Awesome first visit, even with a kid who is a picky eater. The place is not fancy, but is authentic. Steamed pork dumplings were a family favorite. They were not too doughy, and the filling was tasty. The bok choi was fresh and delicious, with the right amount of garlic, and easy to eat. Our entree was called Two Meats with Vegetables (?) - or something similar - and, unlike entrees in most Chinese restaurants, the sauce was not at all goopy. My favorite thing was the appetizer - shredded chicken with hot chili. Amazing! I felt like I was in NY's Chinatown. It was smoking hot but had real flavor, partly because the dish includes shredded, sauteed leeks. The only reason we did not give it five stars is they don't serve tea. Can't have everything!
(4)
Kiaira B.
So this Chinese food is REALLY GREAT. I ordered a few lunch specials and it feel like this is cooked with love. The establishment is a little better that a carry out seeing as the will serve you and the space is slightly bigger. I can't wait to come back and try some of their authentic dishes.
(3)
A W.
This place claims several types of cuisine: Northern Chinese, Taiwanese, and dim sum. It serves none of them. I'm disgusted that this shit can be passed off as Chinese food. Nearly everything on the dim sum menu was store-bought, overpriced garbage, and the oysters we were served were going bad (which, quite frankly, is also a health violation). The youtiao (Chinese crullers), like many other things on the dim sum menu, are obviously store-bought and reheated. (They should be big, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. The ones here are small, chewy, and do not deserve to be considered youtiao.) Taro balls (pictured along with part of a scallion pancake) were $2.95. There should be 3 crispy balls filled with taro, like this: upload.wikimedia.org/wik… Instead, we were served 2 small, confusing balls that were filled with some ungodly paste of slimy taro and red bean. Another item that was very obviously a low-quality, store-bought product. In addition to being crap, much of the menu items are grossly overpriced. Turnip cakes (the ones we were served were incredibly low quality) are normally $2-3 for several pieces. Here, they were $4, no actual shredded turnip or other added ingredients (typically, they are made with real turnips and contain chopped shiitake and sausage), and were inexplicably served in the ubiquitous red sauce that you find at cheap Chinese restaurants. Like I said above, the oyster dish we got was full of rotting oysters. Utterly foul to bite into. My friend and I both felt nauseous after eating here and felt upset that they would serve this kind of food to other people. If I could ever give a restaurant 0 stars, it would be this one. (I'm also really depressed that people consider this Chinese food!)
(1)
Mike B.
Tried the Dan Dan Noodles tonight... I was pretty dissapointed. They lacked alot. My eggplant and hot garlic sauce seems to have lost some of it's pizzaz. The scallion pancake was decent but the eggrolls were lackluster ( and not what I remember them to be.) Maybe I'm just becoming more educated with Authentic Chinese food through my Asian Supper Club I attend, or maybe North China has always been a little medicore and I never realized it. In any event... it's not Sichuan Jin River in Rockville. I'll tell you that. Good for a really lazy night.. but just good- nothing special.
(3)
B N' B 1.
"Please Hold" Tried the: Egg Rolls General Tso's Shrimp Lo Mein White Rice Pork Fried Rice 3/5, all three points go to the egg rolls
(1)
Priyanka K.
I had ordered takeout and got a little late going to pick it up. I not only got a phone call from the rude owner asking me where I was but when I reached the place and apologized for being late she was even more rude. If the food wasn't decent I would never come to this place again. I highly recommend sticking to getting your food delivered!
(1)
John B.
Caveat: tiny little place, not much in the way of ambiance, and not the cleanest place. Food is delicious though, and very Chinese. Enormous menu including lots of the sorts of things that only Chinese people eat. Plenty of vegetarian options (watch out for the soups though; chicken broth). Owner is usually out front, and she'll chat it up with you while you're waiting, which usually isn't long. They've got some legit spicy dishes, and huge portions; best home style tofu in the area. Definitely a good way to take care of that Chinese food craving we all get now and then.
(4)
Dave F.
North China Restaurant served good, straight-down-the-middle Chinese food. We had Won Ton Soup, Steamed Dumplings, See-U Noodles with Veges, Cashew Chicken and Broccoli Beef. All were good and we could all still take our rings off the next day after eating there - suggesting the salt and/or MSG were balanced (this is not my experience with many Chinese joints). The food was good, service was attentive but not noteworthy, there really was little to no ambiance, parking difficult, neighborhood unremarkable. Id go back for takeout, but probably won't be dining in there again.
(3)
Johnnie S.
Finally! I finally found a Chinese restaurant I can rave about. I used to have a hard time with Chinese restaurants because the menus were too long, I never knew what to get, and what I did get ended up being just okay. But everything I just got at North China Restaurant was fantastic! My main dish was the mapo tofu. I'm a big tofu fan, and their mapo tofu is wonderfully spicy, delightfully soft but not mushy, and just all around GREAT. At first bite it's shockingly spicy, and you think maybe it might be too spicy. But a few more bites will show that it is actually quite pleasant and enjoyable. I normally like firmer tofu, but their soft tofu was delicious and I have no complaints. What a pleasant surprise! I also ordered the vegetable dumplings. North China steams their dumplings, and I prefer fried. I've had better, but I've also had much worse. Good dumplings, but it's the sauce they give you with them that really brings it all together and makes theirs rise above the rest. They also throw some white rice at you, as all Chinese restaurants do, and they cooked it perfectly. It was soft, warm, fluffy. Just what you expect. I didn't stay in the restaurant too long, as I was ordering takeout. Clearly that's what they're designed for, because the dining room is tiny to the point of being there by obligation not utility. But it was charming and cute, and everything was clean and well-organized. The woman who took my order is co-owner of the restaurant, and she was extremely friendly and polite. Very pleasant person. Overall, I'm thrilled to have found a great Chinese restaurant so close to where I work. My only regret is that they're not close to where I live, otherwise I'd be getting takeout from these guys consistently.
(5)
Heather J.
People have raved about this place, so I wonder if my being underwhelmed by the food was a result of expecting too much going in. In any case, the food was ok. The egg drop soup was quite good, as was the moo shu pork. I always get confused between hunan and szechuan preparations, but we ended up with szechuan tofu, which was fried tofu with thinly sliced carrots and celery in a sweet-spicy sauce. It was pretty good! I think hunan style has a bigger variety of vegetables, maybe? I would have preferred that, but it's my own fault for not asking. The chicken fried rice was your standard fried rice. The biggest disappointment was the sha cha chicken - so many reviews mentioned it, so we ordered it to try it out. I had to wonder if we received the right order because it was just boring. I don't get all the hype about it. I think overall the restaurant is good, but I'd order differently next time.
(3)
Alicia G.
I believe a "meh" is the best way to describe how I feel about this place. The woman on the phone was very friendly and delivery was fast. If it was based on food alone, however, I'd have only given 2 stars. Sad, sad crispy scallion pancake. Sure it was crispy...but also flavorless. The dumplings were okay. The chicken was blahhhhhhhh and their white rice was not good. Believe it or not, there ARE some Asians out there who don't like white rice, but I happen to love it. I usually have a sticky white rice test I institute with all Asian eateries and sadly, North China Restaurant fails this test. Perhaps it was a function of me ordering tasteless items as their menu is quite extensive and there are plenty of things to choose from. But being that it was a $15 minimum for delivery and I spent about $19+tip for boring food, I'm not sure I'll even try ordering from here again.
(3)
Clarissa C.
Ordered out Peking Duck, homestyle tofu and some kind of dumplings. I loved everything. Husband's only comment was "needs more vegetables."
(3)
DocP F.
I order delivery from them, so no idea what the in-restaurant experience it. Really doesn't matter, because their food is the only stuff in the area that tastes like Chinese food, and not like American Chinese food. Hot and Sour soup is great, and at $1.50, a total steal. The 1/4 roast duck is amazing and a great deal at $6.99. Their Sha Cha Chicken is so good, I don't know what to do with myself - salty and delicious. Nothing like the ubiquitous "brown sauce" that comes on so much Chinese food. As with every every restaurant, I'm sure there are highs and lows on the menu. But the highs here? Very high. I find it odd that great food gets dinged for poor service, but whatever, the woman who answers the phone in the evening has been very polite and I've never had an issue.
(4)
Charles D.
This restaurant was featured in the cover story of the July 2012 issue of Asian Restaurant News. I have been going to this restaurant for years. It has the best Chinese food that I've ever had. It is small, inexpensive and family run, and a welcome change from the sameness of chains. I particularly enjoy their flounder and their Peking duck.
(5)
Xida Z.
Braised Pork Intestines My friend and I walk into the restaurant 15 minutes late and find our friend sitting alone. The hostess chides us for being late and we sit down. Apparently, she'd been taking care of our friend. The space is unassuming and homely. As I'm looking at the menu, I heard my friends were having kung-pow chicken and vegetable fried rice. At that moment, I felt an urgent need to widen their perspective. Naturally, I went for the weirdest thing I could find: the braised pork intestines and tofu in scallion sauce. This was not at all weird to me since my mom had made it many times before and I thoroughly enjoyed the thought of my friends reacting with disgust at the thought of eating some other animals bowels. Being the New Yorker reading bunch that they are, one commented that haggis is wrapped in sheep's intestines. I was disappointed that it wasn't going to be as much fun as I had imagined. My pig guts came in a bubbling cauldron. As expected, they had been julienned into two inch cross sections. It was delicious: tender enough to disintegrate after two chews and lined with a fatty film on the inside layer. Despite my insistence, only one of them tried it and he liked it too. Now, it's your turn. $12, enough for two meals, served with white rice. Ambiance and Service 4 Food 5 Value 5
(5)
Ruth C.
The hamburger Taiwan style was okay, not as good as it is at Bob's Noodle. I love cilantro but I wish they'd broken down the sprigs more. I ended up pouring off a quarter-inch of oil off the top of my NRM broth, which was otherwise on the light, tangy side. Not a fan of the noodles with its buckwheat texture, so while overall the beef noodle soup was "just okay" I probably wouldn't order it from here again. White rice is fine. My brain was picturing something more offal-y when I ordered the braised fish stomach, but it was just referring to the section of the fish. Sauce was very salty, so I found the dish quite filling. Also meh about this one. More or less street parking for this strip, I think... though there's a garage nearby across the street as I recall. The lady at the counter was super nice, we chatted a bit in Mandarin when I came in to pick up my order. I'll probably be back to try more of the traditional menu items-- crispy intestine, stinky tofu, duck. Apparently the chef here trained under the original BN66 chef, but despite the menu similarities the student did not surpass the master. Still one of the more legit Bethesda C-food options.
(3)
alan P.
Although the service left something to be desired, the food was good. I enjoyed the drunken noodles. Not to spicy just like I asked.
(3)
Bill T.
I've tried North China two times recently for lunch, having been there once many years ago. Food is mediocre at best. The ambiance is lacking as the small dining room needs to be spruced up and a good cleaning wouldn't hurt. Service was ok, but on one of the visits the waitress was obviously sick (repeatedly coughing). Employees should stay home when ill, especially in the food service industry. There aren't many sit-down Chinese restaurants in the immediate vicinity, but there are a few and they are worth the walk.
(2)
Irene F.
I went here for the very first time on Christmas with my extended family of 18 ppl and then a week later on New Years with my immediate family! I guess it's safe to say I like the joint.... I think the best way to describe my thoughts about North China is to compare it to my dinner at The Source the day after Christmas. For my 9 year anniversary dinner at The Source- my husband and I spent $250 for 2 beers, 2 cocktails, 5 appetizers, 1 entree, and 1 dessert. (excluding tip and tax) For $250 at North China we fed 18 adults with 2 Peking Ducks, and double entree sized portions of 10 other delicious dishes. Killing me. Asian people should not attempt to have Asian Fusion food- we can never be satisfied. Unfortunately, my parents did all the ordering so I don't know what anything was called except the Peking Duck, the Chicken Roll, Shao Long Bao, and the Taiwanese Hamburger--- BUT I did take pictures of everything- so you can show them the picture I guess to order LOL (That is how I plan to do it next time I go sans fam) Only 2 dishes I would never order again- the Oyster Pancake (Bleh mushy- my relatives liked it- so it might be a generational thing). And the Fried Shrimp (very average). Everything else was amazing. Yes, there was a 12 yr old boy serving food- but that is pretty typical for family owned chinese restaurants! BTW- fun fact- the owner of North China was the former owner of Joe's Noodle in Rockville Pike.
(4)
Mike C.
It's about a ten minute walk from the metro. The restaurant was empty when I visited for dinner around 6pm but there was a lot of take-outs. There is a dining room area in the restaurant. The food was ok not great. Some items tasted frozen.
(3)
Ben G.
I've been getting food from here for years. Good food and good service. I've tried many different items, a few favorites include orange beef and fried rice. Family-run joint that is great all around and isn't as expensive as many other Bethesda restaurants. Go, and you'll be satisfied, I promise.
(5)
Brian A.
This place has the best carryout! Very fast and efficient. I am not a fan of spicy food, so I ordered their crispy shredded beef non-spicy. Not only was it not spicy, it was full of flavor and kept its crunch even though I had carryout and both the container and bag were sealed and closed. I also ordered fried wontons as a visit down memory lane as this was a popular appetizer growing up in the 80's but not many places make this anymore. They were crispy and still had a little grease to keep from drying out, which kept them a little moist. Definitely recommend this place for good food at a fair price.
(5)
Ben T.
We always order from here. More authentic than others in the area, but still makes the good old American-Chinese classics well. We especially like the noodle soups and braised tofu dishes as well as chow fun. The quality is better when you eat in the restaurant but is still really good delivery.
(4)
Hua X.
This A W.'s review touches upon many points that I agree with. Frozen you tiao. They call themselves North China, and yet they serve frozen you tiao? This is unforgivable. Unfresh ingredients, slow service (I watched a dude wait for 45 minutes before getting his takeout order while I was eating), all at a premium. What's not to love?
(1)
B R.
Ordered delivery. Tried the fried chicken wings, vegetable dumplings, and tofu with vegetables. The food arrived hot. The chicken wings are bland and a little soggy (steamed from bag it was in). I really liked the tofu dish. Please note that if you order delivery, you need to order at least $25 worth of food.
(4)
Nelson J.
I grew up eating the best Chinese food in the DC area, including the Chinese embassy so I am somewhat knowledgeable about what is good food. I had not been to the North China in years since the ownership changed hands, but I met a friend there for lunch on a Friday afternoon and it was easy to get a seat. The service was good and friendly. I ordered the curry chicken lunch special and it was delicious. The vegetables where fresh and not over cooked. The chicken was prepared exactly the way it should be - thin and tender. The sauce and rice were pretty good also, although the presentation was nothing special, my taste buds were delighted. The best part was the price - under $7. The only thing that I didn't like was that the hot tea was a single bag of Lipton. The spring roll that came with the lunch was satisfactory at best - but that is not really what I am buying. This restaurant has a very good food value, and I would recommend it for an easy lunch.
(3)
Margaret C.
Since Foong Lin closed, we're shopping for a new Bethesa Chinese food standby. We'll have to keep looking. We had delivery, and both the pork fried rice and lo mein were just too greasy. Plus, the dishes that were supposed to be crunchy (pan fried dumplings and fried tofu with vegetables) were soggy and rubbery. We will not order from here again. This ain't no Foong Lin. We'll keep on our quest to find a suitable replacement.
(1)
Deborah P.
Had the Hunan shrimp, Szechuan chicken, crispy beef and Szechuan won ton soup. With the exception of the soup which was okay .... all were very good.
(3)
Evan H.
I can attribute most of my order to Paul M. I was in Bethesda running a few errands and decided that this would be the day I would try NC Restaurant. Sadly it was nearly impossible to park near by due to the snow, but I made due and found a way. The woman who took my order, who also appeared to be the owner was very friendly and when I gave her my order of Sha Cha Chicken and Hong Zao Pork appetizer, she told me someone orders the exact meal everytime. Too bad im out of the delivery range!! Anyway, on to the food. The Sha Cha Chicken was excellent and filled with a nice salty and spicy sauce. The vegetable was a chinese spinach, which name escapes me. The Pork was also fantastic and had a great crispy outside but was still tender on the inside. Its a shame that more places don't offer the "Chinese" menu to people like me who are tired of the same Chicken with Vegetables that every Americanized Chinese restaurant sells. I want the more interesting dishes, and I'm glad that North China does offer them on the main menu (maybe there is more and i dont know it). Anyway, this place is definitely more authentic than your average Chinese restaurant and the price and food is right.
(5)
William H.
People raved about Foong Lin right up until it closed, but I never understood why, my experiences there ranged from average to mediocre. A friend recommended that I give North China a try, and I'm glad I did - it's easy to let the admittedly very sketchy storefront allow you to write this place off. The menu is pretty huge, and I haven't by any means done a full survey, but the food here is fantastic. While I have ordered delivery a few times, I mostly eat lunch here during the work week - the combo platters are an absolutely insanely good deal! Everything I have tried here has been exceptionally good, right now I am a big fan of their standard-issue Hunan chicken. All of their Americanized dishes seem to have a little something extra. The sha-cha dishes are delicious too, and I look forward to trying their more exotic items in future delivery orders. My only complaint is that they are not open later. Their menu states that they are open until 9:30PM 7 days a week, however I have called several times before 9 (the last time was on a Saturday night, too) and have been told that they are closed. I don't know if this is discretionary or if they simply have the wrong hours on their menu. I feel like most of North China's business is delivery, so closing at the exact same time as the other "good" Chinese restaurants (non-starchy, non-greasy, non-questionable-meaty) in the area really seems unfortunate for everyone.
(4)
Tracy B.
Yelpers, y'all came through - my first time trying this place- and this place is awesome! Sha cha chicken- very good! Prices are great. I will definitely order from here now on for great Chinese food in Bethesda!
(5)
Bryan L.
The food is excellent. I have been dining at North China for over 6 years and never had a bad experience. The Chef and owner (Joe) picks up fresh ingredients each morning. His wife, Jenny treats everyone like family. Their homemade chili sauce is great. I have eaten Chinese and Taiwanese style food at many locations in the DC metro area. North China is by far the best - a hidden gem.
(5)
Bryan J.
The Peking duck is ridiculous. Perfectly done and authentic. Also the sha sha chicken is well prepared. I'm fond of the szechuan beef noodle soup as well. Tastes just like how they prepare it in Hong Kong!!
(5)
KuangYou C.
I went there because I heard they have some Taiwanese food. They do have on the menu but I didn't order any Taiwanese food because I think they are not authentic. I had a stirred green pepper beef. It tasted normal and a little bit salty. I also had a green onion pancake. It tasted good but I felt missing something. It didn't taste like the one in Asia. Maybe I should have some noodles since noodles are famous in north part of China. One thing...the customer service there was not good. My friend and I had waited and kept waiving our hands and still could not get their attention. And it seems they were all wearing headphones and listening to mp3 or something...
(2)
Paul M.
Fantastic. Magnificent, Brilliant. Redemption is here for Chinese food in Bethesda. This was recommended to us by friends who go there all the time, so we went for a family meal. Unassuming storefront in what probably must the the last forlorn and lonely block in all of Bethesda. Only about six tables inside, family owned, looks like all the front-of-house staff are sisters. Mom and Dad in the back cooking up a storm. Massive menu. Two pages of Chef and Shanghai / Taiwan Specials. No beer. $4.95 and $5.50 lunch specials. I started with a bowl of hot and sour soup for $1.50 - awesome. Then I hought I would try the spicy conch. I was expecting some conch fritter type thing. Instead I got a magnificent salad, which vaulted into the top 10 of Chinese dishes I have ever had in my life. Then I had Sha Ja chicken - I had never heard of that dish before - they also do it with lamb and beef. It was fantastic. Kids loved their lo meins and even The Honey was happy, she is not normally fan of Chinese food. I think for the five of us our bill was way less than $50 - and this food was spectacular. I may never eat Chinese food anywhere else again.
(5)
Steph L.
3.5 stars. It's always a little daunting when you walk into a restaurant and it's dead. I was a little thrown off by the empty dining room when I walked into North China on Sunday around 1pm given that all other area restaurants that serve dim sum are packed around that time. I was determined to eat here since my other go-to restaurant that serves northern Chinese style breakfast closed down and I needed my fix. The boyfriend and I had a good meal here, stuffed ourselves silly for not much dough, so I can only attribute their slow business to the fact that not many people know about their northern Chinese and Taiwanese style dim sum. We had fried dough sticks (you tiao), sweet soymilk, steamed pork buns, Taiwanese style meat pie, chicken roll, oyster pancake, crispy intestines, squid in five flavor sauce, and cold seaweed. Pretty much everything was good: - The dough sticks had the right crispiness and chew - The soymilk was just sweet enough - The pork buns hot and you get 8 for $5, although I suspect they weren't home made - The chicken rolls came in a hot and crispy tofu skin wrapper, which was different and delicious dipped in some chili oil - The oyster pancakes had quite a few plump oysters in it and had a nice crispy edge. Next time I would ask them not to put the sweet and sour sauce all over it. It's much better dipped in some chili - The crispy intestines were superb. They were perfectly cooked - crispy on the outside, the intestines melted in your mouth and were stuffed with scallion. The dish came with salt and pepper for dipping. - I wasn't big on the five flavor sauce that was poured over the squid, it resembled too much of a sweet and sour sauce. The squid itself was well cooked, soft yet had a nice chew at the same time. - The seaweed salad was your standard Chinese style seaweed mixed with carrots and garlic. Could've just a bit more black vinegar. - The only dish that I didn't care much for was the Taiwanese style meat pie. I was expecting more of a sesame bun instead of the tapioca casing it came in. The pie was a good size, about the size of my palm, but there wasn't a lot of filling inside and the filling had more Chinese pickled veggies than beef. The tapioca casing was covered with the same sweet and sour sauce that was over the oyster pancake and squid. At $3, I wasn't too heart broken. Service was prompt but a little more curt than I am used to at Chinese restaurants, but 9 very generous dishes for $40 including tax, I am willing to put up with mediocre service.
(3)
Fernando F.
Review is for delivery only... I've been getting delivery from North China for about 6 years and always have had good experiences, great actually. The food is some of the best Chinese in Bethesda. I definitely recommend getting delivery from North China. Seems to be family run and everyone else is super friendly, especially the gentleman who delivers.
(4)
E D.
My dad and I have been coming here for 4 years or so ... there must be something good about it ! I do believe that some of the points given about this place are right about not being very busy ... Because the place is literally on a block (island) by itself ... the other places have shut down businesses over the years. The parking is around the corner on the street or across busy Old Georgetown Road down Cordell. The owner is a little curt but she has warmed up to us over the years. It is a Chinese thing. My favorite dishes here is mushu pork with tortillas (pancakes), shrimp szechuan, the house lo mein and curry chicken. The lunch portions are good as well. It seems like they get a lot of carry out probably since the ambiance is not that great ... We live nearby and order out at least 2 x a month. Cheap eats ... good food
(4)
Christian L.
Four of us were up for Chinese for lunch one day, so we decided to try North China. We walked in, and were sat down in the empty dining room (which filled up pretty well by 1pm), and ordered. The woman who took our order seemed pleasant enough, and the menu's selection and pricing was pretty good, especially for Bethesda. We ordered with no problems, and friend #1 asked for tea. Friend #2 asked for his dish to be mild. After asking the woman FOUR times for tea, it still never materialized on our table much to the chagrin of friend #1. The dish for friend #2 came out spicy, and he was instructed by the woman to simply, "put the peppers off to the side". But the damage was done - the sauce was spicy, and the poor bastard had to suffer through the rest of his meal (he only made it through about half the dish) with his mouth on fire. There was never an offer to re-make his dish as mild, and not even an apology was offered. To be fair, my dish (chicken chow fun), as well as that of friend #3 (sesame chicken), were quite delicious. So don't think that I'm just hating on the place for petty reasons. But wait. Anyway, we finally get through everything, and the bill is left on the table. Two of us have cash, the other two don't. Now, I'm sympathetic to waiters who have to split bills among cards, but we were strictly told we could only pay with one card - no exceptions. We politely explained our dilemma, and the woman who started out pretty nice to us was now arguing loudly and berating us in the middle of the restaurant. We'd had enough. We charged it on one card just so we could get the hell out of there. Once outside, we all agreed that while the food was actually really good, it wasn't worth the aggrivation and attitude from the wait staff. Sadly, we won't be returning.
(2)
Ryan L.
the restaurant is is pretty small but doesn't get crowded. customers usually call and pick up, but aside that, the food was pretty good. i ordered a fried rice and it came in a decent amount of time. i also ordered a spring roll which was alright. i'd recommend eating or ordering here if youre looking for a chinese restaurant. not too expensive
(3)
L L.
Excellent duck and scallion pancakes.
(4)
Mim B.
I really, really love this place. After reading the reviews, I am going to make dim sum a priority. Oh, and I want to try their duck. It is definitely the best of the Bethesda Chinese joints. My go-to dish is the ma po tofu. If anyone out there is laboring under the delusion that tofu is flavorless bean mush, they ought to consider tasting this. And when you ask for it hot, they deliver on spice. Rock. Their steamed vegetable dumplings are very good, too; a million times better than City Lights' which were doughy and dry the two times I tried them. My bf always orders beef chow fun (sp?) and it's tasty; beefy, smoky, oniony. We also got a ... dang I forgot... I think it was a beef noodle soup which came in a sink-sized bowl with many fat chewy noodles and extraordinarily tender beef (it fell apart in our mouths). The broth was flavorful (not just salty), the noodles were perfect (not flabby, not undercooked), and the greens that were floating around were also perfect, bright vibrant green and completely tender. From what I've tasted and compared to cooking from my Chinese and Taiwanese friends, North China is indeed Americanized but not to the extent of most other restaurants in the area. You just have to pick wisely. Avoid the drunken noodles. I gambled on those and lost. Granted, they're not spectacularly worse than many other drunken noodles I've had in the DC area (my metric is the drunken noodles served at Galanga in NYC; Galanga is on west 4th st between 6th ave and MacDougal street if anyone's curious), but don't waste your money and taste buds on the non-Chinese offerings.
(4)
andrew s.
Downgraded a star simply because if you stay from a few good choices, you'll be sorry. Order Ma Po tofu, or Homestyle, and it'll be good, but for a lot of their stuff, salt seems to be the main flavoring,
(3)
maria w.
My husband has been on a Chinese food kick for months. We have been to every Chinese restaurant in Bethesda and have settled on this one being the best. The prices are also reasonable compared to other Bethesda restaurants. M-F you can get three lunch portion dishes for two diners for $20 off of the lunch menu, and these are GOOD authentic Chinese dishes. The owner/waitress is really helpful about suggesting new dishes. We also love the pork with yellow chives and dried tofu, kung pao dishes, crispy shredded beef, dumplings, schezwhan string beans, veggie dishes, noodle dishes. The first time we went there it was just okay, I think I had the singapore noodles, but worth trying again. We have been back many times. I think you have to go and find your favorites. I read some of the other reviews, seems like some people are rating delivery the same way they would food in restaurant. We've ordered delivery from there and like ALL food that is placed in a car and travels to you, it does taste much better in a restaurant.
(5)
Chris G.
I must admit that I'm a bit on the fence between three and four stars, but because it was my Chinese teachers who recommended it as very authentic, I'm rounding high. I tried my first Stinky Tofu (though it appears on the menu as Fried Preserved Tofu, Taiwan Style). It wasn't that stinky, but I still wasn't a huge fan. My Taiwanese friends really liked it though, so I may just not be a Stinky Tofu kind of guy. The Oyster Pancake, Taiwan Style was more to my liking, though in small doses as it has a strong oyster flavor. We also had another pancake dish, a niu rou dish (beef, though not sure which one), some veggies and Peking Duck, all of which were good, but the duck was especially tasty. It didn't have the presentation that comes with duck in Beijing, but it was good nonetheless. I did find the name of the place a little odd. The Peking Duck and some of their "Chinese food in America" standard dishes may be northern, but their specialty food is mostly from Taiwan and the Chinese provinces directly across the straits (ie. Shanghai style). Not very "North" in China. I think the owners are Taiwanese. Oh well. The food was still good and the owners wife, who was our waitress, was very friendly and chatty.
(4)
Frank F.
It's the only authentic Chinese restaurant in Bethesda. The food (mostly Taiwanese) is excellent but be sure to order from the 'right' bits of the menu. (They also have the usual Americanized stuff.) The atmosphere and decor are nothing to look at. In fact, the place is pretty down at the heels. But if you go for the food and know what to order, this place will not disappoint.
(4)
Tiya A.
Our office has ordered from this place for delivery several times. OK food but the woman who takes the phone order is rude ass as HELL every time! Get some customer service skills! Won't be back!!!
(2)
Lindsey T.
So we just ate delivery from here and meh. The vegetables are way overcooked in both dishes, and my veggie delight was so terrible I ate a few bites and threw the rest out. The homestyle tofu my boyfriend ordered was ok, but not worth ordering again. The crab rangoon were cruddy and overpriced. Plus, the delivery took 45 minutes and we live a half a mile away. Boo. We probably just ordered the wrong stuff, but there really isn't an excuse for putting out overcooked and flavorless food.
(2)
Sean O.
5 Stars? Really? I appreciate that this place seems to be as family owned and independent as possible, but I just didn't think it was that good. If you really want to try it, ORDER OUT!!! The dining room is pretty gross. From the nasty, stained drop-ceiling (god I hate those things!!) to the dirty carpets it was not too appetizing. Me and my boyfriend also felt weird being the only ones in there with a table full of Asian businessmen. (I felt so confident it would be good seeing them eat there!) I also noticed tons of people calling in orders while we waited for our food, they had the right idea. The phone was really loud and annoying too, and the lack of music didn't help. I ordered the egg drop soup and crab rangoon. The soup was thin, but OK and man east coasters don't know how to make crab rangoon!! (It's a Midwest invention, actually. STL World's Fair. We make it so much better and shaped like origami, not a taco.) To make matters worse, when I bit into my third rangoon, it squirted steaming hot crab/cream cheese all over my face, hand, and shirt. It was funny later, but it actually really scalded me and hurt really bad. It was weird because the first two I ate were not as hot. BEWARE!!! For dinner I got the chicken with vegetables. Again, just mediocre. I see no reason to go back. Sorry, I hate negative reviews, but this place is nothing special and I don't see where all the 5 star reviews come from. Rangoon should look like this:http://cafeopera.net/DishPics/CrabRangoon.jpg not this!!:http://www.cheonghingkitchen.com/cybee.Âcrab.rangoon.jpg
(2)
Michael C.
If anybody remembers Joes Noodle House (yeah that same one on the pike) in the 90s, it was a much diff. place. That's because the cook and management was different. Apparently they're now at North China in Bethesda. Finally i can get my beloved house special noodle soup. This place has good food at really cheap prices (especially for bethesda... at least for lunch anyway). So, the food. The noodle soups are great, and the roast duck is very good too. Great chinese broccoli as well. That's about the limit of what i've tried in the 2 times i've been here. I'm sure their standard food is pretty good... u know the kung pao chickens, and beef and broccoli's that most people get at chinese restaurants. Why bother with that when you can get food that you can't get at a standard chinese place? If you want that sort of stuff in bethesda just go to foong lin or something.
(5)
David A.
Very good taiwanese food. Having spent four years eating my way through Taiwan, I think I know my stuff. Quintessential orders: xiao long bao (like a soup filled steamed dumpling); kong xin cai (hollow heart vegetable); niu rou mien (beef noodle soup) are all recommended. Otherwise just ask for what's good that day. And please do not be afraid to try something new. If people eat it, it just might be good.
(4)
Thugnificent M.
Small little restaurant hidden away in the back of Bethesda. Nothing spectacular looking. Just your normal looking dingy Chinese takeout place. But don't let that fool you. North China Restaurant has an amazing menu highlighted by their Peking duck. I don't remember the last time I had Peking duck, so coming here was like having it for the first time. I was hesitant at first, but now I think I have a new favorite dish. I started out having the calamari which didn't come with your standard calamari sauces, so I automatically assumed I wouldn't like it. Just the opposite. The calamari was delicious without the help of marinara sauce. Just eat it with some fried basil and a little salt and you'll experience calamari like never before. The only other thing I ordered from this place was the Hunan beef with broccoli which is sitting in my fridge, so it's been yet to be tested. If you want really good Chinese food come here. You'll actually see Chinese people eating at this place, so you know it's gotta be good. Don't be surprised if you see me there. I'll be the Chinese guy eating with a fork.
(5)
Tatenay M.
Despite the daunting number of restaurants in Bethesda, there's never been a really good Chinese option - at least not until we found North China. The menu is incredibly diverse, with lots of vegetarian options. We've ordered from there several times, getting something new every time (as well as several appetizers, like the Dan Dan noodles and scallion pancakes, which are fantastic), and we've always been incredibly happy with everything. Great prices, great food, quick delivery - can't say enough good things about this place!
(5)
Miss T.
We went there Sunday night and we were really disappointed. Anyone who thinks this is good Chinese food is clearly not Asian, or has never experienced good food. The service was terrible and rude. There were kids of the workers in the restaurant and they were noisy, screaming when we were trying to relax. The service was so slow. They didn't even offer us drinks--tea or water, after we ordered. The peking duck was nothing special, and it was served barely room temperature. The steamer basket that held the pancakes for the duck had black mold on the lid. We could hear the cook yelling in the kitchen. The dumplings were good, but I doubt they were home made. The chicken dish with spring pea leaves that we ordered was bad---it tasted as though it had too much corn starch, making the effect powdery in one's mouth. The sha cha lamb tasted like beef. The beef dish we ordered was very tough and rubbery. Overall, just a big disappointment. There might be some dishes that are good, but with the crummy decor, moldy steamer basket, bad food, and inattentive service, I'll pass.
(1)
Raymond W.
The one word that I used to describe North China restaurant to my friend while walking back to my apartment was "clutch." We (I) were (was) trying to figure out where to eat before getting on the bus to NYC and decided on North China Restaurant based on the more authentic Chinese menu items. Although we hardly got anything authentic. My friend got moo shu pork and I got cashew chicken with rice lunch specials. for $6.50 we each also got egg rolls. The moo shu pork looked like it was a dinner sized portion that could easily be twice as expensive. The cashew chicken had a good balance of meat, nuts, and diced vegetables and white rice to absorb all the flavor. Upon discussing North China restaurant with my boss, he informed me that North China Restaurant had seen better days when it was the place to go in Bethesda and that they used to have the whole strip of retail space on that block. Slowly, the restaurant shrunk and there are no more dim sum carts to be rolled around on the weekends. I will definitely be visiting North China Restaurant again.
(4)
Daniel C.
Good chinese with some menu selections I'm not used to seeing on menus. I have always taken out - have never dined in - but the food is good and has more flavour (and more interesting flavours) than the majority of Chinese places I have eaten at round here. So can get some interesting noodle and seafood dishes, all of the stuff I have had on the menu has been good, so explore the menu, see what takes your fancy and enjoy!
(4)
Frank M.
Very good dim sum. Will return.
(4)
Vivian K.
so you know those times when you go to oriental east for dim sum and the place is packed up the butt and somebody's hand is definitely touching YOUR butt but you can't turn around to see who it is.. and you try really hard to squeeze through to get a number from the expressionless man in the front, but there's an old chinese lady thats not letting you through? Or how about those times when you're out for a sunday lunch, and totally did not beat the church crowd because you actually wanted to sleep in on sunday and now everyone and their 59 person family is waiting for a table at the local diner so the possibility of eating before 3 is just not going to happen? well, if you're in the bethesda area, and you like chinese food... cheap chinese food.. cheap unique chinese food, head over to north china restaurant: a gem of a place for casual dining.... from the outside it looks like any typical chinese take out place.. you prolli expect to be eating general tso's chicken or perhaps the szechuan beef, with the fried rice and the egg roll and wonton soup... but man are you in for a surprise! when you get there on sat and sun they have their "dim sum" menu which on the back has noodle and rice dishes.. everythings under 10 bucks, and there's definitely some serious finds here when it comes to unique authentic dishes that i haven't found anywhere else yet in the city. I absolutely adore and can eat 60 pieces of the oyster rolls, the steamed buns ( shao lung baos), and their crispy chicken or crispy squid (definite crowd pleasers). you'll also find a taiwanese meat pie, a taiwanese "hamburger", and the ever popular stinky tofu dish that i think is pretty damn good for the western hemisphere. noodle dishes/bowls are at a great price, 7.50 and under... the bowls are huge and taste fabulous and aren't all "just noodles".. they are full of fixins. The rice dishes are also around 7.50 and they give you a generous portion of whatever dish you order on top of a bed of rice and veggies... now you're prolli wondering if there's any setbacks.. well, there's the service for one.. it's family owned which means that the three girls that work there are all sisters and they have their spats.. like right in front of you.. it's a lil' odd,.. for a restaurant..... they are all of different ages,.. the oldest is the most mature, the youngest looks like she could be anywhere from 12-15 and the middle one has obvious middle girl anxiety with dyed hair and funky earrings.. you're never really unattended.. just moreso trying to figure out what to do as you're savoring the food, watching the girls' bicker with each other and hearing the mom in the back yellin in chinese to "get to work.!!!!". i guess in the end, i can't complain.. since i bet if my family had a restaurant i'd prolli be doing the same with my brother.. ( we'd prolli arm wrestle to get some extra cash ).. anyhoo.. my overall result: 5 stars.. you cant beat the fact that there's no wait, the food's great, it's cheap , and you can't find it anywhere else. so on a sunday afternoon.. if you're looking for a good place to eat, check out north china.
(5)
Craig B.
Just the facts - Bland sub par Chinese food. Flat out. It's really not worth eating.
(2)
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Address :7814 Old Georgetown Rd
Bethesda, MD, 20814
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
George A.
Awesome first visit, even with a kid who is a picky eater. The place is not fancy, but is authentic. Steamed pork dumplings were a family favorite. They were not too doughy, and the filling was tasty. The bok choi was fresh and delicious, with the right amount of garlic, and easy to eat. Our entree was called Two Meats with Vegetables (?) - or something similar - and, unlike entrees in most Chinese restaurants, the sauce was not at all goopy. My favorite thing was the appetizer - shredded chicken with hot chili. Amazing! I felt like I was in NY's Chinatown. It was smoking hot but had real flavor, partly because the dish includes shredded, sauteed leeks. The only reason we did not give it five stars is they don't serve tea. Can't have everything!
(4)Kiaira B.
So this Chinese food is REALLY GREAT. I ordered a few lunch specials and it feel like this is cooked with love. The establishment is a little better that a carry out seeing as the will serve you and the space is slightly bigger. I can't wait to come back and try some of their authentic dishes.
(3)A W.
This place claims several types of cuisine: Northern Chinese, Taiwanese, and dim sum. It serves none of them. I'm disgusted that this shit can be passed off as Chinese food. Nearly everything on the dim sum menu was store-bought, overpriced garbage, and the oysters we were served were going bad (which, quite frankly, is also a health violation). The youtiao (Chinese crullers), like many other things on the dim sum menu, are obviously store-bought and reheated. (They should be big, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. The ones here are small, chewy, and do not deserve to be considered youtiao.) Taro balls (pictured along with part of a scallion pancake) were $2.95. There should be 3 crispy balls filled with taro, like this: upload.wikimedia.org/wik… Instead, we were served 2 small, confusing balls that were filled with some ungodly paste of slimy taro and red bean. Another item that was very obviously a low-quality, store-bought product. In addition to being crap, much of the menu items are grossly overpriced. Turnip cakes (the ones we were served were incredibly low quality) are normally $2-3 for several pieces. Here, they were $4, no actual shredded turnip or other added ingredients (typically, they are made with real turnips and contain chopped shiitake and sausage), and were inexplicably served in the ubiquitous red sauce that you find at cheap Chinese restaurants. Like I said above, the oyster dish we got was full of rotting oysters. Utterly foul to bite into. My friend and I both felt nauseous after eating here and felt upset that they would serve this kind of food to other people. If I could ever give a restaurant 0 stars, it would be this one. (I'm also really depressed that people consider this Chinese food!)
(1)Mike B.
Tried the Dan Dan Noodles tonight... I was pretty dissapointed. They lacked alot. My eggplant and hot garlic sauce seems to have lost some of it's pizzaz. The scallion pancake was decent but the eggrolls were lackluster ( and not what I remember them to be.) Maybe I'm just becoming more educated with Authentic Chinese food through my Asian Supper Club I attend, or maybe North China has always been a little medicore and I never realized it. In any event... it's not Sichuan Jin River in Rockville. I'll tell you that. Good for a really lazy night.. but just good- nothing special.
(3)B N' B 1.
"Please Hold" Tried the: Egg Rolls General Tso's Shrimp Lo Mein White Rice Pork Fried Rice 3/5, all three points go to the egg rolls
(1)Priyanka K.
I had ordered takeout and got a little late going to pick it up. I not only got a phone call from the rude owner asking me where I was but when I reached the place and apologized for being late she was even more rude. If the food wasn't decent I would never come to this place again. I highly recommend sticking to getting your food delivered!
(1)John B.
Caveat: tiny little place, not much in the way of ambiance, and not the cleanest place. Food is delicious though, and very Chinese. Enormous menu including lots of the sorts of things that only Chinese people eat. Plenty of vegetarian options (watch out for the soups though; chicken broth). Owner is usually out front, and she'll chat it up with you while you're waiting, which usually isn't long. They've got some legit spicy dishes, and huge portions; best home style tofu in the area. Definitely a good way to take care of that Chinese food craving we all get now and then.
(4)Dave F.
North China Restaurant served good, straight-down-the-middle Chinese food. We had Won Ton Soup, Steamed Dumplings, See-U Noodles with Veges, Cashew Chicken and Broccoli Beef. All were good and we could all still take our rings off the next day after eating there - suggesting the salt and/or MSG were balanced (this is not my experience with many Chinese joints). The food was good, service was attentive but not noteworthy, there really was little to no ambiance, parking difficult, neighborhood unremarkable. Id go back for takeout, but probably won't be dining in there again.
(3)Johnnie S.
Finally! I finally found a Chinese restaurant I can rave about. I used to have a hard time with Chinese restaurants because the menus were too long, I never knew what to get, and what I did get ended up being just okay. But everything I just got at North China Restaurant was fantastic! My main dish was the mapo tofu. I'm a big tofu fan, and their mapo tofu is wonderfully spicy, delightfully soft but not mushy, and just all around GREAT. At first bite it's shockingly spicy, and you think maybe it might be too spicy. But a few more bites will show that it is actually quite pleasant and enjoyable. I normally like firmer tofu, but their soft tofu was delicious and I have no complaints. What a pleasant surprise! I also ordered the vegetable dumplings. North China steams their dumplings, and I prefer fried. I've had better, but I've also had much worse. Good dumplings, but it's the sauce they give you with them that really brings it all together and makes theirs rise above the rest. They also throw some white rice at you, as all Chinese restaurants do, and they cooked it perfectly. It was soft, warm, fluffy. Just what you expect. I didn't stay in the restaurant too long, as I was ordering takeout. Clearly that's what they're designed for, because the dining room is tiny to the point of being there by obligation not utility. But it was charming and cute, and everything was clean and well-organized. The woman who took my order is co-owner of the restaurant, and she was extremely friendly and polite. Very pleasant person. Overall, I'm thrilled to have found a great Chinese restaurant so close to where I work. My only regret is that they're not close to where I live, otherwise I'd be getting takeout from these guys consistently.
(5)Heather J.
People have raved about this place, so I wonder if my being underwhelmed by the food was a result of expecting too much going in. In any case, the food was ok. The egg drop soup was quite good, as was the moo shu pork. I always get confused between hunan and szechuan preparations, but we ended up with szechuan tofu, which was fried tofu with thinly sliced carrots and celery in a sweet-spicy sauce. It was pretty good! I think hunan style has a bigger variety of vegetables, maybe? I would have preferred that, but it's my own fault for not asking. The chicken fried rice was your standard fried rice. The biggest disappointment was the sha cha chicken - so many reviews mentioned it, so we ordered it to try it out. I had to wonder if we received the right order because it was just boring. I don't get all the hype about it. I think overall the restaurant is good, but I'd order differently next time.
(3)Alicia G.
I believe a "meh" is the best way to describe how I feel about this place. The woman on the phone was very friendly and delivery was fast. If it was based on food alone, however, I'd have only given 2 stars. Sad, sad crispy scallion pancake. Sure it was crispy...but also flavorless. The dumplings were okay. The chicken was blahhhhhhhh and their white rice was not good. Believe it or not, there ARE some Asians out there who don't like white rice, but I happen to love it. I usually have a sticky white rice test I institute with all Asian eateries and sadly, North China Restaurant fails this test. Perhaps it was a function of me ordering tasteless items as their menu is quite extensive and there are plenty of things to choose from. But being that it was a $15 minimum for delivery and I spent about $19+tip for boring food, I'm not sure I'll even try ordering from here again.
(3)Clarissa C.
Ordered out Peking Duck, homestyle tofu and some kind of dumplings. I loved everything. Husband's only comment was "needs more vegetables."
(3)DocP F.
I order delivery from them, so no idea what the in-restaurant experience it. Really doesn't matter, because their food is the only stuff in the area that tastes like Chinese food, and not like American Chinese food. Hot and Sour soup is great, and at $1.50, a total steal. The 1/4 roast duck is amazing and a great deal at $6.99. Their Sha Cha Chicken is so good, I don't know what to do with myself - salty and delicious. Nothing like the ubiquitous "brown sauce" that comes on so much Chinese food. As with every every restaurant, I'm sure there are highs and lows on the menu. But the highs here? Very high. I find it odd that great food gets dinged for poor service, but whatever, the woman who answers the phone in the evening has been very polite and I've never had an issue.
(4)Charles D.
This restaurant was featured in the cover story of the July 2012 issue of Asian Restaurant News. I have been going to this restaurant for years. It has the best Chinese food that I've ever had. It is small, inexpensive and family run, and a welcome change from the sameness of chains. I particularly enjoy their flounder and their Peking duck.
(5)Xida Z.
Braised Pork Intestines My friend and I walk into the restaurant 15 minutes late and find our friend sitting alone. The hostess chides us for being late and we sit down. Apparently, she'd been taking care of our friend. The space is unassuming and homely. As I'm looking at the menu, I heard my friends were having kung-pow chicken and vegetable fried rice. At that moment, I felt an urgent need to widen their perspective. Naturally, I went for the weirdest thing I could find: the braised pork intestines and tofu in scallion sauce. This was not at all weird to me since my mom had made it many times before and I thoroughly enjoyed the thought of my friends reacting with disgust at the thought of eating some other animals bowels. Being the New Yorker reading bunch that they are, one commented that haggis is wrapped in sheep's intestines. I was disappointed that it wasn't going to be as much fun as I had imagined. My pig guts came in a bubbling cauldron. As expected, they had been julienned into two inch cross sections. It was delicious: tender enough to disintegrate after two chews and lined with a fatty film on the inside layer. Despite my insistence, only one of them tried it and he liked it too. Now, it's your turn. $12, enough for two meals, served with white rice. Ambiance and Service 4 Food 5 Value 5
(5)Ruth C.
The hamburger Taiwan style was okay, not as good as it is at Bob's Noodle. I love cilantro but I wish they'd broken down the sprigs more. I ended up pouring off a quarter-inch of oil off the top of my NRM broth, which was otherwise on the light, tangy side. Not a fan of the noodles with its buckwheat texture, so while overall the beef noodle soup was "just okay" I probably wouldn't order it from here again. White rice is fine. My brain was picturing something more offal-y when I ordered the braised fish stomach, but it was just referring to the section of the fish. Sauce was very salty, so I found the dish quite filling. Also meh about this one. More or less street parking for this strip, I think... though there's a garage nearby across the street as I recall. The lady at the counter was super nice, we chatted a bit in Mandarin when I came in to pick up my order. I'll probably be back to try more of the traditional menu items-- crispy intestine, stinky tofu, duck. Apparently the chef here trained under the original BN66 chef, but despite the menu similarities the student did not surpass the master. Still one of the more legit Bethesda C-food options.
(3)alan P.
Although the service left something to be desired, the food was good. I enjoyed the drunken noodles. Not to spicy just like I asked.
(3)Bill T.
I've tried North China two times recently for lunch, having been there once many years ago. Food is mediocre at best. The ambiance is lacking as the small dining room needs to be spruced up and a good cleaning wouldn't hurt. Service was ok, but on one of the visits the waitress was obviously sick (repeatedly coughing). Employees should stay home when ill, especially in the food service industry. There aren't many sit-down Chinese restaurants in the immediate vicinity, but there are a few and they are worth the walk.
(2)Irene F.
I went here for the very first time on Christmas with my extended family of 18 ppl and then a week later on New Years with my immediate family! I guess it's safe to say I like the joint.... I think the best way to describe my thoughts about North China is to compare it to my dinner at The Source the day after Christmas. For my 9 year anniversary dinner at The Source- my husband and I spent $250 for 2 beers, 2 cocktails, 5 appetizers, 1 entree, and 1 dessert. (excluding tip and tax) For $250 at North China we fed 18 adults with 2 Peking Ducks, and double entree sized portions of 10 other delicious dishes. Killing me. Asian people should not attempt to have Asian Fusion food- we can never be satisfied. Unfortunately, my parents did all the ordering so I don't know what anything was called except the Peking Duck, the Chicken Roll, Shao Long Bao, and the Taiwanese Hamburger--- BUT I did take pictures of everything- so you can show them the picture I guess to order LOL (That is how I plan to do it next time I go sans fam) Only 2 dishes I would never order again- the Oyster Pancake (Bleh mushy- my relatives liked it- so it might be a generational thing). And the Fried Shrimp (very average). Everything else was amazing. Yes, there was a 12 yr old boy serving food- but that is pretty typical for family owned chinese restaurants! BTW- fun fact- the owner of North China was the former owner of Joe's Noodle in Rockville Pike.
(4)Mike C.
It's about a ten minute walk from the metro. The restaurant was empty when I visited for dinner around 6pm but there was a lot of take-outs. There is a dining room area in the restaurant. The food was ok not great. Some items tasted frozen.
(3)Ben G.
I've been getting food from here for years. Good food and good service. I've tried many different items, a few favorites include orange beef and fried rice. Family-run joint that is great all around and isn't as expensive as many other Bethesda restaurants. Go, and you'll be satisfied, I promise.
(5)Brian A.
This place has the best carryout! Very fast and efficient. I am not a fan of spicy food, so I ordered their crispy shredded beef non-spicy. Not only was it not spicy, it was full of flavor and kept its crunch even though I had carryout and both the container and bag were sealed and closed. I also ordered fried wontons as a visit down memory lane as this was a popular appetizer growing up in the 80's but not many places make this anymore. They were crispy and still had a little grease to keep from drying out, which kept them a little moist. Definitely recommend this place for good food at a fair price.
(5)Ben T.
We always order from here. More authentic than others in the area, but still makes the good old American-Chinese classics well. We especially like the noodle soups and braised tofu dishes as well as chow fun. The quality is better when you eat in the restaurant but is still really good delivery.
(4)Hua X.
This A W.'s review touches upon many points that I agree with. Frozen you tiao. They call themselves North China, and yet they serve frozen you tiao? This is unforgivable. Unfresh ingredients, slow service (I watched a dude wait for 45 minutes before getting his takeout order while I was eating), all at a premium. What's not to love?
(1)B R.
Ordered delivery. Tried the fried chicken wings, vegetable dumplings, and tofu with vegetables. The food arrived hot. The chicken wings are bland and a little soggy (steamed from bag it was in). I really liked the tofu dish. Please note that if you order delivery, you need to order at least $25 worth of food.
(4)Nelson J.
I grew up eating the best Chinese food in the DC area, including the Chinese embassy so I am somewhat knowledgeable about what is good food. I had not been to the North China in years since the ownership changed hands, but I met a friend there for lunch on a Friday afternoon and it was easy to get a seat. The service was good and friendly. I ordered the curry chicken lunch special and it was delicious. The vegetables where fresh and not over cooked. The chicken was prepared exactly the way it should be - thin and tender. The sauce and rice were pretty good also, although the presentation was nothing special, my taste buds were delighted. The best part was the price - under $7. The only thing that I didn't like was that the hot tea was a single bag of Lipton. The spring roll that came with the lunch was satisfactory at best - but that is not really what I am buying. This restaurant has a very good food value, and I would recommend it for an easy lunch.
(3)Margaret C.
Since Foong Lin closed, we're shopping for a new Bethesa Chinese food standby. We'll have to keep looking. We had delivery, and both the pork fried rice and lo mein were just too greasy. Plus, the dishes that were supposed to be crunchy (pan fried dumplings and fried tofu with vegetables) were soggy and rubbery. We will not order from here again. This ain't no Foong Lin. We'll keep on our quest to find a suitable replacement.
(1)Deborah P.
Had the Hunan shrimp, Szechuan chicken, crispy beef and Szechuan won ton soup. With the exception of the soup which was okay .... all were very good.
(3)Evan H.
I can attribute most of my order to Paul M. I was in Bethesda running a few errands and decided that this would be the day I would try NC Restaurant. Sadly it was nearly impossible to park near by due to the snow, but I made due and found a way. The woman who took my order, who also appeared to be the owner was very friendly and when I gave her my order of Sha Cha Chicken and Hong Zao Pork appetizer, she told me someone orders the exact meal everytime. Too bad im out of the delivery range!! Anyway, on to the food. The Sha Cha Chicken was excellent and filled with a nice salty and spicy sauce. The vegetable was a chinese spinach, which name escapes me. The Pork was also fantastic and had a great crispy outside but was still tender on the inside. Its a shame that more places don't offer the "Chinese" menu to people like me who are tired of the same Chicken with Vegetables that every Americanized Chinese restaurant sells. I want the more interesting dishes, and I'm glad that North China does offer them on the main menu (maybe there is more and i dont know it). Anyway, this place is definitely more authentic than your average Chinese restaurant and the price and food is right.
(5)William H.
People raved about Foong Lin right up until it closed, but I never understood why, my experiences there ranged from average to mediocre. A friend recommended that I give North China a try, and I'm glad I did - it's easy to let the admittedly very sketchy storefront allow you to write this place off. The menu is pretty huge, and I haven't by any means done a full survey, but the food here is fantastic. While I have ordered delivery a few times, I mostly eat lunch here during the work week - the combo platters are an absolutely insanely good deal! Everything I have tried here has been exceptionally good, right now I am a big fan of their standard-issue Hunan chicken. All of their Americanized dishes seem to have a little something extra. The sha-cha dishes are delicious too, and I look forward to trying their more exotic items in future delivery orders. My only complaint is that they are not open later. Their menu states that they are open until 9:30PM 7 days a week, however I have called several times before 9 (the last time was on a Saturday night, too) and have been told that they are closed. I don't know if this is discretionary or if they simply have the wrong hours on their menu. I feel like most of North China's business is delivery, so closing at the exact same time as the other "good" Chinese restaurants (non-starchy, non-greasy, non-questionable-meaty) in the area really seems unfortunate for everyone.
(4)Tracy B.
Yelpers, y'all came through - my first time trying this place- and this place is awesome! Sha cha chicken- very good! Prices are great. I will definitely order from here now on for great Chinese food in Bethesda!
(5)Bryan L.
The food is excellent. I have been dining at North China for over 6 years and never had a bad experience. The Chef and owner (Joe) picks up fresh ingredients each morning. His wife, Jenny treats everyone like family. Their homemade chili sauce is great. I have eaten Chinese and Taiwanese style food at many locations in the DC metro area. North China is by far the best - a hidden gem.
(5)Bryan J.
The Peking duck is ridiculous. Perfectly done and authentic. Also the sha sha chicken is well prepared. I'm fond of the szechuan beef noodle soup as well. Tastes just like how they prepare it in Hong Kong!!
(5)KuangYou C.
I went there because I heard they have some Taiwanese food. They do have on the menu but I didn't order any Taiwanese food because I think they are not authentic. I had a stirred green pepper beef. It tasted normal and a little bit salty. I also had a green onion pancake. It tasted good but I felt missing something. It didn't taste like the one in Asia. Maybe I should have some noodles since noodles are famous in north part of China. One thing...the customer service there was not good. My friend and I had waited and kept waiving our hands and still could not get their attention. And it seems they were all wearing headphones and listening to mp3 or something...
(2)Paul M.
Fantastic. Magnificent, Brilliant. Redemption is here for Chinese food in Bethesda. This was recommended to us by friends who go there all the time, so we went for a family meal. Unassuming storefront in what probably must the the last forlorn and lonely block in all of Bethesda. Only about six tables inside, family owned, looks like all the front-of-house staff are sisters. Mom and Dad in the back cooking up a storm. Massive menu. Two pages of Chef and Shanghai / Taiwan Specials. No beer. $4.95 and $5.50 lunch specials. I started with a bowl of hot and sour soup for $1.50 - awesome. Then I hought I would try the spicy conch. I was expecting some conch fritter type thing. Instead I got a magnificent salad, which vaulted into the top 10 of Chinese dishes I have ever had in my life. Then I had Sha Ja chicken - I had never heard of that dish before - they also do it with lamb and beef. It was fantastic. Kids loved their lo meins and even The Honey was happy, she is not normally fan of Chinese food. I think for the five of us our bill was way less than $50 - and this food was spectacular. I may never eat Chinese food anywhere else again.
(5)Steph L.
3.5 stars. It's always a little daunting when you walk into a restaurant and it's dead. I was a little thrown off by the empty dining room when I walked into North China on Sunday around 1pm given that all other area restaurants that serve dim sum are packed around that time. I was determined to eat here since my other go-to restaurant that serves northern Chinese style breakfast closed down and I needed my fix. The boyfriend and I had a good meal here, stuffed ourselves silly for not much dough, so I can only attribute their slow business to the fact that not many people know about their northern Chinese and Taiwanese style dim sum. We had fried dough sticks (you tiao), sweet soymilk, steamed pork buns, Taiwanese style meat pie, chicken roll, oyster pancake, crispy intestines, squid in five flavor sauce, and cold seaweed. Pretty much everything was good: - The dough sticks had the right crispiness and chew - The soymilk was just sweet enough - The pork buns hot and you get 8 for $5, although I suspect they weren't home made - The chicken rolls came in a hot and crispy tofu skin wrapper, which was different and delicious dipped in some chili oil - The oyster pancakes had quite a few plump oysters in it and had a nice crispy edge. Next time I would ask them not to put the sweet and sour sauce all over it. It's much better dipped in some chili - The crispy intestines were superb. They were perfectly cooked - crispy on the outside, the intestines melted in your mouth and were stuffed with scallion. The dish came with salt and pepper for dipping. - I wasn't big on the five flavor sauce that was poured over the squid, it resembled too much of a sweet and sour sauce. The squid itself was well cooked, soft yet had a nice chew at the same time. - The seaweed salad was your standard Chinese style seaweed mixed with carrots and garlic. Could've just a bit more black vinegar. - The only dish that I didn't care much for was the Taiwanese style meat pie. I was expecting more of a sesame bun instead of the tapioca casing it came in. The pie was a good size, about the size of my palm, but there wasn't a lot of filling inside and the filling had more Chinese pickled veggies than beef. The tapioca casing was covered with the same sweet and sour sauce that was over the oyster pancake and squid. At $3, I wasn't too heart broken. Service was prompt but a little more curt than I am used to at Chinese restaurants, but 9 very generous dishes for $40 including tax, I am willing to put up with mediocre service.
(3)Fernando F.
Review is for delivery only... I've been getting delivery from North China for about 6 years and always have had good experiences, great actually. The food is some of the best Chinese in Bethesda. I definitely recommend getting delivery from North China. Seems to be family run and everyone else is super friendly, especially the gentleman who delivers.
(4)E D.
My dad and I have been coming here for 4 years or so ... there must be something good about it ! I do believe that some of the points given about this place are right about not being very busy ... Because the place is literally on a block (island) by itself ... the other places have shut down businesses over the years. The parking is around the corner on the street or across busy Old Georgetown Road down Cordell. The owner is a little curt but she has warmed up to us over the years. It is a Chinese thing. My favorite dishes here is mushu pork with tortillas (pancakes), shrimp szechuan, the house lo mein and curry chicken. The lunch portions are good as well. It seems like they get a lot of carry out probably since the ambiance is not that great ... We live nearby and order out at least 2 x a month. Cheap eats ... good food
(4)Christian L.
Four of us were up for Chinese for lunch one day, so we decided to try North China. We walked in, and were sat down in the empty dining room (which filled up pretty well by 1pm), and ordered. The woman who took our order seemed pleasant enough, and the menu's selection and pricing was pretty good, especially for Bethesda. We ordered with no problems, and friend #1 asked for tea. Friend #2 asked for his dish to be mild. After asking the woman FOUR times for tea, it still never materialized on our table much to the chagrin of friend #1. The dish for friend #2 came out spicy, and he was instructed by the woman to simply, "put the peppers off to the side". But the damage was done - the sauce was spicy, and the poor bastard had to suffer through the rest of his meal (he only made it through about half the dish) with his mouth on fire. There was never an offer to re-make his dish as mild, and not even an apology was offered. To be fair, my dish (chicken chow fun), as well as that of friend #3 (sesame chicken), were quite delicious. So don't think that I'm just hating on the place for petty reasons. But wait. Anyway, we finally get through everything, and the bill is left on the table. Two of us have cash, the other two don't. Now, I'm sympathetic to waiters who have to split bills among cards, but we were strictly told we could only pay with one card - no exceptions. We politely explained our dilemma, and the woman who started out pretty nice to us was now arguing loudly and berating us in the middle of the restaurant. We'd had enough. We charged it on one card just so we could get the hell out of there. Once outside, we all agreed that while the food was actually really good, it wasn't worth the aggrivation and attitude from the wait staff. Sadly, we won't be returning.
(2)Ryan L.
the restaurant is is pretty small but doesn't get crowded. customers usually call and pick up, but aside that, the food was pretty good. i ordered a fried rice and it came in a decent amount of time. i also ordered a spring roll which was alright. i'd recommend eating or ordering here if youre looking for a chinese restaurant. not too expensive
(3)L L.
Excellent duck and scallion pancakes.
(4)Mim B.
I really, really love this place. After reading the reviews, I am going to make dim sum a priority. Oh, and I want to try their duck. It is definitely the best of the Bethesda Chinese joints. My go-to dish is the ma po tofu. If anyone out there is laboring under the delusion that tofu is flavorless bean mush, they ought to consider tasting this. And when you ask for it hot, they deliver on spice. Rock. Their steamed vegetable dumplings are very good, too; a million times better than City Lights' which were doughy and dry the two times I tried them. My bf always orders beef chow fun (sp?) and it's tasty; beefy, smoky, oniony. We also got a ... dang I forgot... I think it was a beef noodle soup which came in a sink-sized bowl with many fat chewy noodles and extraordinarily tender beef (it fell apart in our mouths). The broth was flavorful (not just salty), the noodles were perfect (not flabby, not undercooked), and the greens that were floating around were also perfect, bright vibrant green and completely tender. From what I've tasted and compared to cooking from my Chinese and Taiwanese friends, North China is indeed Americanized but not to the extent of most other restaurants in the area. You just have to pick wisely. Avoid the drunken noodles. I gambled on those and lost. Granted, they're not spectacularly worse than many other drunken noodles I've had in the DC area (my metric is the drunken noodles served at Galanga in NYC; Galanga is on west 4th st between 6th ave and MacDougal street if anyone's curious), but don't waste your money and taste buds on the non-Chinese offerings.
(4)andrew s.
Downgraded a star simply because if you stay from a few good choices, you'll be sorry. Order Ma Po tofu, or Homestyle, and it'll be good, but for a lot of their stuff, salt seems to be the main flavoring,
(3)maria w.
My husband has been on a Chinese food kick for months. We have been to every Chinese restaurant in Bethesda and have settled on this one being the best. The prices are also reasonable compared to other Bethesda restaurants. M-F you can get three lunch portion dishes for two diners for $20 off of the lunch menu, and these are GOOD authentic Chinese dishes. The owner/waitress is really helpful about suggesting new dishes. We also love the pork with yellow chives and dried tofu, kung pao dishes, crispy shredded beef, dumplings, schezwhan string beans, veggie dishes, noodle dishes. The first time we went there it was just okay, I think I had the singapore noodles, but worth trying again. We have been back many times. I think you have to go and find your favorites. I read some of the other reviews, seems like some people are rating delivery the same way they would food in restaurant. We've ordered delivery from there and like ALL food that is placed in a car and travels to you, it does taste much better in a restaurant.
(5)Chris G.
I must admit that I'm a bit on the fence between three and four stars, but because it was my Chinese teachers who recommended it as very authentic, I'm rounding high. I tried my first Stinky Tofu (though it appears on the menu as Fried Preserved Tofu, Taiwan Style). It wasn't that stinky, but I still wasn't a huge fan. My Taiwanese friends really liked it though, so I may just not be a Stinky Tofu kind of guy. The Oyster Pancake, Taiwan Style was more to my liking, though in small doses as it has a strong oyster flavor. We also had another pancake dish, a niu rou dish (beef, though not sure which one), some veggies and Peking Duck, all of which were good, but the duck was especially tasty. It didn't have the presentation that comes with duck in Beijing, but it was good nonetheless. I did find the name of the place a little odd. The Peking Duck and some of their "Chinese food in America" standard dishes may be northern, but their specialty food is mostly from Taiwan and the Chinese provinces directly across the straits (ie. Shanghai style). Not very "North" in China. I think the owners are Taiwanese. Oh well. The food was still good and the owners wife, who was our waitress, was very friendly and chatty.
(4)Frank F.
It's the only authentic Chinese restaurant in Bethesda. The food (mostly Taiwanese) is excellent but be sure to order from the 'right' bits of the menu. (They also have the usual Americanized stuff.) The atmosphere and decor are nothing to look at. In fact, the place is pretty down at the heels. But if you go for the food and know what to order, this place will not disappoint.
(4)Tiya A.
Our office has ordered from this place for delivery several times. OK food but the woman who takes the phone order is rude ass as HELL every time! Get some customer service skills! Won't be back!!!
(2)Lindsey T.
So we just ate delivery from here and meh. The vegetables are way overcooked in both dishes, and my veggie delight was so terrible I ate a few bites and threw the rest out. The homestyle tofu my boyfriend ordered was ok, but not worth ordering again. The crab rangoon were cruddy and overpriced. Plus, the delivery took 45 minutes and we live a half a mile away. Boo. We probably just ordered the wrong stuff, but there really isn't an excuse for putting out overcooked and flavorless food.
(2)Sean O.
5 Stars? Really? I appreciate that this place seems to be as family owned and independent as possible, but I just didn't think it was that good. If you really want to try it, ORDER OUT!!! The dining room is pretty gross. From the nasty, stained drop-ceiling (god I hate those things!!) to the dirty carpets it was not too appetizing. Me and my boyfriend also felt weird being the only ones in there with a table full of Asian businessmen. (I felt so confident it would be good seeing them eat there!) I also noticed tons of people calling in orders while we waited for our food, they had the right idea. The phone was really loud and annoying too, and the lack of music didn't help. I ordered the egg drop soup and crab rangoon. The soup was thin, but OK and man east coasters don't know how to make crab rangoon!! (It's a Midwest invention, actually. STL World's Fair. We make it so much better and shaped like origami, not a taco.) To make matters worse, when I bit into my third rangoon, it squirted steaming hot crab/cream cheese all over my face, hand, and shirt. It was funny later, but it actually really scalded me and hurt really bad. It was weird because the first two I ate were not as hot. BEWARE!!! For dinner I got the chicken with vegetables. Again, just mediocre. I see no reason to go back. Sorry, I hate negative reviews, but this place is nothing special and I don't see where all the 5 star reviews come from. Rangoon should look like this:http://cafeopera.net/DishPics/CrabRangoon.jpg not this!!:http://www.cheonghingkitchen.com/cybee.Âcrab.rangoon.jpg
(2)Michael C.
If anybody remembers Joes Noodle House (yeah that same one on the pike) in the 90s, it was a much diff. place. That's because the cook and management was different. Apparently they're now at North China in Bethesda. Finally i can get my beloved house special noodle soup. This place has good food at really cheap prices (especially for bethesda... at least for lunch anyway). So, the food. The noodle soups are great, and the roast duck is very good too. Great chinese broccoli as well. That's about the limit of what i've tried in the 2 times i've been here. I'm sure their standard food is pretty good... u know the kung pao chickens, and beef and broccoli's that most people get at chinese restaurants. Why bother with that when you can get food that you can't get at a standard chinese place? If you want that sort of stuff in bethesda just go to foong lin or something.
(5)David A.
Very good taiwanese food. Having spent four years eating my way through Taiwan, I think I know my stuff. Quintessential orders: xiao long bao (like a soup filled steamed dumpling); kong xin cai (hollow heart vegetable); niu rou mien (beef noodle soup) are all recommended. Otherwise just ask for what's good that day. And please do not be afraid to try something new. If people eat it, it just might be good.
(4)Thugnificent M.
Small little restaurant hidden away in the back of Bethesda. Nothing spectacular looking. Just your normal looking dingy Chinese takeout place. But don't let that fool you. North China Restaurant has an amazing menu highlighted by their Peking duck. I don't remember the last time I had Peking duck, so coming here was like having it for the first time. I was hesitant at first, but now I think I have a new favorite dish. I started out having the calamari which didn't come with your standard calamari sauces, so I automatically assumed I wouldn't like it. Just the opposite. The calamari was delicious without the help of marinara sauce. Just eat it with some fried basil and a little salt and you'll experience calamari like never before. The only other thing I ordered from this place was the Hunan beef with broccoli which is sitting in my fridge, so it's been yet to be tested. If you want really good Chinese food come here. You'll actually see Chinese people eating at this place, so you know it's gotta be good. Don't be surprised if you see me there. I'll be the Chinese guy eating with a fork.
(5)Tatenay M.
Despite the daunting number of restaurants in Bethesda, there's never been a really good Chinese option - at least not until we found North China. The menu is incredibly diverse, with lots of vegetarian options. We've ordered from there several times, getting something new every time (as well as several appetizers, like the Dan Dan noodles and scallion pancakes, which are fantastic), and we've always been incredibly happy with everything. Great prices, great food, quick delivery - can't say enough good things about this place!
(5)Miss T.
We went there Sunday night and we were really disappointed. Anyone who thinks this is good Chinese food is clearly not Asian, or has never experienced good food. The service was terrible and rude. There were kids of the workers in the restaurant and they were noisy, screaming when we were trying to relax. The service was so slow. They didn't even offer us drinks--tea or water, after we ordered. The peking duck was nothing special, and it was served barely room temperature. The steamer basket that held the pancakes for the duck had black mold on the lid. We could hear the cook yelling in the kitchen. The dumplings were good, but I doubt they were home made. The chicken dish with spring pea leaves that we ordered was bad---it tasted as though it had too much corn starch, making the effect powdery in one's mouth. The sha cha lamb tasted like beef. The beef dish we ordered was very tough and rubbery. Overall, just a big disappointment. There might be some dishes that are good, but with the crummy decor, moldy steamer basket, bad food, and inattentive service, I'll pass.
(1)Raymond W.
The one word that I used to describe North China restaurant to my friend while walking back to my apartment was "clutch." We (I) were (was) trying to figure out where to eat before getting on the bus to NYC and decided on North China Restaurant based on the more authentic Chinese menu items. Although we hardly got anything authentic. My friend got moo shu pork and I got cashew chicken with rice lunch specials. for $6.50 we each also got egg rolls. The moo shu pork looked like it was a dinner sized portion that could easily be twice as expensive. The cashew chicken had a good balance of meat, nuts, and diced vegetables and white rice to absorb all the flavor. Upon discussing North China restaurant with my boss, he informed me that North China Restaurant had seen better days when it was the place to go in Bethesda and that they used to have the whole strip of retail space on that block. Slowly, the restaurant shrunk and there are no more dim sum carts to be rolled around on the weekends. I will definitely be visiting North China Restaurant again.
(4)Daniel C.
Good chinese with some menu selections I'm not used to seeing on menus. I have always taken out - have never dined in - but the food is good and has more flavour (and more interesting flavours) than the majority of Chinese places I have eaten at round here. So can get some interesting noodle and seafood dishes, all of the stuff I have had on the menu has been good, so explore the menu, see what takes your fancy and enjoy!
(4)Frank M.
Very good dim sum. Will return.
(4)Vivian K.
so you know those times when you go to oriental east for dim sum and the place is packed up the butt and somebody's hand is definitely touching YOUR butt but you can't turn around to see who it is.. and you try really hard to squeeze through to get a number from the expressionless man in the front, but there's an old chinese lady thats not letting you through? Or how about those times when you're out for a sunday lunch, and totally did not beat the church crowd because you actually wanted to sleep in on sunday and now everyone and their 59 person family is waiting for a table at the local diner so the possibility of eating before 3 is just not going to happen? well, if you're in the bethesda area, and you like chinese food... cheap chinese food.. cheap unique chinese food, head over to north china restaurant: a gem of a place for casual dining.... from the outside it looks like any typical chinese take out place.. you prolli expect to be eating general tso's chicken or perhaps the szechuan beef, with the fried rice and the egg roll and wonton soup... but man are you in for a surprise! when you get there on sat and sun they have their "dim sum" menu which on the back has noodle and rice dishes.. everythings under 10 bucks, and there's definitely some serious finds here when it comes to unique authentic dishes that i haven't found anywhere else yet in the city. I absolutely adore and can eat 60 pieces of the oyster rolls, the steamed buns ( shao lung baos), and their crispy chicken or crispy squid (definite crowd pleasers). you'll also find a taiwanese meat pie, a taiwanese "hamburger", and the ever popular stinky tofu dish that i think is pretty damn good for the western hemisphere. noodle dishes/bowls are at a great price, 7.50 and under... the bowls are huge and taste fabulous and aren't all "just noodles".. they are full of fixins. The rice dishes are also around 7.50 and they give you a generous portion of whatever dish you order on top of a bed of rice and veggies... now you're prolli wondering if there's any setbacks.. well, there's the service for one.. it's family owned which means that the three girls that work there are all sisters and they have their spats.. like right in front of you.. it's a lil' odd,.. for a restaurant..... they are all of different ages,.. the oldest is the most mature, the youngest looks like she could be anywhere from 12-15 and the middle one has obvious middle girl anxiety with dyed hair and funky earrings.. you're never really unattended.. just moreso trying to figure out what to do as you're savoring the food, watching the girls' bicker with each other and hearing the mom in the back yellin in chinese to "get to work.!!!!". i guess in the end, i can't complain.. since i bet if my family had a restaurant i'd prolli be doing the same with my brother.. ( we'd prolli arm wrestle to get some extra cash ).. anyhoo.. my overall result: 5 stars.. you cant beat the fact that there's no wait, the food's great, it's cheap , and you can't find it anywhere else. so on a sunday afternoon.. if you're looking for a good place to eat, check out north china.
(5)Craig B.
Just the facts - Bland sub par Chinese food. Flat out. It's really not worth eating.
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