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A&J
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 9 pm
Sat-Sun 10 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
235 reviews for A&J
Review Highlights
"Best Beef Buns and Spicy beef noodle soup."
(in 24 reviews)
"Their scallion pancakes are delicious too."
(in 34 reviews)
"Pan fried beef bun (niu ro xian bing) -- oh juicy."
(in 7 reviews)
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235 reviews in English
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Review from Evelyn C.
Alexandria, VA
1/20/2012 5 Check-ins Here
Since I can't go home to have my dad's beef noodle soup, A&J is a great alternative.
The beef and tendon noodle soup tastes almost as good as my dad's. The beef and tendon are melt in your mouth tender.
I have since fallen in love with the Suan La Mien (sour spicy noodles) which I am obsessed with. It's just a little sour at first, and then half way through your bowl, you feel the spiciness kick in big time! The residual sauce left at the bottom of the bowl is best soaked up with the Zhua bing (or Thousand layer pancake) which is flaky, cripsy and soft in the middle.
Also love the small dishes:
Kao fu- vegetarian gluten bits with tofu and mushrooms
marinated cucumbers- so garlicky mmm...
seaweed and mung bean sprouts- also garlicky :)
Notes:
- I always get the thin noodles for any dish. I have tried the thick cut noodles, but I always feel that they are not cooked long enough and is more than just "al dente" in the middle. The thin noodles have a much more "consistent" consistency.
- cash only!!!
- I docked a star because there were two occasions when service was not on par:
One night with the hubby we sat for 10 min without anyone coming to give us tea or menus.
Another occasion, our small dish orders were never entered into the system, so we got our noodle dishes first before they corrected this. -
Review from Jenn H.
Updated - 2/1/2012 8 Check-ins Here
3.5 stars.
It's been awhile since my last review, so here goes. This A&J location is not as good as the one in Rockville, and definitely not as good as the one in Irvine. I probably said in my last review that it's close to home--but driving time from the office to Rockville is actually a little less than the time driving from home to that part of Annandale--and seeing as I'm spending nearly all my time at the office these days, I'd definitely pick Rockville over this location.
Food is still decent, but the odd location, sketchy truck out front, and run-down building are a little distracting to me now. I can't help comparing it to its sister location in Rockville. Still a good place to get some good chinese breakfast-y food (dan bing, soymilk, etc), some soup noodles (niu rou mian, or the xue cai rou si mian)--and still probably the best option in NoVA.
It's not fancy or anything--don't expect great service. Still good food, decently priced...and in a complete Chinese food dead area, a great option.Listed in: Eating across Annandale
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/15/2011
I have to say, I don't think this A&J location is anywhere near as good as the one in Irvine. That… Read more »
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Review from Christine C.
San Francisco, CA
I used to go to an A&J in Irvine back when I went to school there. Was really craving some good ol'e taiwanese food so I found this place off of Yelp. About 25 mins from where I live but I still wanted to check it out.
Ordered the spicy beef noodle soup and the beef was so soft it melted in my mouth. The soup was ok, didnt' really care for that. Also got a meat shao bing (sorry I dunno how to translate it) and a turnip si bing (again sorry). The first one was good but I've had better, though I would still order it again. My friend liked it. It was his first time eating it. Prices for those smaller side dishes are on the pricy side, but everything else is reasonable.
Oh yeah, and if you didn't already know by now...most Asian places are CASH ONLY!!
If you go get the beef noodle soup if you want to try a real taiwanese dish! -
Review from Nancy E.
Washington, DC
1/9/2012
My "go to" place for an authentic Taiwanese fix... Great "Mom & Pop" place. Decent portions, decent prices. Generally under $10 per person.
Menu has a variety of noodle soups, duck, pork chops, chicken over rice, cold & hot appetizers. My favorites... beef noodle soups, pork chops noodle soup and chinese style fried chicken either over rice or noodle soup. This place has great little appetizers too, almost dim sum style. The xiao long bao (little pork buns) are tasty as are the guo-te (chinese dumplings).
They have a small menu full of variety. Menu is in both chinese & english. Hot tea, sodas and homemade Boba tea (bubble tea), not made from powder.
Less than 10 tables. Weekends, expect to wait to be seated and also expect to possibly share a table. Authentically Asian! Love it!
**Cash only. -
Review from Jason J.
Berkeley, CA
1/7/2012
I come here with my family whenever I go home to Virginia for vacation. The place is small but cozy, and the food is absolutely fantastic. They have dim sum-type dishes, but it's not a dim sum place. Still, those are delicious - I'm a huge huge fan of their steamed dumplings, potstickers, and xian bing.
The place is more well known for the various noodle soups, though. My brother likes the beef and beef tendon noodle soup, but he gets a different noodle soup each time and has never complained about a single one. The wonton soups are great, too.
All in all, a top-notch, quite inexpensive restaurant, good for lunch or a light dinner! -
Review from Victoria C.
Springfield, VA
1/2/2012
I'm a huge fan of their beef noodle soup with clear broth. I always get the shanghai soup dumplings as well.
The only thing that can be a little annoying is that they don't take credit card. -
Review from Bobby D.
Clifton, VA
12/15/2011
I have been eating at A & J for over a decade and can confidently say I have walked through their doors over 100 times. Prior to the Annandale location opening, all VA folk were forced to head up to Rockville.
Few things you should know -
1) They only take Cash and Checks (require you to write Drivers License # on check
2) Oolong Tea they serve is delicious and complimentary so don't send it away when they bring it to your table shouting " We didnt order this"
3) If you came here thinking it was like PF CHangs, or that they had General Tso's, you're terribly mistaken (but in for a treat better than PF Changs can offer)
3) MOST IMPORTANT - HOW TO PROPERLY ORDER HERE-
a) They hand you a paper menu...the exact menu of the laminated version that may have sat on the table.
b) Every dish has a number next to it. If you want that item, write down the QUANTITY of that dish, and circle the number. (ex. write a "1" circle it next to Steamed Veggie Dumplings if you only want 1 order
c) WHEN ORDERING Noodles, not only abide by b), but also specify "thick" or "thin" noodles by writing it next to your quantity. The help will be impressed, and will respect that. Trust me. They will think you are old school. I recommend the thick - thin remind me too much of spaghettis.
What to order/Best Items on Menu (coming from first generation american)
- Friend Pork Dumplings (they are long, and come 8 per order)
- Steamed Veggie Dumplings ( 4, and dont mind the red dot on them. They are supposed to be like that)
- Cucumbers in Garlic
- Mustard Greens with Soy Beans
- Pork Sesame seed bun
- Fried Chicken (unbelievably delicious) w/ Rice or Noodles
- Scallion Pancake
- Spicy Beef Noodle (so good)
- Passion Bubble Tea.
Staff is incredible, despite English being everyones second language there. Since taking people to this restaurant over the past five years, I have not had a single person complain OR NOT take one of their friends to this place. Remarkable restaurant. Follow my tips, and youll love it. -
Review from Anna Y.
Fairfax, VA
12/24/2011
Yum. Honestly from the outside it doesn't look like much. I've been up and down Little River Turnpike a thousand times and have never seen this place. Honestly what made me look for it was the awesome rating on Yelp.
We ordered spicy wonton soup, steamed pork buns, scallion pancake, and cucumber salad for less that $15. It's like the chinese version of tapas. The hot tea was free.
The cucumber salad is awesome and a must. Think sweet, spicy, and refreshing pieces of cucumber.
The scallion pancakes were also really good. If you like Korean pancakes (jeon) then you will definitely like this. Not too greasy and nice and crispy.
The spicy wonton soup was delicious. Tolerable heat nothing too painful. The wontons are delicate but wonderfully filled with meat. The soup is more of a sauce and I wanted to put it on everything.
The dish I liked the least was steamed pork buns which were actually steamed pork dumplings (4). It's basically what you picture when you think of dimsun.
I hear the beef noodle soup is good and I definately want to try that next time. Don't forget to bring cash or check because they don't accept credit cards. Also, food came out incredibly fast. Wow, it was good! -
Review from M S.
Washington, DC
12/29/2011 1 photo
Came here after lunch rush around 2pm. Fortunately not too busy just a handful of people dining at the time.
Ordered the thinly sliced soy marinated pig ears, spicy garlic cucumber salad, and beef steamed buns (4) . All under $10. All were delicious. In fact, I'm ready to go back tomorrow and would if it weren't so darn far from my house.
Will have to take other yelpers advice and try the fried chicken and spicy beef soup next time. -
Review from Christina S.
Davis, CA
12/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
My family and I have been coming here fro years for the beef noodle soup. If you come here on the weekend, be ready to wait. There are Washingtonian awards framed all over a wall. Impressive.
I've always loved the beef noodle soup, but I recently graduated to the beef and tendon noodle soup. Spicy, chewy, delicious, with salty and spicy broth.
The green onion pancakes are also delicious. They only come in four slices, so order more if you need to. Also, keep your coat on, because the wind comes through the door really easily.
Cash only! Also, ask for the bathroom key. -
Review from Alyssa W.
Montclair, VA
1/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
The spicy beef noodle soup was great. The beef in it literally melted in my mouth. We also had the pork dumplings and beef buns and both were fantastic. The girl running the front of the restaurant was very friendly and helpful. It's cash only but there's an ATM across the street if you need it and they also take checks. Overall great experience and I'll be back as soon as I can.
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Review from Ling F.
Woodbridge, VA
1/14/2012
CASHHH ONLYYY!!! asides from that my friends love to torture me and bring me to this restaurant all the time. its good chinese food not a typical general tso chicken or like dimsum. Its really good noodle soups, deep fried chicken or pork, dumplings or a super big fried dumpling thats super hot and juicy. It's really good BUT i am chinese I eat the stuff at home all the time. Its just as good as my mom's cooking, I just don't care for chinese food so much. Its super cheap as well oh and of course... bubble tea place is sorta small and get packed quickly. DO NOT RESERVE A BIG GROUP or come in as a big group... must of gone thru that like 5 times or more...
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Review from Bien H.
Springfield, VA
12/15/2011 7 photos
I was surprised it was super shiny and clean, not like the typical seem-to-be dirty, low-lighting Chinese restaurant.
Came here at 2PM so there were only me and another guest. Service was fast, you have to circle on the menu what you want.
I had the spicy beef and tendon noodle. Maybe I have the wrong because I don't really like the soup, but the beef, tendon and noodle were really good. I would try another kind of noodle soup next time.
Overall, cheap, good service, good food! -
Review from Tracy K.
11/29/2011 3 photos
BE AWARE: THEY ACCEPT CASH ONLY!!
I came here with a friend for dinner one evening. A&J is tucked away in a little complex that seems to be a mini-mall. It's relatively no-frills. We came on a weekday evening and were the only customers in the beginning, though a few more tables arrived as the evening went on. You'll get a paper menu and a pencil and you circle what you want from the menu and then give it to the waitress.
I decided to take the recommendations of my fellow yelpers and try the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup (Szechuan Style) w/ Wide Noodles. The soup came out quickly and the beef was very tender and delicious, though they were a little bit difficult to eat because they were such large chunks. The broth was amazing and very flavorful! It was a tad oily, but I don't really mind that. I only wish I had chosen the thin noodles instead of the wide, as the wide noodles didn't taste as good as my friend's thin ones. The best part: it was only $6.95!!
I also tried the Passion Fruit bubble tea, which I loved. I wouldn't come out of my way for it, with Shilla and Breeze Bakery nearby, but for $2.95 (I believe), you really can't argue with it. Plus, they gave me a TON of tapioca bubbles. LOVE.
I will definitely be returning again! -
Review from Scott J.
Springfield, VA
10/15/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Been here twice, loved it both times. Like others have said here, you walk in and this place feels like China.
We've had a couple different noodle dishes and they were all really good. They make the noodles in-house and they're delicious.
We've actually liked everything we had there--and the service was attentive and friendly.
It's also super-cheap. For the price, you really can't beat this place.
A&J will definitely be in our regular restaurant rotation. -
Review from donni s.
Woodbridge, VA
9/19/2011
Meeting up with my old friend Minty to check out her new house, we decided to have lunch. She brought me to this little restaurant tucked in what looked to me like a smaller Eden Center. What a place this was, I walked in and just saw everyone with bowls of everything. I felt like I was in China.
Since never having been there before, I suggested Minty order (I wanted to order everything off the menu!). She eventually ordered pan-fried pork dumplings, fried chicken and rice, and a egg and rice dish which I forget is called. (She tells me it's sort of like a vietnamese comfort dish). I was tempted to try the wonton soup szechuan style so that was ordered last minute.
The pork dumplings were excellent. Moist and with just enough filling. The egg and rice dish reminded me of what Minty said, comfort food. In Lao cuisine we have pretty much the same dish but we call it Dtom Khem. Pork stewed in a soy sauce and sugar based broth with hard-boiled eggs over rice. It was delicious, just like how mom makes it haha. The wonton szechuan style was decent. I expected more heat from it and less oil, nonetheless it was good. Winner of the day though had to go to the fried chicken and rice. The chicken itself was cooked to perfection. Super crispy skin and moist succulent meat on the inside (dark meat.. its the best), it just won me over.
Overall my experience here was just perfect. This is a no fuss restaurant with excellent food. My exact kind of place. -
Review from S H.
New York, NY
12/22/2011
Booah! The Rockville location seems better- fresher and better cooked. What I found here were greasy potstickers that tasted old and fried chicken that was also tasting not so fresh. Disappointing! Cash only and smells.
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Review from Cheryl L.
I recently discovered that there is an A&J (Ban Mu Yuan) in Annandale and of course, being Taiwanese and everything, had to go check it out.
So I noticed that the menu here is just like the one in Rockville, except Annandale has better service, better food, and bubble tea. Everything is a step up.
I would recommend the marinated cucumbers and the beef noodles soup. The flavors of every dish that I ordered were completely different from the Rockville location, which was good, because I don't like A&J Rockville that much.
Still average, but much better than the one in Rockville. I may give it another try soon, but the trend goes that everytime I trek over to Annandale, I generally end up at Honey Pig or Yechon. -
Review from Lillian W.
Fairfax, VA
9/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
I wanted to give this place 4 stars because it's the closest to home cooking that i've had in a very, very long time. However, the food i tried was too salty. I had the dan dan noodles which were very good, but EXTREMELY salty. I also had the chong you bing (onion pancakes) and that was decent...but the pancakes were a bit too hard. They normally should be soft when it's fresh...so either the food wasn't fresh or the food was overcooked.
However, the menu selection is decent....you get all kinds of noodle choices from cold noodles such as dan dan mien, to more soup-based selections such as hong sao niu rou mien....You can also get cold dishes such as pig ears and greens. Also, the tea that the restaurant serves comes from a tea bag....not from floating tea leaves....which can be both good and bad, depending on your preference!
The ordering process resembles that of a dim sum restaurant. You mark your selections on a piece of paper (which are number coded for those who cannot read Chinese) and the server takes it to the counter. Overall, I would say that service is what you would expect at a standard Chinese restaurant- slow.
The decor of the restaurant was actually quite nice...it looks like a hole in the wall but there's a decent amount of space in the restaurant and you can tell the owners made an effort to liven up the area.
Parking is in a private lot which is very convenient. Prices are EXTREMELY cheap. The restaurant has won many Washingtonian awards for its affordable meals. However, they ONLY ACCEPT CASH. NO CREDIT CARDS!
Oh, and of course everyone wants to know the sanitary conditions of a Chinese restaurant! The utensils were clean, the tables were spotless. The only thing is that the bathroom is located outside of the restaurant and it is NASTY AS HECK! If you can, I would try to ignore nature's call and wait till you get home.
I would recommend this, especially since I plan to come back again. I just hope the food quality is better when I visit next! -
Review from Art P.
Annandale, VA
9/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Quick, efficient, cheap and DELICIOUS!
I've passed this place hundreds of times never noticing it, but, of you decide to track it down you are in for a treat. Start with the smoked chicken and that will set the tone.
An important note though...they are cash only. Enjoy! -
Review from Sam M.
Port Salerno, FL
1/23/2012
A&J Restaurant: (Authentic Taiwanese cuisine) - The smoked chicken was soooo tender, juicy, smokey, and flavorful (highly recommended). The soups (meaty broth steeped in 5-spice with anise seasonings, spicy beef noodle & chicken noodle, choose the wide noodles) we had were large and more than enough as an entree and great "comfort food" on a cold winter day. The pork steamed dumplings were delicious garnished with julienned ginger shreds. They serve tea with your meal. An excellent sign: the place was packed with customers who'd be very familiar with the genuine menu offerings, listed also in Chinese. We went on a Sunday and they had a Chinese breakfast menu, regular English-version menu, & Chinese-language menu. For the large helpings of yummy food, this is a great value for the money. It is listed among Washington's Best Eats! Because it is a small establishment, crowded with diners, might also order "to go" and they accept cash only. For the adventurous foodie, this is THE place to go! It won't disappoint!
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Review from Lester K.
Centreville, VA
7/25/2011
I've heard a bunch of times about how good and how cheap this place is. While the food is damn good, I call bullshit on the latter.
I've been here twice:
1) Once with my wife (she really exists and she's not a blow-up doll!), who's not a big eater. I spent about $45 including tax + tip.
2) Once with some skinny bitch who doesn't eat a lot. I spent a hair under $60 including tax + tip.
So on my 2 trips, I've averaged $26 per person per visit. I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound cheap to me.
In defense of A&J, between my 2 visits here, I did try just about everything. Some of it twice. Some of it thrice.
I highly recommend any dish that contains dead animals. The pork chops especially rocked my world. It tastes as good as Emmanuelle Chriqui's ass looks in 'You Don't Mess with the Zohan'. What I would do with her and a bottle of Fizzy Bubblech...
This place is small. I don't recommend a group of 5 or more -
Review from Susan C.
Renton, WA
12/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Food was good. Heard there aren't many options for decent Taiwanese style food in the area. Loved the menu with pinyin style descriptions. Especially helpful for ABC types who can't read much Chinese, grew up in a Chinese household so only recognize the names of the dishes in Chinese and usually the English translations are literal translations.
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Review from Jonathan H.
Falls Church, VA
8/21/2011
A&J is a Southern California based Taiwanese Chain store that I somehow found here.... it made me so happy.
For brunch, I ordered salty soy milk, a rice roll, beef tendon, and A&J's signature vegetarian pastry with chives and rice noodles wrapped inside. Their menu has fewer items than a typical A&J but its enough to satisfy my need for Taiwanese food.
Plus the man selling taiwanese pastries out of his mini-van on Sundays from 10:30-12:30 = PRICELESS -
Review from A H.
Northern, VA
8/3/2011 1 photo
First of all this place is hidden. I somehow missed the turn onto Markham and got lost and somehow ended up in Alexandria -___-
Upon arriving to meet with a friend, I was flustered, late, and starving.
I had no clue as to what to order because I had never been here, but decided to go with the spicy beef noodle soup Schezuan style with thick noodles because I was attracted to the fact that it had beef tendon in it (my second love).
All I have to say is that soup was BOMB, go and try it for yourself, you won't be disappointed. It reminded me of the vietnamese dish, Bun Bo Hue (also a spicy beef noodle soup). I'm definitely coming back to experience that explosion of flavor in my mouth sometime soon as well as additional dishes I didn't have time to try during my last visit. -
Review from S. Sandra P.
Alexandria, VA
12/7/2011
There's a reason this place is consistently considered a "best deal"!! YUM!!
When we were there, it was a random Monday night at 7:30pm and the other diners were all Asian - good sign!!
Food:
Spicy wonton - you should know, it's a thumbprint of meat inside but it was really good. And you get 5-6 of them, enough to share! But the best part - that sauce they put it in - we ended up dipping everything into that sauce. I seriously considered asking them for a separate bowl of that sauce....YUM!!!!!
Scallion Pancake - not a lot of scallion flavor, but holy-moley, the texture!! So perfect. Perfectly crispy on the outside, chewy-dense - just AMAZING! I dipped it in the spicy wonton sauce and that was perfect.
Spicy Beef Noodle Soup - also tasty and perfect on a chilly night. You can definitely taste the star anise, but I thought the spice was a little muted. Beef was super tender and the noodles were that wonderful, doughy-chewy texture of handmade noodles (not the typical over-processed rice noodles). Yes, the soup was a little oily, but I'm betting that's from the spiced oil than from the meat because the soup still tasted really good and light.
Turnip Cake/Pastry - Not your typical dim sum rectangle. They put it in a pastry shell like thing and you can see the shreds of turnip on the inside. It was good too, but definitely needed a little spicy wonton sauce to make it better.
Spicy cucumbers - tasty but no real wow-factor. Still prefer kimchee.
Seaweed salad w bean sprouts - good. Warning to those who are thinking Japanese style - it's not. It's a thicker seaweed, sliced very thinly. Good but not the same.
The whole dinner cost me less than $25 for two!!! Next time, I'm definitely getting a whole separate order of the spicy wonton sauce only!! -
Review from Kimberly K.
Manhattan, NY
5/11/2011 6 photos
OILY/ BLAND/ UNMEMORABLE
Saw the high ratings on Yelp for A&J. Decided to give this place a try in hopes of some delicious food.
Tried a few things my Yelp family recommended:
Spicy Beef Noodle Soup (Szechuan Style) w/ Wide Noodles- Beef was tender and delicious. Noodles were very fresh. Broth tasted like a mixture of oil and soy sauce. It didn't taste spicy at all and there was a definite lack of flavor in this soup.
Chinese Style Fried Pork Chop on Rice- The pork chops were crispy on the outside and the meat was very tender. However, why was it so bland? Once again, this dish lacks flavor as well. Also, why did my pork chop dish have more bones in it than actual pork?
Pan Fried Beef Bun- Crispy outside. Juicy beef inside. FLAVORLESS! Did you guys forget to season our food?
Scallion Pancake- I read so many great reviews for this, I definitely thought that this was going to be a hit. Unfortunately, it too was unmemorable. Texture was spot on. It was crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. Where was the flavor? I don't know.
Pan Fried Pork Dumpling- Great texture. A generous amount of meat. Lacks flavor. I've tasted better dumplings out of the frozen section at an Asian Supermarket.
The servers are very direct. Once you are seated, they place the menu on your table with a pencil. By the looks of the other erased marks, I guess you circle what you want on the menu. That's what we did anyhow. Don't expect a big smile from your server. Maybe if you're lucky you'll get a semi-smile. They are pretty good in keeping your water cup full. They also serve you complimentary tea.
In Conclusion: There are better Chinese Restaurants out there. This place may have a lot of fans. I am definitely not one of them. -
Review from Peter C.
If you're looking for decent taiwanese food for relatively cheap, this is the place to go. My girlfriend and I ended up spending $28 bucks here for sunday brunch which included 3 drinks, 2 bowl of noodles, and 3 side dishes. We were FULL!
Let me just say, that Sunday brunch times will require a wait. We were waiting in line for about half an hour or so before we ended up getting seated. And if you don't mind sharing a table, then you'll get seated even faster. We ended up sharing with 3 other parties but hey, I just want my food so I'm not going to complain.
We got two soy bean drinks to start (one sweet and one salty) and we started off with cucumber salad and sliced pork ears. The pork ears are a little bit spicy but they weren't too bad. They're cut very thin so it's not too chewy which was good. The cucumber salad wasn't anything fancy as it's pretty standard.
Then came our noodles. I had the spicy beef and tendon (thick) noodle soup while my girlfriend had the cold noodles in hot and sour sauce. Both were very good but I thought the broth for the beef got a bit salty at the end. Either way, it's very flavorful and very satisfying in my stomach. My girlfriend thought the cold noodles were a little bit spicy so she ended up getting her 2nd soy milk but I thought it was alright.
We also had a side of spicy wonton with hot sauce. I had originally thought it was going to be fried, but it's actually not. It was boiled wonton's in this spicy sauce. My girlfriend didn't like it and I would've wished it was bigger in dumpling size. They looked like dwarf dumplings with barely any meat in there. The dumplings were also a little bit undercooked because the skin was still tough in some of them.
Overall though, they have quite a few items on their menu for relatively cheap that makes me want to go back and try it out. -
Review from Jay B.
Annandale, VA
Updated - 6/5/2011
So I went back and tried the spicy beef noodle soup and for kicks, the pi dan dou fu. The tofu was odd...think of a tofu smoothie with a thousand year old egg on top. Odd as it was, it was to my own guilt quite delicious and addictive. Being a massive fan of thousand year old eggs helped also and it matched well with the tofu. I have a hunch that they used quite alot of MSG in the tofu however.
The beef noodle soup was decent. The tendon and meat was tender and good and the noodles were obviously homemade. It seems that this place specializes in noodles. The broth had typical szechuan characteristics as it left the typical numbing sensation in my mouth and was decently spicy. The broth just didn't do it for me in the end. It had a slightly bitter aftertaste and the really strong taste of soy sauce didn't leave me wanting to continue eating it. Compare this beef noodle dish to another beef noodle counterpart that costs about the same - pho - and I'd overwhelmingly choose pho over this.
I added one more star since the experience was a little better, but I'm afraid the food here is just too simple and bland for my tastes. I just still can't believe that someone would actually pay money for noodles drenched in peanut butter sauce1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/27/2011
I don't get what the big deal about this place is. I've heard rave reviews, so I decided to check… Read more »
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Review from Magic Mark L.
Alexandria, VA
5/20/2011
I ate at A&J's last night and enjoyed it. I specifically sought out this place because I wanted Chinese that was not American Chinese....
I ordered conservatively this time because I had my girls with me, and while they are getting bolder as they get older, at a new place I like to order something they're used to to get them started...
We ordered a honeydew bubble drink, a scallion pancake, smoked chicken, some pan fried pork dumpling, noodles with ground pork and bean paste sauce, and a honeydew bubble drink...
Everything was decent, but the noodles with ground pork and bean paste were particularly good. I would order that again.
The honey dew bubble drink was...interesting... It had a fresh honey dew taste, which was nice, and there was this very thick straw that allowed you to suck up these tapioca balls that would shoot up into the straw and into your throat, chewy, a bit strange, but...interesting...
The service was quick, and the food was cheap...between $3 and $6 for most dishes...
I gave the place only 3 stars for a couple of reasons. The first one is that the place has zero atmosphere. I don't mean that it wasn't fancy - I don't need a fancy place. But zero atmosphere. Also, the staff was not that friendly. Not mean, per se, but just not that friendly. Maybe because I am not Chinese, don't know... There's a dirty bathroom available if you leave the restaurant and find it along the back hallway of the building...
Anyway, I will keep an open mind and I do intend to come back to try some of their other dishes...
Here is a link to their menu:
http://www.dc495.com/w... -
Review from Jenny T.
6/15/2011
*NOT* your typical dim sum place, as I read in some other reviews here. I'm not Northern Chinese, so I'd never had this food. Basically if you are looking for push-card dim sum or the predominant Chinese food, this isn't it. But still delicious!
Small establishment, friendly waitstaff, and pretty packed when I went. The list of breakfast items was limited, though. (Of course I am used to the thousand-choice dim sum menu, so I'm a little biased) -
Review from Felix Y.
Alexandria, VA
Updated - 5/21/2011
I came back twice in one day to hit both their weekend breakfast menu and their dinner menu again. Based on the strength of their dinner menu, I am upgrading them to four stars.
So here's the deal. A few Chinese dim-sum places -- A&J included -- serve up Northern Chinese breakfast items on the weekends. We are usually talking about soybean milk, sticky rice rolls / wraps, fried dough (or as A&J call it, "Fried Jumbo Bread Stick"), etc. I had all of those, plus the flaky scallion pastry.
Soybean milk is soybean milk is soybean milk. The only difference is that in this context, you can either order it "salty" (which means they add salted vegetables and some other miscellaneous ingredients to it), or you can order it sweet (just with sugar added). You can also order it with no sugar, and you can choose to have it hot or cold (I grew up having it hot).
You can also order the sticky rice roll salty or sweet. This is basically a ball or log of sticky rice rolled up with ingredients inside. I don't know what A&J's salty rolls are like, but traditionally they come with salted vegetables, shredded pork, and perhaps peanuts and scallions inside. I always order the sweet ones wherever I am, and A&J's version sticks to the traditional formula -- sugar, peanut sauce, and fried dough wrapped inside. It was fine -- except that the proportion was skewed more towards the rice than the stuffing. Not too surprising, and nothing to write home about compared to other sticky rice rolls I have had.
The flaky scallion pastry was fine too - the pastry was good, the stuffing was alright. The best was actually the fried jumbo bread stick -- very authentically done, with just the right amount of chewiness and crunch. It was also apparent that it was freshly made. I would recommend getting here early if you want to get the fresher batches, because (like all fried stuff) they get stale and soft after sitting out for a while.
For dinner, I brought along an American friend who knows and enjoys Asian food in general. This time, we both opted for the spicier / more flavored dishes (with a few non-spicy mixed in), and thought they did a wonderful job. Spicy wontons, spicy cucumbers, Dan Dan noodles, salted vegetables and shredded pork soup, salted beans with minced beef, scallion pancakes, steamed pork dumplings, and smoked chicken. We liked all of them except for the smoked chicken. It certainly tells me that they are capable of creating bold flavors. The level of spiciness was appropriate -- hot enough, but it wasn't burn-your-mouth-and-drink-water-with-every-bite spicy.
All in all, a good and worthwhile experience. I would recommend them if you want some authentic Northern Chinese fare.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/15/2011
Counting my visit to this location tonight, I have now eaten at both A&J's. I like this one better… Read more »
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Review from Todd K.
Alexandria, VA
7/13/2011
Disclaimer: my two star rating is based completely on the congee (and the fact that the location is terrible, it is buried down Markham, I'm surprised anyone can find it).
I saw this place had congee, and I love congee so I figured I would try it out. Verdict: never go to this place for congee. I'm not sure how you can mess up congee, but they managed to. I felt like I was eating plain oatmeal instead of congee. It had no taste other than the same plain taste you get out of plain oatmeal. It was too thick and definitely less of a soup than it should be.
Normal congee has a bit of a rice and sour taste with a little bite to it. It is usually made with green onion (scallions) and ginger, with the option of adding meat, chicken or, preferably, seafood. Even more authentic establishments will serve it with a couple sticks of mushy Chinese bread - that's the good stuff. A&J is the complete opposite.
Bottom line: if you are looking for congee, look elsewhere.
The whole menu is dirt cheap, I must say though (a well earned one "$" here on yelp). A lot of the items on the menu, though, are a tad bit...exotic (pig ears...yikes!).
The place is CASH ONLY. It seems more like a place that you would hit up for a late night snack as opposed to a sit down dinner with a date/family. To get to here make the left onto Markham (if you are going westbound on Little River Turnpike). It will be on your right hand side a couple hundred feet down the street. -
Review from Dave H.
2/11/2011 10 photos
What? I can get a Taiwanese fix in Koreatown?
I was happy to be able to get sliced pork ears ($2.65; 5205 on menu); they're my personal favorite. I found them less spicy than advertised - and they were cut thinner than I was used to - but there was plenty of flavor. Their sliced beef tripe ($2.65; 5204) wasn't too shabby. But speaking of shabby, skip their dry bean curd salad (5210). (If I didn't enjoy it, you probably won't either.) Want something more substantial? Go for a bowl of noodle soup, which isn't so small.
Much of their menu is composed of small plates, appropriately cheap. As you would expect, A&J only takes cash, though they probably take gold bullion.
Efficient service if you're noticed. Don't be surprised if you have to flag a server over. -
Review from Yvonne C.
Arlington, VA
11/6/2011
A&J is one of the best Chinese restaurants I know of in this area. As others have noted it's cash only, and not that easy to find, but well worth it.
They don't serve large portions, but that's a plus because it allows you to sample more dishes. And the prices are so reasonable that even if you order too much your bill won't be very big.
Smoked chicken---amazing!
Dan Dan Noodles---lots of sauce, not too spicy, more peanut-flavored than at other restaurants where I've eaten it.
Cucumbers in spicy oil with garlic--really spicy, yet refreshing
Seaweed salad with bean sprouts---chewy, delicious
All their noodle dishes are excellent, and you often have a choice of what size of noodles you want (thick or thin).
Their soups are flavorful too.
The only thing I've ever eaten there which I didn't like was a fried dough kind of thing---can't remember the name. I saw ethnic Chinese dunking it in a glass of soy milk--maybe that's the way to go, but I didn't know it.
My favorite drink there is the plum drink---sort of smoky/salty/sweet all at the same time, which sounds horrible, I know, but it's an intriguing flavor that you won't soon forget and I find myself craving it at odd times. (It pairs well with the smoked chicken). -
Review from Ruth C.
I remember coming here during grocery trips to Maria's and the market. To put it in perspective, the second to last time I was here they didn't have an English menu. Nor did they make you circle order numbers on paper menus. This place has also experienced some decor improvements since then. I'm not so sure all the changes were for the better.
Taro boba was alright, though the tapioca pearls were pretty mushy. Tapas portions on most dishes. Unimpressive soup dumpling. Meat patty inside needs more seasoning instead of just a pinch of scallion. Shell was fried off nicely, not too thick and an acceptable chewy consistency. Beef noodle soup had a thin salty broth that wasn't saved by the garnish of green onion. Baby bok choy and beef tendon cooked well. Wide egg noodles cooked through but still had a chewiness. Pig ears were sliced pretty thin and tossed in a vinaigrette that I was less than keen about. The scallion strips cut through the odd flavor, thankfully. Peanut/cilantro/tofu salad was okay, and while I was surprised that they left the peanuts whole, I realize they wanted to leave it chopstick-able. No problems with the tripe, enjoyed that thoroughly.
Two and a half stars. Shared parking lot's relatively small. Cash only. We really should have asked them for a fresh batch of loose leaf in our tea, we were probably drinking the fifth or sixth steeping. Sometimes I just need a taste of my childhood, but I didn't think this would disappoint so much. -
Review from Linda T.
3/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
I always get the cucumber salad in hot garlic sauce.
If you want something small, try the turnip pastry, any of the dumplings or the thousand layer pancake.
For a fuller meal, the spicy beef noodle soup or Chinese style fried chicken on rice are always good without fail.
I've also seen their breakfast menu on Saturday morning but I like the regular menu a lot better. Btw, the bread stick on the breakfast menu is a Chinese cruller. -
Review from King C.
Arlington, VA
6/20/2011
If i had sum it up in a sentence it would be: -Awesome authentic chinese food in the DC/VA area-
Trying to find a decent authentic chinese food place in the DC/VA area is difficult. The next closest authetic decent chinese restaurant is Temptasian near Grand Mart.
This place was recommended to me by my friends and it did not disappoint. I got the porkchop with rice place and it was pretty decent. Not the best i've ever had but it was good enough. Their noodle soups were pretty good and their side dishes were well made. We got the potstickers, the cucumber salad, and the spicy wontons. Those were all good and I would recommend those.
However this place does not have Chinese BBQ meat, like the roasted duck or the roasted pork.
Location: This place is in the back streets and it looks like a hole in the wall place.
This place is definitely a good combination of good food, price, and authenticity. Definitely give this place a try.
BRING CASH, NO Credit Cards. -
Review from Donald P.
Updated - 2/15/2011 7 Check-ins Here
Haven't been here in 1.5 years since whenever we go to Annandale we almost always get Korean food. It's nice to have other options though. Just like our first visit we leaned over to the table next to us and asked for recommendations. This time we were a little happier with the choices...beef noodle soup (clear broth), wonton soup (Shanghai style), and fried bread stick.
Serving sizes are moderate to light, but then again so are the prices. We'll have to remember to order more. Hope to be back here again soon.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/9/2009
Neat to find a good chinese restaurant in Annandale. A paper menu is given to you for you to circle… Read more »
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Review from Henry S.
Alexandria, VA
3/28/2011
I'm always very concerned about food safety issues when I eat here. After doing my research, I'm even more concerned now than ever before. There seems to be an attitude of blatant disregard for safe food handling procedures at this mall and in Annandale in general. ......... Maybe I'm being paranoid.
The Chinese supermarket has been closed for a while now and I'm not sure how that affects the traffic at this restaurant. This mall though seems to be dying. I'm not looking to eat anything raw here nor am I eating anything that has been cold stored. I've had stomach issues after eating here in the past.
I stick to the hot foods. I usually get the fried pork chops. The potstickers are an option, but that's almost a guarantee for heart burn. The little steamed buns are good, the xiaolongbaos. So are the vegetarian and beef dumplings. The turnip pastry is also good. The noodle dishes are also good if that's your thing. I usually pass on them unless it's the noodles with the fried pork chops. The scallion pancakes, and the thousand layer pancakes, I pass on those too. They take too long and they sometimes come out greasy. Oh by the way I'm willing to bet that no one from Asia works in the kitchen here. I could always be wrong. But Viva la Mexico in case I am right.
It's good, unique food but after about 10 visits the novelty wears off. It's just not a must have kinda thing. Like all Dim Sum restaurants in the DC Metro Area, its not worth waiting in line or being disrespected or sitting in uncomfortable seats to eat this. Be sure to take a Nexium with your first bite of food.
Last time we were here, we looked through the dead mall, peeked inside the restaurant, remembered it was cash only and got into the car and drove off to another restaurant. We were turned off by the deadness of the mall and there are better options in Annandale. Maybe next time..........maybe not.
