Looking for SGV (Chinese) recs before leaving LA

[mdpilam]

I am going to be moving out to the East Coast for a while, and I want to get in a couple good Chinese meals before I go, because there is a serious lack of quality Chinese there (DC). I have a running list of restaurants that I want to try, but seeing as how I hardly ever make it all the way out to the SGV (I live in WLA), I only have two SGV restaurants on my list: New Chong Qing (sp?) and Luscious Dumplings. I've been to Elite and Din Tae Fung, and enjoyed both, but want to try something new. Bonus points for spicy. Any recommendations, or are these two both good, worthy of a last meal?

TIA

PS - I hate fish/seafood, and prefer restaurants that don't have a strong fishy odor.

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Luscious Dumplings
704 W Las Tunas Dr, San Gabriel, CA 91776

New Chong Qing
120 N San Gabriel Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91775

[mdpilam]

We ended up going to New Chong Qing, but apparently we ended up at the wrong one (?). My friend had told me that it was close to his house, and so I didn't write down the address, but we ended up at the one on Valley. And apparently this place is just hot pot. It was still pretty good though (we got beef balls, pork balls, sliced pork mellien (sp?), sliced beef, sliced lamb, bean curd, pork stomach, and some vegetables). I thought it could have been spicier though.

Luckily though, we ended up going out to dinner to 101 Noodle Express and had a great meal; highlighted by the beef roll. It lived up to the hype. Plus, I love that green sauce/relish. Also had the lamb soup with hand torn noodles, which I thought was ok. The pork roll was also very good, but not quite as good as the beef roll. It was also my first time having dan dan noodles, which I thought were pretty good, but I was expecting it to be kind of spicy, which it wasn't. The dumplings, and cold veggie apps were also good. Our bill was like $55 for 5 people getting completely full, which I thought was damn good. I got sad when I realized that was the cost of mine and my gf's cheapest meal in DC :(

Thanks for all your help.

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101 Noodle Express
1408 E Valley Blvd, Alhambra, CA 91801

New Chong Qing
120 N San Gabriel Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91775

[Jerome]

the thing to do at 101 if you're getting dumplings - you can order the "mixed" ones which give you two varieties on a plate - so it's two 1/2 orders, your choice. This way, 20 dumplings - 4 varieties as opposed to 2.

[puppychao]

I'm a big fan of Kam Hong Garden. Great hand cut noodles and dumplings.

848 E Garvey Ave #A
Monterey Park, CA 91755
[phone]

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Kam Hong Garden
848 E Garvey Ave, Monterey Park, CA

[ipsedixit]

Spicy ...
-Definitely New Chong Qing
-Yunnan Garden
-Hunan Style Restaurant
-Chuan Yu Garden
-Xiang Wei Lou
-Dong Ting Chun
-Mon Land Hot Pot

Other places to try
-Dean Sin World
-JTYH
-Dai Ho
-SinBaLa
-Tasty Garden
-Beijing Pie House
-China Islamic
-Four Seas

Enjoy your stay in DC.

Come back and visit often.

[Chandavkl]

While it's true that Chinese food in the city of Washington DC is awful, there's good Chinese food in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs, largely non-Cantonese. With that in mind I'd suggest you go for stuff that L.A. has but you can't get (or isn't very good) there. Consequently, Mei Long Village and Luscious Dumplings would be good choices. Also it'd be a shame to skip town without trying the beef roll at 101 Noodle Express, a dish which I don't think can be found anywhere on the East Coast. Also, you might want to try Sea Harbour, even though it's dim sum/Hong Kong seafood, as the gap in that style of food between LA and DC is stunningly cavernous.

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Luscious Dumplings
704 W Las Tunas Dr, San Gabriel, CA 91776

101 Noodle Express
1408 E Valley Blvd, Alhambra, CA 91801

Mei Long Village
301 W Valley Blvd Ste 112, San Gabriel, CA 91776

[ipsedixit]

OP has already been to Elite, going to Sea Harbour before leaving would be sort of redundant.

[Jerome]

went to a place in DC with some local friends. It was a dimsum house on the 2nd floor of some building near the monumental chinese archway/pailou in Chinatown.
It looked pretty average to start with, but we spoke a little chinese (we aren't chinese-american or chinese anything) and the owner came over and we talked about some stuff and the selections that came over were fine. Granted we didn't take everything but the food was certainly decent.

[Chandavkl]

That sounds like Tony Cheng Seafood and I stick with my advice not to bother with anyplace within the city limits. LA Chinatown food is several times better than DC Chinatown, and you can guess how I feel about LA's Chinatown.

[Jerome]

don't know dc at all. the place wasn't horrible. and after speaking with the owner, i know i could get some good dishes with advance notice, etc.
but that's just in passing.

[Chandavkl]

Not saying it's horrible as it might be the best place in Chinatown, but it is also very expensive.

[Porthos]

Lived in the Baltimore/DC area for a few years. I second the avoid DC Chinatown rec unless there has been a revolution in Chinese food there the past 10 years. I remembered driving to Rockville and Silver Spring for Chinese food. Not sure what the current options are.

Back to the OP. Agree with Ipse below regarding JYTH. I was late to the party on this one but I'm dying to get back. The spicy lamb rib chops are addictive. The lamb noodle soup is also excellent (not gamey at all).

[ipsedixit]

Lived in the Baltimore/DC area for a few years. I second the avoid DC Chinatown rec unless there has been a revolution in Chinese food there the past 10 years. I remembered driving to Rockville and Silver Spring for Chinese food. Not sure what the current options are.

___________________

The best restaurant in DC Chinatown is a pizza joint. 'Nuff said.

[Chandavkl]

Actually, we ate at Ruby Tuesday's. Twice.

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Ruby Tuesday Restaurant
2200 S Azusa Ave, West Covina, CA 91792

[ipsedixit]

Every time I've been there, I look at their menu and see the "Premium Seafood" section and wonder, "where's the Average Seafood section".

If you combined the best of Sizzlers and the worst of McCormick & Schmicks you get Ruby Tuesday.

[Jerome]

1. happy family on atlantic for vegetarian food although the fake fish dishes will have a slight fish smell, from herbs.
2. Giang-nan on garfield near garvey. xiaolongbao (just pork no crab for you), the jade celery, the meat balls with duck egg yolk, the sweet tangyuan for dessert.
3. 101 noodle express for the beef roll, for the pork and pumpkin jiaozi, for the wild vegetable jiaozi, for the dezhou chicken (1/2 is enough). easy to avoid fish
4. tasty duck on valley blvd. get the beijing kao ya peking duck and try the basi pingguo, apple fritters with a hard caramel coating.
5. chung king on Garfield south of garvey. Get stuff out of the back buffet cold food display. tell them you don't eat fish. Get the water boiled anything but fish (water boiled - shui zhu). the Dan Dan Mian (noodles) are very good here. ask them to recommend hot dishes.

there are many more.
but those are a few.
also for spicy
Lu Din gee, get the sichuan styel ma-la huo guo, spicy hot pot. Tell them, again, that you don't eat fish, in case they're tempted to bring out seafood for you to dip and cook in the hot pot.

[Peripatetic]

Has the Chung King on Garfield improved since these downhill alerts?

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/637788
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/699362

[Jerome]

i never had a problem with them. I found the staff helpful and the food consistent. I had liked the sichuan restaurant in the hotel complex near san gabriel on valley blvd which has closed. But in general, my two fave for reg sichuan are still the Chungking on Garfield south of Garvey and the place on Valley - darn - YuChuan or some such, best dan dan mian around...yes Chuan Yu 川渝- noodle town.
also btw, there is a wonderful pan-fried type dumpling at Qingdao bread food next door to the YunChuan restaurant on Garfield. (btw i never thought it went downhill. so i'm the wrong person to ask, i guess. as well, i've never really been crazy about Dean Sin although others here are gaga for it).

[mdpilam]

Are New Chong Qing and Chun King related?

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New Chong Qing
120 N San Gabriel Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91775

[ipsedixit]

No.

[Peripatetic]

I'll definitely have to try Chung King.

I'm crazy about Dean Sin World. I like Quingdao, too, though on my only visit the dumplings seemed somewhat underseasoned. They were pan-fried to perfection, though. I'll definitely go back.

I still have to try Chuan Yu (and Lucky Noodle King) for dan dan mien.

[chezwhitey]

How about mei long village? Bring an army with you and get the the braised pork pump. It's not spicy, but it is awesome.

How spicy are we talking here btw? Like sear your taste buds with nuclear chiles (chun king) or a nice heat but not overpowering (newport spicy lobster)?