Is this place still open?? This was my childhood Chinese restaurant! Raymond, the owner, was always so nice and always remembered us. We would literally eat here (or take-out) once a week for probably 10 yrs straight! The inside was small, yet spacious. Never remember it being too crowded. This definitely wasn't a hole-in-the-wall Chinese place, but wasn't upscale either. I want to find a place like this in Atlanta, but here all I've found so far are HITW's or "trendy" places.
(5)
Melvin B.
No way! Not coming back! Doubtful that we'll be coming back. We had such high hopes for this place as it's located so close to where we live when we heard that this place was an authentic Cantonese restaurant with hanging roast ducks and porks. Alas, it was not meant to be and we'll just have to go all the way to Wheaton for our Cantonese fix. Anyway, here's what we ordered for two: -Kong Xin Cai: $12.95 -Hong Kong Style Sweet and Sour Pork: $12.95 -Whole Roast Duck: $20.99 The Kong Xin Cai was decent. Not the freshest, slightly on the chewy side, but decent enough. Its price is a good $2 more than other authentic Chinese places in the area. The Hong Kong style pork was a huge disappointment! It was just sweet and sour pork where they used chopped up pork chops (with bones) drenched in the usual 'fake' red sauce. This is definitely NOT Hong Kong style, especially since two nights prior, I was in SF eating the real dish in a "hole-in-the-wall" restaurant in SF Chinatown. What a shame! The whole roast duck was definitely not worth it and is why we doubt we would go back. First, the price is at least $1-2 more than Paul Kee, New Kam Fong, and Full Key in Wheaton. Second, it was NOT a roasted duck, more an oven-baked duck. They use very little roasting seasoning and the skin was just too fatty. Lastly, the meat itself was quite bland, flavorless, tough and, extremely chewy. If this place can't even do a decent roast duck, then there's no reason for us to come back as we ALWAYS order a whole roast duck with dinner for two, so that we could have good leftovers.
(2)
Nuoc M.
This place confirms my theory that there are no good Cantonese restaraunts in the Rockville, Gaithersburg, or Germantown area. We finally came to check this place out once after the urging of some family members(none of whom are Cantonese). One of the first warning signs was that neither the person in the front or any of the servers spoke Cantonese. They spoke excellent Mandarin and the servers also spoke another dialect, sounded like Toysanese? Then when I ordered my usual dish of wonton noodles with extra noodles, the waitress insisted that I don't order extra noodles because it will be more then enough. Since this was my first time here I thought that maybe they had larger then expected portions. Unfortunately this wasn't the case where the amount of noodles was average and I was still hungry after eating them. This was just as well as the soup was bland and the wontons had no real flavor. I'm not entirely sure if the waitress just didn't want me ordering extra noodles so that I would order more food later. When providing this report to some of our family members afterwards, they insisted that even though the people in the front might not be Cantonese that the chef has to be Cantonese. Either way, I really do suspect that this is a Cantonese restaraunt owned by nonCantonese people. Some of their other dishes might be good, such as the set menus or more expensive dishes. However when I think of Cantonese food, I think of noodle soups, congee, roasted meats, pan fried noodles, etc. So looks like I'll have to keep going to Silver Spring for them.
(2)
Peggy L.
Have only done carry-out recently. Picked up pork and preserved egg congee for my upset stomach and it was wonderful with small shreds of ginger at the bottom of the container too. They also have a delicious item that is not on the menu which is shrimp and chicken with mango, snow peas, baby corn, water chestnuts - all in a healthy and light sauce. Mandy, at the desk was very helpful in ordering.
(5)
tony c.
Must be a bad night. I think this is typical of chinese resturants, once the crowds comes, the quality of the way the food is cooked heads south. We went on chinese new year's eve. The place was full. We waited around 1 hour for our food to arrive. Here's my pro's and cons of the place for that night. Pros: - Our food came out eventually. Which I am alot thankful for compared to the take out folks. My co-worker got take out and order an hour ahead of time. Took her another 2 hours to get the food. She eventually came over to our table and eat alittle before picking up her food. Cons: - They forgot 2 dishes. We were waiting for our food and the owner was wondering why haven't we left the place yet. - food came out slow and cold. - food was saucier than usual, and way under salted.
(2)
Larry W.
The food here is good. Their soups and especially their fish and Chinese vegetable dish is great. There are some dishes that are better than others. The service is great.
(4)
Jeffrey C.
Returned here for a quick bowl of wonton noodle soup. While this place does not shine for banquet purposes (the base of my previous review), you will find everyday eating here to be pleasant and satisfying without pretense. The shrimp in the wonton was fresh and the broth was still not particularly flavorful - but it was pleasantly mellow and refreshing. Business was a little slow around late lunch time, so service was friendly and very attentive. The atmosphere was also pleasant and quiet. A fair three out of five stars from my previous two. Would recommend for the casual lunch-time outing.
(3)
Racer F.
Was there last friday with my mom for lunch. Got the lunch special. For $23, chose 2 dishes (deep fried salt & pepper pork chops, salt fish & chicken fried rice), 1 veggie (spinach saute with garlic), and a soup (tofu & seaweed soup). All dishes sized for lunch portion, so not too big. But these 4 items are enough to fill up 2 people. Pork chops are not crispy, but the meat is very tender, not fatty but not dry, quite juicy. Salt fish & chicken fried rice is really good, this is a traditional cantonese fried rice. Wait, FISH fried rice? Don't get turned off by the salt fish, tiny bits of fish won't make the rice smell fishy at all, just enough to provide a very tasty saltiness. Cubes of white chicken are tender. Try this dish, people, if you want to experience cantonese food. Garlic sauted spinach ok, not runny at all, tofu seaweed soup ok. I also ordered off the regular menu deep fried salt & pepper squid and shrimp dumpling soup (suicao soup). The squid is not over cooked so they're tender, not chewy. Shrimp dumpling soup has a chlorine off taste. It must be the shrimp that they use, cheap quality shrimp usually smell chlorine. Broth was bland. I had better pork chop, squid and dumpling soup at other cantonese restaurants in virginia. The bill came to a hefty $46 for 2. This restaurant is way too expensive for the food quality. Even though the restaurant was half filled at lunch, the waitress was very attentive. We got excellent service. Make sure that you ask for the chinese menu written in english, in addition to the expansive regular menu.
(3)
Eddie C.
Plates and cups were very sticky and obviously not clean. I also think I ate a raw scallop. Got a order of fried seafood and only 3 shrimps. The price was definitely not worth it. Food isn't great either. Overall experience is ew, but much respect for trying
(1)
Samantha L.
After we were seated, we were asked what kind of hot tea we'd like. Tonight, we ordered West Lake Style Soup, Fish Fillet with Vegetables, and Eggplant in Garlic Sauce. The West Lake Style Soup consisted of minced beef, parsley, white egg, and water chestnut. The soup had a soup consistency but was kind of bland. The steamed fish filet was served over shanghai bok choy, carrot, and ginger slices. It was a light and healthy choice. The Eggplant in Garlic Sauce consisted sauteed eggplant, shredded bamboo, green scallion, and peppers in dark brown garlic sauce. We asked for the Eggplant in Garlic Sauce to be not spicy but the dish had red pepper flakes and jalapeno slices. It seemed like the cok used sugar to balance out the spices. The entrees came with a big bowl of white rice. They used to give orange slices. Now, they only give fortune cookies.
(3)
Peggy S.
I tried their mutton in hot pot and fish fillet with vegetable, which were pretty good. This is the only Cantonese style restaurant in Shady Grove Travilah area. But surprisingly it is not bad.
(4)
Elizabeth W.
Why do you go to a Cantonese restaurant? To eat Cantonese food...duh! To be honest, there are a lot of better Chinese restaurants, but you have to drive more than 10 minutes to get to them. We come here for soup and for the combination meats on rice. The veggies are pretty good here too. My usuals: Wonton noodle soup Shrimp dumpling noodle soup Salted Fish, Chicken & eggplant in Hot Pot (for those who like salt and eggplant) Dao mil - dunno the english for it, but it's better than sauteed spinach! Roast Pork Crispy Skin Roast Pork Soy Sauce Chicken Roast Duck Seriously...don't go here for the American Chinese food...if you have to eat that stuff, go somewhere else, or in my opinion don't eat it at all. Get the hot pots(casseroles) here, most of them are pretty good. But seriously, I mostly come here for soup or meat.
(3)
Charles S.
I came to this restaurant twice because it is really close to my home. The first time was dinning in, some of the dish were very good, like the stewed chicken. The second time was carry out, it was really bad, if not using the word "disgusting". For Chinese dishes: if you charged around 7$ per dish, it is just a carry-out level flavor, just convenient for a simple lunch, nobody will be picky about the flavors; but if you charged over 14$ per dish and you still got no impressive flavor, that is too bad. I would not recommend this place to other friends.
(2)
Doo P.
I've been to too many bad Chinese restaurant. This one is one of those bad ones. I always get a wonton soup, but the one here might be the worst wonton soup I ever had. The skins were too thick with just a small piece of beef inside. One wonton didn't even have any meat inside! Most place at least give you fried wonton to put in the broth, here no. Plus the broth just taste like water, no flavor. Next I got there triple delight combo with crisp rice. And let me tell you it was no delight. The sauce was watered down & bland. I really wanted to like this place, since it's on my way home. It might have been an off night. Will give it a try at lease one more time.
(2)
Fred K.
We have been going here for last couple years and must say the food here is quite good. The lobster special is always a hit and their clams are so tasty. I just ate boiled chicken with scallion oil. That oil made that dish and was so good! Their sizzling beef dish is a winner and so is their pork dish (like pork belly and only available during the weekend). Give it a try.
(4)
Irene F.
This might be the worse chinese food in the Rockville area. If you are in that shopping center, go to Michael's Noodles- SO much better in comparison. I got the Ma Po Tofu- and first of all- the tofus tasted like it hadn't even been cooked. Second of all, a few hours after I got back to work, I had major uhm...restroom issues. I hold Gui Lin responsible. I wouldn't eat there again if it was free.
(1)
Jen C.
Aside from the odd odor of mop/fried food that takes a few minutes to get accustomed to, the decor is set up like any other Chinese restaurant in the area but with some dangling gangly streamers. Not the newest or well maintained. Our family likes to go places that give good portions and is Chinese food, so we decided to book here for a large party. Gui Lin's hostess is very friendly about making sure the wait staff tend to your needs, such as getting the right plates and beverages to the tables ASAP, which we appreciated very much. We also picked a set of food ahead of time, so as soon as our entire party was here the food started coming out within minutes. Water was refilled quickly before any glass ran empty. Overall, the food tastes standard, but quality wise it's just really greasy and everythings just kind of cooked and chopped hastily. It's just Chinese food served for the masses. + grounded beef and parsley chowder - its a pretty good, gooey egg drop soup that tastes clean, and veggies are fresh to the bite. cubes of duck were tasty--not sure what this was on the menu, crispy fragrant duck? but I loved biting the meat and crispy spin. It came with 2 other types of bbq meat, but this was the favorite. crispy honey chicken was something new for us! slices of crispy skin and succulent meat. some of the white meat was really dry and tough to chew though, so avoid that and keep with the dark meat. one of their special noodles (haman?) was very unique. silky and smooth to the bite, and almost had a buttery taste to it. It was vegetarian and very tasty. Standard duck is good in flavor, but DRIPPING in oil and grease. We even had leftovers come home with us and it was still super greasy. It's no Peking Gourmet Inn. lobster is good, but not much meat on it. chopped up a lot of useless shells that we weren't going to pick through for minuscule meat. deep fried pork chop is same you'll get anywhere else. whole fish is very fresh, but be sure to spoon the sauce it sits on or else it will be too mild in falvor. - 8 treasure hot pot felt like a conglomeration of anything they could find; leftover bbq pork, some tofu, seafood. It was pretty heavy and greasy. Standard in flavor, but didn't find this to be worth it. bbq pork (cha shao) was over-roasted, got a lot of slices that were near-black and hard to chew. If you are looking for a place to get standard Chinese fare that tends to large families well, this is the place to be. They will accommodate you. Just be prepared to not be blown away by the food.
(3)
Cynthia L.
Authentic Chinese food in Gaithersburg? Anyone who lives in Gaithersburg is already going to question that first sentence. If you live in this area and are lazy to drive farther than about 5 miles for some Chinese food, this is suitable at its best. I ordered 2 dishes: Deep Fried Spicy Squid & a stir-fried vegetable. The squid was oily batter and squid with absolutely no flavor. The vegetables (looked like bok choy and yu choy mix) was done well - wait, you can't really mess up stir frying vegetables, can you? Total cost was $29. Needless to say the sticker price compared to the quality was just not good, but its edible.
(3)
Eddie K.
I've been going here for years. We only order couple of dishes every time we come here. My favorites are the ground beef and parsley chowder, twin lobster special with ginger and scallion, steak with black pepper sauce and crispy skin pig roast. I am surprised there are a lot of negative reviews, however, I haven't ate many of those dishes people are complaining about.
(4)
Ash S.
It's very hard to review this place. My overall impression is that I fell out of love with the place. When I first moved here, I was very excited by it seeming like a very upscale Chinese restaurant for this area. (Disclaimer, I am not Asian and do not claim to know very much about Traditional Chinese food. However, I have taught myself to cook Chinese food and thus get very excited at being able to experience new styles of it and perhaps steal culinary ideas) Some of the first dishes I had here, like the Orange Chicken and Crispy Beef were absolutely delicious. But over time I started noting they have some notable misses. I've never gotten a good General Tso's chicken here -- in fact I've gotten some shockingly bad ones, limp, soggy, uninspiring. I know it's not traditional, but it's one of my personal favorites, and I expect a restaurant to take pride in everything they serve. I had some pretty average duck dishes. I do take note that often I smell absolutely delicious things when in the dining room, typically very exotic fish dishes, but I'm very, very afraid to try random things because of how inconsistent the food can be. I feel that the service is also somewhat slow (they do have large parties all the time which probably doesn't help) and more tellingly, that I feel like I am always overcharged when I eat here. The price is always inexplicably 1-2 dollars higher than the menu price plus tax. I always wonder if they're charging me extra for the rice or the tea they bring out which I've never asked for... I wouldn't have a problem with it if they clearly stated it on the bill, but of course, everything is written in Chinese. Hence the falling out of love. I don't want to make a scene over a few bucks. I don't want to send dishes I hate back and be stuck there another 20 minutes while the slow kitchen makes something else. Instead with 2-3 other Chinese restaurants in the area, I just started going elsewhere and I am very happy with how that's worked out.
(3)
Melanie Y.
My coworker introduced me to this place during lunch.. After scanning through the menu, I immediately noticed that they have cantonese-style food, most importantly the two things that hubby and I always order at Paul Kee, which was the beef noodle soup and cantonese shrimp wonton soup. But since we have moved from Silver Spring area, we haven't gone to Paul Kee for awhile to get our late night eats. So glad Gui Lin offered that and it is now our go-to place for those dishes as well as picking up soy sauce chicken or duck on nights I don't feel like cooking.
(3)
Josh K.
Sorry, just mediocre Chinese food. The fried rice that came with my Kung Pao plate looked disturbingly lile they'd just colored some white rice, and the Kung Pao itself was bland and not nearly the "spicy" that I was warned of by the waitress. It's average Chinese food - on the upside, the lunch special is only $7 and for that you get a lot of food.
(3)
Fenny L.
My family and I call Gui Lin the "Oyster Steak" restaurant. Why? Well, mostly, I'm horrible at remembering the names of restaurants (especially as my parents call it by the Chinese name, and Yelp has them by the American name...and well, all the names just start to bleed into each other after a while). But also because seriously, their oysters are RIDICULOUS. But let's back up and start from the beginning. This restaurant in the weird and lonely strip mall off of Travilla, is a small little Cantonese restaurant. If you come, and you see balloons/decorations in the back...sit down and hurry and order, because it means that they have a party later that night, which means that the kitchen can get backed up pretty fast. But all of that is not important, because let me get to those oysters. Now, my family loves Cantonese food, but there is such a glut of Cantonese restaurants that they do tend to bleed into each other for me. But this one stands out because of their oysters. There is this one dish - steamed oysters in black bean sauce which has been a personal favorite of my family's for years. But we can never find a place in the DC area that does it *quite* right. Until we found Gui Lin. To start with, the oysters are monsterous. These are NOT the normal sized oysters that you get at the raw bar in Baltimore. Heck, these aren't even the nice plump oysters that you can find down in New Orleans. These oysters - even after being steamed on the half-shell, are huge! Even with my big mouth, I couldn't get the whole thing down in one bite (it took me 3 bites. It took my husband 5 bites to eat his). I'm not even exaggerating...I've had steak filets that were smaller then this puppy. And it's not just once. We've been back several times and each time they've been just as big! The oysters also weren't over cooked - steamed so that it was medium rare, topped with a delicious black bean sauce (not too much, so it doesn't over power the oyster's natural deliciousness), and a pinch of raw scallions for bite and crispness. Oh my! LOVE LOVE LOVE these oysters (can you tell)? Perhaps it's because we only order off of the Chinese menu...and ask our servers what the day's specials are...but each dish has always been a marvel and a delight. Too often, Cantonese restaurants tend to muddle their flavors so that each dish has the same ginger and scallion flavor. But not here, each dish has it's own taste and complexity and is just...yum! Just remember to order quickly if it looks like there will be a party going on. One time, we came in, my dad saw that they were decorating for a party and hurridly ordered our dishes. Another table came in just moments after us and took their sweet time ordering. Soon after, the party showed up. Guess who got their food fast and steaming? Yup, we did. Guess who still hadn't even gotten their appitizers by the time we were done eating and paying the check? Yup, the table that slacked and took their sweet time. Learn the lessons that this glutton is teaching you and you will be fine. Heh.
(4)
Eddie D.
This is one of few many Cantonese restaurants left in the Rockville area. We came here for lunch and order your typical Cantonese rice, noodle and congee dishes. Chicken Cantonese Pan Fried Noodle, Singapore Chow Foon and Shrimp and Egg on Rice, they were all well seasoned and excellent. Than we got three different type of congees, and that's where the confusion came in, half way done and we notice, it appeared some of ingredients were mixed wrong, on all three congees. Good thing we all shared the congees so it wasn't that bad. All the dishes were plentiful so we had plenty of leftover. We been here few times, food was adequate, service was average and atmosphere was relaxing.
(3)
JP V.
Even though the food is ok, only come eat here of you want your meals with extra servings of attitude... I feel like I had to beg to get my food... No thanks!
(2)
Shaw C.
Have been there several times. It's a Cantonese restaurant, not surprisingly good, but good quality. It opens late, so even after working late you can have some good food.
(4)
Emily S.
I just moved away from MD and I miss this place so much! My family and I have been eating here since we moved to the area 12 years ago. (So often that if any employee reads this they will recognize us by our order). We LOVE the combination fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, and crispy beef. Recently, we also started ordering the chicken egg foo yung. Their food is DELICIOUS. Maybe it's not the most interesting food and high class restaurant, but when you want some chinese takeout or a GREAT lunch deal this is the place. For something like $7, you get an entree, fried rice, and egg roll during lunch hours M-F. Their service is always fast and the front "desk" staff are always very friendly.
(4)
Nicole L.
I received the menu from this restaurant and was happy to see they have cantonese food like wonton noodles, BBQ pork rice and even this HongKong style sweet and sour pork. I ordered the hong kong sweet and sour pork and a wonton soup. The soup was tasteless and the sweet and sour pork was a pork chop style (with bones) drenched in the usual red sauce. I was very disappointed with it. I will try it again for the wonton noodles maybe but I have a feeling it's not going to be authentic Hong Kong style. New fortune is more authentic Hong Kong cuisine.
(1)
Janet H.
This last visit, we ordered the 10 people set menu for our party of 11. I think it's priced at $198. It's probably as authentic cantonese as it can get around here. The food was good and it doesn't feel greasy as some chinese restaurant do. Here's what we got for the set menu that feeds 10: Appetizer platter Fish stomach soup XO sauce lobster Fried fish fillet Vegetable with mushroom & abalone French style beef fillet Fried tofu with shrimp filling Gui Lin hot pot Steamed chicken Fried rice Red bean soup dessert My family does not eat meat heavily so we all wished that there were more vegetables in the set. We definitely had plenty of left overs. Overall, not a bad meal. Another thing to mention is, we come here for their lunch special pretty often. They have the 3 dishes and 1 soup for $20. Granted, the portion is not very big but it's decent stuff for a economic price! This is available on week days only.
(3)
Elaine D.
This is my first review, but I just got back from my meal and knew I had to share my experience at this place with others. I came here to celebrate the Chinese new year and was pleasantly struck by how authentic everything appeared. The food was great and this is coming from a picky eater who at one point wouldn't touch Chinese food. Our group had multiple dishes (chicken, pork and bean curd, and basically most of the menu) and each dish was well-seasoned and excellent. For dessert we had the sesame-filled ball in ginger tea, likely not the best description, which was equally delicious. I know everyone at our table loved the meal and have no qualms recommending it to others looking for Cantonese-style cuisine. The service was attentive and the bathroom was clean, which brought this from 4 stars to 5.
(5)
Mike Y.
The food is ok, the wonton noodle soup is not real hk style.
(3)
KanKan Y.
This place serves Cantonese style chinese food. I'm not from the region so I can't give you a gauge of how authentic it really tastes, but from what I heard, it comes pretty close. They have a good lunch special...3 dishes and 1 soup for 20 bucks!! The special is a pretty hearty portion so come hungry! These guys even have a roast/bbq rack in the back for those who love roasted chicken, soy sauce chicken, roast duck, etc. A couple good dishes to check out - I apologize for some of the romanizations since I only know them in chinese. - xi hu tang (It's called parsley something soup) - walnut shrimp (it's mayonaise based but SOOO good) - Port and Thousand Year Egg Congee (this is a stable canto congee dish) - bi feng tang lobster - This is AMAZING. Bi Feng Tang translates to "cafe for you to duck away from the wind" * Note * IF you come in a large group, opt for their group menus, especially the one for 10 people. Their 10 person dish set has, in my humble opinion, the best tasting selection. The staff here is super friendly and service is great. If you're in the area or mood for some good canto, have to check this place out!!!
(5)
Kevin L.
Typical Cantonese food. Nothing to catch your eyes right away. Service was so so. I rather go for Taiwanese food around the corner in the same shopping plaza.
(3)
M L.
We used to go to this place for its convenience and solid Cantonese food. We stopped going because the owner clearly didn't value our business--she was always gruff, and showed NO signs of recognition even though we were there at least once/week. Recently, I decided to order from them for a big party I was throwing. I called 2 days in advance to tell them that I'd like a large order to be delivered at a certain time for my party. They told me to call back the next day. I called at 1pm on a Saturday to place my order (2 Peking Ducks, a WHOLE steamed cod fish, and 3 orders of Been Chow Fun, close to $150) and was assured that they would deliver it at the desired time, 4:30pm the next day. Mind you, that's over 24 hours' advance notice. At 4:40pm the next day, when the other half of my food had already arrived from another Chinese restaurant (I like their shrimp and fried rice better), I called Guilin to ask where my order was. The owner got flustered and rude (as seems to be her personality), and told me after some back and forth, "We're busy, it's coming." This was at 4:40pm--10 minutes past the time that they AGREED to have my food DELIVERED. This was UNACCEPTABLE, as the other food, which arrived on time, was sitting in the boxes, getting overcooked as I waited for Guilin to get a clue. It was clear by the owner's frustration and lack of an immediate response that they had completely FORGOTTEN to prepare my $150 order, but of course, they couldn't admit that. When the food finally arrived 50 minutes late, the whole fish that I ordered (for $20) was two flat, ugly slices of fish, NOT the whole fish that I was VERY clear about ordering. Furthermore, the 3 orders of Beef Chow Fun amounted to about 2 orders, and had literally 15 small pieces of tough beef. The Peking Ducks seemed to have been butchered by a dishwasher, because they weren't the slices that they should have been--they were huge or tiny CHUNKS that were impossible to wrap into the pancakes. Seriously? I spend $150 at a Chinese restaurant, and I get lied to, my deadline is missed by nearly an HOUR while my hungry guests waited, AND I get ripped off with the under-sized chow fun that hardly had any meat?? If you want authentic, gruff, rude Hong Kong-style service, this is the place to go. If you're thinking of ordering from people upon whom you can depend to deliver as promised, please DON'T choose Guilin--they don't deserve, nor appreciate your business, and will cheat you out of your money to add insult to injury. I will NEVER go there, and nor will any of my friends. Oriental Cafe has MUCH better food, are friendly, and reliable. They don't have Peking Duck, but drive to Bethesda--there's a plac there that's worth the drive.
(2)
Steve C.
This is pretty good cantonese style restaurant. It is clean, plenty of parking space, and staff very friendly. We tried their lobster, and was super fresh and tasty. The bbq duck and roasted pig were very good, although i have tasted better in Hong Kong and Los Angeles. One thing that concerned me was that they did not update the price on the menu they gave us. We were a little upset the bill came higher than we anticipated. Although they adjusted the ticket after we called them on it. So read your bill carefully before paying. Other than that, the food here tasted very fresh and yummy.
(4)
Emmy L.
I came here with my Chinese family when I was on vacation in the D.C. area and we needed a family-type restaurant to go to. First, the fish. Our group touched the fish one time and we just couldn't take it. We didn't even to-go the whole fish. It wasn't good, it wasn't even okay. I can't explain it, but I would never get it ever again. The soup tasted like sesame oil, and only sesame oil. I like sesame oil, but that was way too overwhelming.The vegetable medley was probably the best thing there but it was just okay. It left that kind of MSG feeling on your tongue. The duck was alright, I didn't like it but my group seemed to like it. The lobster here was very tender and I liked that, but it was blaaaaand. I don't know what sauce they put, but it had absolutely no taste. The fried tofu was just, I don't know how to explain it, but it was unique. The tofu had good flavor on it so I was pleased with that, but something was off texturally. It was soft, but I can't explain the softness it had. It felt like they had taken it out of the freezer, dumped it into the fryer, and that was the result. It left a very weird feeling on my tongue. The elder ladies there offered us a fried rice pudding, which looked like a twinkie. They actually fried it for us on the spot because we were the last ones in the restaurant and they were eating dinner. It was actually really good, and it wasn't too sweet. The decoration here is very confusing. They have Chinese paintings and decorations, but they have random pictures of wine, and weird carving/paintings of grapes or something? I don't understand. They definitely need some type of remodeling because the walls look like they came from the 70's. The walls are white, dirty, and have a bunch of holes in them, but I think that's the style they were going for.. The chairs are extremely old and sticky, it looks like those chairs were left on the street and they picked them up. I think if they painted them a dark brown, it would be much more pleasant. I was kind of scared to use the restroom considering the look of the rest of the restaurant. The service here depends. The younger waiters/waitresses just get the job done, bring food in, bring food out, clean, take your order and that's it. No smile and not friendly, except to each other. The older ladies are very nice though. They offered us dessert because we were the last ones in the restaurant. Overall, Gui Lin is a very dirty, out-dated restaurant with food that should be improved. I would definitely not come back if this was in my area. ):
(2)
Sdot H.
Avg Chinese food. Decent service. It was crowded.
(3)
Katie T.
Very fresh and authentic chinese food. Along with the standard General Tso's dishes and crab wontons, you'll find appetizers and entrees that involve duck feet, blood, and tripe. These sound scary to me, but I'd imagine that if you like them, they're probably a little hard to find around here. Here's a good place to get them. I can say that the congee (rice cooked until mushy, essentially--better than it sounds) with scallops and fish was quite good; the threads of ginger added a bit of heat to the soothing porridge-y texture, and the sliced scallions added a little variation to the flavor. My friend ordered a hot pot with duck and taro, and it was extremely hot, big, and stuffed full of duck. I stole a mushroom, even though it was cooked with meat, and found it delicious. Tea was standard and arrived with water at the beginning of the meal. Service was good. The congee and a hot pot together came to $17--a very good price for a meal for two.
(4)
Al L.
Gui Lin is open really late, I think up to 1 am on weeknights which is good for the Rockville/N. Potomac area if you are craving good Cantonese food. I usually stick w/ my same dishes but most everything I've tried w/ my family and friends is good. It is a little on the small side and they only have 2 large tables in the back for large groups. Service is usually really good but sometimes their English is not the best. Their set menus for groups are good deals and have lots of food. If you're in Rockville/N. Potomac area and looking for decent Cantonese food and don't want to drive to Silver Spring or DC then this place works.
(4)
S K.
I've eaten in once, picked up once, and just had some delivered tonight while working late... Seems like pretty good food and a lot of variety. I'm kind of annoyed right now because the "Beef Brisket with Turnips in Hot Pot" that I just ordered was mostly tendon and some other unidentifyable chewy thing, but very little brisket. I know that I can be kind of picky... but I was expecting brisket, and really don't like tendon. Nothing I can do about it because it was delivered...
(3)
Charlie L.
I discovered GuiLin restaurant two years ago and loved the place since. This is the most authentic Cantonese/Hong Kong cuisine you'll find in DMV bar-none. Granted, most of reviews' compliant about the relatively longer wait and comparatively higher prices are true, but the food is exceptional and well worth your time and money. The problem is people need to adjust their expectation about this particular Chinese restaurant. Unlike many dime-a-dozen places out there, GuiLin chef actually make the dishes from scratch so it takes longer. Also Cantonese/HK cooking stresses freshness of ingredients, and GuiLin delivers but at an slightly pricier menu. Also like most authentic Chinese restaurants, the best dishes are in the menu written only in Chinese. I recommend either go with someone who can read Chinese or ask the waiter or owner to translate. If you're just looking for an average Chinese take out, then by all means goto the Michael Noodle place around the corner but if you're ready for a sample of the famous Cantonese/HK cuisine there's no substitute for GuiLin.
(5)
j c.
This is a great place to have a casual dining for lunch or dinner in Shady Grove/Rockville area. Nice and clean, real nice people and good services. Food is not as good as what you may find in New York City Chinatown, but good enough for even Chinese like me. We had a 12 people banquet style dinner today for about $250. I would place it higher rating than 90% of all Chinese restaurants in Washington DC area. Enjoy it!
(4)
Jen L.
The restaurant serves Cantonese style food. The food is pretty good, the setting is very small and cozy, and the service is pretty good. The store hours used to be until 3 AM, but they changed it to much earlier.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : 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.
Jennifer B.
Is this place still open?? This was my childhood Chinese restaurant! Raymond, the owner, was always so nice and always remembered us. We would literally eat here (or take-out) once a week for probably 10 yrs straight! The inside was small, yet spacious. Never remember it being too crowded. This definitely wasn't a hole-in-the-wall Chinese place, but wasn't upscale either. I want to find a place like this in Atlanta, but here all I've found so far are HITW's or "trendy" places.
(5)Melvin B.
No way! Not coming back! Doubtful that we'll be coming back. We had such high hopes for this place as it's located so close to where we live when we heard that this place was an authentic Cantonese restaurant with hanging roast ducks and porks. Alas, it was not meant to be and we'll just have to go all the way to Wheaton for our Cantonese fix. Anyway, here's what we ordered for two: -Kong Xin Cai: $12.95 -Hong Kong Style Sweet and Sour Pork: $12.95 -Whole Roast Duck: $20.99 The Kong Xin Cai was decent. Not the freshest, slightly on the chewy side, but decent enough. Its price is a good $2 more than other authentic Chinese places in the area. The Hong Kong style pork was a huge disappointment! It was just sweet and sour pork where they used chopped up pork chops (with bones) drenched in the usual 'fake' red sauce. This is definitely NOT Hong Kong style, especially since two nights prior, I was in SF eating the real dish in a "hole-in-the-wall" restaurant in SF Chinatown. What a shame! The whole roast duck was definitely not worth it and is why we doubt we would go back. First, the price is at least $1-2 more than Paul Kee, New Kam Fong, and Full Key in Wheaton. Second, it was NOT a roasted duck, more an oven-baked duck. They use very little roasting seasoning and the skin was just too fatty. Lastly, the meat itself was quite bland, flavorless, tough and, extremely chewy. If this place can't even do a decent roast duck, then there's no reason for us to come back as we ALWAYS order a whole roast duck with dinner for two, so that we could have good leftovers.
(2)Nuoc M.
This place confirms my theory that there are no good Cantonese restaraunts in the Rockville, Gaithersburg, or Germantown area. We finally came to check this place out once after the urging of some family members(none of whom are Cantonese). One of the first warning signs was that neither the person in the front or any of the servers spoke Cantonese. They spoke excellent Mandarin and the servers also spoke another dialect, sounded like Toysanese? Then when I ordered my usual dish of wonton noodles with extra noodles, the waitress insisted that I don't order extra noodles because it will be more then enough. Since this was my first time here I thought that maybe they had larger then expected portions. Unfortunately this wasn't the case where the amount of noodles was average and I was still hungry after eating them. This was just as well as the soup was bland and the wontons had no real flavor. I'm not entirely sure if the waitress just didn't want me ordering extra noodles so that I would order more food later. When providing this report to some of our family members afterwards, they insisted that even though the people in the front might not be Cantonese that the chef has to be Cantonese. Either way, I really do suspect that this is a Cantonese restaraunt owned by nonCantonese people. Some of their other dishes might be good, such as the set menus or more expensive dishes. However when I think of Cantonese food, I think of noodle soups, congee, roasted meats, pan fried noodles, etc. So looks like I'll have to keep going to Silver Spring for them.
(2)Peggy L.
Have only done carry-out recently. Picked up pork and preserved egg congee for my upset stomach and it was wonderful with small shreds of ginger at the bottom of the container too. They also have a delicious item that is not on the menu which is shrimp and chicken with mango, snow peas, baby corn, water chestnuts - all in a healthy and light sauce. Mandy, at the desk was very helpful in ordering.
(5)tony c.
Must be a bad night. I think this is typical of chinese resturants, once the crowds comes, the quality of the way the food is cooked heads south. We went on chinese new year's eve. The place was full. We waited around 1 hour for our food to arrive. Here's my pro's and cons of the place for that night. Pros: - Our food came out eventually. Which I am alot thankful for compared to the take out folks. My co-worker got take out and order an hour ahead of time. Took her another 2 hours to get the food. She eventually came over to our table and eat alittle before picking up her food. Cons: - They forgot 2 dishes. We were waiting for our food and the owner was wondering why haven't we left the place yet. - food came out slow and cold. - food was saucier than usual, and way under salted.
(2)Larry W.
The food here is good. Their soups and especially their fish and Chinese vegetable dish is great. There are some dishes that are better than others. The service is great.
(4)Jeffrey C.
Returned here for a quick bowl of wonton noodle soup. While this place does not shine for banquet purposes (the base of my previous review), you will find everyday eating here to be pleasant and satisfying without pretense. The shrimp in the wonton was fresh and the broth was still not particularly flavorful - but it was pleasantly mellow and refreshing. Business was a little slow around late lunch time, so service was friendly and very attentive. The atmosphere was also pleasant and quiet. A fair three out of five stars from my previous two. Would recommend for the casual lunch-time outing.
(3)Racer F.
Was there last friday with my mom for lunch. Got the lunch special. For $23, chose 2 dishes (deep fried salt & pepper pork chops, salt fish & chicken fried rice), 1 veggie (spinach saute with garlic), and a soup (tofu & seaweed soup). All dishes sized for lunch portion, so not too big. But these 4 items are enough to fill up 2 people. Pork chops are not crispy, but the meat is very tender, not fatty but not dry, quite juicy. Salt fish & chicken fried rice is really good, this is a traditional cantonese fried rice. Wait, FISH fried rice? Don't get turned off by the salt fish, tiny bits of fish won't make the rice smell fishy at all, just enough to provide a very tasty saltiness. Cubes of white chicken are tender. Try this dish, people, if you want to experience cantonese food. Garlic sauted spinach ok, not runny at all, tofu seaweed soup ok. I also ordered off the regular menu deep fried salt & pepper squid and shrimp dumpling soup (suicao soup). The squid is not over cooked so they're tender, not chewy. Shrimp dumpling soup has a chlorine off taste. It must be the shrimp that they use, cheap quality shrimp usually smell chlorine. Broth was bland. I had better pork chop, squid and dumpling soup at other cantonese restaurants in virginia. The bill came to a hefty $46 for 2. This restaurant is way too expensive for the food quality. Even though the restaurant was half filled at lunch, the waitress was very attentive. We got excellent service. Make sure that you ask for the chinese menu written in english, in addition to the expansive regular menu.
(3)Eddie C.
Plates and cups were very sticky and obviously not clean. I also think I ate a raw scallop. Got a order of fried seafood and only 3 shrimps. The price was definitely not worth it. Food isn't great either. Overall experience is ew, but much respect for trying
(1)Samantha L.
After we were seated, we were asked what kind of hot tea we'd like. Tonight, we ordered West Lake Style Soup, Fish Fillet with Vegetables, and Eggplant in Garlic Sauce. The West Lake Style Soup consisted of minced beef, parsley, white egg, and water chestnut. The soup had a soup consistency but was kind of bland. The steamed fish filet was served over shanghai bok choy, carrot, and ginger slices. It was a light and healthy choice. The Eggplant in Garlic Sauce consisted sauteed eggplant, shredded bamboo, green scallion, and peppers in dark brown garlic sauce. We asked for the Eggplant in Garlic Sauce to be not spicy but the dish had red pepper flakes and jalapeno slices. It seemed like the cok used sugar to balance out the spices. The entrees came with a big bowl of white rice. They used to give orange slices. Now, they only give fortune cookies.
(3)Peggy S.
I tried their mutton in hot pot and fish fillet with vegetable, which were pretty good. This is the only Cantonese style restaurant in Shady Grove Travilah area. But surprisingly it is not bad.
(4)Elizabeth W.
Why do you go to a Cantonese restaurant? To eat Cantonese food...duh! To be honest, there are a lot of better Chinese restaurants, but you have to drive more than 10 minutes to get to them. We come here for soup and for the combination meats on rice. The veggies are pretty good here too. My usuals: Wonton noodle soup Shrimp dumpling noodle soup Salted Fish, Chicken & eggplant in Hot Pot (for those who like salt and eggplant) Dao mil - dunno the english for it, but it's better than sauteed spinach! Roast Pork Crispy Skin Roast Pork Soy Sauce Chicken Roast Duck Seriously...don't go here for the American Chinese food...if you have to eat that stuff, go somewhere else, or in my opinion don't eat it at all. Get the hot pots(casseroles) here, most of them are pretty good. But seriously, I mostly come here for soup or meat.
(3)Charles S.
I came to this restaurant twice because it is really close to my home. The first time was dinning in, some of the dish were very good, like the stewed chicken. The second time was carry out, it was really bad, if not using the word "disgusting". For Chinese dishes: if you charged around 7$ per dish, it is just a carry-out level flavor, just convenient for a simple lunch, nobody will be picky about the flavors; but if you charged over 14$ per dish and you still got no impressive flavor, that is too bad. I would not recommend this place to other friends.
(2)Doo P.
I've been to too many bad Chinese restaurant. This one is one of those bad ones. I always get a wonton soup, but the one here might be the worst wonton soup I ever had. The skins were too thick with just a small piece of beef inside. One wonton didn't even have any meat inside! Most place at least give you fried wonton to put in the broth, here no. Plus the broth just taste like water, no flavor. Next I got there triple delight combo with crisp rice. And let me tell you it was no delight. The sauce was watered down & bland. I really wanted to like this place, since it's on my way home. It might have been an off night. Will give it a try at lease one more time.
(2)Fred K.
We have been going here for last couple years and must say the food here is quite good. The lobster special is always a hit and their clams are so tasty. I just ate boiled chicken with scallion oil. That oil made that dish and was so good! Their sizzling beef dish is a winner and so is their pork dish (like pork belly and only available during the weekend). Give it a try.
(4)Irene F.
This might be the worse chinese food in the Rockville area. If you are in that shopping center, go to Michael's Noodles- SO much better in comparison. I got the Ma Po Tofu- and first of all- the tofus tasted like it hadn't even been cooked. Second of all, a few hours after I got back to work, I had major uhm...restroom issues. I hold Gui Lin responsible. I wouldn't eat there again if it was free.
(1)Jen C.
Aside from the odd odor of mop/fried food that takes a few minutes to get accustomed to, the decor is set up like any other Chinese restaurant in the area but with some dangling gangly streamers. Not the newest or well maintained. Our family likes to go places that give good portions and is Chinese food, so we decided to book here for a large party. Gui Lin's hostess is very friendly about making sure the wait staff tend to your needs, such as getting the right plates and beverages to the tables ASAP, which we appreciated very much. We also picked a set of food ahead of time, so as soon as our entire party was here the food started coming out within minutes. Water was refilled quickly before any glass ran empty. Overall, the food tastes standard, but quality wise it's just really greasy and everythings just kind of cooked and chopped hastily. It's just Chinese food served for the masses. + grounded beef and parsley chowder - its a pretty good, gooey egg drop soup that tastes clean, and veggies are fresh to the bite. cubes of duck were tasty--not sure what this was on the menu, crispy fragrant duck? but I loved biting the meat and crispy spin. It came with 2 other types of bbq meat, but this was the favorite. crispy honey chicken was something new for us! slices of crispy skin and succulent meat. some of the white meat was really dry and tough to chew though, so avoid that and keep with the dark meat. one of their special noodles (haman?) was very unique. silky and smooth to the bite, and almost had a buttery taste to it. It was vegetarian and very tasty. Standard duck is good in flavor, but DRIPPING in oil and grease. We even had leftovers come home with us and it was still super greasy. It's no Peking Gourmet Inn. lobster is good, but not much meat on it. chopped up a lot of useless shells that we weren't going to pick through for minuscule meat. deep fried pork chop is same you'll get anywhere else. whole fish is very fresh, but be sure to spoon the sauce it sits on or else it will be too mild in falvor. - 8 treasure hot pot felt like a conglomeration of anything they could find; leftover bbq pork, some tofu, seafood. It was pretty heavy and greasy. Standard in flavor, but didn't find this to be worth it. bbq pork (cha shao) was over-roasted, got a lot of slices that were near-black and hard to chew. If you are looking for a place to get standard Chinese fare that tends to large families well, this is the place to be. They will accommodate you. Just be prepared to not be blown away by the food.
(3)Cynthia L.
Authentic Chinese food in Gaithersburg? Anyone who lives in Gaithersburg is already going to question that first sentence. If you live in this area and are lazy to drive farther than about 5 miles for some Chinese food, this is suitable at its best. I ordered 2 dishes: Deep Fried Spicy Squid & a stir-fried vegetable. The squid was oily batter and squid with absolutely no flavor. The vegetables (looked like bok choy and yu choy mix) was done well - wait, you can't really mess up stir frying vegetables, can you? Total cost was $29. Needless to say the sticker price compared to the quality was just not good, but its edible.
(3)Eddie K.
I've been going here for years. We only order couple of dishes every time we come here. My favorites are the ground beef and parsley chowder, twin lobster special with ginger and scallion, steak with black pepper sauce and crispy skin pig roast. I am surprised there are a lot of negative reviews, however, I haven't ate many of those dishes people are complaining about.
(4)Ash S.
It's very hard to review this place. My overall impression is that I fell out of love with the place. When I first moved here, I was very excited by it seeming like a very upscale Chinese restaurant for this area. (Disclaimer, I am not Asian and do not claim to know very much about Traditional Chinese food. However, I have taught myself to cook Chinese food and thus get very excited at being able to experience new styles of it and perhaps steal culinary ideas) Some of the first dishes I had here, like the Orange Chicken and Crispy Beef were absolutely delicious. But over time I started noting they have some notable misses. I've never gotten a good General Tso's chicken here -- in fact I've gotten some shockingly bad ones, limp, soggy, uninspiring. I know it's not traditional, but it's one of my personal favorites, and I expect a restaurant to take pride in everything they serve. I had some pretty average duck dishes. I do take note that often I smell absolutely delicious things when in the dining room, typically very exotic fish dishes, but I'm very, very afraid to try random things because of how inconsistent the food can be. I feel that the service is also somewhat slow (they do have large parties all the time which probably doesn't help) and more tellingly, that I feel like I am always overcharged when I eat here. The price is always inexplicably 1-2 dollars higher than the menu price plus tax. I always wonder if they're charging me extra for the rice or the tea they bring out which I've never asked for... I wouldn't have a problem with it if they clearly stated it on the bill, but of course, everything is written in Chinese. Hence the falling out of love. I don't want to make a scene over a few bucks. I don't want to send dishes I hate back and be stuck there another 20 minutes while the slow kitchen makes something else. Instead with 2-3 other Chinese restaurants in the area, I just started going elsewhere and I am very happy with how that's worked out.
(3)Melanie Y.
My coworker introduced me to this place during lunch.. After scanning through the menu, I immediately noticed that they have cantonese-style food, most importantly the two things that hubby and I always order at Paul Kee, which was the beef noodle soup and cantonese shrimp wonton soup. But since we have moved from Silver Spring area, we haven't gone to Paul Kee for awhile to get our late night eats. So glad Gui Lin offered that and it is now our go-to place for those dishes as well as picking up soy sauce chicken or duck on nights I don't feel like cooking.
(3)Josh K.
Sorry, just mediocre Chinese food. The fried rice that came with my Kung Pao plate looked disturbingly lile they'd just colored some white rice, and the Kung Pao itself was bland and not nearly the "spicy" that I was warned of by the waitress. It's average Chinese food - on the upside, the lunch special is only $7 and for that you get a lot of food.
(3)Fenny L.
My family and I call Gui Lin the "Oyster Steak" restaurant. Why? Well, mostly, I'm horrible at remembering the names of restaurants (especially as my parents call it by the Chinese name, and Yelp has them by the American name...and well, all the names just start to bleed into each other after a while). But also because seriously, their oysters are RIDICULOUS. But let's back up and start from the beginning. This restaurant in the weird and lonely strip mall off of Travilla, is a small little Cantonese restaurant. If you come, and you see balloons/decorations in the back...sit down and hurry and order, because it means that they have a party later that night, which means that the kitchen can get backed up pretty fast. But all of that is not important, because let me get to those oysters. Now, my family loves Cantonese food, but there is such a glut of Cantonese restaurants that they do tend to bleed into each other for me. But this one stands out because of their oysters. There is this one dish - steamed oysters in black bean sauce which has been a personal favorite of my family's for years. But we can never find a place in the DC area that does it *quite* right. Until we found Gui Lin. To start with, the oysters are monsterous. These are NOT the normal sized oysters that you get at the raw bar in Baltimore. Heck, these aren't even the nice plump oysters that you can find down in New Orleans. These oysters - even after being steamed on the half-shell, are huge! Even with my big mouth, I couldn't get the whole thing down in one bite (it took me 3 bites. It took my husband 5 bites to eat his). I'm not even exaggerating...I've had steak filets that were smaller then this puppy. And it's not just once. We've been back several times and each time they've been just as big! The oysters also weren't over cooked - steamed so that it was medium rare, topped with a delicious black bean sauce (not too much, so it doesn't over power the oyster's natural deliciousness), and a pinch of raw scallions for bite and crispness. Oh my! LOVE LOVE LOVE these oysters (can you tell)? Perhaps it's because we only order off of the Chinese menu...and ask our servers what the day's specials are...but each dish has always been a marvel and a delight. Too often, Cantonese restaurants tend to muddle their flavors so that each dish has the same ginger and scallion flavor. But not here, each dish has it's own taste and complexity and is just...yum! Just remember to order quickly if it looks like there will be a party going on. One time, we came in, my dad saw that they were decorating for a party and hurridly ordered our dishes. Another table came in just moments after us and took their sweet time ordering. Soon after, the party showed up. Guess who got their food fast and steaming? Yup, we did. Guess who still hadn't even gotten their appitizers by the time we were done eating and paying the check? Yup, the table that slacked and took their sweet time. Learn the lessons that this glutton is teaching you and you will be fine. Heh.
(4)Eddie D.
This is one of few many Cantonese restaurants left in the Rockville area. We came here for lunch and order your typical Cantonese rice, noodle and congee dishes. Chicken Cantonese Pan Fried Noodle, Singapore Chow Foon and Shrimp and Egg on Rice, they were all well seasoned and excellent. Than we got three different type of congees, and that's where the confusion came in, half way done and we notice, it appeared some of ingredients were mixed wrong, on all three congees. Good thing we all shared the congees so it wasn't that bad. All the dishes were plentiful so we had plenty of leftover. We been here few times, food was adequate, service was average and atmosphere was relaxing.
(3)JP V.
Even though the food is ok, only come eat here of you want your meals with extra servings of attitude... I feel like I had to beg to get my food... No thanks!
(2)Shaw C.
Have been there several times. It's a Cantonese restaurant, not surprisingly good, but good quality. It opens late, so even after working late you can have some good food.
(4)Emily S.
I just moved away from MD and I miss this place so much! My family and I have been eating here since we moved to the area 12 years ago. (So often that if any employee reads this they will recognize us by our order). We LOVE the combination fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, and crispy beef. Recently, we also started ordering the chicken egg foo yung. Their food is DELICIOUS. Maybe it's not the most interesting food and high class restaurant, but when you want some chinese takeout or a GREAT lunch deal this is the place. For something like $7, you get an entree, fried rice, and egg roll during lunch hours M-F. Their service is always fast and the front "desk" staff are always very friendly.
(4)Nicole L.
I received the menu from this restaurant and was happy to see they have cantonese food like wonton noodles, BBQ pork rice and even this HongKong style sweet and sour pork. I ordered the hong kong sweet and sour pork and a wonton soup. The soup was tasteless and the sweet and sour pork was a pork chop style (with bones) drenched in the usual red sauce. I was very disappointed with it. I will try it again for the wonton noodles maybe but I have a feeling it's not going to be authentic Hong Kong style. New fortune is more authentic Hong Kong cuisine.
(1)Janet H.
This last visit, we ordered the 10 people set menu for our party of 11. I think it's priced at $198. It's probably as authentic cantonese as it can get around here. The food was good and it doesn't feel greasy as some chinese restaurant do. Here's what we got for the set menu that feeds 10: Appetizer platter Fish stomach soup XO sauce lobster Fried fish fillet Vegetable with mushroom & abalone French style beef fillet Fried tofu with shrimp filling Gui Lin hot pot Steamed chicken Fried rice Red bean soup dessert My family does not eat meat heavily so we all wished that there were more vegetables in the set. We definitely had plenty of left overs. Overall, not a bad meal. Another thing to mention is, we come here for their lunch special pretty often. They have the 3 dishes and 1 soup for $20. Granted, the portion is not very big but it's decent stuff for a economic price! This is available on week days only.
(3)Elaine D.
This is my first review, but I just got back from my meal and knew I had to share my experience at this place with others. I came here to celebrate the Chinese new year and was pleasantly struck by how authentic everything appeared. The food was great and this is coming from a picky eater who at one point wouldn't touch Chinese food. Our group had multiple dishes (chicken, pork and bean curd, and basically most of the menu) and each dish was well-seasoned and excellent. For dessert we had the sesame-filled ball in ginger tea, likely not the best description, which was equally delicious. I know everyone at our table loved the meal and have no qualms recommending it to others looking for Cantonese-style cuisine. The service was attentive and the bathroom was clean, which brought this from 4 stars to 5.
(5)Mike Y.
The food is ok, the wonton noodle soup is not real hk style.
(3)KanKan Y.
This place serves Cantonese style chinese food. I'm not from the region so I can't give you a gauge of how authentic it really tastes, but from what I heard, it comes pretty close. They have a good lunch special...3 dishes and 1 soup for 20 bucks!! The special is a pretty hearty portion so come hungry! These guys even have a roast/bbq rack in the back for those who love roasted chicken, soy sauce chicken, roast duck, etc. A couple good dishes to check out - I apologize for some of the romanizations since I only know them in chinese. - xi hu tang (It's called parsley something soup) - walnut shrimp (it's mayonaise based but SOOO good) - Port and Thousand Year Egg Congee (this is a stable canto congee dish) - bi feng tang lobster - This is AMAZING. Bi Feng Tang translates to "cafe for you to duck away from the wind" * Note * IF you come in a large group, opt for their group menus, especially the one for 10 people. Their 10 person dish set has, in my humble opinion, the best tasting selection. The staff here is super friendly and service is great. If you're in the area or mood for some good canto, have to check this place out!!!
(5)Kevin L.
Typical Cantonese food. Nothing to catch your eyes right away. Service was so so. I rather go for Taiwanese food around the corner in the same shopping plaza.
(3)M L.
We used to go to this place for its convenience and solid Cantonese food. We stopped going because the owner clearly didn't value our business--she was always gruff, and showed NO signs of recognition even though we were there at least once/week. Recently, I decided to order from them for a big party I was throwing. I called 2 days in advance to tell them that I'd like a large order to be delivered at a certain time for my party. They told me to call back the next day. I called at 1pm on a Saturday to place my order (2 Peking Ducks, a WHOLE steamed cod fish, and 3 orders of Been Chow Fun, close to $150) and was assured that they would deliver it at the desired time, 4:30pm the next day. Mind you, that's over 24 hours' advance notice. At 4:40pm the next day, when the other half of my food had already arrived from another Chinese restaurant (I like their shrimp and fried rice better), I called Guilin to ask where my order was. The owner got flustered and rude (as seems to be her personality), and told me after some back and forth, "We're busy, it's coming." This was at 4:40pm--10 minutes past the time that they AGREED to have my food DELIVERED. This was UNACCEPTABLE, as the other food, which arrived on time, was sitting in the boxes, getting overcooked as I waited for Guilin to get a clue. It was clear by the owner's frustration and lack of an immediate response that they had completely FORGOTTEN to prepare my $150 order, but of course, they couldn't admit that. When the food finally arrived 50 minutes late, the whole fish that I ordered (for $20) was two flat, ugly slices of fish, NOT the whole fish that I was VERY clear about ordering. Furthermore, the 3 orders of Beef Chow Fun amounted to about 2 orders, and had literally 15 small pieces of tough beef. The Peking Ducks seemed to have been butchered by a dishwasher, because they weren't the slices that they should have been--they were huge or tiny CHUNKS that were impossible to wrap into the pancakes. Seriously? I spend $150 at a Chinese restaurant, and I get lied to, my deadline is missed by nearly an HOUR while my hungry guests waited, AND I get ripped off with the under-sized chow fun that hardly had any meat?? If you want authentic, gruff, rude Hong Kong-style service, this is the place to go. If you're thinking of ordering from people upon whom you can depend to deliver as promised, please DON'T choose Guilin--they don't deserve, nor appreciate your business, and will cheat you out of your money to add insult to injury. I will NEVER go there, and nor will any of my friends. Oriental Cafe has MUCH better food, are friendly, and reliable. They don't have Peking Duck, but drive to Bethesda--there's a plac there that's worth the drive.
(2)Steve C.
This is pretty good cantonese style restaurant. It is clean, plenty of parking space, and staff very friendly. We tried their lobster, and was super fresh and tasty. The bbq duck and roasted pig were very good, although i have tasted better in Hong Kong and Los Angeles. One thing that concerned me was that they did not update the price on the menu they gave us. We were a little upset the bill came higher than we anticipated. Although they adjusted the ticket after we called them on it. So read your bill carefully before paying. Other than that, the food here tasted very fresh and yummy.
(4)Emmy L.
I came here with my Chinese family when I was on vacation in the D.C. area and we needed a family-type restaurant to go to. First, the fish. Our group touched the fish one time and we just couldn't take it. We didn't even to-go the whole fish. It wasn't good, it wasn't even okay. I can't explain it, but I would never get it ever again. The soup tasted like sesame oil, and only sesame oil. I like sesame oil, but that was way too overwhelming.The vegetable medley was probably the best thing there but it was just okay. It left that kind of MSG feeling on your tongue. The duck was alright, I didn't like it but my group seemed to like it. The lobster here was very tender and I liked that, but it was blaaaaand. I don't know what sauce they put, but it had absolutely no taste. The fried tofu was just, I don't know how to explain it, but it was unique. The tofu had good flavor on it so I was pleased with that, but something was off texturally. It was soft, but I can't explain the softness it had. It felt like they had taken it out of the freezer, dumped it into the fryer, and that was the result. It left a very weird feeling on my tongue. The elder ladies there offered us a fried rice pudding, which looked like a twinkie. They actually fried it for us on the spot because we were the last ones in the restaurant and they were eating dinner. It was actually really good, and it wasn't too sweet. The decoration here is very confusing. They have Chinese paintings and decorations, but they have random pictures of wine, and weird carving/paintings of grapes or something? I don't understand. They definitely need some type of remodeling because the walls look like they came from the 70's. The walls are white, dirty, and have a bunch of holes in them, but I think that's the style they were going for.. The chairs are extremely old and sticky, it looks like those chairs were left on the street and they picked them up. I think if they painted them a dark brown, it would be much more pleasant. I was kind of scared to use the restroom considering the look of the rest of the restaurant. The service here depends. The younger waiters/waitresses just get the job done, bring food in, bring food out, clean, take your order and that's it. No smile and not friendly, except to each other. The older ladies are very nice though. They offered us dessert because we were the last ones in the restaurant. Overall, Gui Lin is a very dirty, out-dated restaurant with food that should be improved. I would definitely not come back if this was in my area. ):
(2)Sdot H.
Avg Chinese food. Decent service. It was crowded.
(3)Katie T.
Very fresh and authentic chinese food. Along with the standard General Tso's dishes and crab wontons, you'll find appetizers and entrees that involve duck feet, blood, and tripe. These sound scary to me, but I'd imagine that if you like them, they're probably a little hard to find around here. Here's a good place to get them. I can say that the congee (rice cooked until mushy, essentially--better than it sounds) with scallops and fish was quite good; the threads of ginger added a bit of heat to the soothing porridge-y texture, and the sliced scallions added a little variation to the flavor. My friend ordered a hot pot with duck and taro, and it was extremely hot, big, and stuffed full of duck. I stole a mushroom, even though it was cooked with meat, and found it delicious. Tea was standard and arrived with water at the beginning of the meal. Service was good. The congee and a hot pot together came to $17--a very good price for a meal for two.
(4)Al L.
Gui Lin is open really late, I think up to 1 am on weeknights which is good for the Rockville/N. Potomac area if you are craving good Cantonese food. I usually stick w/ my same dishes but most everything I've tried w/ my family and friends is good. It is a little on the small side and they only have 2 large tables in the back for large groups. Service is usually really good but sometimes their English is not the best. Their set menus for groups are good deals and have lots of food. If you're in Rockville/N. Potomac area and looking for decent Cantonese food and don't want to drive to Silver Spring or DC then this place works.
(4)S K.
I've eaten in once, picked up once, and just had some delivered tonight while working late... Seems like pretty good food and a lot of variety. I'm kind of annoyed right now because the "Beef Brisket with Turnips in Hot Pot" that I just ordered was mostly tendon and some other unidentifyable chewy thing, but very little brisket. I know that I can be kind of picky... but I was expecting brisket, and really don't like tendon. Nothing I can do about it because it was delivered...
(3)Charlie L.
I discovered GuiLin restaurant two years ago and loved the place since. This is the most authentic Cantonese/Hong Kong cuisine you'll find in DMV bar-none. Granted, most of reviews' compliant about the relatively longer wait and comparatively higher prices are true, but the food is exceptional and well worth your time and money. The problem is people need to adjust their expectation about this particular Chinese restaurant. Unlike many dime-a-dozen places out there, GuiLin chef actually make the dishes from scratch so it takes longer. Also Cantonese/HK cooking stresses freshness of ingredients, and GuiLin delivers but at an slightly pricier menu. Also like most authentic Chinese restaurants, the best dishes are in the menu written only in Chinese. I recommend either go with someone who can read Chinese or ask the waiter or owner to translate. If you're just looking for an average Chinese take out, then by all means goto the Michael Noodle place around the corner but if you're ready for a sample of the famous Cantonese/HK cuisine there's no substitute for GuiLin.
(5)j c.
This is a great place to have a casual dining for lunch or dinner in Shady Grove/Rockville area. Nice and clean, real nice people and good services. Food is not as good as what you may find in New York City Chinatown, but good enough for even Chinese like me. We had a 12 people banquet style dinner today for about $250. I would place it higher rating than 90% of all Chinese restaurants in Washington DC area. Enjoy it!
(4)Jen L.
The restaurant serves Cantonese style food. The food is pretty good, the setting is very small and cozy, and the service is pretty good. The store hours used to be until 3 AM, but they changed it to much earlier.
(4)