Dim Sum
Wanted to see if the Board had any current feelings for the best dim sum in the washington Metro area. Wife wants to do dim sum for our anniversary, so need the best suggestions only. Thanks!
By flobow
on Aug 11, 2007 07:49 PM
Washington DC & Baltimore Area
save boardTips for Dining, Eating, and Food Shopping in DC/Baltimore and Suburban Virginia
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By flobow
on Aug 11, 2007 07:49 PM
18 Replies
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mmm dim sum! try Hollywood East Cafe in Wheaton. we've been there many times and haven't been disappointed. they serve dim sum from the carts on the weekends (our preference to checking off your selections on a menu card). my husband loves the rice crepes stuffed with pork or shrimp. my son loves the har go. and me, i love it all! :) their noodle dishes are good too, especially the beef chow mein.
enjoy and happy anniversary!
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Hollywood East Cafe
11160 Veirs Mill Rd., Wheaton, MD 20902
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'pends where you're near - there aren't exactly a plethora of 'em, but there are some real highlights scattered about the area.
In Virginia, I think you'll do best at Lucky Three, 5900 Leesburg Pike Falls Church.
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Cafe Atlantico does a latino twists on dim sum. They do a dim sum brunch on Sundays.
http://www.cafeatlantico.com/latinoDimSum.htm
http://www.piealamona.blogspot.com
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There used to be great talk about China Garden in Rosslyn (old Gannett Buildings). From what I understand the real stand out is the dim sum rather than straight menu orders, but I've not yet been and the board has grown quiet about it. Any more recent word from anyone?
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It finished at the bottom of our ranking from the Nova Dim SUm Roundup. Lots of cold foods that should have been hot and we were there at noon and the place was packed. So it was not stuff left over from the day before! I have not been back so take this with a grain of salt (or a drop of soy?!?) as it was just one visit.
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Thanks for the report. Another hound went somewhat recently, ordered off the menu and told me in person that it wasn't so hot, but the reviews from years ago were so hot I was left wondering.
One of the reviews from years ago even claimed it was where Chinese tourists went when in town. I wondered then if there were any Chinese tourists. I wonder now if they went there due to proximity (on basis, of course, that they DO exist).
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The chinese tourists arrive on giant coaches every sunday but I think that has more to due with location and the presence of a large banquet room.
I find the dim sum there somewhat hit or miss but it is by far the best dim sum if you want to stay close to the city. When I have the time, or inclination, I make the trek out to Wheaton to Oriental East (long lines) or Hollywood east on the Boulevard ( never a wait and offers items which you usually don't see on most dim sum carts).
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Aside from Mark's Duck House, not many dim sum places DON'T have a large banquet area.
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There are no clear dim sum winners in the DC area. Reviews of the popular places are mixed. You basically have to take your chances.
Some tips:
-Arrive early. This gets you in before the big rush, and there will be enough customers as the restaurant fills to keep the food turning over.
-If you are going for one of the wheeled cart experiences, try to get a table near where the carts exit the kitchen. The food will be freshest then.
Some other places that I don't have addresses for:
Mark's Duck House, near Seven Corners
Lucky 3, near Baileys Crossroads
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Oriental East
1312 E West Hwy, Silver Spring, MD 20910
China Garden Restaurant
1100 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22209
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Hollywood East on the Blvd. is quite good. As is Oriental East. However, I prefer going to New Fortune in Gaithersburg (on 355 about a 1/2 mile north of Shady Grove Rd.) Go at around 11:30 on a Sunday and try to beat the crowd. It gets very crowded but it is a huge place and has more things to try than any of the others around.
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I like Mark's Duck House but you have to go when it's busy or it can be pretty bad (warmed leftovers, day old). I've only been to Lucky Three for their dimsum lunch buffet which is what you'd expect for a buffet, lots of cheap food. I need to try it for regular dimsum on weekends. I think reviews of popular are mixed because the food isn't always consistent.
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Mark's Duck House
6184 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church, VA 22044
Lucky 3
5900 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041
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I went to Orientla East over the weekend and was impressed. The only complaint I had is that a lot of the Dim Sum was shrimp focused and not eating shrimp left a lot of things I couldnt eat. I haven't been to any other places in the area to compare.
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I've got my anniversary coming up too and I might take a page from your thought-process and head to dim sum idea as well!
I know many on the board have recommended Hollywood East Cafe but I find it to be mediocre and a bit heavy. . .a larger majority of the choices are fried and I found that the dim sum to tasted OK. . .nothing to write home about. I've also tried to Lucky Three (only once ) and didn't really like it too much because the dishes my wife and I got were at room temeperature and that just turned me off from it, although that may have been an off-day for them.
IMO, I'd recommend Oriental East ahead of Hollywood East and Lucky Three although I have not tried Mark's Duck House. As mentioned in the previous posts, showing up early is a must!!
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WIth Mark's Duck House, don't be too early, either. If you get there before noon, you'll get a table quickly but lackluster, warmed over food.
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Anyone in the mood to identify a specific time that qualifies as early enough but not too early for good dim sum?
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About noon, I'd say--as soon as it's hard to get a table. If you get a table easily, you're too early (or too late). I'm rarely late for dimsum but have found 1:30ish to be the beginning of it getting slow.
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Sorry, I should have distinguished between Saturday and Sunday--Sunday's are busier and start getting crowded at 11.
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speaking only about Oriental East--arrive at 10:45. Doing so will get you in for the first seating when the restaurant opens at 11, thereby keeping your wait to fifteen minutes. If you go later, it's unlikely you'll get a table in 15 minutes. I haven't noticed differing quality at different times of day, though they do run out of things on occasion.
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