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I just don't understand the trend of this thread since it started with "price is not an object." Nooshi? New Big Wong? This is the best the city has to offer?
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re: Raids
KWagle
Aug 29, 2010 05:37 AM
Don't assume that just because the food bill is inexpensive the meal isn't worth spending money on. I drive from Boston to DC for meals at the places I've listed a few times a year. You can pay more for Asian food, but you aren't going to automatically get better food, or even good food, with that approach.
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re: KWagle
Oh I'm not - I'm assuming that there are about a million places in the city that serve food better than any of the Chinese places in Chinatown, and among those are the nicer Asian fusion restaurants in the Penn Quarter area, which is essentially the same neighborhood. There are others, like Ping Pong Dim Sum, however, that I would not recommend. I like Asia Nine, but it's probably not unique enough for what the OP was looking for.
No comment on the places in the suburbs, but from what I understand, they are far superior to what is available in my neighborhood. I made a note of all the places/dishes you listed earlier.
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re: Raids
KWagle
Aug 31, 2010 03:42 AM
Based on my experience of NBW's food over some 14 years, as well as the opinions of many friends I've taken there over the years, I believe New Big Wong is likely to serve the best Cantonese food on the east coast, if not the whole country. You can *assume* there might be places that serve better' and maybe there are, though it's unlikely that the currently trendy Asian fusion will beat out authentic Asian--that's just another kind of dumbing down. There are rumors of a good Cantonese place in Chicago, but when i was last there I was distracted by Yunnan food. But so far, I haven't found better Cantonese than NBW, and while my tastes have diverged over the past few years, I still consider it worth a trip from Boston, or, frankly, from anywhere.
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re: KWagle
Okay, you eat at New Big Wong. Just not the impression I got from an OP who asked for "Asian" and "consistency" and stated "price is not an object." IMHO, that person is asking for a more formal dining experience than many of the places listed. But I could be misreading the OP, who knows?
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re: Steve
Yes, I also think the OP is allowing for the possibility of *both* of those options. So I thought it was interesting that only one was represented. I think, despite anyone's best efforts, people have a tendency to assume that you want to take a 10 year old to a casual place.
And what I meant with consistency is that you have to admit that Full Kee is inconsistent. I think you can count on the three places I listed being consistently good due to the different nature of the type of restaurant and their reputations, although I've only been to Oya enough of the three listed to really say.
But anyway, if I wanted one night of "asian" and one night of steak and price really wasn't an object, I'd go to Kushi and Capitol Grille. Man I could have a lot of fun at Kushi with someone who didn't think price was an object...:-)
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re: Raids
KWagle
Sep 1, 2010 02:58 AM
If he wanted formal, he probably would've said so.
New Big Wong is consistently great. And since price is not an object, he can go there from anywhere in the world. What part of this is still confusing?
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New Big Wong Chinese Restaurant
610 H St NW, Washington, DC 20001-
re: KWagle
LOL. Okay. Take it literally if you want. I really don't want to quibble, just didn't want the OP thinking these places were white tablecloth restaurants. And again, thanks for your recommendations upthread.
Lastly, I'm not finding any part of this confusing, but thank you for inquiring, nevertheless.
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You might try Oddles of Noodles - I think it's called Nooshi now as they added Sushi. Basically, pan-asian dishes featuring noodles. Not quite as authentic as the others mentioned -- more contemporary -- but the foods always been very good. For a ten year old, its conveiently located downtown and is more upbeat and colorful than the average hole-in-the-wall. It sits about halfway between a real authentic joint and P.F. Chiangs.
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Nooshi Restaurant
1120 19th St NW, Washington, DC›1 Reply -
KWagle
Aug 27, 2010 04:03 AM
There are several good places for the food that Chinese people actually eat, as opposed to the largely invented cuisine that Americans have been brainwashed into calling "Chinese Food." I've always found New Big Wong a winner, as long as you don't order anything whose name you recognise from invented Chinese cuisine, like "beef with broccoli." (Beef with sour mustard, OTOH, is quite good.) I'm very fond of the deep fried baby squid heads, the house special (strangely translated as dried squid and vegetables in the king) the "da peng" (or "ka pang") fried rice noodles, and the fried "good dale".
In the suburbs, "Hong Kong Palace" (whose actual name is "Chengdu Small Restaurant") serves some awesome and diverse Sichuan food, and seems to do everything well. In Odenton (near Laurel) you can go to Grace Garden, which is run by a sweet husband and wife. Try the "Sichuan triple treasures" (beef tendon, tripe and tongue with cilantro, numbing spice and peanuts), the steamed pork belly with rice powder, the twice cooked pork belly, the whole fish served in a fried fish basket, and the Taiwanese minced fish. In Catonsville you could go to Hunan Taste, where I recommend any of the "preserved" dishes (like preserved pork with smoked bamboo) as well as the red-cooked pork belly or the pork belly braised with preserved vegetable.
For dim sum, A&J and Hollywood East both deserve mention.
That should get you through the first two days, and now I need to make another trip to DC.
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Hollywood East Cafe
11160 Veirs Mill Rd., Wheaton, MD 20902Grace Garden
1690 Annapolis Rd, Odenton, MDHunan Taste
718 N Rolling Rd, Catonsville, MD 21228 -
For steak, Bistrot do Coin in Dupont Circle is a good choice. It's a loud, bistro atmosphere but there are always young people in there when I go. They make a very nice steak frites but there is a lof of variety on the menu.
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re: shellymck
We can agree to disagree! I love the atmosphere and I think Bistrot du Coin makes a very good steak frites at a fair price point. I don't tend to enjoy the "nouveau steakhouses," if by that you mean places where steaks cost $40 each. If by "nouveau" you mean Rays...I like Rays, but it's not always convenient for where we live and work.
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Oh Kushi, for sure. Sit at the grill counter. He will *love* it.
There is the possibility that they will, say, cut up a fish on the counter right there by the grill, so if that's a problem, get a table. But the atmosphere is very lively, and it's a really unique place with great authentic asian flavors and excellent meat.
Also, just FYI, there's a reasonable parking garage in the building because of the Safeway. It's at the 400 block of K St.
Oh, and don't go to Full Kee. Seriously. I walk by that place every day. It smells like an overflowing toilet thrown into a dumpster with a load of bleach piled over it. I still ate there when I first moved to the neighborhood, but 5 days a week walking by their sidewalk in 90+ F weather? Never again. Honestly, don't go to Chinatown for Chinese period. Go to Rockville or anywhere else.
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re: flavrmeistr
Either you haven't been there since they 'remodeled' or you have been there since, in which case it's a good thing you didn't go before.....
Back in the spring, eight Chowhounds got together for one of our best meals ever at Full Kee, so I'm thinking you must have had an off experience.
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Full Kee Restaurant
509 H St NW, Washington, DC 20001-
re: Steve
This was last March. I was wanting a bowl of that shrimp dumpling soup and I had some folks with me. It was nasty. I've had it there before when it was good, so I talked it up, only to be embarrassed when nobody could get through it. Mostly, it was the broth. It was spoiled, or something. The place itself was beyond funky, and I don't mean in a good way. I'm done with it.
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re: Steve
hill food
Aug 25, 2010 11:55 PM
FK is not for everyone, maybe I became inured and able to easily ignore certain details. but I'm glad no offense was taken as it is a place that's not for everyone. but then after living for years with nabes using fish sauce on a daily basis, I got sort of used to it. yeah it smells nasty, but tastes so good (heh my sister is gonna be in DC in a few weeks and I recommended it to her! depending on the results maybe I never really got over the prank phase.)
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If you are limited to DC, then Full Key in Chinatown. Soft shell crabs, shrimp dumpling soup, oyster and ginger casserole, duck stuffed with shrimp paste, clams in black bean sauce, chive flower sauteed in garlic. That should be good for a start.
If you are not limited to DC, then Sichuan Pavillion in Rockville, Myanamar in Falls Church, Ruan Thai in Wheaton or Nha Trang (Eden Center) provide some very memorable food.
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Ruan Thai Restaurant
11407 Amherst Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20902Nha Trang
6757 Wilson Blvd Ste 7, Falls Church, VA 22044Full Key Restaurant
2227 University Blvd W, Silver Spring, MD 20902›1 Reply-
re: Steve
hill food
Aug 24, 2010 09:48 PM
Steve, please pardon my OCD proofing, but it's Full Kee in DC. and I do love to wallow in its squalid splendor (Key is a different place out in the 'burbs I know nuthin' about)
hey Raids: while I agree DC boasts few great Chinese places, walk through SF's Chinatown everyday for a few years and you may swear off it altogether (course I was taking back alleys where the trash cans were set out or lingering in the 'wet' markets, so maybe not a fair comparison).
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Full Kee Restaurant
509 H St NW, Washington, DC 20001
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very authentic cantonese duck houses in what is described as crummy but great in chinatown dc at either Eat First or at Chinatown Express. Order from the non americanized menus.
lots of vietnamese, chinese, korean and Thai restaurants in the dc metro area. where r u staying?
perhaps the best chinese restaurant (also crummy but great) is in Odenton, MD across from fort meade and is called Grace Garden Chinese Restaurant. There are 220 replies to the original thread regarding this restaurant on chow-hound-----
Grace Garden
1690 Annapolis Rd, Odenton, MDEat First Restaurant
609 H St NW, Washington, DC 20001Chinatown Express
126 Carroll Island Rd, Baltimore, MD 21220›1 Reply-
re: dining with doc
orangemix
Aug 24, 2010 11:07 AM
Eat First was a bit bland the last time I went, but this was over a year ago. I would avoid Chinatown Express purely on the cleaniness issue, as in health code violations (I know, all the Chinatown places look a bit dingy). If you are sticking to Chinatown, i would actually recommend Jacky's or New Big Wong, with the latter as the go to place, because they have some nice Chinese dishes posted on the wall and nice seafood selection (but it's been a year since I've been here too).
Funny, for steak, I thought of Oyamel. Not a classic steak place, but I think a 10yo would have lots of fun there with trying different good foods.
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ktmoomau
Aug 24, 2010 10:25 AM
Area?
If I could go to any steak place in DC proper I would pick Charlie Palmer or Capitol Grille. Both are pretty upscale. If you wanted something more low key Ray's in Arlington would be a good pick.
What type of Asian are you looking for? Your best bet for authentic might be to get Vietnamese at Nam Viet in Cleaveland Park, or head to Minh's in Rosslyn, VA. For good Chinese, you have to head out further into the suburbs. If you want more upscale and don't mind fusion the Source might be a good fit.
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Minh's
2500 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201Nam Viet Restaurant
3419 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., washington, dc, DC 20008
