Seeking Best Roast Meats in Chinatown

[John Galt]

I plan to purchase some roast pork or other meats to take home and use for sandwiches. Who roasts the best pig or other meats in Chinatown?

Thanks.

[Soup]

Chinatown express and full kee have pretty good roast meats. I used to get the hand pulled noodle soup with roast pig on a weekly basis. I noodle are good but got to say the soup part leaves a lot to be desired.

[hill food]

as exciting as that area has become, I honestly lament the losses of even the dumpiest places.

I call it Franchise-Town now.

[rheelee]

Yeah, the development of Chinatown was bittersweet for the Chinese community. As mentioned above, the urban gentrification of the area unfortunately caused the rent to sky rocket and become unaffordable for those dive mom and pop restaurants and stores to stay.

The "green sauce" that comes with Chinese roasted meats is a combination of chopped scallions, ginger, salt, veg oil, msg and a few other spices. Its traditionally eaten with the roasted chicken and white rice. It's good on everything!

[hill food]

I find Architectonica's faux-"Chinois" confection over Metro as kind of a visual mockery. It over-powers the gate (which ok, was sort of hokey in the first place) but seeing that the arena and recent developments have effectively destroyed the neighborhood as a destination for Asian and specifically Chinese food...

Most (all? please correct me if I'm wrong) C-Towns were more or less enforced ethnic ghettos (SF def.) and thank God we're moving past that, but it was/is nice to go to an area and know "if I don't like what's in this establishment, there are several comparable ones around the corner".

One can't romanticize it, but in a way that's what that building does in a non-ironic, cynical and heartless way.

</high horse>

can't get too preachy - wandering around there on foot after midnight in '98 spooked even me (and that takes a bit).

[rheelee]

I agree hill food. Well, I wouldn't say enforced ethnic ghettos, per say, but they were usually lower income areas that attracted the newer immigrants to settle. The same gentrification has happened in many of the other Chinatowns, Little Italy, and other ethnic communities, in the US.

DC Chinatown is definitely more ped friendly and has more a mainstream, family appeal for Verizon Center goers and tourists now. I guess it's natural for many folks unfamiliar with our Chinatown to assume it's the best place to get good Chinese eats and watch the Chinatown parade. As mentioned in many previous threads, MontCo, MD in Rockville/Gaithersburg area is now the place to go for groceries, restaurants, and the best Chinese New Year celebration at Lakeforest.

[hill food]

maybe my words were a little harsh, but in SF in the late 19th c. through early-mid 20th c., Asians were treated with quite draconian measures and limitations as far as employment and residence (and worse) I'm sure no need to tell you, but for the benefit of lurkers.

I had a co-worker once in the early 90's (10 years younger than me!) whose father was a "paper son".

our loss to the suburbs, the proprietors will enjoy a better tax and insurance situation - no tears for them - may they do well.

[DanielK]

The roast pork and roast pig are out of this world at New Fortune in Gaithersburg.

I think both Chinatown Express and Eat First do pretty decent roast meats if Chinatown is more convenient.

[MikeR]

What's the difference between roast pork and roast pig? The age of the animal before it's roasted?

They don't make pork out of anything other than pigs there, do they? ;)

[deangold]

Roast pig is whole pig, with crispy skin and a layer of fat underneath the skin. It comes on the bone. Roast pork is "BBQ Pork" sliced boneless pork with a reddish outer ring due to use of hoisin sauce.

[rheelee]

deangold is correct about the differentiation of roasted pork and roasted pig. I guess the reason why we (the Chinese) call it roasted pig is because it's traditionally the whole pig that is roasted at one time vs the roasted bbq pork is just tenderloin marinated in a reddish bbq sauce.

[monkeyrotica]

I let Hodges make the sandwiches for me. Roast beef, turkey, and ham on Friday. I'll have to ask them if they'll let me buy it by the pound.

[rheelee]

With the urban gentrification of DC Chinatown, most of the authentic Chinese restaurants are in the suburbs now. As a Chinese American foodie, I unfortunately never eat in Chinatown anymore. The Hong Kong/Cantonese restaurants specialize in roasted meats. If you're in NoVa, I recommend Mark's Duck House or Miu Kee in Falls Church. If you're in MontCo, go to Maxim Market in Rockville, Full Kee in Wheaton, New Fortune in Gaithersburg. I can give you more recs depending on your specific location.

[John Galt]

How about some specific recs for roast meats from Maxim Market and Full Kee?

[rheelee]

Correction...Paul Kee (not Full Kee) in Wheaton or Hollywood East in Wheaton is good too. For sandwiches, I would recommend the bbq roasted pork sliced. You can add some veggies and make a Vietnamese type banh mi sandwich. The roasted suckling pig, duck, and chicken are great too but not good for sandwiches because they're chopped in big chunks with the bone.

[JoshInDC]

I'm okay with the roasted meats at Chinatown Express. And be sure to take home some containers of the green condiment!

Yes, better choices in the burbs. I like Mark's Duck House. But for DC Chinatown, I think Chinatown Express does the trick.

[epicuriousgal]

Agreed. I LOVE whatever that green condiment is. So good in their noodle soups.

[KWynn]

Love it in the noodle soups too--I think it's scallions?

[tubman]

Probably not what you were thinking of (and not exactly roasted), but you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't consider the by-the-pound offerings from Capital Q BBQ. (Especially the brisket.)

http://www.capitalqbbq.com