice) wasn't sure why we didn't want it but then she touched a piece of the duck and understood. She suggested replacing it with cumin lamb (one of my faves) and I'm glad we did. It was incredible. It was well seasoned, and not over cooked. The little sauce that there was was a great addition to rice.

[Bob Wells]

On a rainy night, a friend and I headed to Hong Kong Palace. Even though it took forever to get home in the monsoon, the trip was worth it. Starving, I put in an order for Dan Dan Noodles as soon as we were seated. My friend asked what's that... I said a great way to experience the Schezwaun pepper. Unlike Joe's, their version did not disappoint. It was loaded with heat and pork. It was really a treat.

For our entrees we ordered the special crispy chicken that is on the Chinese board and Tea Smoked Duck. The chicken was outstanding and completely addictive. It is fried along with fried peppers of some kind which are actually sweet and edible. However, the Tea Smoked Duck was gross. I have had Tea Smoked Duck before and never been able to smell the smoke before it gets to the table. To me it smelled like it had been steeped in liquid smoke for days. The texture of the duck was off and it was cold. For the first time ever I sent a dish back in a Chinese restaurant. At first the manager (who is incredibly nice) wasn't sure why we didn't want it but then she touched a piece of the duck and understood. She suggested replacing it with cumin lamb (one of my faves) and I'm glad we did. It was incredible. It was well seasoned, and not over cooked. The little sauce that there was was a great addition to rice.

Great plan B -- the cumin lamb at HKP is a great dish.

[DonRocks]

Go to Hong Kong Palace and get the cumin fish - it's fantastic.

Did. Was.

[LizLemon]

The bf and I tried HKP yesterday for the first time, and we were not disappointed. Got there for an early lunch around 11:00 and it was pretty dead inside, but the lack of other patrons doesn't comport with how good our meal ended up being.

We started with the Dan Dan noodles, and they were some of the best I've had in a while. As someone who lives on the edge of Chinatown, I've been let down a lot recently and I'm somewhat resigned to not finding great Chinese food within walking distance of my apartment. But HKP's Dan Dan noodles were so delicious, with a nice latent spiciness that really creeps up on your. For an appetizer, the portion was also large and the price was very fair. A good start.

I got a lunch special of General Tso's chicken because I wasn't feeling very well and I wanted something kind of bland and reliable--sad, I know, but sometimes you just want an old cliche standby. Bf got the Schezuan Chicken. For something like 5.95 and 6.95 respectively, we both got large portions of chicken, a heaping mound of white rice, and two large egg rolls. The value was unmistakable, and the food was awesome. Next time I go back I'll have a hard time resisting ordering the Schezuan Chicken--somehow it managed to taste both slightly familiar and totally new. Makes no sense, I know, but we loved it and couldn't stop eating it. The General was solid as well, but nothing revolutionary--the General is the General, though this was one of the better iterations of it I have eaten.

[JimRice]

Next time I go back I'll have a hard time resisting ordering the Schezuan Chicken--somehow it managed to taste both slightly familiar and totally new. Makes no sense, I know, but we loved it and couldn't stop eating it.

The Chengdu Kung Pao Chicken has that same quality. It has peanuts, dark meat chicken, and green onions, so it's obviously Kung Pao, but they jack it up with Sichuan peppercorns and spice it in ways that you don't get at a typical Americanized take-out joint.

If I didn't have a fridge full of good veggies from the farmers market, I'd be getting takeout from there tonight.

[Biscuit Girl]

The Chengdu Kung Pao Chicken has that same quality. It has peanuts, dark meat chicken, and green onions, so it's obviously Kung Pao, but they jack it up with Sichuan peppercorns and spice it in ways that you don't get at a typical Americanized take-out joint.

If I didn't have a fridge full of good veggies from the farmers market, I'd be getting takeout from there tonight.

There's always tomorrow night

[Ericandblueboy]

Took me alot of googling but I'm pretty sure beef tendons have no fat and no cholesterol so spicy sichuan beef tendon was one of our starters last night (enough ma la to make me sweat last night as I finished the leftover with some iced cold beers). The other was Chengdu Zhong's Spring dumpling - these took a little longer to cook as they were made fresh - same mixture of sauce as the spicy wontons, just as tasty, just a little different in shape. We tried the garlic flavor fried flounder in place of cumin fish. These light and crispy flounder fillets were topped with bits of fried garlic (same consistency as the garlic on top of garlic bagels). The garlic simply garnished the dish, not really an integral part of the dish as the name would have suggested. We still prefer the cumin fish. We also ordered fried chicken with dried chili peppers and some sautéed Chinese watercress. The chicken dish can best be described as cumin chicken, as it's seasoned and accompanied by the same mix of peppers and onions as the cumin fish.

[lion]

Enjoyed Hong Kong Palace. The Dan Dan noodles were amazing, very simple, but flavorful. Eggplant with spicy garlic sauce was just the right amount of sweetness and softness. The cucumber salad loaded with cilantro and garlic was delicious. And as recommended the cumin fish hit the spot which was very similar to Indian style. Finally, the vegetable dumplings were so-so, the same as store bought or other places.

All-in-all, really enjoyed the meal. The place was packed on a Saturday night. The waitstaff was very helpful and friendly.

[Escoffier]

Grover and I decided we weren't getting enough Chinese food for breakfast lately so we headed out to Hong Kong Palace. Okay, there was also a bit of nostalgia involved as well. We had been thinking about who to invite for our normal (goyim) Christmas traditional dinner of Chinese food and StephenB's memory made us think of HKP. Anyway, we headed toward Seven Corners and decided that we'd just decide on breakfast when we got there. Through the door and found ourselves the second group in the house (told you it was close to breakfast time). After a warm welcome from Melanie and being seated, Grover perused the Chinese specials listed on the wall and we decided on Dan Dan noodles, Shredded pork with peppers and for our second main, Fish in Spicy Broth (definitely not your run of the mill breakfast). So, here in the order the dishes arrived is my (overstuffed with Chinese goodness) opinion of the food:

1. Dan Dan Noodles: Is this dish a cliche or what? Maybe not so much at HKP. A light bit of greens on top of a generous sprinkling of crumpled beef over some really flavorful, al dente noodles. Those noodles were hiding the best part of all...lightly covered with sesame chili oil, there was more beef and more greens. Because this was the first dish out, it was 99% devoured when...

2. The Shredded Pork with Peppers arrived. Amazing, flavorful bits of pork (appeared to have been wok cooked in a bit of soy sauce) and shredded peppers (both jalapeno and standard green variety), sliced garlic. After the pork was gently cooked, the peppers and garlic were added to the wok and then quickly cooked and then straight to the table. Nice spiciness, great pepper flavor. This had an amazing undertone of spicy without being overwhelming. We'd ordered mah lah but it wasn't the nuclear option by any stretch of the imagination. This was followed by...

3. Fish in Spicy Broth. This was one of StephenB's favorite dishes and it's not hard to see why. Big pieces of fish in a really spicy broth (lots of chili oil) with celery, cabbage and other miscellaneous bits of veggies. Grover and I ate every piece of fish in the (large) bowl. At this point, there was no going on. We were satiated. This isn't my normal Saturday breakfast (that's usually Korean food) but HKP was a great way to get the day off to a quick start.

So to you, StephenB, our quarterly pilgrimage to HKP to say hello to Melanie for you and to eat some fine Chinese food in your memory.

[Ericandblueboy]

Someone on CH reported an ownership change.

We were there Saturday night (2/12/11). The menu is the same and the stuff on the wall is the same. The staff recognized us and commented that we haven't been there in awhile. So how was the food? The dan dan noodles were delicious but I've never had them at HKP before - it was mostly noodles with a few bok choy leaves and some ground meat, but the sauce is crazy good. The spicy wontons were a little bland (probably just need more sauce). The cumin fish was as good as usual. We tried for the first time the "mouth mouth fragrant crispy chicken" that was on the wall and much ballyhooed by CHers - looks like deep fried diced chicken (not breaded) that was stir fried with lots of not so spicy chili peppers - it was a good dish that we both liked but not loved. Lastly the sauteed pea shoots were a little undercooked. If there's a new chef, that chef is pretty competent.

[lion]

We were there are the end of January and it was the same wait staff. Food was good and we tried some Chinese vegetable, which I can't remember the name of at the moment, that was recommended by the waitress.

Hopefully, quality stays up. HKP is a go to place in that area of VA.

[Escoffier]

We were there two weekends ago and the staff and the owner and the menus and the wall hangings (and maybe the clientele) were the same people who were there when we ate there in November. I think somebody got their restaurants mixed up.

[JimRice]

Someone on CH reported an ownership change.

We were there Saturday night (2/12/11).

I got takeout Sunday night, and the Mapo tofu was as good as always, and the staff on the phone and in the restaurant sounded the same as usual.

[Ericandblueboy]

Went to the U.S. Open yesterday with my brother. We followed their suggestion of parking at Dulles airport and taking their shuttle to Congressional CC. Well, many people ignored the warning of no public parking and drove to the country club and that of course impeded the ingress and egress of the shuttle. The shuttle ride back to Dulles was particularly unpleasant as we had to endure a downpour (while on the golf course) and then sit in traffic.

Due to the traffic, we went to HKP for dinner, which is closer than Bob's Noodle. I let my brother do the ordering and he ordered (i) beef and tendon with spicy szechwan spicy sauce, (ii) chengu zhong spring dumplings, (iii) kung pao chicken, and (iv) peking duck. The apps were delicious but I can't say I enjoyed the entrees. First, the peking duck just didn't taste right, skin not crispy enough & the meat too fatty. We both know that Sichuan isn't the hotbed of peking duck but my brother wanted to try it anyway. Second, my brother pointed out that Chinese kung pao chicken is different from Taiwanese kung pao chicken (which I never really noticed since I'm not a huge kung pao chicken fan and he's lived in China and Taiwan). The Chinese version has more sauce and uses vinegar. I'm just not a sour person. Bitter yes, but not sour. Wonder who's gonna eat that leftover plate of kung pao chicken...

[PollyG]

We were at HKP for dinner this weekend, dragging my visiting mid-70's parents with us. We had the chengdu dumplings, the chicken and spicy potatoes, cumin lamb, and the fried chicken with sesame-stuffed peppers (specials menu, bottom row, second from left, first two characters look like open mouths), and the egg-battered corn. All went over well with my folks, though they felt the salt level was excessive. The only dish that was a dud was the chengdu dumplings, which were boring. I should have gone with a different dumpling, but we had the pan-fried dumpling addict 11 year-old to appease. I've had all these dishes before except the dumplings,and spiciness was not reduced for my parents, nor were any of them below the quality I've come to expect from HKP.

Spicing levels were borderline over the top for my mother, but a beer helped fix that.

[Escoffier]

No posts for two years? Stephen B. is having dyspepsia. Grover and I headed to Hong Kong Palace today for a bit of early Lunar New Years food. What better place to go than to HKP? We arrived to a almost full dining room but were able to grab a table in front of an extended Chinese family with two rambunctious children (less said about that the better). We were looking for one of the dishes that Stephen B. always ordered when we at there but neither Grover and I could remember the name of the dish so...we ordered:

Ma Po Tofu - This was spicy. Nicely spicy, but not for the faint of palate. A large bowl of Ma Po tofu with lots of fresh tofu.

Dan Dan Noodles - As far as Grover and I are concerned, HKP sets the standard for Dan Dan noodles. A very nicely balanced spicy pepper oil start with fresh ground beef and al dente noodles. This is the first dish we finished even though the Ma Po tofu was also on the table.

Fish with Cumin - So call me a heretic, but I think HKP's version of Fish with Cumin is the equal or better than Peter Chang's. Perfect outside, fresh, flavorful, just right textured fish and Ma La. Perfectly Ma La. From the first bite to the last tiny piece hiding under the peppers, you know this dish is flavorful, addictive and Ma La. Poor Ma Po tofu had to take a back seat to the fish. Once again, this dish was finished before we turned our attention to the Ma Po tofu. Don't get me wrong, the flavors on all three dishes were perfectly balanced, the flavors came through even through the Ma La (and the Ma Po tofu was no exception) but I could eat this fish three times a day.

The final bill was around $30 which is an amazing bargain for the amount and quality of food that bought. We had lunch at 12:30 and I'm still nicely full and satisfied at 6:45 (and we brought the remainder of the Ma Po tofu home and as soon as I feel the first pangs of hunger...it's gone).

For another year, Stephen, a word to Melanie regarding your love of her food, and two people eating some of your favorite foods to keep that memory alive. Tomorrow it's traditional Korean and our thoughts of you and family and those who have gone before.

[JimRice]

I called Hong Kong Palace to get takeout, and asked if they had any new dishes on the menu. The person on the phone (I don't think it was the usual person) offered one called thousand-flavor chicken. It was poached chicken chunks on the bone in a thin sauce with little Thai hot pepper slices, peanuts, and cilantro on top. It had a slight floral aroma. When you bite into the chunks of chicken, you get an intensely numbing sensation so that you can eat the little pepper slices without undue effort. I'm not talking szechuan peppercorn numbness, this was another level beyond it, almost to novocaine level. I think I liked the dish, but with the numbness going on in my mouth, I'm not really sure. The chicken had a good taste I think, and I wasn't too bothered by boney shards from the chopping, but that's one of those things where you can ignore it or you can't.

So, since I got this for takeout, I wasn't able to ask them if that was from szechuan peppercorns or if it was from some other spice or seasoning. Anyone have any idea what was going on there?

We also got cumin fish, which seemed to be greasier than it had before, but also had more of the cumin-szechuan pepper spice mix. Mapo Tofu was great as always.

[Enzo Fargione]

Great place for comfort food .

One of my personal favorite Chinese restaurant

[weezy]

Went here with friends tonight for our own celebration of the chinese new year. We had the green onion pancake, eggplant with hot garlic sauce, the spicy chicken with the sesame stuffed peppers, szechuan string beans and cumin fish. The eggplant was a little oily, and the green onion pancake a little bland. Otherwise, I think we should have ordered the cumin fish a little less ma la, as we were in tingly spicy overload by the time we ate our way around the table. It was the first time I had the chicken and peppers, what a great dish that is!

[KoolPaw]

Twelve of us celebrated the Chinese New Year a couple of Sundays ago. Our preordered meal consisted of:

Green onion pancakes;

Beef with beef tendon;

Seafood hot and sour soup;

Pot stickers (both meat and vegetable);

Dan Dan noodle;

Peking Duck;

Whole fish with bean sauce;

Zirin (cumin) lamb;

Salt and pepper shrimp;

Ma po tofu;

Eggplant with garlic sauce;

Green bean leaves with garlic;

and dessert of sesame balls and fresh fruit.

I have been putting these annual celebrations together for over 25 years, with varying menus and at various restaurants, and this year's was the first time that every single item was delicious. In addition, the service was impeccable and the price for the whole shebang was very reasonable. My thanks to HKP's manager, Melanie, for a great experience!

[Ericandblueboy]

Don - didn't you bitch about how salty the cumin fish was recently?

We had a similar experience at lunch yesterday. The chengdu cold noodles, spicy and numbing beef tendon, shanghai bok choy & mushrooms were perfectly fine. The last two dishes, a diced fried chicken (very similar in flavor to cumin fish, but has even more spices and peppercorm) and cumin fish tasted okay on the first couple of bites and then it just got saltier and saltier. The dishes were cooked perfectly otherwise, and I can't explain why these two dishes were so much saltier than the others. Could it be the batter?

[captcourt]

Just to throw out another data point, we got the cumin lamb recently and it didn't have the salt problem. The homestyle bacon wasn't as "saucy," and the pork belly was cut a little more thickly, than usual, but neither of these made really made a difference in our enjoyment of the meal.

[weezy]

Don - didn't you bitch about how salty the cumin fish was recently?

We had a similar experience at lunch yesterday. The chengdu cold noodles, spicy and numbing beef tendon, shanghai bok choy & mushrooms were perfectly fine. The last two dishes, a diced fried chicken (very similar in flavor to cumin fish, but has even more spices and peppercorm) and cumin fish tasted okay on the first couple of bites and then it just got saltier and saltier. The dishes were cooked perfectly otherwise, and I can't explain why these two dishes were so much saltier than the others. Could it be the batter?

I've noticed that when same getting-saltier effect when I eat foods with a lot of szechuan peppercorn. It seems to numb up my ability to taste anything save for the salt.

[Ericandblueboy]

I've noticed that when same getting-saltier effect when I eat foods with a lot of szechuan peppercorn. It seems to numb up my ability to taste anything save for the salt.

We've never had that problem before though. We always order the cumin fish - the only reason why we eat at HKP more than anywhere else is that my wife lovest he cumin fish. We ate the entire plate as usual but the saltiness was very noticeable.

[Escoffier]

We had it at dinner and it didn't seem salty. The homestyle pork was salty however. The fish and tofu in spicy sauce was excellent and a nice complement to the cumin fish.

[captcourt]

Picked up waaaaay too much food last night because all I ate during the day was a bar of chocolate-covered sawdust, also known as a Kashi bar. Ordered chengdu pan-fried dumplings and spicy wontons to share with my not-very-hungry +1, as well as the chengdu kung pao chicken and stir-fried shanghai greens with black mushrooms. I also decided to try the twice-cooked pork with fresh garlic leaves; unfortunately, when I got home, I opened it and it certainly didn't look like what I ordered. But wait! It was the homestyle bacon, which we love. I was disappointed that I didn't get to try a new dish, but they probably saw from my phone # that I normally get the bacon every time and must have decided I mis-ordered. The dumplings weren't particularly flavorful this time but they benefitted from the dipping sauce. The kung pao chicken, with its peppercorns, really hit the spot. The greens (shanghai bok choy) were garlicky and crunchy, which was a nice complement. I also noticed that the bacon didn't have as much sauce as in the past, but it did have lots of tasty fermented black beans.

Lots of leftovers in the fridge and we're happy. If anyone else has tried the pork dish I didn't get, a review would be great.

[DonRocks]

Picked up waaaaay too much food last night because all I ate during the day was a bar of chocolate-covered sawdust, also known as a Kashi bar.

Come on. You are being way, *way*,* WAY* too hard on sawdust.

[DonRocks]

Upgraded

Damn, what a Seven-Cornered trilogy unfolds in this Vietnamese / Thai-Laotian / Chinese-Szechuan triptych-Garden of Earthly Delights: Rice Paper / Bangkok Golden / Hong Kong Palace.

Give me the wisdom not to fall this far in the future; I should have never downgraded Hong Kong Palace the way I did.

As bizarre as it may sound, there is seemingly olive oil, somewhere, in the cooking here.

[Simul Parikh]

This little corner of NOVA is becoming my favorite. The restaurants you mention, dogfish head ale house (because the restaurants have terrible beer and id like a decent one before), and a homebrew store. I should just move in.

[Ericandblueboy]

Steve and I are going on Fri, 7/29 @ 11:30 a.m. for lunch. PM me if you to join us. Also recruiting for a trip to Fredericksburg. Uncle Chang wants you!

Unless Steve strenuously objects, I plan on ordering cumin fish, spicy beef and tendons, either some kidneys or intestines, and other stuff depending on the number of people who show up.

[lotus125]

The cumin fish is even better! Good mapo and sichuan string beans too. As good as Rockville options but much closer to DC.

[PollyG]

Please do not overlook the garlic fish. Melanie suggested it one night when my daughter initally wanted both the cumin lamb and the cumin fish, suggesting that the seasonings were too similar and this would be a good alternative. (And there is no one in my family who is going to be happy if we make the trek to HKP and don't have the cumin lamb.) The garlic fish is a non-incendiary dish that helps balance out a table full of heat. It is breaded and fried, crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside, with a fair amount of crispy fried garlic bits on the plate. This would not be the one dish I ordered if I was limited to one entree, but it provides a nice balance and the friends we introduced to HKP last weekend loved it.

[Escoffier]

Not wanting to appear stuck in an ordering rut, but a leisurely (even at 5:30pm) drive to Hong Kong Palace.  Our annual homage to Steven B with the dishes he always favored (fortunately, so do we).  So as is our wont, we ordered:

Dan Dan Noodles.  Does anyone go to Hong Kong Palace and not order Dan Dan Noodles?

Spicy Sichuan Ribs: Really meaty, very short pork ribs spiced similarly to the cumin fish. 

Ma Po Tofu: I know this has come up many times, and always as good. No exception this time either.  (Unfortunately, only touched on, we were full on the Dan Dan Noodles and the ribs).

Cumin Fish: Probaby my favorite HKP dish.  I don't know what it is about this dish, but no matter what else we order, Cumin Fish always seems to be included. Probably the absolutely best onions in a dish that I have ever eaten. The flavor of the fish, the cumin and the peppers combine with the onion to make a Mozart symphony in your mouth. Almost as good as the fish, but not quite.

Naturally, we couldn't finish everything so there'll be a reprise of HKP today with leftovers.  Another thing Stephen B was famous (notorious?) for.  The left-overs always seemed to go home with him. Now it's just us.  Here's to you Stephen B.  You may be here only in spirit but Melanie and the staff at HKP remember and salute you just as we do.

[Simul Parikh]

So, it wasn't salty? My last 3 times there it wasn't too salty, but the 2 times before that it was.

Do you ever get the fish and bean curd in spicy sauce? That's a good one, like H20 at Joe's.

There is a pork belly dish there that is fantastic, I can't find on menu, but the lady offered it to me.

I love the spicy fried chicken with sesame stuffed chili peppers, not on official menu.

Cumin lamb is dope, too.

Anyone recommend any vegetarian dishes? Or the whole fish dishes?

I was going to cook, but screw it, I'm making it an HKP night.

S

[Escoffier]

So, it wasn't salty? My last 3 times there it wasn't too salty, but the 2 times before that it was.

Do you ever get the fish and bean curd in spicy sauce? That's a good one, like H20 at Joe's.

Wasn't salty at all.  Just nice and spicy, and gently fishy (as all good fish are) in a good way, naturally.  We've had the fish in spicy sauce a number of times, but not every time we go.  The dishes I listed are almost always on our order (even though the ribs are sometimes replaced with another dish).

[Simul Parikh]

Slow day at the clinic, so I took my physicist to lunch and made him translate the menu on the wall at Hong Kong Palace. Been wanting this done for years and Ye has in one day done more for me than he has in 4.5 years as my medical physicist. Just kidding.

So, I'm starting at top left and going to the right

Row 1:

Sour/hot rice noodles (might be wide noodles, not like mien)

Fresh hot pepper ____ (fish or meet, not the dried red peppers)

Pickled vegetables and intestines

Garlic and cucumber

Seared fish (unclear if this is whole or filet)

Pan fried beef tendon

Fatty intestines

Fresh bamboo sprouts

Row 2

Pork strips and rice cake (unsure if it is pork belly or what)

Lamb hot pot (didn't know they had!)

Spicy chicken and potato

Spicy blood chunks

Green onion and beef tendon

Spicy fish

Pickled hot pepper fish soup (he seemed particularly excited about this)

Pickled hot pepper and needle mushroom with chicken strips

Row 3

Vegetable sprouts and chicken (this would be the yellow menu item - bottom left)

Fried chicken strips

(????) - he couldn't come up with anything for this

Three brothers spicy chicken (I'm doing to figure out what this is)

Spicy intestine strips

Beans and dried meat

Salty and sweet pork chop

Bean sprouts and fatty intestine

[TheMatt]

I kinda want to try the "beans and dried meat" and "fresh bamboo sprouts". Mmm.

[Rhone1998]

Simul Parikh, there's an app called Waygo that will do this for you. No physicist required. There's a thread somewhere about it.

[PollyG]

Gluten-free people, take note:  If you bring your own GF soy sauce, HKP is able to make most of its dishes GF for you.  We took over about half the restaurant for my birthday a few months ago and one of our friends genuinely has Celiac and must eat GF; even the small amount of wheat in soy sauce has become a problem of late.  I did some consultation in advance and found out that most of the "breaded" dishes at HKP use corn starch and not wheat flour.  There are a few exceptions and a call in advance would be smart, but my friend was able to eat almost everything we had pre-ordered for the gang.  All of their sauces are made on the spot and not pre-made, so it was easy for them to use our GF soy.  

[DonRocks]

Look!

[naxos]

2.8 miles !! Looking forward to a delivered meal .

[Simul Parikh]

Don't dine with kids much, especially at places like this, but anyone know if there is stuff 15 month old little boys could eat here? Their parents love them some Sichuan, and don't really get it unless they are visiting me.

Thanks!

S

[Josh]

Don't dine with kids much, especially at places like this, but anyone know if there is stuff 15 month old little boys could eat here? Their parents love them some Sichuan, and don't really get it unless they are visiting me.

Thanks!

S

We did it with our son when he was around that age...there was an eggplant dish that he dug, and I'm sure the waitresses could point towards another non-spicy, easily gummable dish.

[catharine]

We have been taking our now 2.5 year old here since he was a baby. It really depends on what the little guy likes/will eat. We like to stick to the Szechuan menu but there is no reason you couldn't order him something from the American-Chinese menu. If you want him to eat what you eat, off the top of my head, I would think he might enjoy the Chengdu Zhongs dumplings or the Yang Zhou (sp?) fried rice (made with house-made bacon/pork belly). Another not-too-spicy option is the Salt and Pepper Shrimp.My little guy now eats the stuffed pepper chicken (on the specials board in Chinese) which the waitstaff finds highly entertaining. Enjoy!

[Simul Parikh]

Thanks for suggestions, guys!

I hope when I have a kid he eats the stuffed pepper chicken at the age of 2.5.

S

[DanielK]

My kids will eat the good stuff now, but when they were that age, they just wouldn't do it. Lo mein or sweet and sour chicken (hold the sauce - it's chicken nuggets!) are familiar foods for picky kids.

[Escoffier]

Our annual homage to Stephen B. with a journey to Hong Kong Palace.  Last Christmas we started ordering dishes that Stephen really liked (and ordered ofter) so our pilgrimage now includes our two (always) ordered Dan Dan Noodles and Cumin fish.  This year we ordered the Fried Chicken with Dried Peppers as the third dish.  Nice, small bite-sized pieces of coated chicken (no bones!) with LOTS of dried peppers, onions, and garlic.  I believe this dish is going to become a regular on our list.  Excellent all way around.  Nice moist chicken pieces, not numbing spice but with a definite spiciness.  I started eating this after we finished the Dan Dan Noodles, and almost didn't have time for the always excellent Cumin Fish.  Even when I was totally full, I found myself seeking out any overlooked pieces of chicken.

To you Stephen B.  A hello from Melanie, and a raised cup of hot tea from Grover and me.

[Ericandblueboy]

There's a new menu at Hong Kong Palace.  They combined the Chinese and English menu into one and added lots of pictures. 

[Escoffier]

6 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

There's a new menu at Hong Kong Palace.  They combined the Chinese and English menu into one and added lots of pictures. 

Fortunately, all the good stuff is still there even though it may not have pictures.  We paid our annual homage to Stephen B. once again this year and were presented with that Reader's Digest of Chinese-American menus.  We ordered things that have become tradition since Stephen left the dining room a couple of year ago.  They  were as good this Christmas as they were last and the only disappointment was that Stephen wasn't there to share dinner with us.

[iamhydrgn]

Regarding the 'Three Brothers Spicy Chicken'....it is served cold, to include seemingly cleavered wings/legs, in a bright red chili oil-based sauce.  Chicken appears to have been steamed or boiled for this particular plate...not a seared or crisp skin texture.  Will run into some bones, as well.  Certainly tasty, and worth a try, but it may not be everyone's proverbial cup of (green) tea.  

On another note....what is it about the eggplant w/ garlic sauce that garners such rave reviews?  I typically get take out from HKP - perhaps the texture or flavors muddle during transport?  I've given it two tries, but simply don't understand the fuss here.

[Simul Parikh]

57 minutes ago, iamhydrgn said:

Regarding the 'Three Brothers Spicy Chicken'....it is served cold, to include seemingly cleavered wings/legs, in a bright red chili oil-based sauce.  Chicken appears to have been steamed or boiled for this particular plate...not a seared or crisp skin texture.  Will run into some bones, as well.  Certainly tasty, and worth a try, but it may not be everyone's proverbial cup of (green) tea.  

On another note....what is it about the eggplant w/ garlic sauce that garners such rave reviews?  I typically get take out from HKP - perhaps the texture or flavors muddle during transport?  I've given it two tries, but simply don't understand the fuss here.

Agree with the eggplant. I've had it in-house. Doesn't do it for me. This place is so consistently good. Cannot believe Eater left it off it's list of DC area Chinese restaurants.

[JimCo]

Also left off Tim Carman's Top 10 Chinese Restaurant list, which is a shame. 

Was there two weeks ago, and they were serving some of the best food I've ever had there. Whoever was manning the fryer was firing on all cylinders. The cumin fish was crisp and numbing. The fried chicken with stuffed sesame peppers (I never remember the name) was also excellently fried. 

Only bad note was the service, with our waitress who seemed annoyed by our existence. "She doesn't like us," I told my wife. "She doesn't like anyone," my wife replied after watching her get short with the table next to us.