Peking Cheers, Szuchuan on Quince Orchard Road in Gaithersburg, Featuring the Former Chef At Joe's Noodle House - Closed

[DanielK]

But does that mean there weren't severe rodents there?

No, just that once they are able to clear the infestation after the digging stops, that it shouldn't be a recurring problem.

All supposition, of course. Maybe they leave food on the floor for days at a time.

[deangold]

Well the rodents were not severe yesterday at PC but the new owners were. I came in and sat down requesting the special Schezuan menu. They expressed shock that I didn't want the buffet. Asked again. Got a menu that looked very generic with some starred dishes but not the good stuff. I again asked for the menu while sipping on my Tising Tao. Again told that's the menu. I described it as in red with the cold dishes and hot spicy foods. Again they told me that this was that menu. I said do you ahve soft tofu? Wood Ear mushrooms with hot sauce? They said you want Ma Po? I said no, soft tofu with red sauce. They said have Ma Po. I said look I'll just pay for the beer I don't want to eat here. I put a $5.00 bill down and started to walk out. All of a sudden about 5 of the staff was talking to me at once. I said look I wanted the Schezuan menu and not this stuff. That's when one guy shouted at me New Owner, New Menu, Better. I said not really and started to leave. They then said hey don't leave without paying for the beer. I was surrounded by 5 irate employees/managers/owners perhaps yelling at me. At that point I must admit my paitence ran out. I told them I was not a theif and that they could go visit someplace a little hotter than Gaithersberg. I basically had to shove my way out of the restaurant thru this little crowd. I should have demanded my change!!! I will never be back.

Look I am not the one who bought a restaurant, changed the menu totally and make no effort, either thru naming or thru telling the truth, to let a customer know that things were different.

[Pool Boy]

Yikes! I wonder if this place really did change hands. It sure seems like it. Thanks for the update, even if it was lousy.

[deangold]

With regards to the sub heading, it wasn't out of my way as I was heading into parts north to pick up some computer supplies for the restaurant. Just to prove that I not only get lost in Virginia, Driving back out of PC I got totally screwed up and drove all around Old Town Gaithersberg looking for a sign back to 355 or 270. No avail. Somehow, totally by luck I would up going thru Montgomery Village, and I mean thru and thru and thru MV till I hit 270 north. Then I got off at the wrong offramp for my errand. The day was saved by a good lunch at Bob's Shabu

PS... this lack of directional ability from someone who despite having a strong tendency to remodel cars driving thru various old centers of town in Italy, can get you in and out of just about anywhere in Toscana, even the Bermuda's Triangle surrounding Siena.

[KeithA]

Went to Peking Cheers on Saturday night around 7:30pm and was surprised to see how empty it was. Not sure if it is the economy or something else. As on past trips in the last few years (I only go a few times a year since it is near family, not my house), I saw that the chinese customers who made up the majority got a special menu while the non-asians got your typical americanized menu. However, unlike the story from a year ago upthread, the hostess was happy to give me the menu with more traditional chinese items (the menu is written in english thankfully for those of us who are mandarin/cantonese-challenged). We had a mix of the two menus with a pretty good egg drop soup, decent fried rice, not so great sesame chicken (gloppy sauce and not the best pieces of chicken), very crispy, crispy beef, and a pretty good whole tilapia with ginger and scallions that was taken from the tanks in the back. Not a stellar meal, but decent enough. Posted mainly out of curiousity about the slowness on a saturday night (used to be very busy then, now only half of the restaurant was ever full and no real carryout business to speak of) and now as an update seeing as the thread has been dead for so long.

Currently my go to chinese place in DC is Sichuan Paviliion on K St near Farragut North which has a mix of americanized and traditional chinese cooking and is popular with chinese customers too. Or Mr Chen's in Woodley for carryout which has been especially good lately.

[Night Owl]

This thread ended on a not-so-encouraging note... Has anyone been to PC recently? I'm interested in the Peking duck, in particular. Thanks...

[jayandstacey]

Closed. You never forget your first Peking Duck.

[DonRocks]

Uh-oh.

I don't know if Peking Cheers closed from these violations, never to reopen; or whether they closed at some later point, but regardless, they are closed. Anyone with information, please chime in.

Also, I don't know whether the former Joe's chef (does anyone have his name?) stayed until the end or not. Regardless, does anyone know where he is now?