Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Rosslyn's CHINA GARDEN is a steal and a deal and good, too! (4-10-11)

We decided to make it an Asian weekend taking out our house guest who was starring in the UrbanArias Festival at the Artisphere in Rosslyn (Arlington, VA). We headed right across the street to CHINA GARDEN RESTAURANT (www.chinagardenva.com) at 1100 Wilson Blvd on the mezzanine level (validated parking available)
and we were totally taken by the meal and the deal.
We had ordered take out before from China Garden ages ago and it was great, but the last time we did takeout, it was not too good, Perhaps it was the items we chose, perhaps they had a bad night.
We headed up the escalator and saw a huge group of Chinese folk in the main room and it looked like a private party; it was. We were worried they might be closed, but they were taking regular diners in the not too elegant back function room. We heard the goings on for this "Chinese New Year party" in the main room including some truly awful singing, lots of speeches in Chinese and other entertainment; it was indeed, entertaining.
We ordered a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and were told that it was sold out. The server suggested the Chardonnay, but that was only available by the split (Vendange, like they serve on planes) which was totally unacceptable. I asked which whites they had in full bottles and only the Pinot Grigio was still in stock, so we asked for the Merlot.
She tried to give us Cabernet and then said the Merlot (Glass Mountain or such) was $5 more--so $25.00 We were okay with that and it was indeed just about decent, not much more.
The starters we opted for were the FRIED WONTONS, which were crispy and nice, but needed a bit more filling.
The SPRING ROLLS were also crispy (although so hot, I burnt the roof of my mouth) and stuffed full of yummy stuff. We wanted STEAMED VEGETABLE DUMPLINGS, but were told these were also gone, so we switched to tasty CHICKEN DUMPLINGS instead which also came with a thicker than soy dipping sauce that was just perfect.
We did listen to our server and BOY were we glad we did as the three main courses were all top notch dishes, filling with lots of meat and really everyone just perfect.
SINGAPORE CHOW FOON is a noodle dish with curry (she said spicy, but it was very mild) loaded with shrimp, chicken, Chinese veggies and more; we all loved this.
We looked at a Lamb special, but we were steered to the SPICED LAMB with GINGER & SOY which was tender and perfectly seasoned. The hit dish of the evening was the CRISPY TEA SMOKED DUCK with STEAMED BUNS which came with a sauce that was akin to Hoisin and not sweet or plummy (as the Peking Duck sauce is). The duck was perfectly cooked and crispy skin made it a treat. We loaded the simple puffy buns with duck, scallions and sauce and gobbled up the "sandwiches."
As we finished we received the requisite fortune cookies but also a complimentary RED BEAN PUDDING which was like a cross between a pudding and a panna cotta yet made with beans, giving it an odd flavor with a bit of a pasty texture. It was interesting for sure, but I wouldn't order it again.
We really loved everything and would run back to China garden since it's only 5 minutes away!