Depending on who was behind the cash register and the lunch box counter, they could be really cold/unfriendly. Even when speaking Chinese to them, they answer with the shortest possible answers. The box lunch was expensive and not very good. I ordered rice noodle and Hunan Chicken and Kung Pao Chicken (there weren't that many selections). They ran out of the rice noodle, so I was told to wait. After sitting there for 10 minutes, I saw the kitchen staff came out with the rice noodle. I had to go remind them that I was waiting for the rice noodle in my box lunch (They were not very busy, so it's not like they would forget). The lady put the rice noodle in the box, then just handed to me (without a word). The rice noodle was dry with not much else besides rice noodle. The Hunan chicken and Kung Pao Chicken was basically chicken with brown sauce. And it was just not good. On top of that, the lunch was $7.50+, which was a few dollars more than Kam Sam, Maxim or New Asia. I will not go there again.
(2)
I C.
My bf and I are big fans of this place. If we lived closer we'd be there at least once a week. It's good authentic Taiwanese food. I like it better than Bob's noodle right down the road. The portions are much better, they give you soup with your entrees, and they accept credit cards (unlike Bob's Noodle). They wont charge you for extra white rice if you ask for it like some places that I've been. We recommend the Intestines w/ sour cabbage, sea bass, chives and shrimp rolls (it's a house specialty), stirfry loofah w/ lil shrimpies, OHHHH the 3-cup chicken makes my mouth water.
(4)
Steven G.
Kung Pao Chicken (chinese style) is one of my favorite dishes here. It's more authentic than the fast take-out places but I still recomend it for anyone who might be afraid to try the more traditional chinese dishes.
(4)
Niveen M.
First two meals were great. Then the third time I ordered Hunan tofu, which I ordered the first two times. This time it came with pork in it. When I called to complain I got no sympathy, just 'sorry, we put pork in our tofu'. But not the first two times? Hmmm. Also, the three Hunan tofu dishes were all totally different. So, us stupid Americans just get whatever dish they scoop out. Extremely disappointing! I will NEVER order from them again. And all they had to do was offer to refund my $11.95 for that one dish. Otherwise I spent $60 on a meal I couldn't eat any of!
(1)
Carmen J.
I just love this place for lunch. The quality of their food is very consistent. My regular for lunch would be Tuna Roll, California Roll, and a side of Egg Drop Soup. The way they make their California Roll here is my favorite in the DC area. The egg drop soup is also very tasty.
(4)
L L.
The soup dumplings are excellent. They take 10 minutes to prepare so order early.
(4)
Melvin B.
We went to dinner here about a month ago, and thought it was pretty good. We got an order of kong xin cai, crispy fish, and black bean pork. Really enjoyed the fish- large chunks of white meat fish with a golden fried batter- and the fish was very flaky and not overcooked. The veggie was pretty good, and the black bean pork had a great sauce, and a healthy portion of veggies and pork in it- no skimping there. Reasonably priced, and you get a decent amount of food for your money. On the whole, a very enjoyable meal.
(3)
Andy P.
Basically it's sorta Taiwan-style Chinese but doesn't go all out Taiwanese like Bob's does. After trying it and discussing with family/friends who've been there we've decided it's one of those hit-or-miss places that does some things really well but others just so-so. My group ended up with the so-so stuff, apparentely. The whole Fish (it was just before CNY) was good but the sauce was way too ketchup-y. My wife makes a much better sauce with really simple ingredients so I wasn't that impressed. We had a vegetable dish that was pretty standard, not great but not bad either. Also a supposedly spicy beef dish. It was alright, and I might have thought it was really good, except that China Star in Fairfax does a similar dish much better. All in all it's not bad, but I can't really see myself going back when Bob's is right around the corner.
(3)
Peter S.
We spent the whole day packing/moving and were exhausted and super starvin' marvin and this place HIT THE SPOT!!! We ordered the beef brisket in firepot and the sauteed pork homestyle. They're on the all-day specials list so they were each $10.95 with soup and rice. Both dishes were amazingly delicious... the beef was meltingly tender and came in a metal pot with baby bok choy and the tastiest sauce ever with a sterno flame underneath to keep it really hot. The pork was sauteed with black beans (not a thick black bean sauce, just enough for flavor), green beans, some kind of bamboo and jalapenos and was so good we had to force ourselves to stop eating it even after we were full! They are NOT skimpy when it comes to portions and they don't use cheap meat or other fillers...if we hadn't been so hungry we probably would have had enough leftover for a full meal, but we kept eating until we only had about 2/3 of a full meal left (for 2 people, so still pretty darn good). The service was also very friendly and our water glasses were never empty. Seriously this place is a diamond in the rough as its tucked away in a nondescript strip mall behind the Fitz Condos. It's also right next to one of the best Chinese bakeries in the area, Bread Corner, so after you've had your fill of delicious Taiwanese food at Mama Wok go next door and bring some freshly baked Chinese bakeries home for later (or the car ride home if you can't wait...we wouldn't blame you). You will NOT regret it! Search them out and go!
(4)
Tom M.
While the strip mall location looks kind of cheesy, the interior is clean and nice, but not fancy. We have eaten here several times and the food has always been quite fresh, high quality meat, and generous portions. I'm no expert on chinese food but it certainly tastes great to me and my wife. Service is efficient, not super friendly but certainly not rude. There are always a bunch of asian diners in the place, a good clue?
(4)
C L.
You can get really authentic Chinese food here. They used to have sushi on their menu, but they stopped it in late 2009 (i think). Almost everything on the menu is good, blackpeper steak, fried poke, fish clay pot, chinese veggie. When you order from the Chinese Special list, it comes with their soup of the day or you can choose egg drop or hot and sour. It's good to have group of people there and do family style. They also have lunch special which is picking 2 dishes for $7ish. I see a lot of Rockville police there during lunch time.
(4)
Harry T.
Ok so I've only been here once (last night) but I loved it! It's in an unassuming strip mall to the right of a grocery store. It's not fancy but the food is great. I had the beef brisket hot pot(i believe that's what it's called) and I was in heaven. I've never tasted brisket that way before. We also ordered a chicken dish that was cooked in soy sauce, ginger,basil, coconut milk I believe and other flavors my unsophisticated palate couldn't detect. The flavors reminded me of a Vietnamese dish Ga Kho that every Viet family eats but you rarely see on a menu. The portions are huge so we had leftovers to bring home. I'm definitely coming back.
(4)
Marco C.
The best Taiwanese cuisine I've had in the DC/MD/VA area. Hands down. The service is friendly too. You order at the counter, then take a table. Then the food starts coming, starting with a complimentary house soup. I bring friends here and they are never disappointed. And the prices can't be beat for their generous portions. Highly recommended.
(4)
A A.
If they opened one of their own fortune cookies i'm sure it would say "Try something other then cooking." ....Most of the chicken dishes taste very similar, and the quality of the meat is on par with take out places. Nothing spectacular. Head to fu-shing in Bethesda if you want great Chinese food.
(2)
Jen L.
This restaurant is one of the more authentic Chinese/Taiwanese restaurants in the area. I think the Chinese cuisine served at this restaurant is on the Taiwanese side. Our most frequented Chinese restaurants for casual family dinners are: Bob's and Mama Wok - we sort of switch back and forth between the two. You won't find Americanized Chinese food here. Try the yu xiang eggplant dish, which is so flavorful and delicious with realy tasty sauce, great for those with taste buds that crave flavor. I also like the pork intestines & blood, which is also soooo good and flavorful with a deliciously chewy texture. The restaurant has a lot of Chinese/Taiwanese patrons, which is usually an indicator of authenticity.
(5)
AL K.
Don't mind the ambiance nor the decor of the place but just focus on the authentic taiwanese dishes they serve in this restaurant. We looked at the menu as well as the chinese characters written on the walls. Finally we settled on 3 dishes-beef tendon, tofu w eggplant and 3 cups chicken dish. The beef tendon was so yummy that it melts in your mouth yummy!! The other 2 dishes were equally great tasting. They served lunch specials as well comes with rice, soup for $6.99 I think. Big portions so be prepared for a doggy bag.
(4)
Victoria C.
This place is beyond phenomenal. The owner/chef is so friendly and, if you're there during a non peak time, will sometimes come out and talk to you. Most people who come here are big family groups and so if you're thinking of doing a family reunion (not the 100 people kind, more like the 10-15 people kind), this place would definitely be good for you. The food is amazing if you want authentic Taiwanese fold. It's not too salty not oily. The walnut jumbo shrimp is my favorite dish here. The staff here are all so nice and speak both Chinese and English.
(5)
Shirley D.
Two years ago, I wrote that my favorite dishes were the Yangzhou Fried Rice and the Seasons Fried Porkchops....those two have remained my faves, but I definitely need to expand it a little more and add the shrimp eggrolls, seasoned fried chicken, and the black pepper steak. Did I also mention that their chicken corn soup is AMAZING? My daughter loves their shrimp wonton soup - very flavorful and the wontons are pretty big. Service has remained the same - they are quick and polite!
(5)
Richard Y.
We came for lunch and it was pretty busy. Waited 10 minutes for a table. We sat down and asked what the neighboring table was eating and the waiter told us crispy chicken. We said we wanted one but he recommended crispy beef instead. So we got crispy beef, fried rice, and onion roast fish. The beef came out really really sweet like almost chocolate/caramel. So I don't know that I prefer my beef sweet but there might be other diners that like that. The fried rice was REALLY good the rice sticky and moist and shrimp and chicken aplenty. The fish came out last and was kind of late but the waiter told us fish does take some time to cook. It was pretty average...like most Chinese eat fish. All in all was an ok experience. But I do wonder why they specifically recommended a beef that tastes like chocolate.
(3)
Serena C.
Just had dinner here and I WILL NOT BE RETURNING HERE. The food was mediocre, but one dish really stood out, in a negative way. We ordered the house crispy shrimp roll, which is a chef special that the waitress had recommended. In Chinese, the dish is called éŸé»ƒè¦æ², translated into English is yellow leek shrimp roll. When we received the dish, there was no yellow leeks. I wasn't going to say anything but the waitress asked me how the food was, so I said, well the food is fine except for this shrimp roll, I don't see any yellow leeks. The owner came by and said, oh the chef chops up the leeks really fine so you wouldn't see it. So I opened a shrimp roll to show her that there are no yellow leeks, there are only shrimps. The owner denied again saying she show me the raw shrimp roll filling. She came back and told me that the chef may have forgotten to put the normal amount of leeks and he would add in more in his next batch. She then tries to explain saying that yellow leeks are expensive so they put a little bit in. I have to emphasize that I did not see or taste any yellow leeks. This owner straight up lied and tried to defend her lie. The owner also never offered a replacement or to take this item of our bill. She even asked me if I had the yellow leek shrimp roll elsewhere and that's why I was confused about their dish. I will not be returning and I will NEVER recommend anyone such a dishonest restaurant!
(1)
Christopher S.
I've always felt that a majority of the finest and most authentic Chinese/Taiwanese joints I've frequented in the 'burbs function as a double restaurant with the menu split in one of three varieties. 1) The Fraternity menu: The blatant double menu with an American menu and one in Chinese (sorry, no access unless you're one of us) 2) The Detective menu: The single menu where you have the Americanized dishes featured prominently followed by the "Chef's Specials" which contain the authentic dishes (if you look carefully for clues, you'll sniff out the good stuff) 3) The Speakeasy menu: The single menu with Americanized dishes and the Chinese menu disguised as strips of decorative paper posted with Chinese characters along the wall. (the good stuff is there if you know where to look AND you know the secret password) Mama Wok is a hybrid of #2 and #3 since they have a special section devoted to the more authentic dishes and a markerboard written in Chinese featuring some additional specials. Inevitably when you have two sets of menus of varying standards, the yelp reviews may seem a bit bipolar placing the average around the middle. Mama Wok appears to be a classic case of mediocre Americanized offerings and exemplary authentic offerings focusing on Taiwanese dishes (not to be confused with Taiwanese street food featured in night markets and the like). Classic offerings such as 3 cup chicken, crispy salt and pepper shrimp, and shredded beef with sha cha sauce are a good starting point for the uninitiated, but highlights of our feast included the following: Hot and sour soup- probably could have been more vinegary but carries a strong pepper component and the solid ingredients could have been cut finer since it is very hearty but one may not want such a strong opening to a large feast. Shrimp rolls- deep fried beancurd skins encasing large succulent shrimp served with two accompanying dipping sauces, these are a real crowd pleaser, just be sure to make sure you don't burn your mouth from any remaining hot oil within the roll since the heat retention of these rolls was quite impressive Crispy beef- don't be fooled by the deceptively simple title, these strips of beef accompanied by some julienned vegetables are addictively flavorful with an otherworldly texture and sweet beefy flavor that I can only describe as beef bacon jerky candy. Not sure what sort of old school technique goes into creating this dish, but I would bet if a celebrity chef plated these morsels on a decorative plate and an artistic flare, people would easily mistake this for some modern molecular gastronomy masterpiece. Fresh fungus with chicken- there's always a solid dish that's poorly phrased by Chinese menu writers, and this one is probably the winner since the star of the dish is in fact the rustic sliced wood-eared mushrooms (the fresh fungus) and tender strips of fresh bamboo...the chicken is not necessary so vegetarians should gravitate toward this freaky fungal foodie fare forgoing the fowl. Seafood panfried noodles- lots of delectable chunks of fish, shrimp, shitaki mushrooms,and baby bok choy atop crispy thin noodles, it is a solid dish but I think the Cantonese version is better Stir-fried snowpea-leaves with garlic- we were hoping they had the Chinese watercress, but they were sold out, but these were a nice alternative and they use nice thick cloves of real garlic adding to the fragrant wok hay of this straightforward vegetarian dish, a nice intermission between all the heavy hitters if you're doing family style dinning. Imperial fish- served in a metal tray with sterno burners keeping this dish bubbly hot, not sure the exact fish but a soft whitefish similar to seabass topped with a crispy breadcrumb like topping perhaps made with dried soybeans, a very nice interplay of the delicate texture of the fish with the crispy topping that beats out any oven baked fish recipe one could concoct with butter, herbs, or parchment paper at home. Bitter melon with pork- a definite Taiwanese classic, bitter melon is like cilantro, you either love it or you don't, and they definitely know how to prepare it correctly here When in doubt, go with anything listed under Mama Wok Specialties or Chef's Recommendations. If you order something that you can get anywhere else and end up dissatisfied, you only have yourself to blame. 4-5-star homestyle Taiwanese restaurant located within a 2-3 star Americanized Chinese restaurant. Pro-tip: nice Taiwanese bakery located adjacent to the restaurant, check it out before your meal since you won't have the stomach to look after you leave on a full stomach.
(4)
Jenn K.
My parents love coming here for food, and they're about as Chinese (well tbh, Taiwanese, and this place is Taiwanese) as you can get. Props in the authenticity book for that? Mostly though, they come because they're vegetarian, and the owner serves fresh mu-er (wood's ear) mushrooms and bamboo in some of the dishes during the weekends, not sure if you have to ask for it or not because I'm always late for dinner. They've got some really great dishes, and some really lackluster ones, but when they get the dish right it's the best in the area. They make my favorite yu-xiang qie-zi (fish flavor eggplant) in the entire DMV - the eggplant still stays purple, the sauce is the right blend of umami, pungent, spicy, and sweet, and the eggplant is cooked all the way through and flavorful. (You'd be surprised how hard it is to get the last two). Their san bei ji (three cup chicken) is dumped with tons of basil flavor, brown sauce, and deliciousness, and the best thing to go over rice, and their kung pao shrimp is also wonderful. There's a couple other items that we typically get that I can't remember the Chinese names of, but their sauteed Chinese green leaf vegetables are usually done well. tl;dr Not fancy, not schmancy, just a couple really good dishes. Service and atmosphere can be kinda crappy, but there's a reason all the asian families come here to eat. Get the fish-flavor eggplant (yu xiang qie zi!)
(4)
Sam L.
When reviewing a Taiwanese cuisine, my eyes naturally glaze over several sections: lunch combos, any dish that says sesame, and fried items. What you really want is under the Chef's Special section and the numerous number of special dish signs pasted throughout the front counter of the restaurant. Mama Wok did not disappoint. After a long ride on the metro to Rockville, we went to Mama Wok for dinner (you still have to drive from the metro, just to warn you). We got there early enough to be the first customers and had full attention of the staff. Several fish dishes stood out to me from the pasted signs, as well as difficult-to-find dishes on the menu. We went with three entrees, knowing we'll take most of it home for a 2nd meal. Trout and tofu casserole - the bomb diggity. You get a generous portion of trout-to-tofu ratio and it's really good to have by itself, or with rice. Sauteed beef tendon - one my favorite dishes growing up, it's not an easy dish to find because it's typically mixed in with bunch of other crap (brisket, soup, noodles). It's straight up beef tendon and bok choy in a brown/red sauce. It's great to go with rice as well. Chinese veggies - I don't know the translation of it, but bring up my picture and show it to the waitress/waiter. It's stir fried to perfection, with a generous portion of garlic. Overall the staff was attentive and the dishes were delicious. The prices are more expensive when you pick these traditional fare, so it's something to consider when you come here. I would personally pay a few dollars more for something special. Tips: - Don't order something you normally would get at a Chinese take-out or restaurant. Find something on the pasted signs (ask the waiter/waitress to translate if necessary) or chef's special. - Skip any combo specials where you get rice/noodles with your dish. You're missing chef's true skills. - Ask for less salt and less oil on every dish you order. This is key as you'll have a much more pleasant meal without grabbing your water every five minutes.
(4)
Lisa M.
Don't know why this place isn't more highly rated! This is true, authentic Taiwanese Chinese food, made with quality ingredients. The prices are a little high, but the portions are always large, and they use white meat chicken and beautiful shrimp. It's nice to go to a Chinese restaurant where you're not sketched out by the ingredients, ya know? Last time we were there we ordered the yangzhou fried rice (delicious! with lots of pieces of chicken breast and fresh shrimp), fresh wood ear with chicken, which came in a lovely ginger sauce (really special and good), rock fish and tofu (awesome!) and triple delight (good, but not as noteworthy as the other dishes). The service was great and we were served quickly. Everything came hot from the wok--loved the flavors. We liked it so much, my mom wanted her to take her back for lunch last week, and we had two lunch specials--shrimp in lobster sauce and hot chili chicken stir fry. Both were great and the portions were more than generous. Will post pictures at some point too, but y'all should really run to check this place out! It's my favorite place to eat in Rockville now.
(5)
Nhi T.
Well, I got an order to go so maybe I didn't get the full service experience, but asking questions about the menu was difficult. I read other reviews about friendly employees here and helpful, but I thought the opposite. Might have been an off day though! Everyone has those. The food was cooked fresh and was steaming hot! Thumbs up on freshness and speed. I got the orange chicken and beef and broccoli with fried rice for both. It wasn't the best Chinese I have ever had, adequate in taste in my opinion. The hot and sour soup was gross though and the egg roll was good! Lastly, the price wasn't bad at all! It was 7.95 for your choice of fried/white rice and entree plus either soup (3 choices) or spring roll, but I got an egg roll, so maybe the interpretation is different!
(3)
Angel W.
Mama Wok has gone downhill in a big way since my last visit years ago. They ended their express lunch special - $6 for three items from their buffet. They now have a standard lunch menu which might be okay for meat eaters but is severely lacking for vegetarians. You can no longer choose three items. Rice and soup is now the standard side along with an entree (almost all meat entrees) for $6.50. This is still a good deal for meat eaters. I used to order veggie lo mein, rice, and green beans. Now the veggie lo mein is on a separate section of the menu as an independent entree with no sides. Also, the service is very inattentive. While I was asking questions, the staff was busy serving other people around me and was not at all engaged. I won't be back.
(2)
Derek C.
I love mama wok! Its probably one of my favorite authentic Taiwanese/Chinese restaurants in Montgomery County. The service is always pretty good and they seat you very quickly. Waiters work very hard and are always on top of their game. Food comes out quite fast and is always fresh and hot with noticeable "wok breath" that I love. Always come back to this place when I'm in the area.
(4)
Denise L.
I came, I ate and I am disappointed. Ugh To begin, the location is a little akward but that's just a part of settling in Rockville. The restaurant is large, clean and has an old style chinese dinning feel. And when I say old style, I mean really old style. They can really use some renovations and lighting. I decided to dine here for a quick lunch and ordered the Hunan Chicken. The portion was average, the price was descent and the food was disappointing. The taste and flavor were simply non existent. Now I did notice their statement of low sodium cuisine but this was just plain bland. In all of my years of having chinese food as my fave guilty pleasure, I have NEVER had to add soy sauce to a single dish. In this case, I couldnt go on without soy sauce. I have definitely had better and the next time I get a hankering for chinese cuisine, I will continue to taipei tokyo. I will not be back.
(2)
Roberto N.
Some of the best Pepper Beef, Kung Pao Chicken, and Hot and Sour Soup I've ever had anywhere ! Now, I'm not fooling around here. I eat a lot of Chinese, and sure enough, Su K has also eaten here and given it high marks. Although the interior is nothing to write home about, the place is clean, and the folks serivng us were nice. But, the food? Oh, man. It really is that good.... at least, the three dishes I mention above. One of the cool things they have if you can read Chinese, is the massive number of specials hung on strips of paper, maybe 3.5" wide, and 12" tall, which turn out for non Asians like me to be kind of a festive decoration. Ads for some become art for others, I suppose. But, remember. You're there for the food. Portions? they're above average in size, too. Give your Mama a try! But, don't expect any Teriyaki- that's not their name, and this ain't no Japanese restaurant!
(5)
Angela P.
The comfort food spot for Chinese food that is both simple and satisfying.. if you order the right dishes! Salmon fried rice is both unique and yummy; you can expect chunks of salmon wok-fried with your normal fried rice ingredients. Not too salty or greasy! Hunan Tofu is good; most places tend to underwhelm with flavor and spice. Mama Wok delivers both. Honey water shrimp is a dish made with fried jumbo shrimp, baked walnut chunks, and lightly coated with honey. Nicely crispy and perfect amount of sweetness in the sauce. (Similar to tempura shrimp, but with honey rather than teriyaki). Overall, great food, portions, and service. This may be my new go-to place for Chinese! Tip: Parking in private lot to the right of Giant (You'll see Popeye first). Very limited parking as this tends to be a busy shopping center, but it's worth it!!
(4)
Victor H.
Moms birthday = lunch at one of her favorite places. If only my love for this place was on the same level as moms. Don't get me wrong, it's good chinese comfort food but didn't wow me. Recommended dishes include the black pepper beef, baby shrimp w/ edamame, and the rock cod fish in the bean curd hot pot. Be careful of the fish, there is bones in them. Is it the best? No Is it the worst? No Would I be back? Maybe Don't tell my mom this!
(3)
Mona R.
Food is great, nice lunch specials and they deliver. I really liked their shrimp fried rice it tasted like it had saffron in it. Their sushi is also pretty good.
(4)
Jen L.
A casual, nothing fancy type of Chinese restaurant that serves family / home style food. I've been going here for years now, and always have several dishes I end up getting: the salmon fried rice has huge chunks of salmon throughout, the fish soup is tasty although somewhat salty, best string beans I've had in a restaurant, and beef brisket hot pot has tender meat. The portion sizes are huge, always have lots of leftovers. Good place for their price!
(4)
Tim H.
Popular with local ethnic patrons. Large portions and offers many special combinations - including soup and rice.
(4)
John X.
It has been yrs since the last visit. The food quality is horrible, won't go back again. The sauce is too sweet, oily and the food doesn't look fresh. Don't mind paying for the high prices but don't think they are worth it. On the other hand the customer service is good
(1)
Eli S.
They have to be doing something right b/c that parking lot is always full. Their dinner portions are plenty - we always have extra. Our area has a big Chinese population, and Mama Wok always seems to be a hit. I'm not a huge fan of authentic Chinese, but this spot caters to both. Please note - the delivery orders are made steaming hot, so let it cool down when you get home.
(4)
Hunter Z.
Pretty good Chinese restaurant with some genuine dishes. Try the following Beef with peppers
(4)
Robert C.
Highly annoyed at this restaurant. After we're seated, they completely forgot about us for awhile; I had to find someone to take our orders. Then after our 1st dish was served, the next dishes didn't come until 10 mins after... Our entree and rice's already cold by then. It's like forgetting the golden rule in Chinese restaurants. Black Pepper Beef in Hot Plate ($12) - Too salty. Even after we told them it's way too salty, they just ignored us. Scallops with Hot Garlic Sauce ($16) - Just meh... However, they do give you a lot of scallops. Overall - The only good thing about this place's their portion. Service's horrendous and the food' below average. I have no clue why this place's so packed when I came in...
(1)
Dan G.
I work right down the street, so I've been coming here for years for lunch. Pretty much everything is good, but I'm somewhat confused as to why they have stopped offering their cafeteria style lunch special. Every time I came in they seemed to be refilling the station so it seemed popular enough to keep. Oh well. For $6.95 though, you can't go wrong with any of their menu lunch specials! It's always pretty dead at lunch, so I'm hoping this isn't a sign. Ambrosia down the street closed, and before that they stopped offering breakfast, starting closing two days a week...etc....
(4)
Orlangela A.
She said..."This is our go-to place for lunch. My hubby and I always split the general tso chicken lunch special. They serve big portions and it also comes with hot tea and soup. Its very filling and for 10$ its a really good deal." He said..."
(4)
Roger B.
Not as good as it used to be. The hot bar is gone, one of the best waitresses they had is gone, the food is noticeably not as fresh as it used to be and they are now closed on Tuesdays. Some days you come in and the food will taste like heated up left overs from the day before which I hate. I stopped recommending this place to people as I have lost the confidence in this place I once had. Hopefully they can find their way back.
(2)
Dan M.
Watch out sichuan jinriver, I think I just found a fierce opponent for best Chinese takeout in Rockville. For comparison's sake, we stuck to a pretty standard order: sesame chicken, hunan chicken, edamame, and vegetable fried rice. First thing we noticed: the portions were biiiiig. For $40, it wasn't the cheapest takeout for two, but we had enough to stuff our faces for dinner and for lunch the next day. Spoiler alert: it holds up after being in the fridge overnight and reheated. Really well. On to the tastes. The hunan chicken is a favorite of mine when I order Chinese, and this didn't disappoint. It tastes about the same as what I expect elsewhere, with a good amount of meat and tasty sauce to pour over the rice. It could use a bit more spice though, as it's completely mild. The real standout here was the sesame chicken. I'm not usually a big fan of that type of dish, but this is easily the best sesame chicken I've ever had. It was so tender and flavorful on the inside, I don't know how they do it. Incredibly juicy and delicious - I'm craving more just typing this review. Seriously, get the sesame chicken. For the standard chinese takeout night, which if you're anything like me, you have to have every couple weeks at least, this is my new go to spot. I'm really happy with the meal I had and am looking forward to trying something new.
(5)
Wesley Y.
I came here for dinner with my mom, and we over ordered as usual. We ordered off the authentic Chinese menu. We got the black pepper beef in hot plate, pork chops in scallion sauce,Taiwanese style chow mein, and we ordered yang chow fried rice to go. The chow mein was a bit bland needed some more salt, the pork chops were good portions, the pepper beef was good too. I didn't try the fried rice but I'm sure that was awesome. The portions were pretty large, service was good, the waitresses are very attentive. There were a few items I wanted to try and will be back for it, they have a nice sized specials list and a lot of things looked good off it. I will definitely be back to check out the lunch special as well. After dinner with my mom we stopped by bread corner had to do it!
(4)
Kimberly K.
Love Love Love this place. My family and I have been coming here for years. The management changed, and some of my favorite items on the menu are gone, but now I have come to love many other things here. We always order dishes from the "Mama Wok's All Day Special" Section. You get your choice of soup with every dish you order. Beef Brisket Casserole: Delicious tender beef brisket morsels with clear noodles. Really authentic. Bean Curd Hot Pot w. Rock Cod Fish: For $10.95, you get a WHOLE lot of fish and tofu. It's cooked in a white sauce and the fish is so soft that it melts in your mouth. Also, no bones! At least none in the many times we've ordered it. Shredded Pork w/ Dried Bean Curd: Strips of dried bean curd with tender pieces of pork. Now if you don't like tofu (like my boyfriend), STILL try this. The tofu is so flavorful and the texture closely resembles the shredded pork it comes with. All in all, it's very tasty and you really should give it a try, at least once. Seasoned Fried Pork Chops: Ohhhh how we love our pork. Lightly battered, tender, and well seasoned pieces of meat. Eggplant with Chicken and Black Mushroom: If you enjoy loads of eggplant sauteed in a savory sauce (like me), you'll love this. Yang Chow Fried Rice: Comes with chicken and shrimp. No soy sauce, that's how we like it. Not on the "Mama Wok's All Day Special" Section. Can be found under rice dishes. This dish is OK. I've had better Yang Chow's. Steamed Dumplings: Just OK. The filling is juicy but not all that flavorful. The dumpling skin is too thick and doughy. There are better ones out there. Their portions are GREAT. Good for a big and hungry family like mine. Plenty of leftovers to take home. Always a good thing. Great service. Our water cups are always filled (love that). Complimentary tea. Don't forget to visit the bakery called Bread Corner next to Mama Wok & Teriyaki. Their baked goodies are super fresh!
(4)
Jeffrey S.
Tried twice and stop going there for awhile, average food, nothing special that makes me wants to come back.
(3)
Kimberley W.
Beef with black bean sauce, shrimp lo mein, and cashew chicken were all delicious. Service was quick and friendly. Dumplings were also good. Will definitely go again. Wish it was closer to Montgomery Village!
(4)
Mengni D.
The food here is so sucks, don't come here!!!!!!!!!!! I won't come here again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!!!!!!!i never eat so shit food before, again! Never come here
(1)
Jeff T.
I never really thought of this place as a Taiwanese restaurant. Maybe this is because I am Taiwanese and "Taiwanese" food just seems like "food" to me. Like, you wouldn't go up to a white person at a burger place and ask, "How are you enjoying your United States food?" I guess. Regardless, the food here satisfies the three tenets of good Chinese cooking: hot, flavorful, and voluminous. The black pepper beef comes with mushrooms and basil (which I guess sounds pretty Taiwanese in restrospect). Some of my other favorite dishes include the cod-tofu-mustard leaves in a clay pot, and the shrimp and yellow chive rolls. Every dish here has its own distinct flavor profile and they all hit the proverbial "spot." And yay, free soup! I've been coming here ever since I was about 5, and probably even before that - I just didn't have any crystallized intelligence then. Remarkably, the food has not changed one iota. What has changed are the prices, which have creeped up recently, and the service, which has switched from self to full.
(4)
Jonathan S.
We arrived, placed our order and then proceeded to wait thirty minutes until our soup and dumplings came. Of course this took us checking in our their status four times with waitresses who could have cared less. One hour and thirty minutes later we still had no main courses so we politely got up and left. Multiple people who came in after we arrived had received their courses in this timeframe which was most frustrating because some had ordered the same or similar dishes that we had. This is the worst restaurant I have ever been to. The soup and dumplings that did arrive were subpar and the service was nonexistent. You would seriously have to be crazy to want to eat at this place -- I sure won't be in the future.
(1)
Mimi D.
I always order Chow fun whenever i go to Chinese restaurant, but i could never finish the whole thing, but when my bf took me here, he was surprised because i could finish all my Shrimp Chow fun, it wasn't a small plate though. I forgot to take a picture. And my bf got for himself beef noodles soup, he gave me a try and it was really tasty. And something that i don't like here is the service ( i think she is the owner ) seemed unfriendly and the foods took so long time even not too many people. But I do love the foods here. I'm gonna try another Mama Wok restaurant soon in Reston to see if they are tasted the same :-)
(4)
Dan H.
My wife an I stopped in one night at Christmas time after we notice how much catering was being loaded into cars. We looked in the window and stared at the amazing selections on the tables. Everything looked so good. Bar none the best Chinese/ Taiwanese food in the DC area. The restaurant is bright and clean. The staff always greets you warmly regardless of what languages maybe spoken or understood by you or them. Good food is the universal language here. Anything with pork is good whether its shredded, fried, rapped in a dumpling its yummy. Seafood is expertly cooked, especially the shrimp, its alway just right as the carry over cooking from the kitchen to your table finishes it off perfectly. The soups are great, deep in flavor and always hot. Get the pork dumplings from the app menu. After soup and apps the entrees are very generous. Just take a look around the room and see what is on the tables and get that. Don't chicken out and get something safe because you can pronounce it. Try the bakery next door too. Salted eggs are fantastic and well as the cheese cake.
(5)
Jess Y.
Seriously, some of the best authentic Taiwanese/Chinese food in the metro DC area. I recently rediscovered Mama Wok's and have never been disappointed. They have a special menu that includes soup with each dish which is perfect. The black pepper beef comes out on a sizzling hot plate and is always flavorful and delicious. It is a little bit oily, but that's to be expected. The bean curd with rock fish stew is also delicious--the fish is tender and the tofu is perfectly fried before braised in the stew. Portions are generous and always make for good second-day leftovers for lunch. The prices are very reasonable and the service is efficient. At the end of the meal, they also give you fresh fruit--nice finish.
(5)
Irene F.
Wait a minute...how have I not reviewed this place?! This place, A and J's, China Bistro (dumplings only) and Joe's Noodle are our go to places for Chinese food!! Unbelievable. My favorite dish is the shredded pork and dried tofu extra spicy and my second favorite isn't on the menu but translated in English it's "fly head dish"..."tza ing toe". Not to worry- no flies are harmed in the making of that dish. It's made with chives, black bean, and pork. Yum.
(4)
Carolyn C.
I visited Maryland over the weekend and this is one of my must eat. The black pepper beef is the best and you have to try the wood ear mushroom with chicken. Also the cod soup is epic.
(5)
Ellen L.
this place is my family's "staple" restaurant, and if either of my parents used yelp, they'd be racking up the check-ins at the speed of lightning! so of course, every time i go home, we will dine here at least once, if not twice, and on occasion thrice during my visit. since my parents know the owners and the head chef, they usually take the liberty of modifying any of the menu items as they see fit. and if it's not on the menu, they ask if it could be made, and their wish is usually granted. for our most recent dinner visit, my dad ordered a ginger and garlic chicken, which was made surprisingly well. the ginger flavour was there, but it wasn't overpowering, and the chicken was stir fried with just the right amount of oil as it was still tender when i bit into it. we also ordered the pi pa tofu which was spiced and seasoned very well, still firm, but with a bit of silken-like quality on the inside which made it very nice to eat, or in my case, slurp! LOL! the most surprising thing about this meal was actually the soup! now, i'm not a big fan of chinese soups since they're usually sweet and sour or just very bland, but this vegetarian soup had some mild spices and flavour to it, with some cooked veggies and maybe a bit of cornstarch to thicken it. i don't know what they put in this soup, but i couldn't get enough of it! the staff has always treated us kindly, and the service superb. single stall restrooms are in the back and they are clean. granted, my family loves this place, but don't take their word for it. everytime we come here, whether it's lunch or dinner or a holiday, this place is always pretty packed which is a testament to the quality of the food and service here. two big thumbs up!
(5)
Tina G.
Check and recalculate the bill before you pay!!! Highly annoyed at this restaurant. The old lady at the front cash register overcharged us by "fixing" the bill. Their bill was hand written, so they can charge you and probably will charge you extra whenever they think they can get away with it. We found out that they charged more than they should've by having an incorrect total, at first we thought the extra charge was a simple mathematical mistake, so we asked them to recalculate and reprint the bill for us. They first denied their mistake by saying that the sum was correct, so we recalculated the bill in front of waiter, they then proceeded to say that the take out bag was 5 cents, but the fact of the matter was they they overcharged us by more than 5 cents. We were pretty pissed at that point, so we gave them the bag back and asked them to redo the receipt, but they said that reprinting the bill will cost them extra transaction fees, so they refused our request! We insisted that they redo the bill with the correct amount, the old lady somehow decided that it was our fault and shouted to us with negative attitude. After much shouting at the restaurant they finally reprinted the receipt, but they still overcharged us, we were tired of arguing and just wanna go ASAP. Please pay more attention on the bill before you pay, they can and will overcharge you if you are not careful, it is their way to earn more profit without causing customers' attention! We have been to this place a few times prior, but after the way they handled the situation, we felt that the restaurant is dishonest. We will never go there!
(1)
Sabrina B.
I tried this restaurant on the basis of the Yelp! four star rating. I had a yen for sweet and sour pork. But this turned out to be a restaurant where the sweet and sour pork entry on the menu had been covered over with typing correction tape! I asked the server and could not understand her explanation of why it was no longer on the menu. I ordered sweet and sour chicken instead. It was disappointing, perhaps primarily because I am not a fan of chicken unless it is really good chicken preparation. This was not. It was all white meat but it was dry and tasteless under the batter. The sauce and vegetables were lovely. If this had been sweet and sour pork, it would have been quite tasty indeed. But I left somewhat disappointed.
(2)
Lena P.
I went here with my mom's friend who is Taiwanese so I was definitely expecting some good food, and that's what I got. We ordered the black pepper beef, the tofu/white cod dish, and sweet and sour pork. I also had the tomato/egg soup, which I thought was quite tasty. The black pepper beef and the tofu/white cod dish were pretty authentic in comparison to what I've had back in Taiwan. Obviously the sweet and sour pork is an Americanized dish. I am not usually a fan of sweet and sour pork, but even I liked their version. Their portions were huge - in our 3 people party, we ended up taking about half of the food home for leftovers- a definite plus in my book. The food overall wasn't outstanding but still good quality and when I come back to Rockville I'd definitely make a visit to this place again.
(4)
Johnson H.
Food is good, portions are large, and they've been consistent over the years. On my most recent visit (past Saturday of this post) accompanied by two friends. We ordered three dishes. Pea leaves w/ garlic, string beans w/ shredded pork, and singapore rice noodle. Unbeknownst to us we had just ordered enough food to feed 5-6 people. (it has been a while since we've last ordered family style here okay?) the stir fried pea leaves and string beans w/ pork were great! Not greasy tasting like a lot of other chinese restaurants in the DC/MD/VA area. Their singapore rice noodle dish is a little different here. They use what seemed to be the cellophane noodles and not the typical rice vermicelli noodles most if not all chinese restaurants would use. it wasn't a bad choice on there part, it's just different. The flavor from the curry was on the mild side so for that reason I say it wasn't the best singapore rice noodle dish I've ever had. All in all it is a good place to eat if only it was more visible from Rockville Pike would I be reminded to pull in when I'm driving through these parts.
(4)
Kathy C.
Great food! Szechuan chicken was not as spicy as I expected, and it actually tasted kind of sweet. Also got some beef with wide, flat noodles, curry chicken, and tofu with bok choy. All of it was tasty. They treated us with complimentary soup, and the hot and sour was really good here! Even the orange that came out for "dessert" at the end was very sweet and good. I see myself having cravings for this place in the future.
(4)
Lucy X.
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in the area. The quality and taste of the food here is absolutely up to par in terms of GOOD, authentic Chinese food. Nearly every single dish that was ordered had distinctively its own taste, which is especially important when you're at a Chinese restaurant and you order so many dishes (7+), where each dish on the table can quickly be lost & forgotten if upon first impression it isn't so great. But at Mama Wok, I felt the need to taste every dish at least twice. My favorites of the night would definitely have to be the Tie Ban Niu (which I believe is the Black Peppered Beef on stone plate) and the shrimp egg rolls. I particularly love the two sauces that it came with, yum! Definitely will be coming back again and again!
(5)
Natasha S.
Because this is close to my office, I've both been here for lunch as well as ordered delivery. Both experiences have been good. They have a wide selection in Chinese and Taiwanese dishes. I've ordered a few of the Taiwanese style Noodle dishes, fried bean curd with Chinese broccoli, eggplant with basil and some of the soups. I thought everything was pretty good. I am not a fan of general tso's chicken, but I tasted this dish from someone else who ordered and it was pretty good. I liked that it was a little more spicier than sweet. The prices are decent, but for lunch specials they give you more bang for your buck! Delivery is always quick and painless. Only complaint I really have, is 2 out of 6 times I have ordered delivery from them, they have forgotten to include the steamed rice. So a suggestion, remind them when ordering to include it!
(4)
SY Y.
First of all, there are three Mama Woks in the area, and make sure when you are meeting friends or calling to make a reservation that this is the right Mama Work that you have in mind. We had a large group here (14 people) and they were quite accommodating to us (changing tables, joining two tables, etc). I love their black pepper beef in hot plate. The beef was very tender, and the sauce was good. It also comes with onions and mushrooms. Their three cup chicken was not that good as compared to Bob 66 but it's decent enough. The portions are huge, so ordered accordingly. I also like they serve soup before the meal, and fruit at the end of the meal. A nice touch for sure!
(4)
Puja L.
Had I reviewed this place before they dropped their sushi bar, I would have easily given it 4 stars. I loved coming here and sitting in a corner - grading papers and eating my $3.50/roll california rolls. Sipping on jasmine tea. Hanging out. It was wonderful. Their chinese food has always been just ok to me: nothing particularly exciting to me (but never too disappointing either). I do know a few Asian organizations that come here regularly, so the community has given them their vote of confidence! It's a really low key place, with the same Corelle plates many people have at home and the typical round Chinese tables that are perfect for families. Their prices are reasonable, as is the food. But, I reeeeaaaaally miss my sushi :(
(3)
Wei Z.
Love this place. Great spot for dinner and a cozy place to take the family. Try the chow mien for their signature dishes
(5)
David H.
Okay, even though my dad is the chef here at Mama Wok (the off off 355), but I am def not bias... at least when comes to food critic... I am proud to say this place is the best Taiwanese/Chinese restaurant in the area. Of course I am not comparing it to ALL Chinese food, I go other places when I am in mood for Cantonese food... but Taiwanese/Sichuan style, i go here! Taste, serving portion are def top rated, although I think service can be improved a bit, but hey, can't ask for perfect service when this place is packed with customers! ^^ PS black pepper beef is also my favorite!
(5)
Ferdinand H.
Not bad. Cafeteria style chinese/taiwanese food with self service. It's raised its prices many times in the past several years, but remains relatively inexpensive. The menu is not exhaustive, but covers the bases. It's not the first place that I'd go when I have hunger pangs, but it's also far from the last.
(3)
Ty L.
Second Taiwanese restaurant I've been to in the DC Metro area. Very friendly staff, and the food came out quickly. The restaurant itself has that traditional Chinese restaurant "feel" but is not a dump, it is quite clean. The only reason it does not get a fifth star is because the food, while extremely tasty, was not the best Taiwanese food I've had. But still, really, really good!
(4)
Tim R.
I have a few Chinese places in R'ville that I really like so I put off going here for a long time. Finally decided to give it a try and am very happy. The food is good, the service is good and they understand food allergies very well. Good place.
(4)
Alexander K.
Good value and solid dishes.
(4)
Marc H.
Solid Delivery. Ordered the following: 3 Cups Chicken - Good not great, one of the spices was really throwing me for a loop Black Pepper Steak on Iron Plate - Awesome dish, loved all the 'shrooms Garlic Baby Bok Choy- very good Crispy Fried Chicken - devilishly delicious Fried Dumplings - meh Would I order from here again? Yep, but there are better carryout options based on this one order.
(3)
Ellen L.
I saw this place awhile back when I visited Bread Corner, but my friend's response was "eh." to it so I didn't think much about it. My other friend was like - WHAT!? Mama's Wok is SO good! Soooo, obviously we had to go and see which friend was right :) First of all let me just say that there are TWO restaurants called Mama's Wok. This one is Mama's Wok and Teriyaki. Why would there be two Mama's Woks in Rockville is beyond my comprehension, but I recommend that you clarify with your friends before they start trekking to a different location than the one you had in mind :) So what was the verdict? I like this place! To my first friend's credit, she said she liked it but that she remembered it being way better before. I wasn't in the DC/MD/VA area years before, so I really don't know how it used to be. I just know what my tummy likes now! We got a bunch of dishes - Sa Guo Yu Tou (Fish Head Soup), Yu Hsiang Che Zi (Eggplant), San Bei Ji (3-Cup Chicken), Dou Miao (Snow Pea Leaves), Taiwanese Noodles, and Dou Su Shue Yu (Fried? Bean Curd over Sea Bass). The Fish Head Soup and the Bean Curd over Sea Bass were my faves. I LOVE sea bass and fish head soup so those was kind of a shoo-in. The snow pea leaves must have had extra MSG because we loved that too :) I think the 3-Cup Chicken is better at Bob's but still fairly decent. Yay Mama's Wok! I'll be coming back :)
(4)
Ben W.
I have to say - I'm always on the hunt for authentic anything and in this case, Taiwanese food. As it relates to DC, its really only been a two person race thus far - A&J and Bob's Noodle. I've always had a slight leaning towards Bob's myself. Bob's just has both the combination of great preparation and authentic selection. Mama Wok may be a legitimate contender; we went for lunch and the first thing I noticed was the size of the portions. Ginormous. Any self respecting Asian will know to avoid the Lunch Special or any buffet - unless you're purposely going for Asian American food. But if you want authentic, go straight to the Specials and get help from the wait staff. We had snow pea leaves, chili beef and a fish head soup - the last being just as good as advertised by others. Service is like any taiwanese/chinese place; it works and gets you your food in record time. They're helpful if you ask but they clearly didn't go to hospitality school - then again the check was only 21 bucks for 3 adults at lunch, stuffing our faces absolutely full.
(4)
KanKan Y.
I think this place is 3.5 stars but their Sa Guo Yu Tou (Fish Head Stew) gives it an extra boost. I used to come here so much they knew me and my sister and what our standard order was. Few of my favorites: Sa Guo Yu Tou - Fish stock made from Codfish head; mixed with mushrooms, winter bamboo, vermacelli, bok choi, and a few other ingredients I can't remember. The soup is extremely rich. Gan Bian Niu (Crispy Beef) - This is a hard dish to make. Some places make it with too much breading, some places over fry it, and the meat's tough, and soem place just don't fry it enough. This place gets the texture and taste just right. They pour a sweet sauce over it and serve with carrots. I personally order it with less sauce so the meat doesn't get as soggy towards the end of the meal. Wu Gen Niu Nan (Beef Flank and Tendon Hotpot) - Meat is very tender and the Tendons are cooked to the right consistency. Dou Miao: Straight up snow pea leaves. It's super tasty and great veggie dish to add to the meal.
(4)
Fenny L.
When Mama Wok first opened up (wow - 15 or so years ago!), my family were *huge* fans. Deliciously flavorful yet still light, home-style cooking with lots of fresh ingredients, and freebies (soup and veggie-rice) to round out the meal. Then their popularity overwhelmed them, and the quality of the food started going down - everything got salty and oily and it slowly became just another Chinese restaurant. Then they changed owners. Then changed owners again. And perhaps again? I've lost track. It must have been a good 10 years since my family last dined at Mama Wok's or even thought of Mama Wok's. Last week, after an evening of running errands with my mom and dad, we were prompted by a semi-recent discussion about Mama Wok's with fellow Yelpers, and my dad hearing that they've gotten yet again new owners, but with the original chef, to stop by for a quick meal. To start with, the title of the menu had a glaring typo, proclaiming Mama Wok's to have authentic "Taiwaese" cuisine. Now, I have a theory about Asian restaurants (bolstered by my father's many Chinese restaurants), the worse the spelling and typos on a menu, the better the food will be. At first, we were very doubtful despite this sign that our meal would be good. Although we had heard the original chef was back, some of the classics that made the Mama Wok so popular were missing. Also missing from the original menu lineup were the fresh seafood and produce of the day selections. Hmph. My dad, disappointed, asked the waiter if there was a "daily special" menu (code for "the Chinese menu") he could order from. The waiter said that there wasn't, however, at the counter, were some "house specialties" that weren't on the "regular menu" that were written in Chinese that he could order from. My dad ambles up to the counter, and still a little disappointed by the section, decided to order some "vegetarian" dishes (in my family a "vegetarian dish" is merely a dish that has the name of the vegetable in the title of the dish...meat is always included in all our "vegetarian" dishes) and make this a "light" meal. The waiter brings by a freebie, of Tofu and Tomato soup. Although skeptical, the soup was light and refreshing with a marvelous smokiness that comes from making the soup from good ham hocks. YUM! Then the Chives Stir-fried with Chicken arrived and it was...GOOD! Not as delicious as my mom's - but it was a very close second! It was quickly followed up with a Chinese Watercress in Sha-Cha Sauce and a Cabbage with Chicken - both of which were quite delicious, light, and very tasty! My dad also ordered a whole fish cooked with tofu, and my parents and I were amazed by how tender and flavorful the fish was; the fish was actually more tender then the soft tofu! We were amazed! To top it off, the portions were *huge* - and the prices remarkably reasonable considering the size of the portions. Even though there were only three of us, and we weren't very hungry to start with - we nearly ate everything (yes, all 5 dishes)...but then, that's about par with my family. Heh. Even my mom agreed that the food was "not bad", which for her, was high praise. This is definitely not the Mama Wok's of yesteryear, and for that, I will always mourn a little over. However, this "new" Mama Wok's is quite delicious and well worth a visit. The decor is Midwestern-hotel-chain boring, the service is spotty (although our waiter was quite wonderful and funny), and the "regular" menu is filled with the ubiquitous standards of American-Chinese restaurants. However, if you're not shy about asking about the "daily specials" and asking the cranky lady at the counter to translate the Chinese menu - you will be in for a real treat! Crisp, clean, fresh flavors...almost as good as Mama's! P.S. Yes, I always say that I can't review any Chinese restaurants because my family usually knows the owners or at least the majority of the staff - so we always get special service and special dishes not on *any* menu. However, we came to Mama's incognito - and while my dad knows the chef, he didn't actually see the chef or say "hi", so we didn't get "special service" - so I feel confident that we got a typical experience as would any other Yelper or diner. Finally - my dad doesn't know the owners (or at least, doesn't know who the new owners are), so I can write this review without getting killed by my dad or any of his friends (my "uncles") :D
(4)
A K.
Hot and sour soup had lots of ingredients including chicken but a weird taste, probably sitting out all day. General tso's chicken was dry. Spring rolls and chicken with eggplant were average. Vegetable lo mein was decent, lot more vegetables than noodles though. Did not give rice with any dishes.
(3)
David M.
Great for in home date! Not, the best chinese I have ever ate. But, good for an easy laid back evening.
(3)
Georgia R.
Delivery was super fast and food was delicious!! The dumplings could of been a little better. But overall really good.
(4)
Su K.
Note: There's also a Mama Wok on Key West Ave. This location has "Mama Work & Teriyaki" on the windows. ------------------------------- Fact: I never leave a Chinese restaurant w/ a smile on my face unless A) I get a super awesome fortune, e.g., You have mystical powers...in bed or B) I'm in an MSG-induced coma. This was true until this past weekend when I left Mama Wok with a beaming smile. Random Pre-review Musing: I find that Chinese restaurants are strange beasts. For one, every Chinese person I know says that what you eat @ a Chinese restaurant isn't REAL Chinese food. They say dim sum is close but that's like the Chinese Happy Hour or Hong Kong Bar Bites - not really my bag of chrysanthemum tea. Non-Chinese swear that chicken wings and fries are a Chinese staple and that they love Chinese food, while REAL Chinese people adamantly hold to the fact that what they are eating is American-ized Chinese food. Maybe Chinese American Food or ABC Food can be a compromise? And finally, as with most Asian restaurants, you get a different experience if you A) come w/ parents or B) someone who speaks the language. But unlike Korean restaurants, EVERY "fine" Chinese restaurant seems to have some secret menu that only true Chinese people know about and if you know an item from said menu, you must be Chinese. For example, my wife and I LOVE snow pea leaves. If I ask for it at a restaurant, the server immediately repeats what he/she thinks I meant in Chinese. When I respond with a "Ugh~ I'm not Chinese, I just like snow pea leaves" look, they scowl @ me as if I've broken some secret Chinese code. Well folks, I'm here to tell ya that I've been to the promised land and it is good! I'm a bit torn about this review as I'm sure the Mama Mob will come kill me for divulging such an ancient secret but here goes. Go here and order the following (I tried to get it as phonetically as possible, but it was from my guy friends, so for all I know, you could be saying I poop my pants on a regular basis): 1) D'oh (kinda like Homer but not as emphatic) Meow (yeah, like a kitten) ($11.95) - snow pea leaves w/ sauteed garlic. 2) Shiang Soo Gee Pie ($9.95) - the most glorious fried chicken EVER! It makes Popeyes look like chicken turds - and I love that chicken from Popeyes. Incredibly crisp and juicy! I hear that this chef moved from some place near White Flint to here and brought it with them. I'm telling you, these Chinese restaurants are warring factions! I've also heard good things about Bon Chon Chicken, but this place only takes about 5-10 minutes to cook it rather than 25-35. 3) Hay Jiao TeeYeah Baan Ngo ($9.95) - literally translated: black pepper iron plate beef, OMG! Some of the most tender beef, sauteed in a yummy sauce w/ onions and mushrooms. I poured the leftover sauce in my rice bowl. If worse comes to worse, I posted pics so print them out and tell your server: Make this happen! Shieh shieh! Also, their hot peppers are GREAT! Don't order the hot and sour/egg drop soups or you'll blow your cover! For those who don't want to divulge from all things Hunan, they have the typical dishes as well. Service - If you try to speak Chinese, your servers will either A) laugh at you hysterically and think you are endearing or B) laugh at you hysterically and kick you out. Location - a bit far up the Pike. Decor ain't much to look at but you won't care. Finally, you'll find mostly Chinese people in here, which is atypical of most Chinese restaurants. Just don't order the General Tso's otherwise you'll get a sneer and a Psscchhh~! Stupid Americans!
(5)
Chris N.
Solid taiwanese food - while still americanized it tends to have fresh ingredients and a wide selection of dishes. Overall I would say this is one of the better chinese/taiwanese places in the Rockville area.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
C Q.
Depending on who was behind the cash register and the lunch box counter, they could be really cold/unfriendly. Even when speaking Chinese to them, they answer with the shortest possible answers. The box lunch was expensive and not very good. I ordered rice noodle and Hunan Chicken and Kung Pao Chicken (there weren't that many selections). They ran out of the rice noodle, so I was told to wait. After sitting there for 10 minutes, I saw the kitchen staff came out with the rice noodle. I had to go remind them that I was waiting for the rice noodle in my box lunch (They were not very busy, so it's not like they would forget). The lady put the rice noodle in the box, then just handed to me (without a word). The rice noodle was dry with not much else besides rice noodle. The Hunan chicken and Kung Pao Chicken was basically chicken with brown sauce. And it was just not good. On top of that, the lunch was $7.50+, which was a few dollars more than Kam Sam, Maxim or New Asia. I will not go there again.
(2)I C.
My bf and I are big fans of this place. If we lived closer we'd be there at least once a week. It's good authentic Taiwanese food. I like it better than Bob's noodle right down the road. The portions are much better, they give you soup with your entrees, and they accept credit cards (unlike Bob's Noodle). They wont charge you for extra white rice if you ask for it like some places that I've been. We recommend the Intestines w/ sour cabbage, sea bass, chives and shrimp rolls (it's a house specialty), stirfry loofah w/ lil shrimpies, OHHHH the 3-cup chicken makes my mouth water.
(4)Steven G.
Kung Pao Chicken (chinese style) is one of my favorite dishes here. It's more authentic than the fast take-out places but I still recomend it for anyone who might be afraid to try the more traditional chinese dishes.
(4)Niveen M.
First two meals were great. Then the third time I ordered Hunan tofu, which I ordered the first two times. This time it came with pork in it. When I called to complain I got no sympathy, just 'sorry, we put pork in our tofu'. But not the first two times? Hmmm. Also, the three Hunan tofu dishes were all totally different. So, us stupid Americans just get whatever dish they scoop out. Extremely disappointing! I will NEVER order from them again. And all they had to do was offer to refund my $11.95 for that one dish. Otherwise I spent $60 on a meal I couldn't eat any of!
(1)Carmen J.
I just love this place for lunch. The quality of their food is very consistent. My regular for lunch would be Tuna Roll, California Roll, and a side of Egg Drop Soup. The way they make their California Roll here is my favorite in the DC area. The egg drop soup is also very tasty.
(4)L L.
The soup dumplings are excellent. They take 10 minutes to prepare so order early.
(4)Melvin B.
We went to dinner here about a month ago, and thought it was pretty good. We got an order of kong xin cai, crispy fish, and black bean pork. Really enjoyed the fish- large chunks of white meat fish with a golden fried batter- and the fish was very flaky and not overcooked. The veggie was pretty good, and the black bean pork had a great sauce, and a healthy portion of veggies and pork in it- no skimping there. Reasonably priced, and you get a decent amount of food for your money. On the whole, a very enjoyable meal.
(3)Andy P.
Basically it's sorta Taiwan-style Chinese but doesn't go all out Taiwanese like Bob's does. After trying it and discussing with family/friends who've been there we've decided it's one of those hit-or-miss places that does some things really well but others just so-so. My group ended up with the so-so stuff, apparentely. The whole Fish (it was just before CNY) was good but the sauce was way too ketchup-y. My wife makes a much better sauce with really simple ingredients so I wasn't that impressed. We had a vegetable dish that was pretty standard, not great but not bad either. Also a supposedly spicy beef dish. It was alright, and I might have thought it was really good, except that China Star in Fairfax does a similar dish much better. All in all it's not bad, but I can't really see myself going back when Bob's is right around the corner.
(3)Peter S.
We spent the whole day packing/moving and were exhausted and super starvin' marvin and this place HIT THE SPOT!!! We ordered the beef brisket in firepot and the sauteed pork homestyle. They're on the all-day specials list so they were each $10.95 with soup and rice. Both dishes were amazingly delicious... the beef was meltingly tender and came in a metal pot with baby bok choy and the tastiest sauce ever with a sterno flame underneath to keep it really hot. The pork was sauteed with black beans (not a thick black bean sauce, just enough for flavor), green beans, some kind of bamboo and jalapenos and was so good we had to force ourselves to stop eating it even after we were full! They are NOT skimpy when it comes to portions and they don't use cheap meat or other fillers...if we hadn't been so hungry we probably would have had enough leftover for a full meal, but we kept eating until we only had about 2/3 of a full meal left (for 2 people, so still pretty darn good). The service was also very friendly and our water glasses were never empty. Seriously this place is a diamond in the rough as its tucked away in a nondescript strip mall behind the Fitz Condos. It's also right next to one of the best Chinese bakeries in the area, Bread Corner, so after you've had your fill of delicious Taiwanese food at Mama Wok go next door and bring some freshly baked Chinese bakeries home for later (or the car ride home if you can't wait...we wouldn't blame you). You will NOT regret it! Search them out and go!
(4)Tom M.
While the strip mall location looks kind of cheesy, the interior is clean and nice, but not fancy. We have eaten here several times and the food has always been quite fresh, high quality meat, and generous portions. I'm no expert on chinese food but it certainly tastes great to me and my wife. Service is efficient, not super friendly but certainly not rude. There are always a bunch of asian diners in the place, a good clue?
(4)C L.
You can get really authentic Chinese food here. They used to have sushi on their menu, but they stopped it in late 2009 (i think). Almost everything on the menu is good, blackpeper steak, fried poke, fish clay pot, chinese veggie. When you order from the Chinese Special list, it comes with their soup of the day or you can choose egg drop or hot and sour. It's good to have group of people there and do family style. They also have lunch special which is picking 2 dishes for $7ish. I see a lot of Rockville police there during lunch time.
(4)Harry T.
Ok so I've only been here once (last night) but I loved it! It's in an unassuming strip mall to the right of a grocery store. It's not fancy but the food is great. I had the beef brisket hot pot(i believe that's what it's called) and I was in heaven. I've never tasted brisket that way before. We also ordered a chicken dish that was cooked in soy sauce, ginger,basil, coconut milk I believe and other flavors my unsophisticated palate couldn't detect. The flavors reminded me of a Vietnamese dish Ga Kho that every Viet family eats but you rarely see on a menu. The portions are huge so we had leftovers to bring home. I'm definitely coming back.
(4)Marco C.
The best Taiwanese cuisine I've had in the DC/MD/VA area. Hands down. The service is friendly too. You order at the counter, then take a table. Then the food starts coming, starting with a complimentary house soup. I bring friends here and they are never disappointed. And the prices can't be beat for their generous portions. Highly recommended.
(4)A A.
If they opened one of their own fortune cookies i'm sure it would say "Try something other then cooking." ....Most of the chicken dishes taste very similar, and the quality of the meat is on par with take out places. Nothing spectacular. Head to fu-shing in Bethesda if you want great Chinese food.
(2)Jen L.
This restaurant is one of the more authentic Chinese/Taiwanese restaurants in the area. I think the Chinese cuisine served at this restaurant is on the Taiwanese side. Our most frequented Chinese restaurants for casual family dinners are: Bob's and Mama Wok - we sort of switch back and forth between the two. You won't find Americanized Chinese food here. Try the yu xiang eggplant dish, which is so flavorful and delicious with realy tasty sauce, great for those with taste buds that crave flavor. I also like the pork intestines & blood, which is also soooo good and flavorful with a deliciously chewy texture. The restaurant has a lot of Chinese/Taiwanese patrons, which is usually an indicator of authenticity.
(5)AL K.
Don't mind the ambiance nor the decor of the place but just focus on the authentic taiwanese dishes they serve in this restaurant. We looked at the menu as well as the chinese characters written on the walls. Finally we settled on 3 dishes-beef tendon, tofu w eggplant and 3 cups chicken dish. The beef tendon was so yummy that it melts in your mouth yummy!! The other 2 dishes were equally great tasting. They served lunch specials as well comes with rice, soup for $6.99 I think. Big portions so be prepared for a doggy bag.
(4)Victoria C.
This place is beyond phenomenal. The owner/chef is so friendly and, if you're there during a non peak time, will sometimes come out and talk to you. Most people who come here are big family groups and so if you're thinking of doing a family reunion (not the 100 people kind, more like the 10-15 people kind), this place would definitely be good for you. The food is amazing if you want authentic Taiwanese fold. It's not too salty not oily. The walnut jumbo shrimp is my favorite dish here. The staff here are all so nice and speak both Chinese and English.
(5)Shirley D.
Two years ago, I wrote that my favorite dishes were the Yangzhou Fried Rice and the Seasons Fried Porkchops....those two have remained my faves, but I definitely need to expand it a little more and add the shrimp eggrolls, seasoned fried chicken, and the black pepper steak. Did I also mention that their chicken corn soup is AMAZING? My daughter loves their shrimp wonton soup - very flavorful and the wontons are pretty big. Service has remained the same - they are quick and polite!
(5)Richard Y.
We came for lunch and it was pretty busy. Waited 10 minutes for a table. We sat down and asked what the neighboring table was eating and the waiter told us crispy chicken. We said we wanted one but he recommended crispy beef instead. So we got crispy beef, fried rice, and onion roast fish. The beef came out really really sweet like almost chocolate/caramel. So I don't know that I prefer my beef sweet but there might be other diners that like that. The fried rice was REALLY good the rice sticky and moist and shrimp and chicken aplenty. The fish came out last and was kind of late but the waiter told us fish does take some time to cook. It was pretty average...like most Chinese eat fish. All in all was an ok experience. But I do wonder why they specifically recommended a beef that tastes like chocolate.
(3)Serena C.
Just had dinner here and I WILL NOT BE RETURNING HERE. The food was mediocre, but one dish really stood out, in a negative way. We ordered the house crispy shrimp roll, which is a chef special that the waitress had recommended. In Chinese, the dish is called éŸé»ƒè¦æ², translated into English is yellow leek shrimp roll. When we received the dish, there was no yellow leeks. I wasn't going to say anything but the waitress asked me how the food was, so I said, well the food is fine except for this shrimp roll, I don't see any yellow leeks. The owner came by and said, oh the chef chops up the leeks really fine so you wouldn't see it. So I opened a shrimp roll to show her that there are no yellow leeks, there are only shrimps. The owner denied again saying she show me the raw shrimp roll filling. She came back and told me that the chef may have forgotten to put the normal amount of leeks and he would add in more in his next batch. She then tries to explain saying that yellow leeks are expensive so they put a little bit in. I have to emphasize that I did not see or taste any yellow leeks. This owner straight up lied and tried to defend her lie. The owner also never offered a replacement or to take this item of our bill. She even asked me if I had the yellow leek shrimp roll elsewhere and that's why I was confused about their dish. I will not be returning and I will NEVER recommend anyone such a dishonest restaurant!
(1)Christopher S.
I've always felt that a majority of the finest and most authentic Chinese/Taiwanese joints I've frequented in the 'burbs function as a double restaurant with the menu split in one of three varieties. 1) The Fraternity menu: The blatant double menu with an American menu and one in Chinese (sorry, no access unless you're one of us) 2) The Detective menu: The single menu where you have the Americanized dishes featured prominently followed by the "Chef's Specials" which contain the authentic dishes (if you look carefully for clues, you'll sniff out the good stuff) 3) The Speakeasy menu: The single menu with Americanized dishes and the Chinese menu disguised as strips of decorative paper posted with Chinese characters along the wall. (the good stuff is there if you know where to look AND you know the secret password) Mama Wok is a hybrid of #2 and #3 since they have a special section devoted to the more authentic dishes and a markerboard written in Chinese featuring some additional specials. Inevitably when you have two sets of menus of varying standards, the yelp reviews may seem a bit bipolar placing the average around the middle. Mama Wok appears to be a classic case of mediocre Americanized offerings and exemplary authentic offerings focusing on Taiwanese dishes (not to be confused with Taiwanese street food featured in night markets and the like). Classic offerings such as 3 cup chicken, crispy salt and pepper shrimp, and shredded beef with sha cha sauce are a good starting point for the uninitiated, but highlights of our feast included the following: Hot and sour soup- probably could have been more vinegary but carries a strong pepper component and the solid ingredients could have been cut finer since it is very hearty but one may not want such a strong opening to a large feast. Shrimp rolls- deep fried beancurd skins encasing large succulent shrimp served with two accompanying dipping sauces, these are a real crowd pleaser, just be sure to make sure you don't burn your mouth from any remaining hot oil within the roll since the heat retention of these rolls was quite impressive Crispy beef- don't be fooled by the deceptively simple title, these strips of beef accompanied by some julienned vegetables are addictively flavorful with an otherworldly texture and sweet beefy flavor that I can only describe as beef bacon jerky candy. Not sure what sort of old school technique goes into creating this dish, but I would bet if a celebrity chef plated these morsels on a decorative plate and an artistic flare, people would easily mistake this for some modern molecular gastronomy masterpiece. Fresh fungus with chicken- there's always a solid dish that's poorly phrased by Chinese menu writers, and this one is probably the winner since the star of the dish is in fact the rustic sliced wood-eared mushrooms (the fresh fungus) and tender strips of fresh bamboo...the chicken is not necessary so vegetarians should gravitate toward this freaky fungal foodie fare forgoing the fowl. Seafood panfried noodles- lots of delectable chunks of fish, shrimp, shitaki mushrooms,and baby bok choy atop crispy thin noodles, it is a solid dish but I think the Cantonese version is better Stir-fried snowpea-leaves with garlic- we were hoping they had the Chinese watercress, but they were sold out, but these were a nice alternative and they use nice thick cloves of real garlic adding to the fragrant wok hay of this straightforward vegetarian dish, a nice intermission between all the heavy hitters if you're doing family style dinning. Imperial fish- served in a metal tray with sterno burners keeping this dish bubbly hot, not sure the exact fish but a soft whitefish similar to seabass topped with a crispy breadcrumb like topping perhaps made with dried soybeans, a very nice interplay of the delicate texture of the fish with the crispy topping that beats out any oven baked fish recipe one could concoct with butter, herbs, or parchment paper at home. Bitter melon with pork- a definite Taiwanese classic, bitter melon is like cilantro, you either love it or you don't, and they definitely know how to prepare it correctly here When in doubt, go with anything listed under Mama Wok Specialties or Chef's Recommendations. If you order something that you can get anywhere else and end up dissatisfied, you only have yourself to blame. 4-5-star homestyle Taiwanese restaurant located within a 2-3 star Americanized Chinese restaurant. Pro-tip: nice Taiwanese bakery located adjacent to the restaurant, check it out before your meal since you won't have the stomach to look after you leave on a full stomach.
(4)Jenn K.
My parents love coming here for food, and they're about as Chinese (well tbh, Taiwanese, and this place is Taiwanese) as you can get. Props in the authenticity book for that? Mostly though, they come because they're vegetarian, and the owner serves fresh mu-er (wood's ear) mushrooms and bamboo in some of the dishes during the weekends, not sure if you have to ask for it or not because I'm always late for dinner. They've got some really great dishes, and some really lackluster ones, but when they get the dish right it's the best in the area. They make my favorite yu-xiang qie-zi (fish flavor eggplant) in the entire DMV - the eggplant still stays purple, the sauce is the right blend of umami, pungent, spicy, and sweet, and the eggplant is cooked all the way through and flavorful. (You'd be surprised how hard it is to get the last two). Their san bei ji (three cup chicken) is dumped with tons of basil flavor, brown sauce, and deliciousness, and the best thing to go over rice, and their kung pao shrimp is also wonderful. There's a couple other items that we typically get that I can't remember the Chinese names of, but their sauteed Chinese green leaf vegetables are usually done well. tl;dr Not fancy, not schmancy, just a couple really good dishes. Service and atmosphere can be kinda crappy, but there's a reason all the asian families come here to eat. Get the fish-flavor eggplant (yu xiang qie zi!)
(4)Sam L.
When reviewing a Taiwanese cuisine, my eyes naturally glaze over several sections: lunch combos, any dish that says sesame, and fried items. What you really want is under the Chef's Special section and the numerous number of special dish signs pasted throughout the front counter of the restaurant. Mama Wok did not disappoint. After a long ride on the metro to Rockville, we went to Mama Wok for dinner (you still have to drive from the metro, just to warn you). We got there early enough to be the first customers and had full attention of the staff. Several fish dishes stood out to me from the pasted signs, as well as difficult-to-find dishes on the menu. We went with three entrees, knowing we'll take most of it home for a 2nd meal. Trout and tofu casserole - the bomb diggity. You get a generous portion of trout-to-tofu ratio and it's really good to have by itself, or with rice. Sauteed beef tendon - one my favorite dishes growing up, it's not an easy dish to find because it's typically mixed in with bunch of other crap (brisket, soup, noodles). It's straight up beef tendon and bok choy in a brown/red sauce. It's great to go with rice as well. Chinese veggies - I don't know the translation of it, but bring up my picture and show it to the waitress/waiter. It's stir fried to perfection, with a generous portion of garlic. Overall the staff was attentive and the dishes were delicious. The prices are more expensive when you pick these traditional fare, so it's something to consider when you come here. I would personally pay a few dollars more for something special. Tips: - Don't order something you normally would get at a Chinese take-out or restaurant. Find something on the pasted signs (ask the waiter/waitress to translate if necessary) or chef's special. - Skip any combo specials where you get rice/noodles with your dish. You're missing chef's true skills. - Ask for less salt and less oil on every dish you order. This is key as you'll have a much more pleasant meal without grabbing your water every five minutes.
(4)Lisa M.
Don't know why this place isn't more highly rated! This is true, authentic Taiwanese Chinese food, made with quality ingredients. The prices are a little high, but the portions are always large, and they use white meat chicken and beautiful shrimp. It's nice to go to a Chinese restaurant where you're not sketched out by the ingredients, ya know? Last time we were there we ordered the yangzhou fried rice (delicious! with lots of pieces of chicken breast and fresh shrimp), fresh wood ear with chicken, which came in a lovely ginger sauce (really special and good), rock fish and tofu (awesome!) and triple delight (good, but not as noteworthy as the other dishes). The service was great and we were served quickly. Everything came hot from the wok--loved the flavors. We liked it so much, my mom wanted her to take her back for lunch last week, and we had two lunch specials--shrimp in lobster sauce and hot chili chicken stir fry. Both were great and the portions were more than generous. Will post pictures at some point too, but y'all should really run to check this place out! It's my favorite place to eat in Rockville now.
(5)Nhi T.
Well, I got an order to go so maybe I didn't get the full service experience, but asking questions about the menu was difficult. I read other reviews about friendly employees here and helpful, but I thought the opposite. Might have been an off day though! Everyone has those. The food was cooked fresh and was steaming hot! Thumbs up on freshness and speed. I got the orange chicken and beef and broccoli with fried rice for both. It wasn't the best Chinese I have ever had, adequate in taste in my opinion. The hot and sour soup was gross though and the egg roll was good! Lastly, the price wasn't bad at all! It was 7.95 for your choice of fried/white rice and entree plus either soup (3 choices) or spring roll, but I got an egg roll, so maybe the interpretation is different!
(3)Angel W.
Mama Wok has gone downhill in a big way since my last visit years ago. They ended their express lunch special - $6 for three items from their buffet. They now have a standard lunch menu which might be okay for meat eaters but is severely lacking for vegetarians. You can no longer choose three items. Rice and soup is now the standard side along with an entree (almost all meat entrees) for $6.50. This is still a good deal for meat eaters. I used to order veggie lo mein, rice, and green beans. Now the veggie lo mein is on a separate section of the menu as an independent entree with no sides. Also, the service is very inattentive. While I was asking questions, the staff was busy serving other people around me and was not at all engaged. I won't be back.
(2)Derek C.
I love mama wok! Its probably one of my favorite authentic Taiwanese/Chinese restaurants in Montgomery County. The service is always pretty good and they seat you very quickly. Waiters work very hard and are always on top of their game. Food comes out quite fast and is always fresh and hot with noticeable "wok breath" that I love. Always come back to this place when I'm in the area.
(4)Denise L.
I came, I ate and I am disappointed. Ugh To begin, the location is a little akward but that's just a part of settling in Rockville. The restaurant is large, clean and has an old style chinese dinning feel. And when I say old style, I mean really old style. They can really use some renovations and lighting. I decided to dine here for a quick lunch and ordered the Hunan Chicken. The portion was average, the price was descent and the food was disappointing. The taste and flavor were simply non existent. Now I did notice their statement of low sodium cuisine but this was just plain bland. In all of my years of having chinese food as my fave guilty pleasure, I have NEVER had to add soy sauce to a single dish. In this case, I couldnt go on without soy sauce. I have definitely had better and the next time I get a hankering for chinese cuisine, I will continue to taipei tokyo. I will not be back.
(2)Roberto N.
Some of the best Pepper Beef, Kung Pao Chicken, and Hot and Sour Soup I've ever had anywhere ! Now, I'm not fooling around here. I eat a lot of Chinese, and sure enough, Su K has also eaten here and given it high marks. Although the interior is nothing to write home about, the place is clean, and the folks serivng us were nice. But, the food? Oh, man. It really is that good.... at least, the three dishes I mention above. One of the cool things they have if you can read Chinese, is the massive number of specials hung on strips of paper, maybe 3.5" wide, and 12" tall, which turn out for non Asians like me to be kind of a festive decoration. Ads for some become art for others, I suppose. But, remember. You're there for the food. Portions? they're above average in size, too. Give your Mama a try! But, don't expect any Teriyaki- that's not their name, and this ain't no Japanese restaurant!
(5)Angela P.
The comfort food spot for Chinese food that is both simple and satisfying.. if you order the right dishes! Salmon fried rice is both unique and yummy; you can expect chunks of salmon wok-fried with your normal fried rice ingredients. Not too salty or greasy! Hunan Tofu is good; most places tend to underwhelm with flavor and spice. Mama Wok delivers both. Honey water shrimp is a dish made with fried jumbo shrimp, baked walnut chunks, and lightly coated with honey. Nicely crispy and perfect amount of sweetness in the sauce. (Similar to tempura shrimp, but with honey rather than teriyaki). Overall, great food, portions, and service. This may be my new go-to place for Chinese! Tip: Parking in private lot to the right of Giant (You'll see Popeye first). Very limited parking as this tends to be a busy shopping center, but it's worth it!!
(4)Victor H.
Moms birthday = lunch at one of her favorite places. If only my love for this place was on the same level as moms. Don't get me wrong, it's good chinese comfort food but didn't wow me. Recommended dishes include the black pepper beef, baby shrimp w/ edamame, and the rock cod fish in the bean curd hot pot. Be careful of the fish, there is bones in them. Is it the best? No Is it the worst? No Would I be back? Maybe Don't tell my mom this!
(3)Mona R.
Food is great, nice lunch specials and they deliver. I really liked their shrimp fried rice it tasted like it had saffron in it. Their sushi is also pretty good.
(4)Jen L.
A casual, nothing fancy type of Chinese restaurant that serves family / home style food. I've been going here for years now, and always have several dishes I end up getting: the salmon fried rice has huge chunks of salmon throughout, the fish soup is tasty although somewhat salty, best string beans I've had in a restaurant, and beef brisket hot pot has tender meat. The portion sizes are huge, always have lots of leftovers. Good place for their price!
(4)Tim H.
Popular with local ethnic patrons. Large portions and offers many special combinations - including soup and rice.
(4)John X.
It has been yrs since the last visit. The food quality is horrible, won't go back again. The sauce is too sweet, oily and the food doesn't look fresh. Don't mind paying for the high prices but don't think they are worth it. On the other hand the customer service is good
(1)Eli S.
They have to be doing something right b/c that parking lot is always full. Their dinner portions are plenty - we always have extra. Our area has a big Chinese population, and Mama Wok always seems to be a hit. I'm not a huge fan of authentic Chinese, but this spot caters to both. Please note - the delivery orders are made steaming hot, so let it cool down when you get home.
(4)Hunter Z.
Pretty good Chinese restaurant with some genuine dishes. Try the following Beef with peppers
(4)Robert C.
Highly annoyed at this restaurant. After we're seated, they completely forgot about us for awhile; I had to find someone to take our orders. Then after our 1st dish was served, the next dishes didn't come until 10 mins after... Our entree and rice's already cold by then. It's like forgetting the golden rule in Chinese restaurants. Black Pepper Beef in Hot Plate ($12) - Too salty. Even after we told them it's way too salty, they just ignored us. Scallops with Hot Garlic Sauce ($16) - Just meh... However, they do give you a lot of scallops. Overall - The only good thing about this place's their portion. Service's horrendous and the food' below average. I have no clue why this place's so packed when I came in...
(1)Dan G.
I work right down the street, so I've been coming here for years for lunch. Pretty much everything is good, but I'm somewhat confused as to why they have stopped offering their cafeteria style lunch special. Every time I came in they seemed to be refilling the station so it seemed popular enough to keep. Oh well. For $6.95 though, you can't go wrong with any of their menu lunch specials! It's always pretty dead at lunch, so I'm hoping this isn't a sign. Ambrosia down the street closed, and before that they stopped offering breakfast, starting closing two days a week...etc....
(4)Orlangela A.
She said..."This is our go-to place for lunch. My hubby and I always split the general tso chicken lunch special. They serve big portions and it also comes with hot tea and soup. Its very filling and for 10$ its a really good deal." He said..."
(4)Roger B.
Not as good as it used to be. The hot bar is gone, one of the best waitresses they had is gone, the food is noticeably not as fresh as it used to be and they are now closed on Tuesdays. Some days you come in and the food will taste like heated up left overs from the day before which I hate. I stopped recommending this place to people as I have lost the confidence in this place I once had. Hopefully they can find their way back.
(2)Dan M.
Watch out sichuan jinriver, I think I just found a fierce opponent for best Chinese takeout in Rockville. For comparison's sake, we stuck to a pretty standard order: sesame chicken, hunan chicken, edamame, and vegetable fried rice. First thing we noticed: the portions were biiiiig. For $40, it wasn't the cheapest takeout for two, but we had enough to stuff our faces for dinner and for lunch the next day. Spoiler alert: it holds up after being in the fridge overnight and reheated. Really well. On to the tastes. The hunan chicken is a favorite of mine when I order Chinese, and this didn't disappoint. It tastes about the same as what I expect elsewhere, with a good amount of meat and tasty sauce to pour over the rice. It could use a bit more spice though, as it's completely mild. The real standout here was the sesame chicken. I'm not usually a big fan of that type of dish, but this is easily the best sesame chicken I've ever had. It was so tender and flavorful on the inside, I don't know how they do it. Incredibly juicy and delicious - I'm craving more just typing this review. Seriously, get the sesame chicken. For the standard chinese takeout night, which if you're anything like me, you have to have every couple weeks at least, this is my new go to spot. I'm really happy with the meal I had and am looking forward to trying something new.
(5)Wesley Y.
I came here for dinner with my mom, and we over ordered as usual. We ordered off the authentic Chinese menu. We got the black pepper beef in hot plate, pork chops in scallion sauce,Taiwanese style chow mein, and we ordered yang chow fried rice to go. The chow mein was a bit bland needed some more salt, the pork chops were good portions, the pepper beef was good too. I didn't try the fried rice but I'm sure that was awesome. The portions were pretty large, service was good, the waitresses are very attentive. There were a few items I wanted to try and will be back for it, they have a nice sized specials list and a lot of things looked good off it. I will definitely be back to check out the lunch special as well. After dinner with my mom we stopped by bread corner had to do it!
(4)Kimberly K.
Love Love Love this place. My family and I have been coming here for years. The management changed, and some of my favorite items on the menu are gone, but now I have come to love many other things here. We always order dishes from the "Mama Wok's All Day Special" Section. You get your choice of soup with every dish you order. Beef Brisket Casserole: Delicious tender beef brisket morsels with clear noodles. Really authentic. Bean Curd Hot Pot w. Rock Cod Fish: For $10.95, you get a WHOLE lot of fish and tofu. It's cooked in a white sauce and the fish is so soft that it melts in your mouth. Also, no bones! At least none in the many times we've ordered it. Shredded Pork w/ Dried Bean Curd: Strips of dried bean curd with tender pieces of pork. Now if you don't like tofu (like my boyfriend), STILL try this. The tofu is so flavorful and the texture closely resembles the shredded pork it comes with. All in all, it's very tasty and you really should give it a try, at least once. Seasoned Fried Pork Chops: Ohhhh how we love our pork. Lightly battered, tender, and well seasoned pieces of meat. Eggplant with Chicken and Black Mushroom: If you enjoy loads of eggplant sauteed in a savory sauce (like me), you'll love this. Yang Chow Fried Rice: Comes with chicken and shrimp. No soy sauce, that's how we like it. Not on the "Mama Wok's All Day Special" Section. Can be found under rice dishes. This dish is OK. I've had better Yang Chow's. Steamed Dumplings: Just OK. The filling is juicy but not all that flavorful. The dumpling skin is too thick and doughy. There are better ones out there. Their portions are GREAT. Good for a big and hungry family like mine. Plenty of leftovers to take home. Always a good thing. Great service. Our water cups are always filled (love that). Complimentary tea. Don't forget to visit the bakery called Bread Corner next to Mama Wok & Teriyaki. Their baked goodies are super fresh!
(4)Jeffrey S.
Tried twice and stop going there for awhile, average food, nothing special that makes me wants to come back.
(3)Kimberley W.
Beef with black bean sauce, shrimp lo mein, and cashew chicken were all delicious. Service was quick and friendly. Dumplings were also good. Will definitely go again. Wish it was closer to Montgomery Village!
(4)Mengni D.
The food here is so sucks, don't come here!!!!!!!!!!! I won't come here again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!!!!!!!i never eat so shit food before, again! Never come here
(1)Jeff T.
I never really thought of this place as a Taiwanese restaurant. Maybe this is because I am Taiwanese and "Taiwanese" food just seems like "food" to me. Like, you wouldn't go up to a white person at a burger place and ask, "How are you enjoying your United States food?" I guess. Regardless, the food here satisfies the three tenets of good Chinese cooking: hot, flavorful, and voluminous. The black pepper beef comes with mushrooms and basil (which I guess sounds pretty Taiwanese in restrospect). Some of my other favorite dishes include the cod-tofu-mustard leaves in a clay pot, and the shrimp and yellow chive rolls. Every dish here has its own distinct flavor profile and they all hit the proverbial "spot." And yay, free soup! I've been coming here ever since I was about 5, and probably even before that - I just didn't have any crystallized intelligence then. Remarkably, the food has not changed one iota. What has changed are the prices, which have creeped up recently, and the service, which has switched from self to full.
(4)Jonathan S.
We arrived, placed our order and then proceeded to wait thirty minutes until our soup and dumplings came. Of course this took us checking in our their status four times with waitresses who could have cared less. One hour and thirty minutes later we still had no main courses so we politely got up and left. Multiple people who came in after we arrived had received their courses in this timeframe which was most frustrating because some had ordered the same or similar dishes that we had. This is the worst restaurant I have ever been to. The soup and dumplings that did arrive were subpar and the service was nonexistent. You would seriously have to be crazy to want to eat at this place -- I sure won't be in the future.
(1)Mimi D.
I always order Chow fun whenever i go to Chinese restaurant, but i could never finish the whole thing, but when my bf took me here, he was surprised because i could finish all my Shrimp Chow fun, it wasn't a small plate though. I forgot to take a picture. And my bf got for himself beef noodles soup, he gave me a try and it was really tasty. And something that i don't like here is the service ( i think she is the owner ) seemed unfriendly and the foods took so long time even not too many people. But I do love the foods here. I'm gonna try another Mama Wok restaurant soon in Reston to see if they are tasted the same :-)
(4)Dan H.
My wife an I stopped in one night at Christmas time after we notice how much catering was being loaded into cars. We looked in the window and stared at the amazing selections on the tables. Everything looked so good. Bar none the best Chinese/ Taiwanese food in the DC area. The restaurant is bright and clean. The staff always greets you warmly regardless of what languages maybe spoken or understood by you or them. Good food is the universal language here. Anything with pork is good whether its shredded, fried, rapped in a dumpling its yummy. Seafood is expertly cooked, especially the shrimp, its alway just right as the carry over cooking from the kitchen to your table finishes it off perfectly. The soups are great, deep in flavor and always hot. Get the pork dumplings from the app menu. After soup and apps the entrees are very generous. Just take a look around the room and see what is on the tables and get that. Don't chicken out and get something safe because you can pronounce it. Try the bakery next door too. Salted eggs are fantastic and well as the cheese cake.
(5)Jess Y.
Seriously, some of the best authentic Taiwanese/Chinese food in the metro DC area. I recently rediscovered Mama Wok's and have never been disappointed. They have a special menu that includes soup with each dish which is perfect. The black pepper beef comes out on a sizzling hot plate and is always flavorful and delicious. It is a little bit oily, but that's to be expected. The bean curd with rock fish stew is also delicious--the fish is tender and the tofu is perfectly fried before braised in the stew. Portions are generous and always make for good second-day leftovers for lunch. The prices are very reasonable and the service is efficient. At the end of the meal, they also give you fresh fruit--nice finish.
(5)Irene F.
Wait a minute...how have I not reviewed this place?! This place, A and J's, China Bistro (dumplings only) and Joe's Noodle are our go to places for Chinese food!! Unbelievable. My favorite dish is the shredded pork and dried tofu extra spicy and my second favorite isn't on the menu but translated in English it's "fly head dish"..."tza ing toe". Not to worry- no flies are harmed in the making of that dish. It's made with chives, black bean, and pork. Yum.
(4)Carolyn C.
I visited Maryland over the weekend and this is one of my must eat. The black pepper beef is the best and you have to try the wood ear mushroom with chicken. Also the cod soup is epic.
(5)Ellen L.
this place is my family's "staple" restaurant, and if either of my parents used yelp, they'd be racking up the check-ins at the speed of lightning! so of course, every time i go home, we will dine here at least once, if not twice, and on occasion thrice during my visit. since my parents know the owners and the head chef, they usually take the liberty of modifying any of the menu items as they see fit. and if it's not on the menu, they ask if it could be made, and their wish is usually granted. for our most recent dinner visit, my dad ordered a ginger and garlic chicken, which was made surprisingly well. the ginger flavour was there, but it wasn't overpowering, and the chicken was stir fried with just the right amount of oil as it was still tender when i bit into it. we also ordered the pi pa tofu which was spiced and seasoned very well, still firm, but with a bit of silken-like quality on the inside which made it very nice to eat, or in my case, slurp! LOL! the most surprising thing about this meal was actually the soup! now, i'm not a big fan of chinese soups since they're usually sweet and sour or just very bland, but this vegetarian soup had some mild spices and flavour to it, with some cooked veggies and maybe a bit of cornstarch to thicken it. i don't know what they put in this soup, but i couldn't get enough of it! the staff has always treated us kindly, and the service superb. single stall restrooms are in the back and they are clean. granted, my family loves this place, but don't take their word for it. everytime we come here, whether it's lunch or dinner or a holiday, this place is always pretty packed which is a testament to the quality of the food and service here. two big thumbs up!
(5)Tina G.
Check and recalculate the bill before you pay!!! Highly annoyed at this restaurant. The old lady at the front cash register overcharged us by "fixing" the bill. Their bill was hand written, so they can charge you and probably will charge you extra whenever they think they can get away with it. We found out that they charged more than they should've by having an incorrect total, at first we thought the extra charge was a simple mathematical mistake, so we asked them to recalculate and reprint the bill for us. They first denied their mistake by saying that the sum was correct, so we recalculated the bill in front of waiter, they then proceeded to say that the take out bag was 5 cents, but the fact of the matter was they they overcharged us by more than 5 cents. We were pretty pissed at that point, so we gave them the bag back and asked them to redo the receipt, but they said that reprinting the bill will cost them extra transaction fees, so they refused our request! We insisted that they redo the bill with the correct amount, the old lady somehow decided that it was our fault and shouted to us with negative attitude. After much shouting at the restaurant they finally reprinted the receipt, but they still overcharged us, we were tired of arguing and just wanna go ASAP. Please pay more attention on the bill before you pay, they can and will overcharge you if you are not careful, it is their way to earn more profit without causing customers' attention! We have been to this place a few times prior, but after the way they handled the situation, we felt that the restaurant is dishonest. We will never go there!
(1)Sabrina B.
I tried this restaurant on the basis of the Yelp! four star rating. I had a yen for sweet and sour pork. But this turned out to be a restaurant where the sweet and sour pork entry on the menu had been covered over with typing correction tape! I asked the server and could not understand her explanation of why it was no longer on the menu. I ordered sweet and sour chicken instead. It was disappointing, perhaps primarily because I am not a fan of chicken unless it is really good chicken preparation. This was not. It was all white meat but it was dry and tasteless under the batter. The sauce and vegetables were lovely. If this had been sweet and sour pork, it would have been quite tasty indeed. But I left somewhat disappointed.
(2)Lena P.
I went here with my mom's friend who is Taiwanese so I was definitely expecting some good food, and that's what I got. We ordered the black pepper beef, the tofu/white cod dish, and sweet and sour pork. I also had the tomato/egg soup, which I thought was quite tasty. The black pepper beef and the tofu/white cod dish were pretty authentic in comparison to what I've had back in Taiwan. Obviously the sweet and sour pork is an Americanized dish. I am not usually a fan of sweet and sour pork, but even I liked their version. Their portions were huge - in our 3 people party, we ended up taking about half of the food home for leftovers- a definite plus in my book. The food overall wasn't outstanding but still good quality and when I come back to Rockville I'd definitely make a visit to this place again.
(4)Johnson H.
Food is good, portions are large, and they've been consistent over the years. On my most recent visit (past Saturday of this post) accompanied by two friends. We ordered three dishes. Pea leaves w/ garlic, string beans w/ shredded pork, and singapore rice noodle. Unbeknownst to us we had just ordered enough food to feed 5-6 people. (it has been a while since we've last ordered family style here okay?) the stir fried pea leaves and string beans w/ pork were great! Not greasy tasting like a lot of other chinese restaurants in the DC/MD/VA area. Their singapore rice noodle dish is a little different here. They use what seemed to be the cellophane noodles and not the typical rice vermicelli noodles most if not all chinese restaurants would use. it wasn't a bad choice on there part, it's just different. The flavor from the curry was on the mild side so for that reason I say it wasn't the best singapore rice noodle dish I've ever had. All in all it is a good place to eat if only it was more visible from Rockville Pike would I be reminded to pull in when I'm driving through these parts.
(4)Kathy C.
Great food! Szechuan chicken was not as spicy as I expected, and it actually tasted kind of sweet. Also got some beef with wide, flat noodles, curry chicken, and tofu with bok choy. All of it was tasty. They treated us with complimentary soup, and the hot and sour was really good here! Even the orange that came out for "dessert" at the end was very sweet and good. I see myself having cravings for this place in the future.
(4)Lucy X.
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in the area. The quality and taste of the food here is absolutely up to par in terms of GOOD, authentic Chinese food. Nearly every single dish that was ordered had distinctively its own taste, which is especially important when you're at a Chinese restaurant and you order so many dishes (7+), where each dish on the table can quickly be lost & forgotten if upon first impression it isn't so great. But at Mama Wok, I felt the need to taste every dish at least twice. My favorites of the night would definitely have to be the Tie Ban Niu (which I believe is the Black Peppered Beef on stone plate) and the shrimp egg rolls. I particularly love the two sauces that it came with, yum! Definitely will be coming back again and again!
(5)Natasha S.
Because this is close to my office, I've both been here for lunch as well as ordered delivery. Both experiences have been good. They have a wide selection in Chinese and Taiwanese dishes. I've ordered a few of the Taiwanese style Noodle dishes, fried bean curd with Chinese broccoli, eggplant with basil and some of the soups. I thought everything was pretty good. I am not a fan of general tso's chicken, but I tasted this dish from someone else who ordered and it was pretty good. I liked that it was a little more spicier than sweet. The prices are decent, but for lunch specials they give you more bang for your buck! Delivery is always quick and painless. Only complaint I really have, is 2 out of 6 times I have ordered delivery from them, they have forgotten to include the steamed rice. So a suggestion, remind them when ordering to include it!
(4)SY Y.
First of all, there are three Mama Woks in the area, and make sure when you are meeting friends or calling to make a reservation that this is the right Mama Work that you have in mind. We had a large group here (14 people) and they were quite accommodating to us (changing tables, joining two tables, etc). I love their black pepper beef in hot plate. The beef was very tender, and the sauce was good. It also comes with onions and mushrooms. Their three cup chicken was not that good as compared to Bob 66 but it's decent enough. The portions are huge, so ordered accordingly. I also like they serve soup before the meal, and fruit at the end of the meal. A nice touch for sure!
(4)Puja L.
Had I reviewed this place before they dropped their sushi bar, I would have easily given it 4 stars. I loved coming here and sitting in a corner - grading papers and eating my $3.50/roll california rolls. Sipping on jasmine tea. Hanging out. It was wonderful. Their chinese food has always been just ok to me: nothing particularly exciting to me (but never too disappointing either). I do know a few Asian organizations that come here regularly, so the community has given them their vote of confidence! It's a really low key place, with the same Corelle plates many people have at home and the typical round Chinese tables that are perfect for families. Their prices are reasonable, as is the food. But, I reeeeaaaaally miss my sushi :(
(3)Wei Z.
Love this place. Great spot for dinner and a cozy place to take the family. Try the chow mien for their signature dishes
(5)David H.
Okay, even though my dad is the chef here at Mama Wok (the off off 355), but I am def not bias... at least when comes to food critic... I am proud to say this place is the best Taiwanese/Chinese restaurant in the area. Of course I am not comparing it to ALL Chinese food, I go other places when I am in mood for Cantonese food... but Taiwanese/Sichuan style, i go here! Taste, serving portion are def top rated, although I think service can be improved a bit, but hey, can't ask for perfect service when this place is packed with customers! ^^ PS black pepper beef is also my favorite!
(5)Ferdinand H.
Not bad. Cafeteria style chinese/taiwanese food with self service. It's raised its prices many times in the past several years, but remains relatively inexpensive. The menu is not exhaustive, but covers the bases. It's not the first place that I'd go when I have hunger pangs, but it's also far from the last.
(3)Ty L.
Second Taiwanese restaurant I've been to in the DC Metro area. Very friendly staff, and the food came out quickly. The restaurant itself has that traditional Chinese restaurant "feel" but is not a dump, it is quite clean. The only reason it does not get a fifth star is because the food, while extremely tasty, was not the best Taiwanese food I've had. But still, really, really good!
(4)Tim R.
I have a few Chinese places in R'ville that I really like so I put off going here for a long time. Finally decided to give it a try and am very happy. The food is good, the service is good and they understand food allergies very well. Good place.
(4)Alexander K.
Good value and solid dishes.
(4)Marc H.
Solid Delivery. Ordered the following: 3 Cups Chicken - Good not great, one of the spices was really throwing me for a loop Black Pepper Steak on Iron Plate - Awesome dish, loved all the 'shrooms Garlic Baby Bok Choy- very good Crispy Fried Chicken - devilishly delicious Fried Dumplings - meh Would I order from here again? Yep, but there are better carryout options based on this one order.
(3)Ellen L.
I saw this place awhile back when I visited Bread Corner, but my friend's response was "eh." to it so I didn't think much about it. My other friend was like - WHAT!? Mama's Wok is SO good! Soooo, obviously we had to go and see which friend was right :) First of all let me just say that there are TWO restaurants called Mama's Wok. This one is Mama's Wok and Teriyaki. Why would there be two Mama's Woks in Rockville is beyond my comprehension, but I recommend that you clarify with your friends before they start trekking to a different location than the one you had in mind :) So what was the verdict? I like this place! To my first friend's credit, she said she liked it but that she remembered it being way better before. I wasn't in the DC/MD/VA area years before, so I really don't know how it used to be. I just know what my tummy likes now! We got a bunch of dishes - Sa Guo Yu Tou (Fish Head Soup), Yu Hsiang Che Zi (Eggplant), San Bei Ji (3-Cup Chicken), Dou Miao (Snow Pea Leaves), Taiwanese Noodles, and Dou Su Shue Yu (Fried? Bean Curd over Sea Bass). The Fish Head Soup and the Bean Curd over Sea Bass were my faves. I LOVE sea bass and fish head soup so those was kind of a shoo-in. The snow pea leaves must have had extra MSG because we loved that too :) I think the 3-Cup Chicken is better at Bob's but still fairly decent. Yay Mama's Wok! I'll be coming back :)
(4)Ben W.
I have to say - I'm always on the hunt for authentic anything and in this case, Taiwanese food. As it relates to DC, its really only been a two person race thus far - A&J and Bob's Noodle. I've always had a slight leaning towards Bob's myself. Bob's just has both the combination of great preparation and authentic selection. Mama Wok may be a legitimate contender; we went for lunch and the first thing I noticed was the size of the portions. Ginormous. Any self respecting Asian will know to avoid the Lunch Special or any buffet - unless you're purposely going for Asian American food. But if you want authentic, go straight to the Specials and get help from the wait staff. We had snow pea leaves, chili beef and a fish head soup - the last being just as good as advertised by others. Service is like any taiwanese/chinese place; it works and gets you your food in record time. They're helpful if you ask but they clearly didn't go to hospitality school - then again the check was only 21 bucks for 3 adults at lunch, stuffing our faces absolutely full.
(4)KanKan Y.
I think this place is 3.5 stars but their Sa Guo Yu Tou (Fish Head Stew) gives it an extra boost. I used to come here so much they knew me and my sister and what our standard order was. Few of my favorites: Sa Guo Yu Tou - Fish stock made from Codfish head; mixed with mushrooms, winter bamboo, vermacelli, bok choi, and a few other ingredients I can't remember. The soup is extremely rich. Gan Bian Niu (Crispy Beef) - This is a hard dish to make. Some places make it with too much breading, some places over fry it, and the meat's tough, and soem place just don't fry it enough. This place gets the texture and taste just right. They pour a sweet sauce over it and serve with carrots. I personally order it with less sauce so the meat doesn't get as soggy towards the end of the meal. Wu Gen Niu Nan (Beef Flank and Tendon Hotpot) - Meat is very tender and the Tendons are cooked to the right consistency. Dou Miao: Straight up snow pea leaves. It's super tasty and great veggie dish to add to the meal.
(4)Fenny L.
When Mama Wok first opened up (wow - 15 or so years ago!), my family were *huge* fans. Deliciously flavorful yet still light, home-style cooking with lots of fresh ingredients, and freebies (soup and veggie-rice) to round out the meal. Then their popularity overwhelmed them, and the quality of the food started going down - everything got salty and oily and it slowly became just another Chinese restaurant. Then they changed owners. Then changed owners again. And perhaps again? I've lost track. It must have been a good 10 years since my family last dined at Mama Wok's or even thought of Mama Wok's. Last week, after an evening of running errands with my mom and dad, we were prompted by a semi-recent discussion about Mama Wok's with fellow Yelpers, and my dad hearing that they've gotten yet again new owners, but with the original chef, to stop by for a quick meal. To start with, the title of the menu had a glaring typo, proclaiming Mama Wok's to have authentic "Taiwaese" cuisine. Now, I have a theory about Asian restaurants (bolstered by my father's many Chinese restaurants), the worse the spelling and typos on a menu, the better the food will be. At first, we were very doubtful despite this sign that our meal would be good. Although we had heard the original chef was back, some of the classics that made the Mama Wok so popular were missing. Also missing from the original menu lineup were the fresh seafood and produce of the day selections. Hmph. My dad, disappointed, asked the waiter if there was a "daily special" menu (code for "the Chinese menu") he could order from. The waiter said that there wasn't, however, at the counter, were some "house specialties" that weren't on the "regular menu" that were written in Chinese that he could order from. My dad ambles up to the counter, and still a little disappointed by the section, decided to order some "vegetarian" dishes (in my family a "vegetarian dish" is merely a dish that has the name of the vegetable in the title of the dish...meat is always included in all our "vegetarian" dishes) and make this a "light" meal. The waiter brings by a freebie, of Tofu and Tomato soup. Although skeptical, the soup was light and refreshing with a marvelous smokiness that comes from making the soup from good ham hocks. YUM! Then the Chives Stir-fried with Chicken arrived and it was...GOOD! Not as delicious as my mom's - but it was a very close second! It was quickly followed up with a Chinese Watercress in Sha-Cha Sauce and a Cabbage with Chicken - both of which were quite delicious, light, and very tasty! My dad also ordered a whole fish cooked with tofu, and my parents and I were amazed by how tender and flavorful the fish was; the fish was actually more tender then the soft tofu! We were amazed! To top it off, the portions were *huge* - and the prices remarkably reasonable considering the size of the portions. Even though there were only three of us, and we weren't very hungry to start with - we nearly ate everything (yes, all 5 dishes)...but then, that's about par with my family. Heh. Even my mom agreed that the food was "not bad", which for her, was high praise. This is definitely not the Mama Wok's of yesteryear, and for that, I will always mourn a little over. However, this "new" Mama Wok's is quite delicious and well worth a visit. The decor is Midwestern-hotel-chain boring, the service is spotty (although our waiter was quite wonderful and funny), and the "regular" menu is filled with the ubiquitous standards of American-Chinese restaurants. However, if you're not shy about asking about the "daily specials" and asking the cranky lady at the counter to translate the Chinese menu - you will be in for a real treat! Crisp, clean, fresh flavors...almost as good as Mama's! P.S. Yes, I always say that I can't review any Chinese restaurants because my family usually knows the owners or at least the majority of the staff - so we always get special service and special dishes not on *any* menu. However, we came to Mama's incognito - and while my dad knows the chef, he didn't actually see the chef or say "hi", so we didn't get "special service" - so I feel confident that we got a typical experience as would any other Yelper or diner. Finally - my dad doesn't know the owners (or at least, doesn't know who the new owners are), so I can write this review without getting killed by my dad or any of his friends (my "uncles") :D
(4)A K.
Hot and sour soup had lots of ingredients including chicken but a weird taste, probably sitting out all day. General tso's chicken was dry. Spring rolls and chicken with eggplant were average. Vegetable lo mein was decent, lot more vegetables than noodles though. Did not give rice with any dishes.
(3)David M.
Great for in home date! Not, the best chinese I have ever ate. But, good for an easy laid back evening.
(3)Georgia R.
Delivery was super fast and food was delicious!! The dumplings could of been a little better. But overall really good.
(4)Su K.
Note: There's also a Mama Wok on Key West Ave. This location has "Mama Work & Teriyaki" on the windows. ------------------------------- Fact: I never leave a Chinese restaurant w/ a smile on my face unless A) I get a super awesome fortune, e.g., You have mystical powers...in bed or B) I'm in an MSG-induced coma. This was true until this past weekend when I left Mama Wok with a beaming smile. Random Pre-review Musing: I find that Chinese restaurants are strange beasts. For one, every Chinese person I know says that what you eat @ a Chinese restaurant isn't REAL Chinese food. They say dim sum is close but that's like the Chinese Happy Hour or Hong Kong Bar Bites - not really my bag of chrysanthemum tea. Non-Chinese swear that chicken wings and fries are a Chinese staple and that they love Chinese food, while REAL Chinese people adamantly hold to the fact that what they are eating is American-ized Chinese food. Maybe Chinese American Food or ABC Food can be a compromise? And finally, as with most Asian restaurants, you get a different experience if you A) come w/ parents or B) someone who speaks the language. But unlike Korean restaurants, EVERY "fine" Chinese restaurant seems to have some secret menu that only true Chinese people know about and if you know an item from said menu, you must be Chinese. For example, my wife and I LOVE snow pea leaves. If I ask for it at a restaurant, the server immediately repeats what he/she thinks I meant in Chinese. When I respond with a "Ugh~ I'm not Chinese, I just like snow pea leaves" look, they scowl @ me as if I've broken some secret Chinese code. Well folks, I'm here to tell ya that I've been to the promised land and it is good! I'm a bit torn about this review as I'm sure the Mama Mob will come kill me for divulging such an ancient secret but here goes. Go here and order the following (I tried to get it as phonetically as possible, but it was from my guy friends, so for all I know, you could be saying I poop my pants on a regular basis): 1) D'oh (kinda like Homer but not as emphatic) Meow (yeah, like a kitten) ($11.95) - snow pea leaves w/ sauteed garlic. 2) Shiang Soo Gee Pie ($9.95) - the most glorious fried chicken EVER! It makes Popeyes look like chicken turds - and I love that chicken from Popeyes. Incredibly crisp and juicy! I hear that this chef moved from some place near White Flint to here and brought it with them. I'm telling you, these Chinese restaurants are warring factions! I've also heard good things about Bon Chon Chicken, but this place only takes about 5-10 minutes to cook it rather than 25-35. 3) Hay Jiao TeeYeah Baan Ngo ($9.95) - literally translated: black pepper iron plate beef, OMG! Some of the most tender beef, sauteed in a yummy sauce w/ onions and mushrooms. I poured the leftover sauce in my rice bowl. If worse comes to worse, I posted pics so print them out and tell your server: Make this happen! Shieh shieh! Also, their hot peppers are GREAT! Don't order the hot and sour/egg drop soups or you'll blow your cover! For those who don't want to divulge from all things Hunan, they have the typical dishes as well. Service - If you try to speak Chinese, your servers will either A) laugh at you hysterically and think you are endearing or B) laugh at you hysterically and kick you out. Location - a bit far up the Pike. Decor ain't much to look at but you won't care. Finally, you'll find mostly Chinese people in here, which is atypical of most Chinese restaurants. Just don't order the General Tso's otherwise you'll get a sneer and a Psscchhh~! Stupid Americans!
(5)Chris N.
Solid taiwanese food - while still americanized it tends to have fresh ingredients and a wide selection of dishes. Overall I would say this is one of the better chinese/taiwanese places in the Rockville area.
(4)