On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Loading...
This place is great. Inexpensive compared to the other good Chinese places in the area (like Mark's and Peking Gourmet), low-key, and hotter than hell, delicious, fast, non-greasy Chinafood.
I ordered carryout and was told to pick up in 15 minutes. 15 min later they called me to say that all 6 dishes were ready. How awesome is that?
When I arrived, everyone in the place was Chinese. Good sign. Let's get to the food:
Dan Dan Noodles: were good, not great. They were probably the mildest dish though, so a welcome respite from the heat of entrees.
Chendu Zhong Dumplings: great flavor, great sauce. You should order these.
Kung Pao Chicken: Best kung pao I've ever had. Not greasy, just really spicy and flavorful. You'll quickly learn not to eat the chilis.
Eggplant with Hot Garlic Sauce: great texture, great sauce. More of a sweet heat than the Kung Pao.
Cumin Beef: nice smokey flavor, still spicy but way less so than the kung pow. Beef was surprisingly tender.
Ma Po Tofu: really really hot, but I think I'd prefer a firmer tofu.
I want to go back and try everything on the menu!
People thought this was:
Really disappointed with our last visit. We were actually rushing to make the lunch buffet next door at Bangkok Golden which ends at 3pm, but decided we should just eat off a regular menu at Hong Kong Palace. I don't know why we didn't think to eat off the regular menu at Bangkok Golden.
It's 2:45pm which was also when their lunch prices end. We ordered the Dan Dan Noodles, Chengdu Fried Dumplings and Mapo Tofu. Dan Dan noodles were better than I remember, but still a bit bland, and maybe hotter. The dumplings were delicious in large part because of the dipping sauce.
The Mapo Tofu was utter DISAPPOINTMENT. I picked up a piece of tofu and thought it was on the salty side. My wife complained it was too salty for her to eat. I thought she was being picky but then I tried spreading some of the sauce over rice, and sure enough it was super salty. Considering that many of the reviews complain of the same thing, I'm guessing the chef has fried his taste buds with all the peppers used in the cooking. Neither of us bothered finishing the Mapo Tofu.
We asked for the menu again to order a different dish instead. We asked for the Hunan Shrimp with Vegetables which came out really quick and piping hot. This dish was delicious, and shrimp were nice and plump. However they charged us the dinner price instead. RETARDED!!!
This was our first time eating in, and was also disappointed with the service. I had to keep asking them to fill my glass with water. What I find annoying is they use wine glasses for water. With spicy food, just give me a BIG CUP of water so I don't have to keep bugging you. What was also annoying was that there was hardly any ice in the water.
Then when we finally get the bill we found out they charged us extra for rice. They adjust the bill but we left feeling so very dissatisfied. Although some of the food is delicious, we probably won't be coming back.
People thought this was:
TIP #1: Keep a THICK strong napkin around to wipe off all the sweat that'll be pouring down your… Read more »
This is really one of my favorite places for Chinese in the area. The waiter was extremely accommodating with our order, making sure that my Ma Po Tofu wouldn't have pork in it (even though it's in the vegetarian section of the menu, they will put pork in anyways unless you ask). The sesame balls were sensational, and the scallion pancakes were very good. My wife got the tea smoked duck (which she's had several times there), and really enjoyed it.
People thought this was:
Yay~ Good news! I see improvement! Their Dan Dan Noodle dish has improved tremendously. The service still needs work but the food is starting to taste a whole lot better again! I'll be back~ Keep up the good work.
People thought this was:
I hate to do this but this place is not the same place I've been ordering food from for 6 months… Read more »
We had delivery from Hong Kong Palace last night and the food was great. The Salt and Pepper Shrimp were out of this world, they are fried in a tempura style batter, which means that they are probably even better had we actually been at the restaurant. The menu selection is impressive to say the least which will allow you to change it up trip after trip. The only strike against this restaurant was the delivery time, north of one hour.
People thought this was:
I've gone to this restaurant quite a bit over the past two years. It's like my "Cheers". It's comfort food, they know me and my friends, they know what we like to order, and what types of dishes to recommend. The food is spicy to put it mildly. The "husband and wife" is great washed down with a Tsingtao. The kung pao chicken is excellent. Even better is a similar chicken dish where the chicken is fried and stir-fried with dried red chili peppers filled with toasted sesame seeds. The ma po tofu is good. There is a similar dish with fish and tofu which is also a good pick. For those who don't like spicy dishes, they have a great salt and pepper shrimp which they serve with or without the shell. I'm partial to the bittermelon with egg, but if you haven't had bittermelon before, it's might not be something that you'll like. As for the vegetarian dishes, the greens and eggplant with garlic sauce are great choices. Also, ask the waiter or waitress for suggestions - they are very helpful!
People thought this was:
3.50 stars. Hong Kong Palace enjoys a fantastic reputation in the greater DC area, but based on my experience, I still would give the edge to Odenton's Grace Garden for the most exceptional encounter I've had with Chinese food for spots within an hour of DC. In fact, another Schezuan restaurant, Great Wall Schezuan in Logan Circle, actually has a couple of dishes that more than hold their water against Hong Kong Palace. That said, it is worth the drive to Falls Church to sample some amazing Chinese dishes mostly from the Schezuan province.
You should plan your meal at Hong Kong Palace with the understanding that it does not target non-Chinese customers. Thus, make sure you have someone in your group who can read Chinese. They can order the daily specials listed in the restaurant. For example, the crispy chicken with sesame and red pepper was outstanding, and we would have missed this experience but for the fact that some of our group was able to decipher the pretty characters ascribed on the right hand side wall. Plan accordingly.
If you followed that instruction, you are probably enjoying some excellent homestyle tofu as well. Everyone keeps talking about the ma po tofu at Hong Kong Palace, but the rendition at Great Wall Schezuan floors it. Having said that, the homestyle tofu is simply magnificent. It is an impressive amalgam of tofu, schezuan peppercorn, and what appeared to be flounder in a spicy red sauce.
Although the crispy chicken and homestyle tofu steal the show, there are other treats as well. The dan dan noodles has an interesting sugary note, and the pork intestine dish has a surprisingly soft texture that was completely foreign to my previous experiences with similar dishes. The supple chengdu salt and pepper shrimp was encapsulated perfectly in a light, flavorful batter. For the vegetarians out there, their fresh purple eggplant is delightful. They also have a snow pea shoots dish that everyone else seems to enjoy, but I am not so impressed.
Unfortunately, I think there are some items that are simply ordinary. I would skip the dumplings (you will like this if you like the super doughy coverings on the dumplings as opposed to the thin wrapper), the green onion pancakes (surprisingly bland), and the sweet and sour seafood soup (was not impresed with the seafood used in this particular dish). Yet, everyone has different tastes, so read all the reviews to get a strong sampling of opinions regarding the various styles and tastes that you can experience here.
Overall, I would say it is among the best places in DC to eat Chinese food. It is certainly worth a drive to Falls Church. If you are looking for the champ, however, I would recommend that you make that long trek to Odenton where Grace Garden awaits you.
People thought this was:
***3.5 stars***
It's been a few days since our excellent group dinner at Hong Kong Palace, so I was waiting to see what other Yelpers thought before adding my $.02. In general, the food was very authentic and I'm glad we all decided to dine "family style" which is to say order different dishes so everyone at the two tables could share. This is also the most economical way to accommodate a large group since we all wound up paying about $17-$20.
I won't recap what we sampled since Tony P and Alicia G provided excellent summations in their reviews.
For me, the stars of the night were the dan dan noodles and the vegetable dishes. I rate the dan dan noodles here better than A&J's (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) since the sauce is not only spicy but has more flavor. I was very pleased to see many of the people took a shine to the snow pea shoots. This is a staple in the Asian diet and it was classically prepared in a light sauce with garlic slivers. And the spicy eggplant was delicious and I'm glad the the eggplant skin wasn't removed since this is the traditional way it should be served.
While I think Hong Kong Palace serves excellent food, I actually prefer China Star (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) since this place serves much of the same type of cuisine, without the headache of traveling to the Seven Corners area of Fall Church. But then again, Hong Kong Palace is near the Eden Center which makes going there for Bubble Tea after a filling meal much more convenient.
I'll echo everyone else's sentiment and give kudos to Karman for organizing this fabulous UYE.
People thought this was:
**3.5**
It's curious to me how they named the restaurant "Hong Kong Palace" but specialize in Sichuan food (Sichuan is a province in Central China). Nonetheless, the food was pretty good and even though our group dominated the front area of the restaurant, the servers handled us pretty well.
+ good +
eggplant with hot garlic sauce - one of my favorite dishes of the evening
chengdu dan dan mian - well prepared, good spicy flavor with beef
chengdu salt and pepper shrimp - can't ever go wrong with this!
fish and tofu with spicy sauce - wonderful sauce, though the tofu was verry slippery
dao miu - fresh and garlicky
kung pao chicken - we ordered 2 - that's how good it was
/ mediocre \
pan fried dumplings - the standard; nothing too excitable about them
ma po tofu - perhaps the dish was okay and I'm not just not one for mapo dofu...but this rendition bored me
- meh -
green onion pancake - dense and doughy, definitely not flaky enough
fried intestine with chili pepper - had a very distinct taste and smell that I was not particularly fond of. I ate one piece and was ready to move on.
pork belly - overcooked and tough, very disappointing as I really like pork belly when cooked properly
I recall Sichuan food being more spicy than what we experienced in this meal so there's where I deduct my star - authenticity. Most of the dishes were very tasty otherwise and I'd consider a return trip especially since the cost incurred was only $16/person, including tip.
PS. Thanks again to Karman L for setting it up. Family-style dinners + Yelpers = how can you really go wrong?
People thought this was:
I loved my meal here and had a great time during the recent Yelp takeover of HK Palace! I'll get to the food in a minute, but I was amazed at how well the kitchen kept up with our orders. The place is pretty small so you don't expect a high throughput kitchen, but they were churning out the orders like I couldn't believe. And the prices are great too! Almost all dinner entrees were right between $10-12, and were pretty sizable; perfect for a family style chinese meal.
The menu tends to focus more on Sichuan dishes, and they do a very good job. As usual, with a huge variety of dishes, they are hit or miss. Some of the dishes were a tad overcooked, and had tofu that was soggy and nearly impossible to pick up. Others were outstanding and had decent amounts of spice. I wasn't that thrilled with the green onion pancake, but the dumplings we had were pretty good. My favorite dishes were the mapo tofu and the kung pao chicken.
I guess my main criticism would be that many of the dishes seem redundant, or just small variations of the same. I can't remember the exact name, but the spicy tofu and fish dish was pretty much exactly the same as the mapo tofu, and the deep fried intestines were almost the same as one of the spicy beef dishes. After a while I was a little tired of the "vegetables and meat in a spicy and/or salty sauce" and could've used something less saucy to break up the monotony. I guess next time I'll just have a better methodology of ordering! Assuming (hopefully) that there is a next time!
People thought this was:
Not a place I would stumble upon, but thanks to Fred M. (pseudo-Yelper), he hit my need for good food with serious chewing limitations right on the spot. Having a displaced jaw is no fun - and please, I've heard every joke - so I'm always on the lookout for good food that's edible requiring minimum chewing.
Near Eden but not within the madness, I was impressed. At 8:30pm on St. Paddy's day the place was packed.
I let Fred M. do the ordering and we were brought out two large plates of eggplant and soft tofu w/ fish (tilapia, we think).
Loved the eggplant. It was tangy sweet and savory - all winners in my book. The tofu and fish dish was great too - topped with cilantro and peanuts. Could have done without the peanuts, just seemed an afterthought. The tofu didn't absorb much of the well-spiced sauce but the fish was absolutely delicious.
Look forward to stopping in for more! (and I'm happy there was an apparent Yelp takeover of the joint! shows my drug induced soft food ventures aren't totally off)
People thought this was:
Let's see. I can't talk about authenticity because what the hell do I know about authentic Szechaun food? So that's out.
I can't talk about portions because we ate family style and there was plenty for everyone, so that's out.
I can't really talk about service since the entirety of my interactions with them was getting my water glass refilled, which happened maybe less that I would have liked, but not so much as to be a problem, so that's out.
So let's see. The food. In a word: great. But I'll write a few more. With the large group we had, we ordered maybe 10 different dishes plus or minus, and shared them among us. This gave a good sampling of a variety of things. Everything I liked with the possible exception of the something or other bean curd which was kind of slimy, I tried, although I couldn't tell you what was what. My biggest complaint is that everything seemed awfully salty. The price was right, with the total with tax and tip coming to $16 a head for the 15 or 16 of us.
People thought this was:
Thanks for KarmanL for setting up with UYE. Situated in the seven corners strip mall, the establishment is not that big. The decor is simple and I think we took up nearly a third of the place. 16 of us arrived around 6pm for start of dinner. Karman ordered several dishes for us and we all shared it a la family style.
green onion pan cake - was a bit bland. It needed some of the spicy soy sauce to dip into.
pan fried dumplings - decent, nothing too extraordinary
dan dan noodles - good flavor and spicy with some ground beef.
tofu home style - it was tofu with white fish, had a very nice flavor and spice and the fish was excellent.
tofu with pork - good flavor
chengdu kung pao chicken - good flavor and heat
pork intestines - totally succulent and wonderful flavor
double cooked pork bellies - a little tough but very savory
snow pea shoots - nicely steamed, good flavor
crispy chicken - this was not on the menu but is on the wall menu written in chinese; outstanding crispiness and tastes like popcorn. Even the hot peppers were crunchy.
hot and sour soup with seafood - good balance without being too salty
All the dishes had good amount of heat (spice). Be aware of that if you don't like spicy foods.
Overall, we had an excellent dinner for $16/each split among ourselves. If I was local, this place would be on my regular take-out choices.
People thought this was:
Hong Kong Palace serves up delicious Szechuan cuisine in a casual setting by the nightmarish Seven Corners interchange. As is true with most diverse cuisines, to get a true taste of the menu, you need to try many dishes. So grab 15 of your friends and head out to fill your bellies (but make reservations first!).
We had so many excellent dishes. Standouts included the spicy eggplant, ma po tofu and spicy tofu with fish. The menu notes "popular" items, which helps with ordering for those of us who are not as familiar with the cuisine.
A huge kudos to the staff, who seemed a bit overwhelmed with our humongous group but still did a stellar job of bringing food out quickly and asking if we needed more of anything. Hong Kong Palace is also pretty decently priced, allowing patrons to order a couple extra dishes to try.
Overall, one of the best places for authentic Chinese food in Northern Virginia. I will be back, and hopefully soon.
People thought this was:
This was pretty good Chinese food; not too salty, not too much sauce. The snow pea shoots were very yummy, and so was the kung pow chicken. Our group was pretty massive, taking up about 40% of the restaurant, so I have to give some props to the wait staff for keeping their cool. I think the list of what we wanted that Alicia G. made for them probably helped a little.
I've heard a lot of talk that Szechuan style cooking is extremely spicy, but this wasn't too bad. I wasn't calling the fire department, but I was calling the server to bring a pitcher of water a couple of times. There certainly were a lot of jalapenos and other spicy ingredients throughout the different plates, but you can pick them off to control how much sweat you'd like your face to excrete.
The price was very good for the quantity of food we had. The bill was split evenly among about 15 people, and each head came to $16. Maybe it seems so cheap to me because about four hours before I had a couple scoops of ice cream for $12 up at Larry's Ice Cream shop near Dupont Circle and I was still in big spendin' mode.
Remember: If the menu items say "Hot" beside the title, it means "Popular," not "Spicy." The little chili icon means spicy.
People thought this was:
Hong Kong Palace is my favorite chinese restaurant in the Washington DC Metro area. I love hot and spicy food, spicier the better and HKP definitely satisfies my taste buds.
I always ask the waitress to make my order extra spicy. I love the numbness feeling in my mouth with the sweat pouring down my face.
My all time favorites are:
Chengdu Zhong's Dumplings
Chengdu Spicy Cold Noodles
Chengdu Kung Pao Chicken
Chicken with Hot Garlic Sauce
Cumin Beef
Fish with Vegetables in Peppery Broth
Chengdu Salt & Pepper Jumbo Shrimp
These are my personal favorites. I don't know what Chengdu means, I'm thinking it could be a province in Szechuan but I dunno. But you can't go wrong with any item with Chengdu.
I also like the big lighted picture of Hong Kong and its skyscrapers. Don't ask me why but the pic always reminds me of Jackie Chan's movie "Who Am I?"
The owner and waitstaff are very friendly and nice. The lady waitress always say hello and good bye in korean to me. I only wish I can read and understand chinese cuz there's a menu on the wall written in chinese. I'm sure they are authentic chinese dishes not in the book menu and also very tasty.
People thought this was:
Definitely good but I'll echo Cindy to say it's not spectacular. However, they did have an interesting twist on the hot and sour soup by putting in seafood instead of pork. The dan dan noodles were much better than when I had them delivered - while the sauce was spicy-salty, there was enough to go around this time instead of when they were in the container for delivery.
Also, the staff were pretty nice considering they had to absorb a group of 16 of us. But the restaurant is pretty small so don't expect to normally fit a group like this in here all the time.
People thought this was:
Not bad folks! I'm not expert on Chinese food but this seems to be some of the best I've had in a… Read more »
Went to this Szechuan restaurant with the Cantonese name last night on the way back from a Lunar New Year festival. I've been wanting to try it for a while now, and happened to be in the area, and it was (lunar) new year's eve, so...
There was a wait in the small, crowded vestibule for a while, but we were addressed by the staff soon after arriving and received a card with a number on it. In the end, we waited less than 10 minutes.
The staff was very apologetic about how busy it was, the wait, that the courses arrived staggered (we preferred it that way though). They were really, really nice and said we ordered like pros (thanks, Yelp). Most of the waiters speak perfect English as well as Mandarin.
First to arrive at our table was a plate of spicy Szechuan beef tendon, which was a crap shoot since I was hoping for the warm, braised, soft variety that I've had in Vancouver. These were the cold, thinly sliced, crunchy variety. Still, the sesame, chili oil, lemongrass, and scallion flavors in the dish were perfect. My mistake, but it was a dish that grew on us and would be good as a bar snack or one of many little meat/veggie dishes over rice.
Next came the "Chengdu Zhong's spring dumplings", which is what the waitress said the "spicy chengdu dumplings with black vinegar" must be. She was really helpful and accomodating -- and happy we were trying the food, and asked us if we liked each dish. These were steamed thin dumplings -- almost like large pork wontons -- in a chili-oil, soy sauce, and vinegar sauce. They were the perfect texture and had great, delicate flavor. We slathered those puppies with that sauce.
Next came the spicy beef with cumin dish -- we went for the beef since others have said the lamb was gamey. I love that flavor, but the boy only likes lamb when it's not so gamey. Anyhow, the beef was succulently tender and smelled great. We both love cumin. It came with lots of dried red chile peppers, fresh ginger slices (had to be careful), just-sweet cooked onion, and fresh green chile peppers. Easily our favorite dish of the night.
Last came the stir-fried golden corn with egg yolk. If you've ever had salt-and-pepper squid, the batter is very similar. There are little pieces of salty egg yolk dispersed among a huge plateful of battered, super savory corn kernels. We ate them one by one with chopsticks and couldn't stop. We remarked how it would taste so good as a beer snack and immediately ordered up a couple of Tsing Tao beers. We rushed to take those first sips of beer and sighed contentedly. Perfect.
Not really spicy as I know Szechuan cuisine can actually be (Sichuan Pavilion on K St, NW, is a lot hotter), but I preferred Hong Kong Palace anyway. I liked the flavors better (though both use the Szechuan 'numbing' peppercorn), the service better, and homey, intimate quality of the restaurant better. The frequent exchanges of "happy new year" and the large tables with big families (up to parties of 30 people!) really reminded me of celebrating Tet with my family in Houston. Plus, all 4 dishes, a pot of free hot tea, and 2 beers? $42 ($35 sans alcohol).
People thought this was:
3.5 Stars actually...
Just got some take out from here last night based on the previous Yelps. Ordered:
1. Kung Pao chicken which was nice portion size, good heat without bitterness, and decent textured chicken.
2. Chendu Spicy Cold Noodle. It was ok, I'm a little more used to peanut sauce based cold noodles. There really wasn't much to it, just noodles with bean sproats on top, so I don't think I would get that agin.
3. Chengdu Zhong Dumplings. These were tasty and good sized (great value for the price). My only complaint is that they were STUCK together in the container and could not be seperated without breaking.
4. Sesame Balls. I love these greasy things. Deepfried, filled with red bean paste thats slighty sweet and coated on the outside with sesame seeds. I liked the fact that these were about golf ball sized, thought they were great! (husband wasn't a fan, so more for me)
All of that plus an extra container or white rice cus hubby is a rice hog and the whole meal was $29! Plenty of leftovers for today!
People thought this was:
This place IS fantastic. Just don't tell anyone else. Cumin Lamb. Wow. I have no idea what authentic sichuan food really is like - not being sichuan - but I have certainly eaten a lot of sichuan food over the years and I have eaten a number of dishes at Hong Kong Palace that are truly unlike other "sichuan" restaurants. Cumin lamb, for example. Also had a dish that was a sichuan-style chili chicken, but had potatoes in it (tasted a bit like breakfast, but was delicious).
Given the reviews on this board, I tried for several visits to order the "right" dumplings. Finally, I got it right ordering the Chengdu "spring" dumpling/roll/something. I resisted that item previously because it did not sound like a dumpling opting instead for the pan-fried dumplings, the won-tons, and some other dumpling. None compared to the chengdu spring whatever dumplings. Excellent. On items that are (at least to me) more traditionally Sichuan, everything I've had has been excellent (although I didn't like the corn/egg dish that much).
I also have to say that the staff at this restaurant are super friendly. Hopefully without offense, I will say that (not being from Sichuan - see above), I would generally not use the adjective "warm" to describe the typical hole-in-the-wall Chinese-restaurant service. Usually it ranges between basic "business" and "if you don't order within the next 20 seconds I'm going to walk away and not come back for five minutes." On every visit, the staff have been extraordinarily nice.
People thought this was:
A very authentic Sichuan restaurant that has a large variety of dishes in their menu and on the wall. I have tried quite a number of their dishes (Spicy Beef Stew, Tofu Fish, Ma Po Tofu, Beer marinated Beef Stew, Stir fried Bitter Melon with Scrambled Eggs, etc.) and they are all very good.
However, the place is way too small and can get crowded at times. Even though the dishes are very good, they aren't the best I've had. If you are into a casual dining environment with good authentic Chinese family meals, then this is the place for you.
People thought this was:
Despite my earlier positive review, I've now had the opportunity to order *delivery* from HKP and it has been a disaster. They simply will not make delivered dishes "Schezuan spicy" or to the same flavorful standards as in-house dining. It's completely bizarre.
After the first disappointing experience with delivery I called HKP and asked why this was, why was my food not spicy when I had ordered all spicy items from the menu. A lot of double talk and "You have to tell us you want spicy" (which of course was precisely why I had ordered items marked with a red chile for "spicy" on the carry-out/delivery menu).
The next time the same thing happened even though I had followed instructions and asked for spicy prep of those items marked on the menu as "spicy". Anyway, another disappointment but I just let it go.
When it happened a third time - and on this order I had almost begged for hot spicy food - I was not happy...not one little bit. In fact the only thing "spicy" was the smoke pouring from my ears.
When I called to (rather harshly) complain their response was to tell me to get in my car, bring it back, and that they would let other diners sample the food to tell me whether it was or was not "spicy." Yes! True! "Did you eat it yet?" WHAT!!!! Of course I "ate it", how else would I know that it's not one iota hot!!?!?!?
So if you're ordering for delivery be aware of this. You're going to get the same fare that you'd get from just about any other "Chinese" takeout restaurant in NoVA. It's unlikely that you'll get anything similar to what is served in the restaurant. It is truly bizarre.
People thought this was:
I've been here several times over many years and while it's been under several different owners so… Read more »
To get the real stuff - none of this americanized fried rice business - go with someone who can read Chinese/speak with the host/hostesses/servers and find out what the specials of the day are. You COULD get lucky and get the nice waiter guy who speaks excellent English who could guide you, but if it's busy at Hong Kong Palace, he's not gonna have much time to chat with you.
Always ask for spicy: that's what this place does best, being a Sichuan restaurant. Some of my favorites:
1) Ma Po Tofu - oh hello. This will wake you up and make you go crying for some milk to lessen the spicy heat from the chili and the numbing sensation from the sichuan peppercorns.
2) Beef with Cumin and/or Lamb with cumin: I personally prefer the lamb, but some of my friends and family thought it was too...lamb-y tasting. I have no idea what the heck that means. But you do have to try this - start with the beef as your training wheels.
3) Chengdu spicy cold noodles: the perfect combination of the cool, slippery noodles + salty, spicy whatever the heck that topping was.
4) Stir fried golden corn with eggs: Not spicy, which makes it a pleasant (and relieving) break from all the ma-la goodness. It's corn kernels in a delicious batter, fried. You get the crisp exterior and the sweet corn inside. MNNN!
5) Twice cooked pork belly: YUM. Seriously, YUM. You can't go wrong with pork belly. Caveat: This can get a little fatty/oily so bring your heart meds.
6) Snow pea leaves with garlic (or any of the chinese greens fr that matter) - another nice, calming dish to calm the palate. ALso, the greens are perfectly cooked.
You really can't go wrong if you stick to the "Chinese" menu and stay away from the americanized food. It's definitely a favorite - we try to go at least once a month to satisfy the spicy food craving. What's even better is that the prices are seriously reasonable!
People thought this was:
Pretty darn good Sichuan food. We ordered the spicy beef tendon (really good), the twice cooked pork belly (also very good), the cumin fried fish with dried chilis (excellent, though I wish they would just load this dish up with fried dried chilis like they do at Spices in San Francisco), and the fried corn kernels (would make for an awesome movie snack). Came out so full - probably five pounds heavier, and totally worth it.
This restaurant was recommended by my buddy (Chinese) as the place to go for real Chinese food. All I have to say is that I have no idea what I ate cause the specials were in Chinese and whatever they wrote on the menu does not mean anything to me. Anyway, it was the best meal in the past year!
The price tag was kinda high. With 3 people and 5-6 dishes, the bill was around 90 USD. Was it worth it? Definitely!
I have had better Sichuan food in Chicago, but this is Virginia, and Hong Kong Palace is the best Sichuan food you can find around this area. Some of my favorite dishes are:
-corn and egg dish (this is not regular egg, they uses salted egg yolk in there and the flavor is very unique)
-Chicken with dry chili (classic Sichuan dish, it looks frighteningly spicy, but actually the chili is used to flavor the oil and the actual spice level is quite manageable)
-Fei tang fish (fish cooked in hot pot sauce, you can choose either the live tilapia or the flounder filet, the live fish tastes better, but its full of bones, so beginners might want to stick with the flounder filet)
People thought this was:
Can we please have a Hallelujah for a Chinese place that has food that actually tastes like Chinese food?! I'm ecstatic that I found this place and it ranks in the top 2 of my favorite Chinese places in the area (the other being A&J). This is what Chinese food is supposed to taste like, and while's it not the best I've ever had, it is definitely one of the best in the DC area, especially if you like your food spicy. My only complaint is that it's a tad on the salty/oily side, but otherwise delish. Other folks have complained of the service to me, but I've always found the people there very friendly, if not the most the attentive, probably because they do brisk business for such a small joint. However, I'm not a picky customer. Stick a steaming plate of goodness in front of me and leave me in blissful, munching peace (but please refill my water. :P )
People thought this was:
My co-worker (along with Terry Cowens foodie blog/website) recommended this place. I was surprised how spicy some of the dishes were but almost everything we ordered was delicious. I was very pleased.
Some recommendations:
Dan Dan noodles--my #1 favorite. Watch out for the spicy peppercorn that's in here--its tongue-numbing
Kung Pow Chicken--#2 fave. Not your average dish that you're used to. Much sweeter and has a ginger/garlic kick to it. Excellent
Eggplant--never had it before in my life and I will only eat it here!
We ordered all three types of dumplings (appetizers) and all three were EXCELLENT.
I was with 5 other people-we split 4 apps and 5 entrees and we ended up paying $25 each (with tip). Definitely worth every penny. Just wish this place was bigger.
People thought this was:
I am so lucky that Hong Kong Palace is right across the street from my job! Yaaaay! Yippeee! Hoorah!
I just started going there thanks to my friends on yelp and I have tried the Dan Dan Noodles, the Dry Szechuan Beef, and the Crispy Chicken. The DD Noodles and the DS Beef are both on the "Chinese" menu and they were good. I thought that it would be fabulous though from the reviews on yelp, but I was happily aroused but not having a foodgasm! Actually, the Crispy Chicken which was on the "American Menu" was the highlight of my meal that day. It was crispy fried small strips of chicken in a caramelly salty, sweet and spicy sauce that tasted so good with white rice.
While I was there one day waiting for my food, a table with 3 guys just asked the waitress to order for them and their food looked and smelled amazing. They kept gulping down water so you know that the heat factor was definately there. If you go...be brave...ask the waitress to bring you a few of her recommended dishes or daily specials and I think you will be happy. This seems like that kind of impromptu type place! Come with an open mind and open palate to Hong Kong Palace!
Oh k...I gotta go...got tons more stuff on the menu to try.
People thought this was:
The food was pretty good, but not all that great. I'm probably saying this because I was pretty stuffed by the time I got there to eat dinner. I only had a chance to sample some of the items we ordered. Everything was spicy, somewhat oily, and salty. Normally, I would love this combination, but my over stuffed stomach said no. I will probably have to revisit when I'm not so full to give a proper review. Because I know that my review is being influenced by how full I was, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt and giving them 4 stars. It only cost me $19 (tip & tax included) for the whole dinner anyway. It was a pretty good deal.
People thought this was:
Now this is Chinese food to write home about. We came here-- like many others-- on the recommendation of Tyler Cowen. [ http://www.tylercowens... ] Following his lead, we got the Chengdu Dumplings with black vinegar (I couldn't figure out which of the many dumplings on the menu these were, so I just said "Chengdu Dumplings-- spicy. with black vinegar" and they materialized), Dan Dan Noodles, dried beef, Lamb with Cumin, and potatoes with green pepper. (We would have gotten Ma Po Tofu, but they were out.)
The one disappointment was the potatoes. These were just potatoes sauteed in oil or butter-- I do not understand why people like them. The Lamb with Cumin, on the other hand was transporting. Spicy, flavorful, and haunting. The Dan Dan Noodles and the dumplings were also standouts-- the noodles were garlicky and tasty, the dumplings impossible to describe. The dry beef was a little weirder, but still remarkably tasty, and grew on me as the night went on.
We are going to have to go back-- several times-- to try a lot of the other good-looking stuff on the menu. Oh, and as should be obvious from all of the reviews-- DO NOT USE THE WHITE (AMERICANIZED) MENU. Use the Chinese menus-- that is where the good stuff is.
People thought this was:
I had extremely high expectations for this place after hearing all the hub-bub over the past year, and I'm sorry to say that I waited in such anticipation for this place. Not to say that it is bad, no it is quite good, but for all the hype this place gets I think it didn't quite deliver. I went with 4 other family members, so we had the opportunity to try a lot of food, and despite two exceptions I was either underwhelmed or dissappointed out right.
Let's start with the bad news first. Tea smoke duck is bleh, duck has a great distinct flavor and unfortunately the massive amount of smoke flavor totally ruins it. Chicken with garlic sauce did not have a good balance of the sour, salty, sweet, spice that most chinese dishes try to achieve. The mediocre included dan dan noodles, they were just ok nothing to write home about...barely something to write yelp about! Also ok was sliced pork with garlic leaves. Good and spicy but ehh.
The good included the lamb cumin, the spicyness never overpowered the lamb gaminess, and the onions provided I wonderful complimentary sweetness to the dish. Also great was the spicy beef tendon, hard to eat with plastic chopsticks, but great great great flavor. But the real star of the day was the string beans or as the menu says "strong beans". They were exceptional, the best I've ever had anywhere, the garlic and spice and saltyness went above and beyond. I saw a lot of orders for Ma Po Tofu, one of my favorite dishes so I may return to try this dish out alone.
All in all if it's not too far out of your way it is worth a trip, but not worth the hype I'm afraid. Give me a dinner at China Star or Mark's Duck House any day.
People thought this was:
When a Chinese waitress at a Chinese restaurant hands you two menus, saying one is the traditional Chinese menu and the other is the American style menu, who would order from the latter?? I can't.
So of course we ordered from the 'traditional' menu (wasn't pink paper, they might have changed management), and we liked all the dishes we had. I really liked the Dan Dan noodles-- spicy!
For GPS addicts like me, "the actual address is 6387 Leesburg Pike, but using 6222 more accurately shows the approximate location". (Thanks for the tip, Leila)
People thought this was:
4.5 stars
Dan dan noodles, pea shoot leaves and cumin lamb might combine for my favorite meal in the greater DC area...........
People thought this was:
4.5 stars
April 08
I am tempted to give this place 5 stars -- but there are just too many things on…
Read more »
This is the real deal, people. The real motherflippin' deal.
... as long as you order off of the authentic menu (which is the same as the pink paper menu) and NOT the white paper menu which will likely be given to you if they think you can't handle the heat or unique ingredients of their authentic szechuan-style Chinese cuisine.
Don't be afraid of the unusual things you might see on this menu because they really are some great treasures that everyone should keep an open-mind about trying at least once. If you have any questions, feel free to ask the staff... they are more than happy to help you out to ensure that you have a truly memorable dining experience.
Just in case, here's a little cheat sheet (from what I've tried so far, at least) to help you with your order...
STARTERS...
-- Cheng Zhong's Dumplings: The spicy ones are the best... not the steam or pan-fried ones... remember, SPICY!
-- Tangy Spicy Wontons: So delicious, so spicy... so perfect for clearing up your sinuses, I must say.
-- Cold Wooden Ear Mushroom Salad: Looks funky but it's yummy and good for you... your momma would be proud.
-- Dan Dan Noodles: Lots of garlic and peanuts... don't eat this if you plan on kissing anyone within 24 hours.
-- Spicy Szechuan Beef Tendon: It's like Asian-style beef jerky, except a million times better, oh man.
ENTREES...
-- Ma Po Tofu: This is powerfully spicy, omgomgomg... get this.
-- Chicken w/ Hot Garlic Sauce: The kissing rule from above also applies here.
-- Eggplant w/ Hot Garlic Sauce: Can you tell that I love garlic yet?
-- Tofu & Vegetables in Peppery Broth: This is a serious booster to anyone's immune system and will also cure any nasal congestion.
-- Stir Fried Potato & Green Pepper: Super light and cooling to the palate... it really is the perfect dish to end one's meal with.
Now that I've laid down some basic rules and starters... please go here and be enlightened as to what real Chinese food is. The prices are very reasonable and the portions are large, so you will have leftovers... and you know what? They taste just as good when microwaved the next day... that's when you know something is right.
I must warn you, however, that your local Chinese delivery spot will never taste the same after a meal at Hong Kong Palace... until you've got the drunkie munchies, of course... then anything goes.
People thought this was:
I agree - this is the real deal. It's a bit of a misnomer though. It's called Hong Kong Palace, but it's actually really great Szechuan cuisine.
I worked in the DC area for three years, and everytime I return I come back to this restaurant. It gets more and more crowded everytime, and you have to wait to get a seat. Trust me, the wait is worth it.
What to get:
1. Tea smoked duck - best I've ever had. This is not spicy.
2. Shuizhu "water cooked" (either fish or beef). This is spicy.
3. Mapo tofu. This is spicy.
People thought this was:
This place is soooo good. Although, people who can't handle spicy food be wary because I think almost everything have a little kick to them. Had the cumen fish, the crispy chicken and dan-dan noodles. Practically came from sichuan (taste-wise). Although the furniture and decoration could need a little updating, but who's really noticing when there's steamy goodness in front of you. Yummy~
People thought this was:
I love this place. The place was packed, dB levels jabbing you in the ear. Who cares? This is the kind of place you go to eat, and eat with a group; Don't mind the others. Excellent service. Our waiter was courteous enough to go through the menu with us, recommend his favorites, and even criticize the ones he didn't favor. You'll find a tank behind the counter with a slew of live tilapia, and every so often the chef will come and take a few with him to the kitchen. Nice touch.
Prices are very fair considering the area. We started out with the mouth-watering chicken appetizer (excellent balance of spice+flavor for a cold dish), the beef stew in peppercorn broth (watch out as it can numb your taste buds for awhile, and the tiger skin peppers (delicious as well, but best enjoyed with 4+ people. Unfortunately there were only two of us to savor the meal.
Will definitely be hitting this place up when I'm in the area. I actually thought about going back for lunch the next day. One of those places where you pro-actively want to try everything on the menu!
People thought this was:
i initially went to hong kong palace after reading a review by tyler cowen. i now consider this one of my favorite chinese restaurants in the DC area even though it is not metro accessible.
i love the cumin lamb, the spicy fish/bean curd, potato/green pepper... and i usually order these three same dishes every single time.
People thought this was:
As an ABC, this Plebian Elitist has a decent grasp of spoken Cantonese but has practically no reading skills whatsoever. Usually this isn't a huge disadvantage when I'm eating at Chinese restaurants, but at Hong Kong Palace, this shortcoming becomes painfully obvious and I rue the time i did not devote to mastering the written language.
Why is that? Because HKP's real charm lies in the daily specials and Szechuan dishes written in brightly-colored strips of paper displayed on the wall. In Chinese. But fear not, if you don't read Chinese, you aren't doomed to the ordinary dishes on the menu. Just gravitate towards the dishes that say "Hong Kong style" and those with the peppercorn next to it. Bother the waitress for a translation and stare at the dishes on other patrons' tables (particularly if the table is made up of older Chinese folks, who will undoubtedly be able to read the specials and are thus reaping the benefits).
One night's appetizers (from the wall) included braised rabbit in XO sauce and cold chicken in five-spice sauce. Both were spicy but in different ways (if that makes sense). I would happily consume either again.
One special that appears more often than naught is the fish casserole. Chunks of fish and pickled vegetables come bathed in a bright red Szechuan broth. Don't let the red broth scare you - the beauty of Szechuan cooking is that while the dish is spicy, it has different layers of spicyness and is the sort that is a pleasant tingling rather than a reach-for-your-water-glass spicy. Don't ask me what this dish is in English, I don't know. We ordered it after seeing it brought to another table and watching the patrons happily digging in. Other memorable specials include braised beef in beer with root vegetables and tofu and bean sprout casserole in the same Szechuan broth. All three are excellent but the fish casserole is my favorite. The firmness of the fish absorbs the flavors well while the pickled vegetables add texture and a bit of sourness. Yummy =)
By now, you're either grossed out or intrigued. If it's the latter, head on over to HKP and upon your return, please do fill me in on what other specials are on the wall ;)
Side note - the restaurant is in the same plaza as Shoppers Food Warehouse on Leesburg Pike. If you are facing Shoppers, it is to the right, wedged between a bakery and a mattress shop.
People thought this was:
Falls Church, VA
Category: Chinese
Falls Church, VA
Category: Dim Sum
Falls Church, VA
Category: Chinese
Fairfax, VA
Category: Chinese
Annandale, VA
Category: Taiwanese
Places that have slipped from Neal's…
want some yummy Chinese food but can't deal with…
Favorite places to practice my Mandarin...er, I…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
The places to go to have this little tip of…
