Came here with a friend because the yelp reviews were good. He ordered the sweet and sour chicken and I ordered the shrimp egg foo young. Both were excellent, but the egg for young sauce was amazing. My buddy kept dipping his chicken in it (its in a side bowl). Annie took great care of us and the inside is very clean and comfortable. Overall, it was a great experience. Will go again.
Review Source:I am pleasantly surprised! Don't judge this book by it's cover, folks.
I have a go-to Chinese place in northern Maryland, and I'm always disappointed when I go new places. This place, while not quite the same (I'm spoiled, what can I say), is a fantastic find in Southern MD.
When I try new places, I want to try a variety of dishes, so I make sure that I'm not writing an eventual review on one dish that maybe happened to not be my favorite. This time, pretty much everything was a win!
The hot and sour soup, which I usually am not a huge fan of anyways, was everything hot and sour soup should be. Well done!
Crab Rangoon (called something else here) were good - fried just right, and well-filled, but they were just a little bit on the sweet side for me, and had just a little bit too much cream cheese in them - otherwise, very good!
Szechuan string beans - not my favorite, and they didn't stay crisp. I was expecting beans without a real sauce that had szechuan seasonings on them instead. They were alright, but my expectations were set higher.
Moo Shu Pork - very good! A little heavier on the cabbage than most I've seen, but very flavorful. Ask for some extra Hoisen sauce, though, if you get carryout!
Chicken in Ginger sauce - fantastic. My favorite dish of all the things we ordered. Definitely a bit on the spicy side, but not overwhelmingly so. I highly recommend this!
The service was great - everyone was friendly and helpful. And seriously - the inside is really nice - the outside looks mediocre at best, but they did a great job decorating, and have 3 separate dining spaces, depending on what you're looking for. The first area is where people generally wait for takeout, the middle area is for couples and smaller dining parties, and the back area is set for larger parties with tables to accommodate 6-10.
Overall, a great find, and I look forward to dining in next time!
What a surprise!!!! Â I have lived near this place for ten years and never ventured in because it does not look like much from the outside. Â Wow, talk about not judging a book by its cover!! Â There are two other local Chinese food restaurants within 3 mile of this one, and they don't even come close!! Â I have eaten so many times at the other two because that was what I thought my choices had to entail. Â Well the other two will NEVER be frequented by me again as long as this place is around. Â My wife and I couldn't help but be stunned by the quality and taste of the food. Â We both agreed we had never had better or fresher tasting Chinese than Hot Pot. Really folks I can't say enough about how this restaurant is so good! Â They offer carry-out and I think delivery but really do yourself a favor and eat inside. Â It is nicely decorated and very clean inside. Â They obviously take great pride in their business and is really shines. Â The Wonton soup noodles were still firm and tasty not soggy and mushy like ever other place. Â The egg rolls are made to order in house by hand and served hot and fresh. Â The egg rolls have a unique and delicious flavor, nothing like the pre-made, pre-packaged egg rolls from most Chinese restaurants. Â My wife raved about how the chicken in her Lo Main was the most tender chicken she had ever eaten. Â My shrimp egg foo yung was served with a golden sauce instead of the brown gravy I have always had with egg foo yung. Â The sauce is delicious!! Â The egg foo yung had a flavor that was somehow "light" tasting and too good to be true. Â The fried rice.........perfection. Â Last but not least was the dessert. Â The waitress recommended the fried bananas and we agreed to sample them. Â OH MY GOD!!! Â I would never have thought frying a banana could be such a wonderful dessert. Â I was heavenly. Â The only thing was the wife felt it could benefit from a light sprinkle of powdered sugar, but while I agree that would kick up the sweetness a notch I was fine with the sweet but real sweet flavor. Â
Please give this place a try and then post the results on here. Â I want this place to stay around a long time. Â Just wish I had tried it 10 years ago when we moved in down the street. Â Ignore the plain brick outside-you will not regret it!!!