Joe's Noodle House, Rockville - From The Holy Mountain of Szechuan

[Pool Boy]

Went here recently....

Chopped leek stem with pork, garlic and black bean is a perennial favorite

Tea tree mushroom with homemade bacon had a great roma and good mushroomy taste, but it came out basically room temperature. Odd.

Shredded pork with green hot pepper was pretty good actually

House pan fried noodle (with shrimp, beef and chicken -- this was a DUD. Pretty flavorless, dull and uninspired 'shovel-ready' food.

It's not as great as it used to be, but still overall pretty good. I still prefer Grace Garden at this time, by a pretty wide margin.

[Marty L.]

It's not as great as it used to be, but still overall pretty good. I still prefer Grace Garden at this time, by a pretty wide margin.

Apples and, mostly, oranges. The chef at GG does have some Sichuan training, and it plays a supporting role in his cooking . . . but it isn't the focus, as at Joe's. The real comparison is at Rockville's Sichuan Pavillion -- much as I have a soft spot for Joe's, it's very hard to opt for it when there is such consistent, delicious Sichuan fare just down the street.

[Bob Loblaw]

Went here recently....

Chopped leek stem with pork, garlic and black bean is a perennial favorite

Tea tree mushroom with homemade bacon had a great roma and good mushroomy taste, but it came out basically room temperature. Odd.

Shredded pork with green hot pepper was pretty good actually

House pan fried noodle (with shrimp, beef and chicken -- this was a DUD. Pretty flavorless, dull and uninspired 'shovel-ready' food.

It's not as great as it used to be, but still overall pretty good. I still prefer Grace Garden at this time, by a pretty wide margin.

The Tea Tree dish is one of many that is supposed to be "Served cold," denoted by a white star next to the item number. I didn't notice that star was there until after multiple visits. And I believe it has been mentioned upthread that noodles are not the restaurant's best dishes. The only one I would order here is the Dan Dan Noodle.

[Pool Boy]

Apples and, mostly, oranges. The chef at GG does have some Sichuan training, and it plays a supporting role in his cooking . . . but it isn't the focus, as at Joe's. The real comparison is at Rockville's Sichuan Pavillion -- much as I have a soft spot for Joe's, it's very hard to opt for it when there is such consistent, delicious Sichuan fare just down the street.

True that. I wasn't really trying to compare apples to apples, just mentioning my preference. I will have to check Sichuan Pavillion out....thanks for the tip.

[Pool Boy]

The Tea Tree dish is one of many that is supposed to be "Served cold," denoted by a white star next to the item number. I didn't notice that star was there until after multiple visits. And I believe it has been mentioned upthread that noodles are not the restaurant's best dishes. The only one I would order here is the Dan Dan Noodle.

Ha! I missed that, too! the flavors were good, I was expecting it to be warm at least, and that is what threw me off (what I was expecting not lining up).

[Albert Yi]

I know Sichuan Jin River is getting all the hype these days but I think Joe's is still pretty good.

I stopped by for a quick lunch. Place was bustling even though it was Christmas but thankfully no wait. I started out with the Dan Dan Noodles, which while fragrant featured mushy noodles and an uneven distribution of sauce that made the top underseasoned and the bottom unbearably salty. Maybe I needed to mix it better.

Thankfully the stir fried rice cakes with pork and vegetables (R26) were wonderful. This dish isn't spicy at all so it's a good choice for your heat-averse friends. A great mix of light flavors and textures between the chewy rice cakes and the juicy mushrooms.

[Josh]

But here's the real reason for my post. It seems that any dish with Szechuan peppercorns tastes a bit salty to me. My wife notices this too, and to a greater extent - so much so that she won't eat them anymore because she doesn't like the overtly salty taste. I'm wondering if the dishes are really saltier or if the numbing action of the peppercorns also makes the salt receptors on the tongue more sensitive??

Anyone?? Bueller? Anyone?

I've eaten at Joe's a number of times now, and actually came searching through the boards to see if someone had experienced what I had and lo and behold, here was xcanuck's post.  Any dish I have at Joe's with szechuan peppercorns tastes unbearably salty to me.  Strangely, this seems to be limited to versions at Joe's.  Yesterday I had the Ma Po Tofu, a dish I've had many times at Sichuan Jin River, and I couldn't finish it because of the overwhelming salty taste.  In the past at Joe's, I've run across the same thing with the spicy and tasty tofu...so much so that I sent it back once.  To be clear, this isn't a spice level thing...I regularly enjoy the Lao hot at Bangkok Golden.  Nor is it a "numbing" thing, since the same dishes at Jin River don't cause the same reaction.

At this point, I guess I'll just stick to Jin River, or give HKP a try.  Has anyone other than Canuck and I had a similar experience?

[DanielK]

Perhaps related, but I have found that even on a light day, Joe's uses a far higher concentration of the sichuan peppercorns than SJR. So whether or not it actually is salt, or just a reaction, it seems the effect would be amplified at Joe's.

I have a hard time getting them to make the sichuan dishes truly spicy at SJR, though they do have some dishes there that I prefer more than at Joe's.

[Josh]

Hmm...Well, I would differentiate between "spicy" meaning hot and the numbing effect of the peppercorns.  My suspicion is that Joe's tries to tone down the "hot" spicy factor and doesn't alter the other seasonings, resulting in (to my palate at least) really unbalanced dishes.  It really is the only Szechuan place I've eaten at that has posed such a problem (including a few in China).

[JPW]

Leaving Joe's today, I just realized that I've been eating the Triple Pepper Chicken there on average once a month for almost exactly a decade.

[Antonio Burrell]

I hated to say this but my wife and I have noticed a lot of the same things. There has been a general decline in the quality of some key dishes for me, in some cases markedly in the past year. I have ordered the spicy Sichuan beef. Hasn't been as spicy or numbing but has instead been very salty. In fact, that's my main beef here (hahahaha) is that iit all the stuff we've ordered in the last 3-4 visits haven't been spicy or numbing as we had grown accustomed to. Any ideas for a new Sichuan fix?

[Marty L.]

Sichuan Jin River.  Or Hong Kong Palace in Seven Corners.

I hated to say this but my wife and I have noticed a lot of the same things. There has been a general decline in the quality of some key dishes for me, in some cases markedly in the past year. I have ordered the spicy Sichuan beef. Hasn't been as spicy or numbing but has instead been very salty. In fact, that's my main beef here (hahahaha) is that iit all the stuff we've ordered in the last 3-4 visits haven't been spicy or numbing as we had grown accustomed to. Any ideas for a new Sichuan fix?

[DonRocks]

Leaving Joe's today, I just realized that I've been eating the Triple Pepper Chicken there on average once a month for almost exactly a decade.

I hated to say this but my wife and I have noticed a lot of the same things. There has been a general decline in the quality of some key dishes for me, in some cases markedly in the past year. I have ordered the spicy Sichuan beef. Hasn't been as spicy or numbing but has instead been very salty. In fact, that's my main beef here (hahahaha) is that iit all the stuff we've ordered in the last 3-4 visits haven't been spicy or numbing as we had grown accustomed to. Any ideas for a new Sichuan fix?

Antonio, a lot of what same things? Joe's post wasn't negative, and is the only one that's current.

What about the noodles you order at the counter? Have they declined?

[Antonio Burrell]

Wasn't referring to Joe's post. Was reading the post before Daniels about some spiciness issues as well as general over salting. I've been noticing the same things over 6-7 trips over the last 2 years, the last time being a couple of weeks ago.

Almost every trip we order some variation of our 7 or so favorite dishes: Sichuan crispy spicy beef, tofu with spicy tasty sauce, ma po tofu, spicy long pepper with preserved egg, fish fillet with tofu (h20), leek with pork and black bean and crispy spicy calamari or chicken. Over the course of the last two years the quality of these dishes has declined in both execution and seasoning. The beef has not been crispy nor spicy. But it has been salty. I've had to return it twice. The other dishes are misses of varying degrees but misses non the less. The spicy beef noodle soup has been fine, but again, not spicy. Each time I tell myself it'll be better next time but I think I've got to go somewhere else. It makes me sad cause when that spicy crispy beef is done right, it is easily the reason I go there, and I can't find a similar dish done the same way any where else.

[Josh]

Wasn't referring to Joe's post. Was reading the post before Daniels about some spiciness issues as well as general over salting. I've been noticing the same things over 6-7 trips over the last 2 years, the last time being a couple of weeks ago.

Almost every trip we order some variation of our 7 or so favorite dishes: Sichuan crispy spicy beef, tofu with spicy tasty sauce, ma po tofu, spicy long pepper with preserved egg, fish fillet with tofu (h20), leek with pork and black bean and crispy spicy calamari or chicken. Over the course of the last two years the quality of these dishes has declined in both execution and seasoning. The beef has not been crispy nor spicy. But it has been salty. I've had to return it twice. The other dishes are misses of varying degrees but misses non the less. The spicy beef noodle soup has been fine, but again, not spicy. Each time I tell myself it'll be better next time but I think I've got to go somewhere else. It makes me sad cause when that spicy crispy beef is done right, it is easily the reason I go there, and I can't find a similar dish done the same way any where else.

Vindication!

[Simul Parikh]

Hmm.

I found this problem at HKP but didn't encounter it at Joe's, but go far less to Joe's. It's very far from me, but I love their spicy pork chop a lot.

It's seems like it's a Sichuan issue - that sometimes the saltiness becomes overpowering.

I had heard that the quality at Jin River had suffered recently, I haven't been in a few years.

I heard 88 China in Chantilly is good. Next time I make it to Dulles, I guess. Anyone try it? It's holding strong at 4.5 stars on Yelp, not that it means anything...

S

[deangold]

I can usually sweet talk them into making it spicy.  The issue is that when I go with Kay, we take it medium and when im there on my own, I want it spicy spicy Sichuan.  So the ladies who don't know me are harder to convince.  On the other hand, the cooking remains superb.

I have had 3 totally forgettable meals at Sichuan Jin and stopped trying.  Spicy, yes, but no complex flavors.

[DonRocks]

I found this problem at HKP but didn't encounter it at Joe's, but go far less to Joe's. It's very far from me, but I love their spicy pork chop a lot.

It's seems like it's a Sichuan issue - that sometimes the saltiness becomes overpowering.

I went to Hong Kong Palace last week and encountered a similar characteristic with two of the spicier dishes (but absolutely no problem with the steamed vegetable dish) - I thought for awhile, and convinced myself that the numbing peppercorns make the salt (or MSG, or whatever it is) penetrate more sharply, giving it the illusion of being saltier than it actually is (perhaps by muting other flavors more than sodium).

[Josh]

I'm convinced that the phenomenon represents a failure of execution.  I've never encountered the problem in tons of Sichuan meals before Joe's, and haven't encountered it since (at SJR or HKP).  Happened twice at Joe's and I haven't been able to convince myself to go back.

If I have to plead with the staff of a restaurant to make a dish as it is meant to be eaten, as opposed to "toned down" to an unbalanced mess that they think I want to eat, I'll just head elsewhere thankyouverymuch.

(Agree with Dean about SJR, though.  I've had more thinly flavored misses than hits in the past 6 months...sad.)

[jca76]

Quick report on dinner with friends on Saturday night:  Excellent ma po tofu, very floral from the peppercorns.  Sichuan string beans were nicely gingery.  A start of edamame and tofu out of the cold case was also very good.  One of my friends really enjoyed the sauteed shredded potato, a favorite dish of his (which I never particularly love, so don't feel capable of judging).  Unfortunately, calamari in basil sauce was chewily overcooked within minutes of hitting the table (and the thai-basil sauce didn't seem particularly Chinese, but we probably should have expected that).  Salty & crispy eggplant was a little bland without the garlic slivers scattered throughout the dish (and one friend was put off by the thick batter).

Overall, while we enjoyed the meal, it wasn't nearly as good as either Panda Gourmet or Hong Kong Palace, which both have the added benefit of being closer to where we live in DC.  (Sichuan Jin River has gone down hill in post-name change visits, in my opinion.)

[pras]

So tonight I made my second stop of the year to Joe's.  I noticed that the front house staff was completely different than in the past.  I asked the cashier and the other person behind the counter if they were new owners to which they replied yes.  After a little more prodding, they said that they took over 1/1/15.  they said that they kept the main chef and have brought on two new chefs direct from Chengdu who have advanced "university culinary degrees".  When I asked if they have any changes planned, they said their first priority was to raise the level of the Szechuan cuisine they are putting out.  They plan to make some small menu changes, but nothing drastic and nothing too quickly.  The only new changes are two special sizzling rice dishes that they are very proud of (listed on paper behind the counter).  I certainly cannot wait to see how this progresses.  Stay tuned ....

[deangold]

I know Audrey had issues with the landlord on a new lease and she was looking at other locations.

[darkstar965]

So tonight I made my second stop of the year to Joe's.  I noticed that the front house staff was completely different than in the past.  I asked the cashier and the other person behind the counter if they were new owners to which they replied yes.  After a little more prodding, they said that they took over 1/1/15.  they said that they kept the main chef and have brought on two new chefs direct from Chengdu who have advanced "university culinary degrees".  When I asked if they have any changes planned, they said their first priority was to raise the level of the Szechuan cuisine they are putting out.  They plan to make some small menu changes, but nothing drastic and nothing too quickly.  The only new changes are two special sizzling rice dishes that they are very proud of (listed on paper behind the counter).  I certainly cannot wait to see how this progresses.  Stay tuned ....

Wow. Hope the changes won't be too drastic.  Joes has been around forever. We usually go 3 or 4 times each year.

[lion]

We got take out on the 11th and it seemed to be the same level what I recalled from previous visits. 

[deangold]

First post Audrey meal.  Of the front of the house, only the busser remained.  Late afternoon so the joint wasn't fully staffed.

I ordered one of my stand by hot dishes: Dry Sauteed Crispy Beef.  This is a dish than when on, is incredible.  But it has a tendency to vary depending on how authentic the order taker perceives I deserve.  At it's best, it is fiery hot with scant sauce on the plate.  Today, when I ordered it I was asked "Chinese Style?" to which I said "Yes, MaLa"  The gent taking the order laughed, which to me could symbolize a "Yeah, sure you want it hot but not really Sichuan hot" or "get ready for it dude."

Happily it was the latter.  The beef was very frangrant, very crispy.  It is crisp fried and then tossed in a tumble of carrot and celery shreds and green onion, with lots of hot elements included.  In the past, the dish had a huge amount of whole chilis fried int he initial oil to season it, but today the chilis were not as abundant.  But the crushed chilis and sichuan peppercorn formed a dry coating that left the serving plate completely free of liquid of any sort.  It was bracingly hot, pretty much to my limit.  The first haf os the palte, when I was getting a lot of meat strips was spectacular.  At the end,m when it was mostly celery, carrot and chilis, it waas a little one dimensional.  All in all, a great version of the dish.

The cuke salad was less garlicky and had fried whole chilis and missing the drops of chili oil that it formerly had.  The wheat gluten and black mushroom was as always.

So the takeaway from one visit, one in which I did nothing to let the new guys know how much of a regular I am, left me thinking this oculd be a good thing.  Need to explore the menu more deeply as the specials board had a few things that looked good, especially yhe mixed seafood on sizzling rice.

I would love to hear from some hot heads who would like to go and try a full range of MaLa dishes.

[pras]

I have been back here a few times since the ownership change.  It looks like they are trying to do some things to clean the place up such as a new coat of paint, new cash register, etc.  The food has remained much the same for me (top notch).  What I am about to write has nothing to do with the food, but it is a perception of cleanliness.  In the case at the cash register, they always displayed the cold appetizers.  Tonight when I looked in, I saw them, and noticed that the mushroom roll with tofu skin wrapper looked moldy.  I mentioned it to the person at the cash register and she said that the case doesn't work anymore and it is just for display, and that they keep everything fresh back in the kitchen.  I typically take people for their word, and will give her the benefit of the doubt, but for most of the world, perception is everything, for me especially where food is concerned--if the food looks moldy in the case, it makes me wonder what is going on in the back of the house.

[DonRocks]

[This is a classic instance of me "Liking" a post out of respect, and not because I'm fond of the content. Thank you, pras, for posting this - given that Joe's was, or is, arguably the best Chinese (not just Szechuan, but Chinese) restaurant in the entire DC metropolitan area for many years, this is of extreme importance. If they're going to do this, they need to get plastic, sushi-type window displays that you sometimes see in Japanese restaurants. People should be "Liking" pras's post - it took both courage and observational skills to write what he did.]

[sandynva]

I went yesterday for the very first time and am happy to report that the case seems to be working. we ordered some items from it (after examining them closely) and they were ice cold. We went because we recently went to xian and i fell in love with the stir-fried super savory cubes of liangfen they served there, and i've been trying to find similar ones in dc, and joes serves 2 kinds of liangfen so it seemed worth a shot. the service was really friendly and fast.

we had the szechuan cold mung bean noodle with sauce and the hot and spicy mung bean jello. with both of them, we liked the seasoning a lot, we just wanted much more of it-next time we'll order it spicy i guess. the hot and spicy jello was in the same ballpark as what i was looking for but not quite the same. however, when i put the leftovers into a skillet at home so they could warm up, begin to brown at the edges, and also absorb the flavor more, they were much better.

we were happily surpised by how stuffed with chives the "chive pocket" was. (i often think scallion pancakes don't have enough scallion). interestingly, it too was better that night when reheated for dinner, maybe the reheating cooked (and thus tamed) the chives a bit? the sauce on the pasta with hot and sour sauce is good, we just wished the noodles they served them with were better.

We'll definitely be back, and next time will ask for the food extra spicy.

[Simon]

Any more recent reports on Joe's?  Particularly interested in the current rack-and-stack of Rockville Szechuan places: Joe's or Sichuan Jin River (I'm not really feeling Peter Chang's these days).  Thanks!

[Marty L.]

Haven't been to Joe's in several months, but I can report that on Christmas Eve, Jin River was *slammed,* and yet we had as good a meal as we've ever had there--and every single item coming out of the kitchen to other tables looked more delectable than the last (and I didn't recognize several).  Their ability to turn out hundreds of different dishes and keep the quality so high is rather remarkable.  Continuity in the kitchen is the key, methinks.

Any more recent reports on Joe's?  Particularly interested in the current rack-and-stack of Rockville Szechuan places: Joe's or Sichuan Jin River (I'm not really feeling Peter Chang's these days).  Thanks!

[JBag57]

Wow, are these places better than Peter Chang's?  Because we just ate at Peter Chang's in Arlington, and I felt like we had been taken back 30 years, in terms of having fresh, clean (i.e., no thickening agents, and no dumbing down) Szechuan food.  We might have to take a trip across the river if that is the case...

[Simon]

Wow, are these places better than Peter Chang's?  Because we just ate at Peter Chang's in Arlington, and I felt like we had been taken back 30 years, in terms of having fresh, clean (i.e., no thickening agents, and no dumbing down) Szechuan food.  We might have to take a trip across the river if that is the case...

Just my experience: I had two amazing meals at Peter Chang Arlington right after it opened, but two decidedly lackluster meals (and lackluster preparation of the same dishes that were great in Arlington) in Rockville just after that branch opened (with Peter Chang reportedly in the kitchen both times).  I haven't been to Joe's or Jin River in about five years but wanted to give them a try again.

[PollyG]

We went to Joe's on January 2 after my impatient teen passengers were not willing to wait at Bob's for soup dumplings.  A&J was also crowded but we sauntered right into Joe's, which was only about half full.  In deference to our two guests, we ordered mostly on the non-spicy side. 

The sophistication and depth of the seasoning is behind Chang's at his peak and behind Hong Kong Palace today.  The salt and pepper squid appetizer was the standout; the squid was tender and the spicing on the breading was subtle, with salt, pepper, and an undertone of sugar.  I would not drive all the way to Rockville for Joe's, but if I am in Rockville, hungry, and not willing to wait anywhere, it remains a legitimate contender. 

[Al Dente]

I went for dinner a few weeks ago and left disappointed. I used to live in Rockville, so I know how good Joe's can be. The first thing I noticed was how empty it was. A couple of years ago, the place would be packed by 7 every night, but there were only 2 other occupied tables at 6:30. I ordered the dry saute beef which was a pale imitation of what it once was. I don't think there were any Szechuan peppercorns in it, the flavors were muted, and the beef itself was soggy rather than crispy.

Was that just a bad night, or has Joe's faded into mediocrity?

[SilverBullitt]

We get takeout from Joe's about once a month.  I thought the cooking had gotten tired before the restaurant was sold (Dec. 2015?).  For me, the food has gotten better.  We typically get: wontons in red hot sauce; yu shiang eggplant; Szechwan beans; spicy/tasty pork chop; mapo tofu; sliced beef with vegetables; and beef with pickled peppers. 

[ALB]

Any recent reviews? I have a guest coming who requested drunken noodles  with tofu, and I remember them being really good here (pressed tofu ribbons, not fried). If not here, where in Rockville should we go?

[Al Dente]

I don't think this joint should be italicized anymore. At best, they're above average. It's really disappointing-- I used to love the place.

[Al Dente]

I went a few nights ago hoping that Joe's improved since my last visit. It hasn't.

Entrees came out 30 seconds after the appetizers. I hate that.

The Mapo Tofu was a greasy mess and the flavors just didn't have that Szechuan peppercorn zing that it had in Joe's heyday. Dan Dan Noodles were overcooked to the point where they fell apart when I tried lifting them with chopsticks. The beef in the Pad Thai (I know, I know, but my 9 year old wanted it) tasted and smelled gamey. Even the freakin' tea put me off.

Joe's Noodle House could challenge and reward my taste buds in the past and I'd often push beyond my comfort zone for a taste of intestine, kidneys, and blood. That stuff is still on the menu, but I can't possibly order it. I don't trust that kitchen anymore. 

The italics gotta go!

[DonRocks]

1 hour ago, Al Dente said:

The italics gotta go!

Gone (after 13+ years).

Incidentally, I went to Pizza CS two weeks ago, and have raised that to the #1 restaurant in South Rockville - the pizza was as good as any I've had lately in the DC area (if there's currently any better pizza than this in town, please let me know).

Interestingly, the best pizzas right now are coming out of Maryland - that was never the case until recently.

[pras]

I would stop here after my quarterly dermatologist visits and order takeout, but I went to that dermatologist for the last time a month ago (retired).  I don't know when I will have the chance to dine there again, but there are much better options up north near home.  It was good, but not great.  One of the reasons it was good and reliable was the extensive vegetarian menu, which included vegetable stock in some soups.  This allowed for a wider menu for my wife.  Oh well, most pho places now have veggie stock as an option, so when she wants soup, there are lots more options now.

I agree though that Joe's is not what it once was.