From perusing through my Yelp reviews, you might think that I'm addicted to Chinese food...and you would be right! North China is really my go-to for Chinese food in Bethesda. I always end up getting their Eggplant in Hot Garlic Sauce; it pretty much has everything I like in a Chinese dish: vinegar, soy sauce, a bit of spice, and the ability to be poured over white rice. But, I've had it at several other places, and North China's is surely the best. Even my friend, who claimed to hate eggplant, was elbows deep in this delicious hearty vegetable dish.Luckily I was with friends and got to taste the combination fried rice, edamame and snow cabbage, and Sha Cha chicken. Edamame and snow cabbage: not something I'd ever order, was surprisingly delicious enough to recant my last statement. The Sha Cha chicken , recommended by Yelpers, was worth ordering again. The dish was salty and extra savory with a good punch of scallions. The combination fried rice was brimming with different meats but was a little bit greasy for my taste.I stuffed myself so full of Chinese food that I was not tempted to go back and eat leftovers two hours later. North China: strongly recommended.
Reviewed by:
William H. on:
2/11/2013 2:48:00 AM
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.
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Heather J. on:
1/4/2013 12:06:00 PM
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.
Reviewed by:
Rrtdff3321 on:
2012-11-22
I donnot like there food but they have good service
Reviewed by:
sparker on:
2012-10-09
North China has terrific food at terrific prices and it's run by terrifically friendly people. Food's great whether your preferences are "authentic" or "Americanized". And it's easy to get to by car or by Metro.
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semal920 on:
2012-04-09
Oh! that's a very nice hotel.
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ansther92 on:
2012-03-27
great
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lousanna on:
2012-03-23
I love this place! The owners are so friendly and I feel part of the family each time I go there, which is quite often. The food is outstanding. I spent Christmas Eve there and had a wonderful time.
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williamjoue on:
2012-03-21
This restaurant is famous for the fine preparation of dishes, which are seasonable and excellent in colour, smell, taste and form.
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Anonymous on:
Fried calamari; spaghetti with meatballs; lasagna with Bolognese sauce; chicken cardinale; chicken Milanese; cannoli; sausage and peppers with linguine; eggplant parmigiana; penne with meatballs ...?
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Anonymous on:
You are absolutely correct with the boxed pasta comment - although I had their ravioli last night and could swear that their ravioli is handmade - it's just so tender and fresh; definitely not from a box. We also got the penne, and you could ...?
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Anonymous on:
April 2004 Best Bites: Local Heros Olazzo (7921 Norfolk Ave., Bethesda; 301-654-9496). A wedge of marvelous crusty ciabatta, good thin-sliced meats and cheeses, and just enough olive oil and vinegar to give the whole thing zing--it makes a ...?
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Anonymous on:
Owners Roberto and Riccardo Pietrobono have conjured up the intimate trattorias of Little Italy at their original location in Bethesda and an outpost in Silver Spring. The hearty, red-sauce plates, many from family recipes, make Olazzo an ...?
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Anonymous on:
This 46-seat dining room, run by brothers Roberto and Ricardo Pietrobono, recalls the haunts that dot many a Brooklyn street corner. But despite the weathered family photos on the wall, it's not totally Old World: What looks like a roaring ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
June 2006 Cheap Eats This red-sauce trattoria has wit and style--and the feel of Little Italy. Much of the food tastes like it came from the kitchen of an Italian nona, and no wonder: The two thirtysomething brothers who run the place ...?
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Anonymous on:
You'll remember from my write-up of that I thought that Olazzo was the star of the show. They by far had the best offering of food in my opinion, between their chicken cardenale and meatball sandwich. Since I have been there twice - both ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
2003-08-14
This is our favorite place for takeout chinese. That reflects both the quality of their food and the lack of top-notch chinese restaurants in the area. The food is good, consistent, but nothing will make you sit up and take notice. ...?
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M. A. on:
2005-05-24
I grew up with this restaurant and now the 2 large dining rooms have become one tiny room with just a few tables. They focus on take-out which is disappointing. Food is excellent. Light zesty sauce and hefty portions, a family of four we ...?
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nagold on:
2007-04-23
I hadn't been to North China in 10 or 15 years. The last time I had been there, it was a better-than-average Szechuan place, but nothing terribly out of the ordinary. About a month or two ago, I got a menu from North China in the mail, ...?
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A TripAdvisor Member on:
2008-03-23
The best Chinese food in the region is served at this gem near the heart of Bethesda. I've had Chinese food at restaurants all over the world and the fare here could compete with any of it. It's convenient to shopping and workplaces, ...?
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A TripAdvisor Member on:
2008-03-27
That's really a great resturant ..The owner is super nice and the food is great ..very authenstic Taiwaness food ..not greasy at all ..also we lived in NJ.. its hardly can find great food like this one ..Though it's small but the food is ...?
Reviewed by:
A TripAdvisor Member on:
2009-02-01
Had my first meal at North China restaurant on February 1, 2009, and recommend it highly. Despite the North China name, the menu includes numerous items from Taiwan and Hong Kong. There are many "homestyle" appetizers and dishes listed, ...?
AVG:(4.0)
