The Coolness That is Wheaton

[Gastro888]

Hot Shoppes!!! I looooved going there as a kid. Man, it was great.

I guess I loose major foodie point for loving Hot Shoppes, huh?

(Ah well, c'est la vie!)

[Busboy]

I used to live a little further up Georgia Ave, so we didn't spend much time in Wheaton (did used to spend my allowance money on 45's at the long gone Waxie Maxie's), but the Hot Shoppes was important in my life -- I think you get bonus points.

[squids]

Hot Shoppes was a definite! Also the restaurant at Woodies and the aforementioned Raliegh Inn...

We went to the Taste of Wheaton quite a few years ago, and it was a nice way to spend a sunny day, and get to taste a lot of local food. It's not a "destination" day perse, but definitely worth it to wander and taste, and if you have kids, a definite diversion.

[dcfoodie]

Taste of Wheaton is this Sunday.  Is it worth going to?

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I was at Taste of Wheaton on Sunday. It wasn't the best food festival I've been to, but it was definitely better than Taste of DC. I thought the stars of the day were Hollywood East with their dim sum and Country Chicken (Pollo Sabroso) with their pupusas. Nams had it's usual showing. I thought Sabang had some pretty good Yellow Curry w/Fish.

[hjshorter]

How crowded was it? We never went because of crowds, but perhaps things have changed in the past few years.

We have got to get to the new Hollywood East. Maybe this weekend.

[Gastro888]

hjshorter, let us know how the new Hollywood East is. I've heard nothing but bad reviews from the community. I'm curious to know what's what.

(Considering I live and work nearby I could bite the bullet and go...heh)

[Busboy]

Wahington Post finally catches up to eGullet on "The Coolness that is Wheaton", Vietnamese sub division, in today's food section.

[Gastro888]

*gasp*

Banh mi!!!! IN WHEATON!!!

Oh wow, I'm on it like white on rice.

Yippppy!

[iamthestretch]

Was up in Wheaton today and had lunch at Sabang. As we were in a hurry we went for the buffet, a bargain at $8.95, and with a little judicious winnowing it is quite good. Best bets seem to be the Beef Rendang, Fish in Yellow Sauce, Bihun Goreng (fried rice noodle) and Chicken in Hot and Sour Sauce. The shrimp weren't great, neither were the loempias (egg rolls) and the gado-gado (vegetables in peanut sauce) was watery. My wife liked the Tofu and Eggplant curry, but I don't touch that stuff. My body is a temple. Full of assorted flesh. We'll have to go back for the full rijsttafel to really see what the kitchen can do. Hard to beat 16 courses at $48 for two.

Edited to add: Oh, forgot to mention that I had the Banh Mi combo at An Binh the other day. It was amazing. Once a week from now on!

Edited May 29, 2005 by iamthestretch (log)

[dinwiddie]

I've always been a big fan of Wheaton for dining, but it is just a little too far for everyday for me. Ruan Thai is my favorite Thai restaurant in the DC area. Admittedly a hole in the wall and getting a little shop worn, but the food is wonderful. I especially like the smokey tasting eggplant salad. I usually order a whole fish in hot sauce since I love the spicy food.

Ferdinand's is not bad, but is mainly a place to take the in-laws since my father in law loves being able to order liver.

Sabang is lots of fun, though it is not as good as it used to be. I love the whole fish in Kalio sauce. They make some great soups as specials too.

Good Fortune is one of my favorite places for dim sum, especially on Sundays when the selection is huge. but it gets very crowded.

Los Chorros is a favorite for Central American food (not the usual Tex/Mex). Love the salsa, the portions are a large, and the prices are low.

Nam's was always a favorite for Vietnamese food. Great spring rolls, the seafood is always a good choice, and the pho is not bad.

[JayBassin]

What about Good Fortune?  I remember it being very good but have not been in a long time.  And Dynasty is closed now, right?

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Been to Good Fortune for weekend dim sum---most excellent; better than Orient East in downtown Silver Spring. Haven't been there for dinner, though.

[JayBassin]

Dynasty was very good as was Tung Bor.  Remember Tung Bor?  It was located where the Glenmont metro now stands.  Then it moved into Wheaton Plaza and then closed when the owners opened Good Fortune.

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If I recall correctly, Tung Bor also did a brief stint over in Bethesda after Wheaton Plaza; it was never the same tho--maybe different owners?

I didn't know Good Fortune was the same folks.

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Um, I can't properly recall if they were in Bethesda or not - that sounds right but I don't remember. I'll check w/ the folks to verify.

Yep. owners are the same - chefs, I don't know.

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Yes, Tung Bor was in Bethesda after Wheaton Plaza, but they morphed from a Cantonese restaurant to a pan-asian restaurant with buffet sushi, etc. Went once and sadly departed. Now get my dim sum jones sated at Good Fortune.

[Malawry]

We had dinner at the new Hollywood East Cafe on the Boulevard recently. It has a much nicer decor than the old Hollywood East--lots of Asian antiques. Tables were really close-together because about 40% of the restaurant was set aside for a private party that night--but I think it's usually a little more spaced out.

The shredded duck curl was delicious if a little short on the duck--lots of cabbage, carrots, onions and sprouts with roasted, shredded duck, with lettuce leaves alongside for wrapping. We liked the kung pao chicken, which wasn't overly greasy or sweet like some versions are. Black pepper and garlic razor clams were individually deep-fried in a wispy batter and then topped with a heavy shower of crisp fried garlic bits--tasty, but it needed some kind of sauce or something since most of the garlic fell off as we picked up the clams. We had Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce alongside, always a favorite and prepared well. I think the total tab was about $45ish for three people (nobody had anything to drink).

I'd go back, either to dine in or to carry out, especially as long as I'm staying in downtown Silver Spring during the week.

[hjshorter]

Had a spur of the moment opportunity to try Hollywood East with the Busboy family and the two poorly behaved little Shorters last night. We ordered:

Cuttlefish with lightly pickled daikon Liked this, not sure how other members of our party felt about it.

Pan fried meat dumplings Good gingery pork filling, but I prefer a lighter dough and less greasiness. Not quite up to the A&J standard.

Salt and pepper anchovies Tiny, tasty, crunchy whole anchovies showered with fresh chilies and ginger. A hit with both my kids, and me.

Razor clams with black bean sauce Good fresh clams and not overwhelmed by the sauce. Emma loved the cool shells and took one home with her.

Oyster and pork casserole Loved the flavor combination, but it would benefit from smaller oysters. These were gigantic, among the largest oysters I've ever seen, and overwhelmed the sweeter pork belly.

Steamed Ling fish fillet with ginger and scallions Tender and fresh, if somewhat bony. Emma had this for breakfast this morning.

The Busboy kids reported that the Chicken Fried Rice and Beef Lo Mein were good but bland. The Shorter kids' chicken with broccoli in brown sauce was reported as "yummy" and nearly finished.

We ordered far too much rich food - a vegetable choice would have balanced the meal.

I was not overwhelmed by this place and on the whole prefer the old Hollywood East or New Fortune in Gaithersburg, but must try the dim sum (served Sat and Sun), and a dinner with some of the vegetable offerings before passing judgement

[The Doctor]

After reading the Tom Sietsema chat yesterday, I'm a little confused.

Wheaton, Md.: Tom, thank you so much for all your recommendations! These chats are great! My husband and I just moved to Wheaton and are eager to try Hollywood East, which you recommended for dim sum. In our travels around our new home, we came across "Hollywood East" and "Hollywood East on the Boulevard." Which restaurant was the one you recommended?

Thank you!!

Tom Sietsema: The new one: Hollywood East on the Boulevard.

So do I have this correct: There are two Hollywood Easts, and the one I want has "on the Boulevard" in the name, and the other one I should avoid?

[Malawry]

Hollywood East and Hollywood East on the Boulevard are owned by the same people. The Boulevard is a much more pleasant dining room, though. As far as I know, the original Hollywood East is still a decent place to dine, but I understand the new Boulevard location has a longer menu plus the dim sum on weekends.

[hjshorter]

Emma and I drove to Takoma Park this morning to check out her new school, and dropped by Marchones on the way back to pick up sandwiches. My intention was to have a light lunch today since we're going to Ray's the Steaks tonight, but a small cold cut sub and half a black & white cookie have me ready to lie down with a cool cloth on my forehead and snooze for a while.

I had not been in several years and thought it might have missed a step but the cold cut sub is as good as ever - a just-crusty-enough-without-lacerating-your-mouth roll, good quality meat & provolone, oil & vinegar, lettuce, tomato, onions, and a sprinkling of oregano. Hot peppers, or not as meets your fancy. Plus all the San Pellegrino sodas - limonata, aranciata, chinotto, and Sanbitter (excellent with gin).

Edited July 28, 2005 by hjshorter (log)

[squids]

Hopefully all these restaurants will be able to stick it out long enough to see the redevelopment bring them more business...yesterday's Gazette front page article sounds like many are having a hard time bringing business in. (Including the above mentioned Marchone's--I hadn't realized they just celebrated their 50 yr anniversary!)

Last night's power outage kept us from eating at Christina's with my parents. Ouch, you could see the pain on the owner's face as he watched us driving away since he told us they had no power. We ventured to the old standby, Ferdinand's, where everyone else seemed to have congregated as well since their homes were out of power. They had let a few servers go home when the storm hit, as they were "dead"--little did they know that an hour or so later they would have a full bar and house. They handled the situation quite well; they were hustling and there was a common joviality amongst the guests. Mr. Squids and I both are not "fans" in that we generally have OK meals and so so service, but it is the "go to" restaurant for both our families. However, my soft shell crabs were surprisingly quite good last night, and his Roast Chicken was moist and delicious. We both enjoyed our meals more than we have in many years, and the service was also probably the best we've had as well!

[Busboy]

We eagerly awaited the resumation of my son's ultimate frisbee career as it brought us to Wheaton every Sunday. But, alas, An Binh has changed hands and the new owners -- delightful though they are -- don't have the touch for banh mi that we've been waiting for all winter. Any other sources for this funky stuff in the neighborhood? Or do we have to make the trek out to Arlington or all the way up to Rockville?

[hjshorter]

"All the way" up to Rockville?

Sorry to hear about An Binh. Didn't someone upthread mention another bahn mi place in Wheaton?

[Busboy]

"All the way" up to Rockville? 

Sorry to hear about An Binh.  Didn't someone upthread mention another bahn mi place in Wheaton?

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Wheaton is walking distance. Rockville takes an extra trip with weekend shopper traffic. Plus, it's not near the dirty book store, so I have no place to browse while I'm waiting.

No help upthread that I can find, sadly.