A&J Restaurant
| Address: | 1319 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852, USA |
| Phone: | +1 301-251-7878 |
| Site: | aj-restaurant.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 11
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A Private User
My wife and I have been coming to this restaurant now for more than 6 years. We are both snobs when it comes to getting good authentic chinese food, and avoid places that only sell Chicken Chow Mein. In our time in DC we have found a number of truly great places, and have patronized many of them multiple times. We feel nothing comes close to A&J, and it is one of the few places we consistently think of when we are going out to eat. It is a tiny place, and it can be really busy on Saturday during traditional Dim Sum times (11 am - 2 pm), but the food is worth the wait. There isnt anything particularly showy about the presentation, it is just well cooked happiness on a plate. The dishes are inexpensive, and somewhat small, so that you can try a large number of dishes at each sitting without spending a ton of money. We typically can feed a family of three for less than 30. The wait staff are relatively courteous and friendly, and the food (generally) comes out quickly. I particularly recommend the pan fried dumplings and the spicy beef soup noodle (the noodles are homemade and cooked just right) All told my very favorite Chinese restaurant in the DC area.
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Samantha Elizabeth
A & Js Chinese Restaurant serves northern style dim sum dishes and other dishes. Ive been coming to A & Js since I was a student at the School of Music and Stonebranch School of Art. I always order my usual - Bean Curd Skin, Mustard Greens, and Soybeans; Clear Beef Noodle Soup, Smoked Chicken, and Pan Fried Pork Dumplings. Id say that they make the best tasting Bean Curd Skin, Mustard Greens, and Soybeans. I like how it doesnt contain hot chili peppers. The Clear Beef Noodle Soup consists of thin handmade noodles, stewed beef meat, parsley, and scallions in a clear, light, and tasty broth. Sometimes I feel that they overcook the beef but I like how its still tender. The Smoked Chicken consisted of sliced bone in chicken that was smoked. I liked how the smoky taste. Id be careful of small bones though. The Pan Fried Pork Dumplings consisted of 8 long rectangular shaped pork, cabbage, and scallion dumplings. I liked how it was just the right amount of dough. My other favorites include Scallion Pancake and Thick Noodles with Ground Pork, Cucumbers, and Bean Paste.
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Hans Hsu
This iconic Rockville restaurant has been around for a long time and its easy to see the reason why; its probably the best place outside of California to get good Shanghainese food such as soy bean milk, rice balls, beef noodles and special dim sum dishes. They call it Northern Dim Sum to distinguish it from Hong Kong style Dim sum (which is south of Shanghai). This has caused some confusion because Shanghai is traditionally thought of as located in southern China, with Beijing to the North. Also, this food is quite common in Taiwan, so a lot of people just call it Taiwanese to distinguish it from Hong Kong. In any case everything is good here so bring your appetite and try a variety of dishes. My personal favorites are the rice balls, the pan fried dumplings, the beef noodles, the soup dumplings (SLB) and the small dim sum dishes.
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Michele Chang
I have been going to A&J for as long as I can remember. Its one of my favorite Asian noodle places. The noodle soups are great (very spicy). I also recommend coming on a Saturday or Sunday morning for their special brunch menu where they also serve Chinese breakfast items in addition to their regular fare. I actually was motivated to write this review because the previous 2 star review didnt sit well with me. The reviewer complains about A&J being misadvertised as a Taiwanese place. Nowhere in the shop does it say its Taiwanese. On the store front is a giant sign that says Northern Chinese Dim Sum. If youre aware of any Chinese geography and food, youll know that Taiwan is southern, not northern. And dim sum is NOT a Taiwanese specialty. Its fine if you dont like the food. But stop hating on a place based on your own misinformation.
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A Private User
If you want to know what crap tastes like and what feels like to be treated as trash, then this is definitely THE place to go. The FAMOUS handmade noodles are just bland hard-to-chew dough. Food there truly shows how talented a chef can be to make anything (really ANYTHING) tasteless. On top of the horrible food that you may try to swallow, the slow service and occasional experience of being yelled at just make the whole dining experience a wonderful one. If you really have a craving for Chinese Dim Sum, just go to any Chinese restaurants or even a cafe. I can guarantee you better Dim Sum and surely better service.
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Meg Smith
Update: we went back and A&J is every bit as delicious as ever. An affordable menu that goes on for ages. Order too much, eat too much, pay less than youd think. Quick, friendly, clean, and satiating. Scallion pancakes are a hit (though a bit heavy for me). Fried chicken noodle soup is amazing — essentially ramen with a side of fried chicken. A must-order. The spicy wontons are soft, pillowy, spicy, yum. Handmade noodles are to die for and piled high with fresh bok choy. Terrific authentic dim sum with something for everyone. Delicious across the board.
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Cujo Isalive
Even though the place has been advertised to serve "Taiwanese" food, its not - its appeal relies mainly on the western crowd. Also, on the off chance I sound harsh but this food does not even come close to food served in Taiwan, instead it appears to be a fast food version of chinese food. Most dishes seem heavy on carb, taste oily, and are on the expensive side. I strongly recommend a menu update and more healthy, fresher options. A few years back this place seemed much better. Two stars for good service and a friendly demeanour.
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Shera Sacks
Better experience on a weekday lunch than weekend brunch. They are super busy on the weekends and you should know what you want when going if you do it that way. for our most recent - weekday experience the stars were the Wonton soup (I love wontons) and the fried pork dumplings. My husband likes the scallion pancakes, I dont. And we tried the 5 spice short-ribs. We ate them all, but Im not sure wed get them again - it just wasnt a favorite. We also ate a pork bun - also very good, but I was so full by that point.
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A Private User
Though it calls its self Northern-style dim sum, its actually Taiwanese-style xiao chi, which consists of noodles, dumplings, pot-stickers and various other small dishes. Handmade noodles (wide or thin) are a specialty. As A&J caters to the large Chinese population in the area, some of the dishes have exotic items like beef tendon or tripe. Ive always found the service to be quick and curt, a manner others might find rude. Prices are extremely low. Expect to pay with cash.
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Chenren Shao
A & J probably has the best northern dim sum Chinese food here in DC area, and of course the most friendly staff. In fact, as a student who spent four years in Beijing, I have to come here every once a while to enjoy the familiar atmosphere and food. Simply one of my favorite Chinese restaurants. Something you can try: none-spicy beef noodle, Shanghai style dumplings (hundun, not jiaozi); marinated beef.
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A Private User
I dont know what folks are talking about when they say the service wasnt good. Everyone was incredibly nice, and the food rocked pretty hardcore - varied flavors, everything remarkably fresh. This sounds like a commercial because its so positive, but there just wasnt anything bad about it. And its cheap. Would definitely return.
