DC's Chinatown can lead you to great places like Chinatown Express

Hi! I'm sorry about not posting for so long. I'm not disloyal; it's just my time, schedule- I want a good life, too! And from the taste of Chinatown Express, I think I am. After going to the DC National Portrait Gallery with friends, I was famished! We had gone to the same area before and by then, everyone was starved. It took a bit of time to wait, but the wait was worth it. The timing was slightly off, but it was fine. I got a plate of Steamed Broccoli, now regretting my choice. It was undercooked and very bitter. I had to put two gallons of soy sauce until it was decent (perhaps the least ethical thing to do), much less deliciousness. A bit later, Vegetable Dumplings came, probably straight from heaven and a pan meant for deep frying. I might have shoveled eight in my mouth at the same time they were so good. Tip: If you ever go, definitely get these tasty little fried dumplings; they're great and only six bucks. One friend of mine let me sample some Szechuan Eggplant, a spicy dish. It had a perfect amount of salt, and a pleasant texture. I rate Chinatown Express to be three stars.
                                                               Enjoy your next bites,

                                                                 The Tiny Tastebud


Chinatown Express Restaurant
746 6th Street, N.W., Washington DC 20001
Tel: 202-638-0424

Enjoy good food, but a grubby interior at Noodles & Company

Thursday night, I went to Noodles And Company for dinner- a late dinner, that is, and that’s the reason I wasn’t able to blog about it immediately. And the day after was a special school affair. So, yeah, now's a pretty darn good time- or at least good enough of a time. Oh well. But I most certainly didn’t procrastinate, mind you people surfing the web, searching for some stupid stuff like how to make perfect pie crusts, (isn’t it amazing how much I already know about you?), or eventually resigning to that. So I ate the Wisconsin Mac & Cheese. I found the dish not cheesy as I really pleased. You may be wondering why, you may be wondering what the rest of the review says, or heck, you might just be wondering what’s for lunch at your job’s cafeteria. Sorry but, I don’t know the answer to any of that. Especially what your lunch is. But I do know that the sauce was deliciously velvety, and that it made the pasta’s flavor come out. I then sampled some of my mother’s Pasta Rosa, a delectably spicy dish. Mmm, it had a sharp (yet delicious) bite. The interior of the place was a pig sty, however, and had wet noodles on the ground. Ugh- it was appalling to me. I’ll bet you’re wincing as I am right now. I rate Noodles And Company two stars.

Enjoy your next bites,

The Tiny Tastebud

http://www.noodles.com/

101 Gibbs St

Rockville, MD 20850                                                              

An experience of Chinese pleasure will await you at Joe's Noodle House

Wednesday night, I know everyone heard about that awful storm. Imagine that. Okay now imagine running into a Chinese restaurant called Joe’s Noodle House. That’s what happened Wednesday night. Good. Just wanted to clear that from the review. Now to the really good stuff. So I started off with the scallion pancake, vegetarian style, and straight from heaven! It was a well cooked pancake, unlike other scallion pancakes I’ve had- uncooked eggs are awful! Crispy, it was, too and golden colored, so of course it was great! Next up was salty and crispy eggplant, but for a dish that claims to be salty, I’d even admit it to be a tad bland! Bland, but very crisp and also delicious! Next, I enjoyed the vegetarian Szechuan string beans even though they weren’t as spicy as wanted, but would be perfect for a kid who doesn't like spicy food but wants to try Chinese food badly or likes Chinese food in general. But it was firm and in season, so at that point the Szechuan sauce went along with it just fine. As a late appetizer, steamed vegetable dumplings came. Those dumplings tasted dreadfully brothy and bland. As a strange and sugary dessert, I had a sweet bean paste bun; I really hated how much sugar was put in- sugar overload. I review Joe's Noodle House to be three stars.

Enjoy your next bites,

The Tiny Tastebud

Joe's Noodle House
http://www.joesnoodlehouse.com/
1488 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852-1430
(301) 881-5518

 

Experience fresher Japanese food- and fresher waiters at Sushi Damo

This afternoon, I had a meal with my visiting uncle and Chinese American aunt. My teacher recommended reviewing Sushi Damo, so I am. We first enjoyed some edamame which I thought it was a tad too salty, and on the bright side, light like how an appetizer should be. I next took a few avocado rolls (without the tuna, I asked). I felt that it was a charming combination of being fresh, refreshing, and slight; not too heavy, and something you should definitely enjoy on a warm, sunny day. Next came my entrée, vegetable tempura, and let’s just say it was one of the best tempuras I’ve ever had. For one, it was crisp and crunchy; and oh yeah, second, the heavenly fresh veggies contributed, were well cooked and fried perfectly. I had a morsel of my mom’s tofu teri, an unusual dish like no other. It was fresh and flavorful, and tasted sweet as a foretaste- yet mildly tangy as the aftertaste. And I don’t mean it tasted like the Chinese’s sweet and sour sauce; no way, and not at all. I was a bit offended by the service; it was somewhat rude and it would be nicer if the waiters answered the fellow customer’s questions. Obviously not personal ones, just about our food, and what it was. The place wasn’t packed, so why can’t the questions about what was vegetarian be answered? Brightly, I thought the décor was very pretty, and looked like many people spent some time working on its interior. I think that Sushi Damo tastes like three stars for the fresh cuisine and nice décor.

                                                                          
Enjoy your next bites,

The Tiny Tastebud

sushidamo.com
Rockville Town Center
Rockville, MD: 36-G Maryland Avenue Rockville, MD 20850
Tel: 301.340.8010

Meet fresh, homemade Italian cuisine at Lemoncello

Italy- what's not to like about it? Architecture, polite people, and oh yeah, food! I think Lemoncello tastes like it was made by some Italian granny who was at some point worshiped globally for her talents and retired filthy rich, deciding to hand over all of her recipes to a restaurant (hint: Lemoncello). The ingredients used seemed to have not lasted but a day in the kitchen. I guess Granny loved a good homemade meal hot, fresh, and delicious too! Without further ado, I enjoyed some soft, fluffy, and chewy bread. Then I ate a truly classic Minestrone. The vegetables’ consistency paired up very nicely with the savory lightness of its broth. I also found that the soup was good with the bread, soaking it up. In addition, I had an unpleasant  bite of Grilled Asparagus that was peppery and salty. As for pasta, I loved the Ravioli because of its sauce and that the pasta was perfectly filled with cheese. I tried a miniature bite of Pesto Pizza and found that it seemed tender and firm, in a favorable way, too. An unforgettable detail you could always find is service. It was hard not to notice that the waitress asked us when we were ready to eat our main course. I definitely enjoyed my meal, savoring my experience eating and recieving exellent service. I would say Lemoncello is four and a half stars. Gold, pure gold.

                                     
                                                              Enjoy your next bites,
                                                                      The Tiny Tastebud


Lemoncello Italian Restaurant
http://lemoncellorestaurant.com/
2005 Veirs Mill Road

Rockville, MD 20851
Phone: (301) 309-8280