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Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat. 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Looks like Hollywood East is getting evicted, but will reopen in Westfield shopping center in August. I hope their dim sum will be better than ever. I am a fan of their steamed beef short ribs and shuimai.
http://www.washingtonc...
I have only been here for dim sum on weekends, so I can not comment on dinner entrees. The dim sums… Read more »
My new motto when approaching food is to just put whatever it is in my mouth and not worry about what it actually is. This has worked out great for me as i've discovered a new love of fish and pork. So that was entirely what i planned on doing at Hollywood East
Until i saw the chicken foot.
After watching Kevin struggle with that for like 15 minutes i decided to stick to stuff i knew somewhat well. My favorite was the little pulled pork esq sandwich. Very good! And i also ate a crap ton of this beef noodle wrapped thing. Yum!
Besides being in great company, i can't see myself returning here for quite a few reasons.
a) i'm way too scared of chicken feet
b) there is no chinese word for fork. I cant use chopsticks to save my life, so kevin ever so kindly asked for a fork for me. Well they didn't understand what he was asking for! Needless to say this discouraged me
c) i can see it getting really expensive. At any point in time i had no idea how much money i had spent. I was very nervous about this. I had no idea how much anything cost. To me it cost a stamp on a piece of paper. How much does that translate to?
d)The food was not that great. it just didn't taste fresh. it tasted almost like i was eating it off a buffet rather than having it served to me.
I'd definitely be back for the company, but not really for the food.
d.
Came for dim sum, and to reune with some fellow Yelpers. I was expecting to have my dim sum socks rocked off, because I figured, why else would foodie Yelpers elect to drive out to Wheaton? Turns out they were engaging in the time-honored Yelper tradition of taking advantage of a get-together to try a new place. There were no guarantees here at Hollywood East.
Verdict? My socks stayed on.
Likes: The hot tea, the pork buns, the sesame balls with lotus seed paste, and most of the dumplings.
Not likes: Taro root cake (ewww, Kevin!)
Couldn't care less: Everything else we tried, and I believe we had a total of around 24 dishes.
Now, I hadn't had dim sum in at least 4 years, so overall I enjoyed myself, and certainly appreciated the company. But my next dim sum outing, which will hopefully be in less than 4 years, will not be a return trip to Hollywood East.
I was kinda apathetic towards Hollywood East Cafe. With such great reviews I was expecting to be absolutely wowed, but I wasn't at all. There were a couple highlights but overall it was all just sorta ok. If it wasn't so inexpensive I probably would lean towards a lower rating but it's a pretty decent value, and still easy to have a good time when you're there with some friends, especially when some of them are squeamish. I get a kick out of ordering stuff like tripe, organ meats, and chicken parts and watching them all squirm!
I think the highlight was the pork bun, which I likened to a puffy ball of sloppy joe flavored pork. The bun was a tad dry, but the flavor was good. The fried taro ball thing was also good.
The parking annoyed me since the lot is really really small, but there's no room to turn around so if it's crowded you eventually have to back out into traffic which can be disconcerting if you don't have the parallel parking skills that I have. Fortunately there was a ton of street parking available when I went, though I believe it's 1hr max.
My friend wanted to come by for Dim Sum.
We ordered many dishes that were all pretty tasty including:
- Beef Tripes w/ Ginger & Scallions
- Chicken Feet w/ Black Bean Sauce
- Spare Ribs w/ Black Bean Sauce
- Beef filled Rice Noodles
- Eggplant with Stuffed Shrimp
4 stars for good solid food.
- 1 star for the fact that none of the employees speak Chinese... wtf?
We ordered egg tarts and it never came.... hopefully we weren't charged for it....
When I want dim sum, Oriental East is my fave place to go. It's good and added bonus is that it's basically across the street from me. Unfortunately it seems as half of DC and Maryland also wants dim sum on Sunday mornings. One day we waited painfully for 40 minutes and yet there were still 20 tables to be seated before us. We were all starving and most of us had places to go. It was suggested that we take the bet that Hollywood East may not be as busy. It was a good call, because we were seated within 5 minutes.
There were a lot good dim sum items that most other places don't have. For instance there were the duck dumplings that were really good and then the lotus balls made with green tea and stuffed with ground sesame seeds. Of course they had all the other traditional items as well such as shiu mai, pork buns and stuffed noodles. There was a very wide selection and my Muslim friend had plenty of options despite not eating pork.
Although I still prefer Oriental East, this place is a close second. Definitely come here if you want to avoid the lines and hassles of Oriental East.
This was my first Dim Sum experience since my recent relocation to the DC area and I have to say I was very impressed. First of all, I was very happy that they had a parking lot, so they started off on my good side. The variety of the dumplings (that's what the Dim Sum is all about) was excellent. The quality ranged from 3.5-4 stars but all in all, very tasty. I think it is very difficult to do outstanding dim sum and very easy to do crappy dim sum, so Hollywood East definitely delivered. I still miss my KC dim sum at Bo Ling's, but Hollywood will more than satisfy my dim sum cravings.
I was not a huge fan of the shrimp toast. It was a little too much toast and not enough tasty shrimp. That was the only dish that I really think was poorly executed.
Side note, we arrived at 1100 on a Saturday and were instantly seated. By the time we left the place had filled up, but was not on a wait yet.
My brothers have been enjoying their entrees for many years and I started to take advantage of this tasty place about a year ago. I forgot there are two locations, both in Wheaton, so I had to ask which one we normally visited.... brain fart hehe - my apologies. It should be the University Blvd. West establishment.
I'm constantly particular with locations because your experience may differ from one to the other even if they share the same name.
Once entering, it is quite a spacious area but during peak hours it's rockin' and rollin'.
Casual environment.
I had my brothers order something different for me and they suggested the Honey Walnut Shrimp. If you don't like mayo or honey glazed walnuts, please avoid this delectable treat. It had such random flavors but it worked for my taste buds.
The jumbo shrimps are mixed with mayo (not sure if it's their own creation of a mayo-like sauce) and set on a bed of shredded lettuce with sweet honey glazed walnuts . This combination was quite a surprise and I'm ordering this again.
Next was our favorite fatty deliciously spicy yet tasty Deep Fried Spicy Pork Chop.
This is why I jog hehe.
I would have devoured this entire entree. It's deep fried, salty and had lots of jalapeno slices peppered all over this scrumptious dish. This did not need tabasco/hot sauce since I chewed the yummy jalapenos. This pig was worth my calories.
Then we added a veggie which comforted all of us... the Sauteed Spinach w/Garlic. Never soggy and this balanced our other entrees' extreme flavors.
The people are great as well. We had a particularly comical male server who caught me off guard... I'm normally that way after I'm full.
I was pulling out my plastic, and he said, "Oh, sorry... we only accept cash tonight."
As I was about to have my dish-pan hands ready, he jokingly replied, "Just kiddinnnnnng!!"
We looked like an ending scene of a Chinese movie where we all laughed out loud with such a feeling of camaraderie. I know it's lame but you get the scenario, right?
Try it. You'll like it.
This place was good. Food was decent, prices were decent, service was OK. Had an encounter with a somewhat rude waiter, which somewhat soured the experience. But maybe this was just an exception?
Either way, nothing to write home about. But this would satisfy your hunger for dim sum better than many other places in the greater DC area...
The dim sum was pretty good. It's a small restaurant, though, so there wasn't a huge selection. They had beef short ribs, which I hadn't seen before at dim sum.
It was kind of annoying that none of the carts had any ha gow or siu mai until we were about ready to leave. The staff is pretty nice though, and explains what everything is - I noticed a lot of non-Cantonese speaking people there so this would be a good place for dim sum noobs!
Observe how they treat Asian patrons versus non-Asian patrons and you'll understand why I have feelings of distaste towards this establishment. Churlish service is churlish service, but when it is that blatantly obvious, it is totally unacceptable, IMO.
Paired with subpar entrees (with the exception of one), Hollywood East Cafe is another disappointing dining experience. My entree of choice, jiao yuan pai gu (salt and pepper pork chops), made an appearance on the dining table. While portion size may seem more than sufficient at first, take a closer look. Pork fat and bones made up more than half of the dish that I can't help but feel gypped. With the exception of Bob's, I find this to be a recurring theme and made a mental note to stay away from ordering it ever again in the area. The shrimp stuffed tofu was decent; fried to perfection with a good shrimp to tofu ratio, I have absolutely no complaints. Lastly, the ba zhen dou fu bao ("eight treasures tofu".) Allow me to gripe. If you order this expecting a somewhat equal ratio between the amount of meat and tofu, think again. Not only did HEC skimp out on the meat but the claypot was loaded with more tofu than I can ever handle in any given week.
The dim sum here may be good, but I would never know.
My family was in from Halifax Canada over the weekend and we rocked this place hard. For an appetizer we had the steamed dumplings. They were exceptional. I also had the Hong Kong Wonton Soup. It was awesome. Then I had the walnut shrimp and the Triple Delight. Still Awesome. Mommy had this eggplant thing which I heard was great. She also had the Moo Shoo Chicken and mad a real mess with it. There was black stuff all over her hands. Mommy sure is a messy eater. My parents said that this was the best Chinese Food that they ever had but what do they know they're from a small town in North East Canada with a population of 10. They like McDonalds too.
I love this place! Try it. You'll like it.
I have not had dim sum here, but I'm hoping to go back and try it soon.
This is a great place to go for Hong Kong/Cantonese style Chinese food. I used to live in Hong Kong and definitely miss the food there, so I was happy to find Hollywood East. This place can be a touch expensive depending on what you order, but its usually worth it. The only downside is that service is not so great, but you should still try it.
Yet another great restaurant discovered thanks to Yelp! Before going, we also did some research to find that Hollywood East has been featured in the Washingtonian for "cheap eats," "dirt cheap eats," and "very best restaurants." How could we possibly go wrong with all of these fabulous reviews?!
I've been to Oriental East for dim sum too but we were meeting another couple and this place sounded promising. Oriental East always has lines up the block to get in. We arrived at Hollywood East on a Sunday morning when they opened. No lines! We were seated immediately and the place gradually filled up. Still, during our entire meal, at no point was there a line or wait for customers to be seated.
We ordered lots of dumplings, especially with shrimp. I mean, almost everything we got had shrimp in it (no complaints here from me!). The wait staff was friendly and took the time to tell you what was in the dishes if you asked. Perhaps this was because it wasn't too busy, but I was glad to not feel rushed to choose something.
Very reasonable prices and we didn't spend much, considering all the food we got! It was certainly a meal that "touched the heart." Or added fat to the stomach.
i haven't yet found my dim sum go to spot in california, but this is definitely the place in suburban maryland. since i moved here, i've gone back to visit my family and friends twice, and both times i headed here for dim sum the morning after a "reunion with friends," aka drinking binge.
the chive, shrimp and pork dumpling is fabulous, as are most of the dumplings. obviously, the best part about dim sum is being able to choose whatever rolls by on the carts whose smell appeals to your hungover stomach, and hollywood east has a good variety. i have to have their roast pork bun and dim sum for me is not complete without some sort of spareribs. likewise, my sister cannot eat dim sum without getting the turnip cake, and theirs is an excellent sort.
their open dining room affords itself to lively chatter on a sunday morning, and rowdy gals reminiscing about high school while still slightly drunk are accommodated as well as any other patron, a definite plus. five stars for sure. that's the good thing about your hometown; you know exactly where to go to get your grub on.
I just wanted Chinese, but my dining options were limited at 10:30pm on a Tuesday. Sure, there are more than a handful of unauthentic take-away restaurants within a few blocks. Unfortunately I just don't trust a Chinese restaurant that offers both kung pao tofu, fried chicken, and philly cheese subs. Ew...
I found Hollywood East Cafe through Yelp. Being desperate for Chinese food, I called them to confirm their hours. To my pleasant surprise they close at 1am every day, and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. The drive on Georgia Avenue to Wheaton at 11pm was pleasant and quick. Hollywood East Cafe was very noticeable once we turned onto University Boulevard. It's a standalone new-ish yellow restaurant with neon signs. (I'm including a description because it can be a little difficult to locate a restaurant at night.)
We went in and were seated immediately. There were only two other tables in this huge (yet clean) dining room. The menu was typically large as other Chinese restaurants, but Hollywood East Cafe specializes in Cantonese cuisine.
I had the egg drop soup (it was alright) and vegetarian dumplings (large in size, but there could've been more filling) for starters. For the main course, Curtis had the Buddhist dish, and I had Chinese Broccoli Chow Fun. The portions are large in the manner of family style. My noodle dish was delicious, but lacked some flavor. Then I remembered that everything tastes better with hot sauce!
The biggest downside to Hollywood East Cafe was the service. Our waiter was nice, but he was not as attentive as I hoped for an empty restaurant at 11pm at night. My water glass remained empty most of the time. The check took so long to arrive! Curtis had to get up and find the waiter (who seemed oblivious to our needs).
I will return to Hollywood East Cafe to satisfy my late night Chinese food cravings, but only to order carry-out. The service was off-putting, but at least they offer a good selection of vegetarian dishes.
While a bit more expensive than its competitors, it makes it up in newer decor and furniture. The cooking is quite consistent, and they make rather authentic versions of the standard cantonese cuisine. Fresh fish is available, though primarily fresh water.
It's currently my favourite HK style restaurant in DC for trad. cantonese cooking.
The dim sum was good enough. Not outstanding, not wowing my mouth, not memorable. But fine. A decent meal. The dumplings were good, and the turnip cakes were excellent.
HOWEVER, we were sitting enjoying our tea after paying when we were told to leave by the manager because they needed our table. Keep in mind that we had been seated less than an hour before. Keep in mind that there were other tables available (albeit no tables of four like ours). Keep in mind that we had eaten quite a bit of food and paid more than we would in other, better places.
I'm not sure if I'll go back because of that.
Look for the palm tree! This restaurant is located on University between Georgia and Veirs Mill (two pretty big intersections), so it might be easy to miss - But I always tell my friends to look for the palm trees. That's where you'll find some of the best Chinese food in the area.
I haven't been here for the dim sum (It's on the agenda), but I already love this restaurant. I've been here only on Saturday nights and they're always gracious to accommodate our huge group.
I always order the deep fried squid, deep fried pork, snow pea leaves with fresh garlic, ma po tofu and some kind of fried fish (ling...something?). YUM! I also love their lychee drink with real lychees.
Definitely one of the best Chinese places in the area, and it helps that they're open late!
Another satisfied dim sum customer. Sundays are really busy--it's probably a good idea to make a reservation. Parking can be difficult, even though the restaurant has a small lot, there's street parking, and there's a public parking lot across the street.
Went with a party of maybe 12 people--I think larger groups are more fun, since you can order a lot of different things and try some of each. For someone who eats seafood but not meat, the selection was fine--plenty of dumplings with shrimp, shrimp with peppers, shrimp with crab, shrimp with spinach... and they were all good. There are also meat options, of course. It's a fun system. I liked being able to see all the different options on carts around the room, and then choosing the ones I wanted to try, which come in small amounts, so it's not a lot of investment if you don't like something.
Don't fill up just on the savories--you won't want to miss the sweets. The pineapple buns with custardy stuff inside were odd in concept but turned out to be tasty. The tofu in syrup also seemed like it would be plain, but the syrup is ginger-flavored, and it's perfect.
We ended up paying $12 apiece, including tip, which, for the amount of food we had, seemed like a very good price.
Live jazz on Friday nights, featuring
Night and Day Trio
Join the Night and Day Trio, featuring Rene Tannenbaum on vocals, Mike Suser on piano and vocals and a guest musician
Dim Sum Sunday is great, lots of shrimp items.
Some Deserts, Tofu with sugar sauce is really strange to me, you get the bitterness of the tofu curd and sweet syrup battling it out, even blended together the tastes conflict.
The Green tea balls have some burnt flavors I need to reconcile.
This was my favorite dim sum place while I lived in DC for 4.5 years, but I haven't been in town since their review in the Washingtonian. It was pretty much Asian clientele only when I used to go.
Some items of the dim sum that are typical of most dim sum places are not quite as good, but the thing about the dim sum here is its inventiveness and bigger selection. I've had types of dim sum here that were sole creations of the chef...that I'd never seen in Houston, Toronto, NY, or SF. It used to be that depending on which time you went, a different selection of items would come out. And it was Murphy's Law that something would come out of the kitchen right before you left that would make you say, "Omg what is that?" And you'd curse your belly for being so full. However, you can always order up whatever you want hot and piping from the kitchen if you don't see it on the carts.
I had a Japanese and Chinese friend go here for dinner and they gave it high reviews...especially of something with XO sauce they ordered. But I haven't had a chance to go there for dinner yet.
Of all the DC Metro area chinese places, I would consider this the best one. The food definitely lives up to expectations for this NYC Chinatown raised food chomper. But what really sets this place apart, is the really the ordering experience.
Like any respectable restaurant, the wait staff needs to know their menu, and the food available. I've grown up with a habit of always asking the waiter what they recommend. If they seem stumped, unable to answer, or tells a bad fact (i.e. when a certain vegetable is or isn't in season), that's always a bad sign. Hollywood East definitely does not disappoint when I asked the staff. I came here for my roommate's 26th birthday, and he left it up to me. Five dishes off of the "everyone likes these" mental list, and 3 recommendations from the waiter, and everything was a hit. We came out very happy with our meal, and eager to come back for round two.
Coming from Northern Virginia? Would I say this place is worth the trek up to Wheaton? Definitely!
Amazing dim sum, way better than anywhere else in DC. I hear they're packed on the weekends, but we went on a weekday, and it wasn't too crowded at all. On weekends, they push carts around; during the week, they just give you the dim sum menu and you mark what you want. I know it's less authentic, but I actually like this way better...whenever I'm some place that does the carts I end up grabbing the first things I see then end up full by the time stuff I really want comes around. I still need to try their regular menu.
I still have to go back to the place to try the dim sum since I'm always on the lookout for a good one. I was impressed by the authenticity and expanse of their menu and it was hard to come to a decision on what to order. I settled with the congee with pork and preserved egg. Sure it may be simple but it was delicious, warm, and it hit the spot. I'll let you know what I think of the dim sum when I try it out!
Yesterday afternoon, my husband and I decided to check this place out after reading good reviews from Yelp fellows. We were disappointed to find out that they serve Dim Sum till 1PM every day, so we ended up ordering from the regular dinner menu. I ordered fried tofu stuffed with shrimp, another disappointment. Hubby ordered Firecracker Shrimps, another disappointment.
I will let you know after checking out the dim-sum cart next week. I hope I can give more stars.
If you are looking for very good Chinese and I mean Chinese go to Hollywood East Cafe. Forget about those trendy PF Chang's and all of their Asian fusion concoctions. Or the greasy fast food Americanized Panda Express. This the place to be for seated or for takeout, you cannot go wrong here. Both locations serve up some of the areas best authentic Chinese American food and traditional Chinese. Maybe one day I get little adventurous and try some duck feet or the intestine with sour cabbage dish, but I have had just about everything else on the extensive menu and I have not experience anything negative yet.
I met the owner, very nice lady I told her that my company kept getting a lot of their phone calls because of the name Hollywood East Studio Productions "creating television and multimedia production services" as opposed to Hollywood East Cafe. Turns out that she had gotten a lot of our phone calls as well but that's been cleared up with the phone company so all is right with the world and we had a good laugh about it.
Great place, 5 out of 5 stars.
While this family-owned restaurant consistently shows up in the Washingtonian's Cheap Eats edition and has lately been listed as "Dirt Cheap," it's a little bit more expensive than your standard Chinese fare.
That aside, the food is pretty consistent (mostly Cantonese style), and the selection is authentic enough that I would not be embarrassed to take my Chinese parents when they're visiting from NYC. They have the typical selection that everyone is familiar with, along with some newer dishes like fried shrimp wontons with XO sauce, and some Chinese comfort food (fried rice with chicken and salted fish, anyone?). The dim sum is the best in the area. Traditional dishes are done well, and they've employed a couple of Hong Kong dim sum chefs to introduce some variety. Good move!
The service is probably the weakest part of this establishment. When you get one of the owner's family helping out, you'll do okay. But of the two regular waitresses, one is pretty good, the other more abrupt and impatient. If you don't get your order in with her the first time she asks, it'll take a while before she'll circle back to you. On some busy nights, be prepared to wait a while for your food -- they could really use more help.
Oh, and Friday nights they have a live jazz band. I guess this is another attempt at setting themselves apart from the crowd, and it kind of works. They're an interesting and ecclectic addition to your dinner, and not bad at all. Another bonus is that Hollywood East participates in Dining for Miles, so I can eat my way toward my next vacation!
Thank you, fellow Yelpers, for guiding me to a wonderful dimsum meal that reminded me of home (at least in terms of the Los Angeles-area dimsum).
I arrived at nearly 2pm on a Saturday (super late, I know), so I expected small selection of whatever dim sum was leftover from the morning rush. Pleasantly surprised at the variety of options! We got everything from the standard shrimp dumplings to turnip cakes and BBQ pork buns, to those funny little carrot shaped fried dough with egg custard inside (YUM). Nice job, Hollywood East.
The only unpleasant surprise was the bill. $45 for two of us to eat dimsum. Yes, we ate a lot, but c'mon, dimsum is supposed to be like $25 at most for two. Sheesh. I guess you can price at high as you like when you serve great dim sum in this area!
This is in my book the best Cantonese restaurant around DC. Then again, I've only lived in the area for 6 months and explore restaurants only on weekends. I tried several of the other well reviewed entries but they didn't turn out to suit my taste.
So, I had a Radish Beef Brisket hotpot with rice, which was so fragrant that I stuffed two bowls of rice (rare for me these days) and still had half a portion left for take-out. While at it, I also ordered a "wonton dry noodles" and "duck and winter vegetables braised rice noodles" for my Monday and Tuesday lunches, and they're absolutely delightful!
The staffs are also accommodating and polite -- which is rare in Chinese restaurants.
Friends and I came for dim sum today because we'd heard that they had swan-shaped dumplings!? http://www.washingtonp...
Alas, it was not as exciting as we expected - we ended up ordering lots of good, but traditional, dim sum dishes. The staff kindly accommodated the vegetarians by offering meat-free lo mein, vegetarian spring rolls, and veggie dumplings. I also liked the dark sticky dessert balls stuffed with black sesame paste, and the crispy shrimp wonton with mayo. We noticed more interesting dishes coming out of the kitchen toward the tail end of our meal (inc. fried bread), but by then we were pretty full.
I used to go all the way to Wheaton for what I thought was the best Chinese food in the DC area. This isn't really up to par with the best Chinese restaurants in other major cities, but would certainly hold it's own. The owners were really friendly, and would more easily warm up to people looking for more exotic dishes not in the English menu. They even accomodate special orders not on the menu, which you can request for them to make. The seafood was fresh and the food was well prepared. The place is a bit out of the way if you don't live in the area, though.
This is currently one of my favorite places for dim sum right now. I love the variations that they have alongside the typical dim sum dishes. Service is a little slow so if you're in a rush to eat and go this might not be for you.
We came for dinner during a weeknight and the food was good, but we still prefer coming for the dim sum more.
This is currently the best dimsum in the Washington, DC metro area. What sets it apart from the competition is the fact they make it fresh at their restaurant. While a lot of the competition uses frozen dimsum dishes from New York that are reheated, the freshness of Hollywood East's becomes apparent.
You'll pay a little more here, but the quality of the food is readily apparent. It's definitely worth the drive, but parking can be a pain given the predatory parking enforcement at the Bank of America lot next door.
This has become our standby for standout dim sum. Food is served at the right remperature, carts are usually nicely paced, and the quality is fantastic. That said, the most important piece of the dim sum puzzle for me is that Hollywood East always sends out dishes I have not tried before. We've been about six times and always see something new .
We've also taken to dropping in for the occasional dinner. The crispy tofy with minced shrimp is as delicious and comforting as the steamed ling fish with giner is delicate and mellow.
Go.
We went for a birthday party. The dim sum was yummy- I'm not a fan of fish and meat so I missed out on 99% of the dishes but I hear they were great. There were some really good veggie dishes including this green ball that tasted like peanut butter and these egg custard tarts. You eat until you pop and the price wasn't too bad.
Hollywood East Cafe arguably serves the best Hong Kong-style cuisine in Montgomery County, but the addition of dim sum to the newer Hollywood East location on University Boulevard is what has been getting rave reviews. The older, original Hollywood East Cafe restaurant, which does not serve dim sum, is stil open and located just a few blocks down the street on Price Avenue. The dim sum is what makes Hollywood East Cafe on the Boulevard my favorite Chinese restaurant in the D.C. area.
With an opening time of 10 a.m., one hour earlier than Oriental East (located in downtown Silver Spring) or Good Fortune (which is across the street), Hollywood East Cafe offers dim sum on par with either of the above restaurants in a more relaxed, less crowded environment, but expect a wait if you arrive too close to noon. Hollywood East also has better parking availablility due to the bank lot next door that is closed on the weekends. Moreover, Hollywood East offers a wider assortment of dim sum: for example, dim sum shaped like orange carrots with green stems, crispy green-tea balls with sweet black bean paste filling, or even vegetarian versions of typically meat- or seafood-containing dim sum that can be ordered off the serving cart or upon request. My personal favorite is the crispy tofu skin vegetable wraps.
You can actually also order regular entrees even while dim sum is being served. The dinner menu is outstanding with the best Ling Fish (Cod) Steak in ginger sauce and Crispy Shredded Chicken that I've ever had in any restaurant. The Deep Fried Spicy Tofu's simplicity belies its savory mix of salt, garlic and hot peppers. One of the best vegetarian dishes is bamboo hearts (imitating fish maw) with spinach and tofu. The creative and delectable Garlic Pepper Chicken--the literal Chinese translation of which is "Wind, Sand Chicken"--resembles a roasted chicken buried in wind-swept sand. A couple dishes also have a somewhat French-inspired flair, which inexplicably still seems to work without becoming what passes nowadays as Asian fusion. The only dishes that I could stand to do without are the average noodles. Finally, I would suggest you inquire as to what Chinese vegetables are currently available as they are often not on the menu. Chinese vegetables, which are always delicious traditionally stir-fried with garlic, are only seasonally available and less familiar among the uninitiated.
The test of whether a dim sum restaurant is good is the quality of their steamed char siew buns! The buns here were soft, moist and the meat was just delicious! Their dim sum is not as refined as Oriental East but it is not a bad place to go if you are in the area. Parking is a bit tricky - you may have to risk parking next door at BOA.
Factoring in price, this is probably one of the better chinese food places I've been to in DC. Although communication with our waitress was a little bit of an issue, they prepared our meal exactly how we wanted it - shrimp heads on! If you're on the squeamish side, or not looking for anything close to authentic chinese food, I recommend calling your nearest Great Wall/Panda Express/Lotus Cafe, etc etc.
I was very disappointed with Hollywood East Cafe's dim sum. The rice noodle wrapping on at least two dishes were undercooked and had a funny texture and flavor. The sticky rice didn't taste right and the dumplings were okay. The dessert buns were on par as were the egg tarts. Considering the time it takes to get here from Arlington, I won't be returning.
Silver Spring, MD
Category: Dim Sum
Silver Spring, MD
Category: Vietnamese
Silver Spring, MD
Category: Dim Sum
Silver Spring, MD
Category: Dim Sum
Wheaton, MD
Category: Coffee & Tea
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