Dim Sum in Washington?

[astrobri]

I've read heated debates on Chowhound in the past to get recommendations for Dim Sum in Montreal and New York, but I couldn't see a thread for Washington, so here is my appeal!

Where do I go for Dim Sum? Having scoped out Chinatown, I'm guessing my options are pretty limited. (I did notice that there is a Ping Pong here, but as a former Londoner I've come to associate the chain with the same problems of usual dim sum [inconsistency, lack of fresshness] at twice the usual price).

I'll go anywhere in DC I can get to by car or bus, and I'll go on a Sunday so we don't have to worry about weekday menus. I'll take carts or a menu. I'd just like hot, fresh, and tasty Dim Sum.

[psychofan]

A short list of dim sum places:

http://www.yelp.com/list/our-dc-metro...

[mondovino]

I would highly recommend DIm Sum at New Fortune restaurant at 16515 South Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg MD. You must go on a Saturday or Sunday, and the busier they are the better the Dim Sum will be, although you might have to wait for a table. It is a large hall restaurant, and a table near the kitchen door is a great advantage. As far a I am concerned, it is the best Dim Sum in this area.
Oriental East in Silver Spring is decent but too small in my opinion. If you don't get a table in the first seating, you will have to wait 2 hours, and depending where your table is, the carts can be mostly empty before they get to your table.

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Oriental East
1312 E West Hwy, Silver Spring, MD 20910

New Fortune
16515 S Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 20877

[chowsearch]

The owners and staff at Oriental East are mean.

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Oriental East
1312 E West Hwy, Silver Spring, MD 20910

[SaraAuDust]

A sure sign of good dim sum!

I kid, but this has actually been my experience. The best dim sum in Boston and Sacramento both involved putting up with some less-than-lovely service, especially for non-Chinese folks.

[chaofun]

Dim Sum Guide for the DC Metro

http://www.donrockwell.com/index.php?...

[dpan]

The dim sum threads have been quiet lately. There isn't much dim sum action in DC, but there are a few spots that will suffice for authenticity. The closeset to DC is China Garden restaurant in Rosslyn in the big office tower (I think it's Northrop Grumman now? Used to be the USA Today bldg.). In Silver Spring you have Oriental East, and in Gaithersburg you have Fortune. This is Cantonese dim sum, not any other variety like northern Chinese. For that, you can go to A&J in Rockville or Annandale.

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Oriental East
1312 E West Hwy, Silver Spring, MD 20910

[chowser]

Why is good dim sum so hard to get here? Our demographics aren't that different from other big cities, LA, SF, Boston, NYC, Montreal, etc. But, this is by far one of the worst large city for it.

[dpan]

I think this is due to the demographics of the Chinese community in DC. We are not typical in that most Chinese in DC are highly educated and have other career choices than running a restaurant. In places like LA, SF and NYC, many of the recent arrivals have to work menial jobs to get by, and running a restaurant is something many who don't have advanced education can do to get ahead. That's why I think there's such a dearth of quality Chinese restaurants here.

[chowser]

Interesting thought. I was thinking it was more in terms of the demand rather than supply but that's a good thought. I wonder if there is a market for a good dim sum restaurant in northern Virginia, if someone would open one. It's been a long time.

[dinwiddie]

It is easy to get good dim sum here, just not in the city. The vast majority of the huge Chinese population in the DC area lives in the suburbs. One very good place to try is Hollywood East in the Westfield Shopping Center in Wheaton. It is a couple of blocks from the Wheaton Metro stop. There are a couple of other places in Wheaton that also serve dim sum, but Hollywood East is probably the best. Good Fortune serves dim sum and is close to the METRO, but is not nearly as good. Unfortunately most of the good places to get dim sum will require a car.

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Hollywood East Cafe
11160 Veirs Mill Rd., Wheaton, MD 20902

Good Fortune
2875 W Lanvale St, Baltimore, MD 21216

[chowser]

Not easy, but possible. You can't get good dim sum in NoVa, just at two or three places in Montgomery County. For an entire metropolitan area, that's not many and, as a result, there are huge crowds on weekends. Well, there are huge crowds at most good dim sum places in any city but especially around here. I have to drive close to an hour to get to Hollywood East.

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Hollywood East Cafe
11160 Veirs Mill Rd., Wheaton, MD 20902