The year of the dragon is coming up: Chinese New Year is Jan. 23, which gives you the perfect excuse to dig into some delicious Chinese food. While a Panda Express meal won’t do you any harm, don’t be afraid to try out some authentic Chinese cuisine. From mild to spicy, the variety of classic Chinese cuisine in the area can appeal to any customer.
“E Mei Xiao Guan” Joe’s Noodle House
1488-C Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD
Think spicy for this restaurant. The food here will get your taste buds sizzling with notoriously spicy SiChuan province dishes. Some excellent dishes include 干扁四季豆 “gan bian si ji dou” (green beans), 香辣豆腐 “xiang la dou fu” (savory spicy tofu), 水煮牛 “shui zhu niu” (spicy boiled beef) and 四川 泡菜鱼片 “si chuan pao cai yu pian” (SiChuan style fish with vegetables). The setting is cozy, and the wait staff is friendly and efficient. The restaurant is always busy Friday through Sunday, so go before 6:15 p.m. for quick service or be prepared for a 20 to 30 minute wait. Average price per dish is about $12.
“Ban Mu Yuan” A&J Restaurant
1319 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD
This restaurant specializes in Northern-style Chinese food, which consists of mostly “mian shi” dishes, which are items made out of flour, like noodles, and “bao zis,” which are steamed or fried buns with meat and vegetable fillings. For those with milder taste buds, the food here isn’t too spicy, especially when compared to other authentic restaurants. The staff is cheery and polite, and although the restaurant is small, the tables are still spread out far enough to provide enough room for everyone. The restaurant’s small servings encourage customers to buy a variety of different dishes. Prices are affordable at about $4 per dish.
“Ma Ma Shui Jiao” China Bistro
755 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, MD
“Ma Ma Shui Jiao”, which literally means “mom’s dumplings,” specializes in serving a variety of authentic dumplings. They’re available in plates of 12, either boiled or fried. The food here is extremely fresh; dumplings are made from scratch when you order and are on your table in 20 minutes or less, as long as you don’t hit the busy lunch rush. There are also plenty of sauces besides the typical soy sauce, such as vinegar and hot peppers, to spice up your meal. The restaurant’s other dishes are pretty high-quality, but the real standouts are the dumplings. This is more suited to takeout, since there are only four tables in the front room and six in the back. Prices are reasonable at $8.50 for a dozen dumplings.
