A&J
4316 Markham St,Ste B, Annandale, VA, 22003
A&J Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Annandale for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Annandale for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Annandale for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
4316 Markham St,Ste B
Annandale, VA, 22003 - Phone (703) 813-8181
- Website https://www.aj-restaurant.com/main.html
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : No
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
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.
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A B.
I effing love A&J. I go practically once a week and I don't do that for any other restaurant in my excessively large list. Why, you ask? Well aside from the fact that this place is dirt cheap and thus works with my college student budget, the food is just that damn good. I've tried about 60% of the menu, and I can still say this. Standouts: Scallion pancake, steamed beef dumplings, pan fried beef bun, the seaweed and bean sprout salad, mustard greens with soybeans and I think bean curd skins, smoked chicken, and the spicy cucumber salad. And of course since they give you free tea, why bother with a drink? BUT the bubble tea here is pretty decent and fairly priced. Coffee and passion fruit are my two favorites. Service is great - seems to be the same people working there everytime I go, but they know the menu very well and are very attentive to making sure nothing will interact with food allergies or anything if you speak to them about it. Order everything at least once. You can even afford to. Oh, by the way, cash only.
(5)Rachel P.
holy crap the dim sum here is SO DELICIOUS. seriously. it's been awhile since i've had such a different, unique and tasty tastes! i came with three other friends, we went on a saturday around 1:30 and still had to wait a half hour, but the wait was definitely worth it. service was very good, food came quickly, and in the perfect amounts. my friends and i LOVED everything we ordered: potstickers, steamed dumplings, thousand layer cake, wide noodles w/peanut sauce (BIG fave of all of ours), veggie steamed bun, seaweed and bean sprout salad, thin noodles in a soy-saucy sauce...i can't remember what else, but really, ALL the food was soooo good. compared to mark's duck house for dim sum, this place has better variety, tastes better and seems much healthier. i find that mark's duck house dim sum is too greasy, and in a way, tastes the same. i can't recommend this place enough!
(5)Wendy S.
not as good as the sister store in rockville, md. if i need a quick A&J fix i would hit the annandale since i live in arlington, va.
(3)Corinne G.
I've been back two times and the food has been consistently good. I love the bubble tea too.
(5)Chris W.
While visiting DC, friends took me here to A&J. I was a little skeptical when we pulled up to the place, but it was definitely worth the drive out to Annandale. The food was really delicious and cheap! Just make sure to go when you aren't starving - the wait can be long at times.
(4)Harry G.
Good chinese food, different from Fortune, but good.
(5)Patrick S.
Your bill always ends up ridiculously low considering all the great food you get. You'd think three bags of authentic Chinese food would cost more than twenty bucks. Seriously.. read the rest of the reviews about how good the food is, I don't feel like being redundant, but dang it's good and cheap enough that it gives packing a lunch myself some competition.
(5)Quang T.
Decor: A few wooden art pieces hanging from the wall, other than that it's pretty bare bones, find me a nicely decorated chinese restaurant. Service: Attentive. Proficient. Food: I don't ever recall having a bad meal at A&Js. I've been a customer even before it was A&Js. It's a place my dad and I would frequent just for the spicy beef noodle soup. You often will see families gather around this establishment picking on small appetizer dishes, slurping down a good bowl of soup and sippin away at a bowl of warm soy milk. Other items worthy of trying are the potstickers (which seems to be a staple here), the spicy cucumber salad and the fried chicken with rice. Some other less known items but also worthy are the mustard greens with tofu skin and my personal favorite, the yummy turnip pastry. For the less adventurous, I would stick with either the one of the rice dishes and the potstickers. My only gripe with A&Js is crowd that gathers in on the weekends during brunch/lunch. The wait can sometimes be quite long, and often times, you may have to share a table with total strangers. If you're an introvert like some people, that can make for a really odd dining experience. Regardless, I will be returning.... quite often.... maybe this weekend...
(4)Malinda T.
it's a good taiwanese food... not the best though... i don't think the taste are the same like the food that you'll get in taiwan...even when i order the fried chicken.. the taste is not the same at all... the noodles.. ok... i like how the noodle taste like homemade.. but seasoning wise they should really try to make it more authentic... lu rou fan is not bad.. it's the minced pork over rice... the price is also very affordable... they accept cash only though..
(4)A L.
We ordered a lot of side dishes. My favs were the pan fried beef buns and the minced pork over rice. Be careful when you bite into the buns, they warned us about the hot liquid, but we didn't think it was going to be scorching! Everything was a little to salty and greasy but still good! They have a place in Rockville, MD too.
(3)CYNTHIA C.
I wish I could give AJ's more stars but this place isn't spectacular. The servings are on the small side, in my opinion and they don't really offer a lot of Taiwanese dishes. It's so depressing the DC area doesn't have a great, traditional Taiwanese restaurant. ARRGGHH!
(3)Rowena E.
we always over order when we go here. we try to order for two, but we end up ordering for about six. love this authentic little hole in the wall. it's a tiny shoebox of a place and you'll rub elbows with the people at the table next to you. not a bad thing since it allows you to scope out what they're eating so you can tell your waitress that you want it too. you can't go wrong with the fresh dumplings and scallion pancakes. even the pickiest eaters i know love them.
(5)Azn G.
This place has been on Washingtonian 's best bargain place in the past 9 years (saw the awards on the wall while waiting for dim sum). I tasted the bean curd with mushrooms, pork buns, beef buns, wonton soup and ja jang with wide noodles. The steams pork buns were good not sure if they were fresh or frozen, kinda watery. The beef buns were fried and oily but good, wish i knew ahead of time i was supposed to drink the inside stuff like soup. The liked the honey dew bubble tea the best. The tapioca balls were fresh and soft unlike some other places that i have tired. The prices were pretty good and service was fast.
(3)I C.
I've ordered bubble tea at A&J several times. Each time I am disappointed by the tapioca and the tea. Tapioca is either over or under cooked and the tea isnt strong enough (tastes like water and sugar). After the 4th or 5th attempt, I have learned my lesson. Most consistent place is Asia Taste in Rockville MD, but TenRen is okay.
(1)marc a.
July 4th for brunch was the second time I had been to A&J, and so far they're batting 1.000. Delicious food in general--the smoked chicken is delightfully smoky (wish the folks at Joe's Noodle House could get their smoked duck that smoky and was a favorite. Also quite good were their leek-filled pastries that they had on their breakfast menu and their guo tie. On the down side, their dan dan noodles were not all that good and definitely didn't seem to follow the traditional flavors of the Sichuanese version. Maybe the Taiwanese have a different version? If so, I prefer the hotter Sichuanese style, if not this was a particularly poor representation. Either way they were oversauced with a peanut sauce that reminded me of a bad Swimming Rama I had once in a Thai restaurant in Seattle, only without the character. So lesson learned to skip the dan dan, and I will next time I go back (and I'll surely be back).
(4)Jac H.
i love this place. the 5 stars is based solely on food. the service isn't great (due to language barrier) and the space is so small, but i much prefer this location over the bethesda one (food wise). i ALWAYS order the same things when i go because they are the best: - sesame noodles (aka peanut butter!) - spicy cold noodles - thousand layer pancake (to dip in all the leftover sauces!) - garlic/spicy cucumbers - mustard greens (always pour in a TON of vinegar) - spicy wontons everything else is just a treat.. but i always always always get those and they're always sooo good. if you go, make sure you bring someone who speaks Chinese! and they don't take reservations! :(
(5)Nikki F.
I LOVE A&J! I first at the A&J in Cupertino, CA and it was my fav Chinese place EVER. When I moved to the DC area, I was so stoked to find another branch. I have SERIOUS cravings for their hot and sour noodles - so vinegary and so spicy and so delicious. The noodles are definitely home-made (get the thick ones!!). I also love their potstickers which I dip in the chili paste/vinegar/soy sauce they give you on the tables. I also love love love the scallion pancake. A&J is cheap, fast, and DELICIOUS---what more could you want?
(5)Yiling W.
Good tasty authentic Chinese food that we were also easily able to convince our non-Asian friends with us to try and like too. Went here for brunch dishes and went home happy and over-full, wishing I still had car access so I could get out there tomorrow.
(5)Alison K.
Our out-of-town visitors always demand a visit to A&J, which is great because you can order lots of dishes with a big group. Our favorites include Pan Fried Pork Dumplings; Noodles (thin) in Hot and Sour Sauce; Spicy Wonton w/Hot Red Sauce; Scallion Pancakes; Smoked Chicken; Bean Curd Skin w/ Mustard Greens and Soy Beans (my personal favorite); Vegetarian Delight w/Gluten, Dry Bean Curd & Mushrooms; Dry Bean Curd, Peanuts & Cilantro Salad; Cucumber Salad in Hot Garlic Sauce; and, for dessert, Red Bean Pastry w/ Pine Nuts. I'm a fish-eating vegetarian, and despite the fact there is no fish on the menu I never feel deprived; there are so many great vegetarian choices, mostly on the back page of the menu. We've been going to A&J's (both branches) for years, and have found the same consistently great food year after year. Now they open at 10:00 on weekends and have a special breakfast menu, but we're so wedded to our favorites that we didn't try anything new this time.
(5)calvin c.
My wife order usually, but I love their beef and tendon noodle soup. The fried dumplings are good. Weekends are busy. Weekday lunch is not that crowded.
(4)Lizzy T.
I come here with my boyfriend ALL THE TIME! I'm korean american and my boyfriend is Indian, and he's a real picky eater. BUT, I took him to A&J and ordered him the fried chicken with white rice and he DEVOURED that dish like it was his last one! Also, the red hot chilli sauce that they have, we finish two batches whenever we go there... its that delish. I'm giving it four stars because they have crappy services. The waitresses there don't smile, and are short tempered at times. Its the good food and the cheap prices that draw people there..
(4)Francesca T.
this is where i make my parents take me every time i come "home" to VA/DC. i'm in love with the fried chicken + wide noodle soup + mustard greens. mom always gets fried pork with rice and dad picks something at random. my "big bro" brought me here a few times, and those times, i had the best lunches of a table filled with multiple little plates of things i could try. Big Bro is chinese and orders all these things i never would have tried. (mushrooms served cold, scallion pancakes, mixed greens etc...) all in his language so i have been at a loss when i tried to go back and find them. i should have taken home the menu with all the circled numbers!! anyways, it's so cheap (and only take cash) and everything is tasty so it's always fun to try to find out and figure out what my big bro ordered by picking out appetizers at random.
(5)Nina L.
I used come here every weekend. I would crave for seaweed,chinese scallion pancakes, and 5 spiced beef. It's always crowded on the weekends...expect to wait anywhere from 30- 40 minutes...the food isn't as good as food in Taipei, but it's tasty and inexpensive. There aren't many Northern style restaurants in the DC area to compare it to. I used to go to A&J's in Rockville and shop at Maxim's on the weekend. The A&J's in Rockville has about 20 tables. It's even more crowded than the Annandale location. Don't forget to stop by the ATM, they take cash only.
(4)Janet L.
i love this restaurant. although the wait is long, it proves that the dishes here must be worth it. it becomes unbearable as i wait and watch others eat and smell all the different spices and aromas of my favorite chinese dishes. i highly recommend: -kao fu: wheat gluten (sponge-like) with mushrooms, lima beans, bamboo shoots, and carrots soaked in a sweet brown sauce -wonton soup: each wonton is filled generously with pork and greens in a broth with noodles (choice of flat or thin noodles) with shredded egg and bok choy -xue cai ro si mian: generous amount of noodles with pork, mustard greens, and bamboo shoots -dan-bing: average taste, but very filling. egg in a tortilla wrap, pan fried. -potstickers: pan-fried dumplings. juicy, oily chunks of meat. the flour was a little undercooked though. -thousand year egg with tofu: average taste, not too excited about this dish of it's mushy texture. -seaweed with vinegar & garlic sauce: personally, i thought the sauce was a little too acidic, it hurt my throat a little. - bean curd skin rolls with black fungus: kind of bland, choose the kao fu instead! - scallion pancake: crispy, hot and delicious! overall my favorite is the kao fu so be sure to order that dish when you visit. i usually order more than two because one plate isn't enough to fill me up and satisfy my hunger.
(5)alice c.
First of all, one should know that this is a CASH ONLY restaurant. That being said, at least the prices are reasonable. You'll be more than fine if you stick a 20$ bill or three in your wallet. I grew up going to Taiwanese diners all over Los Angeles, so I definitely miss the food I grew up on. I would definitely say this place is about as good as it's gonna get... perhaps even (God-forbid, from a west coast eater!) fabulous. Um, why fabulous? Because in DC, I expect the Chinese food to be overly greasy and overly soy-sauced. I expect there to mostly be beef, chicken, or shrimp on the menu, and I expect any use of dumpling skins and noodles to be either way too soft and falling apart, or way too thick and/or dry and/or just plain nasty. I've had my fill of noodle dishes that tasted like mouthfuls of cooked dough. (That said, I would recommend A&J's thin noodles over the thick ones.) I am a fan of this place because, even though there's "nothing special" about the food (to use the language of former less happy reviewers), they at least GET IT RIGHT. They don't do anything wrong. That puts them in a different class from everyone else. Their menu's fairly extensive, as well. :) I like their zhua-bing (flaky "grab-cake" pancake), any of their pork noodle soups, their luo buo shi bing (flaky radish pastry?), and their small cold veggie dishes at the back of their menu. Their xiao long bao is OK, although I have sort of a high standard cuz I like making my own... at least they're actually using dumpling skins rather than that strange bread thing that other restaurants sell. (What's up with those mini buns that are sometimes sold as xiao long bao at other restaurants? I think that is so uncouth.) So relieved to find a place where I can enjoy some Chinese food that I've paid someone else to make. * No alcohol on premises; they don't have a license.
(4)Daniel P.
As close as you can get (to the best of my knowledge) to authentic Chinese food in the immediate Fairfax County area. Not a single Lo Mein, General Tso's or (X) Fried Rice here. Their only concessions to typical carry out fare are the fried chicken/pork with rice dishes which still taste distinctly Chinese and not like some cheap Popeye's knock off that was hastily added to the menu to appease people with unimaginative palates. It's super cheap to eat here as well with most dishes averaging around $6, so depending on what you get this joint may even be a better value than Mickey D's or other similar fast food establishments.
(5)Yvonne C.
A&J is one of the best Chinese restaurants I know of in this area. As others have noted it's cash only, and not that easy to find, but well worth it. They don't serve large portions, but that's a plus because it allows you to sample more dishes. And the prices are so reasonable that even if you order too much your bill won't be very big. Smoked chicken---amazing! Dan Dan Noodles---lots of sauce, not too spicy, more peanut-flavored than at other restaurants where I've eaten it. Cucumbers in spicy oil with garlic--really spicy, yet refreshing Seaweed salad with bean sprouts---chewy, delicious All their noodle dishes are excellent, and you often have a choice of what size of noodles you want (thick or thin). Their soups are flavorful too. The only thing I've ever eaten there which I didn't like was a fried dough kind of thing---can't remember the name. I saw ethnic Chinese dunking it in a glass of soy milk--maybe that's the way to go, but I didn't know it. My favorite drink there is the plum drink---sort of smoky/salty/sweet all at the same time, which sounds horrible, I know, but it's an intriguing flavor that you won't soon forget and I find myself craving it at odd times. (It pairs well with the smoked chicken).
(4)May Y.
A&J's is a favorite from since I can remember. It originates in Cali, which is a pretty good sign. I even went to visit family once near SanFran and they were going to take me there until I told them we actually had an establishment in VA. That's an even better sign. It's not exactly dim sum like you think of it, but small eats nonetheless; kind of like what you would find on the streets of Taiwan. What I love is that the menu's in English and Chinese; none of this secret menu of awesome stuff locked away in Chinese only. Being Taiwanese-American, I know what I'm craving, but is it so bad that I don't know the name of it? No need to stand up and point at somebody else's table here. Just order your fried crullers and sweet soy milk for brunch, and declare your independence. Don't forget your bubble tea!
(4)Brendan J.
Well, I've never been to China or Taiwan, so I can't speak for authenticity, but my Chinese and Taiwanese friends all like this place too, so I'm thinking that is a good thing. Someone said the portions are small, and I guess they are, but you're supposed to get a bunch and they're mad cheap anyway. The soups are all ginormous though. I love the Chinese fried chicken with rice and soup. It seems like everyone loves the scallion pancakes, with good reason. Drizzled with the hot chili oil, some soy sauce, and some vinegar, it is hot, crispy deliciousness in every bit. The beancurd with greens, beef noodle soup, and thin sliced beef something? are also favorites. The millet and rice congee is bland, but a good break for your tastebuds between bites from different plates. They also have a separate breakfast menu on Saturdays and Sundays. It isn't very big, but is in addition to the normal menu. My favorite from the breakfast menu are the super flaky scallion pastries.. If you've never had pork floss, it is worth trying in the savory sticky rice roll? or whatever they call it. It might not be your thing, but at about $2, not a big loss if it isn't.
(4)Aaron F.
I was irked to visit A&J only after reading other yelpers lengthy, mouth-watering, however at times mixed accounts of this dim-sum-esque Northern Chinese restaurant tucked in the labyrinth of Asian restaurants found in the Annandale central business district. After being a fully fledged Chinese addict, I have eased off the MSG in recent months, however when a new place opens serving something other than your middle of the road General Tso's I will jump at it. Immediately upon entering it is evident there is little physical separation between the kitchen and dining area. Even at 4pm the fresh aroma of the variety of dishes being prepared seeps into the dining area and hallway outside of the restaurant (A&J is located in a mini-mall location, having a common hallway that extends to other small, indoor businesses). The combination of the smell aerating from the rear half of the restaurant and the small dining quarters in which I was about to embark on my feasting adventure provoked a feeling of eagerness as I sat down. To order you circle the entree number with a pencil. Awesome! You would think this leapfrogging technique of avoiding a potential language barrier when ordering would be incredibly useful, but the menu is in english, and uses numbers. Despite it's impracticality (and absence of an eraser on my pencil) I found it to be a unique aspect. I generally don't eat pork, so eating with my swine-loving girlfriend encouraged me to open up the menu. We ordered the radish & pork soup, steamed beef dumplings, braised pork and egg, and beef spareribs. The radish & pork soup was a good start, it was salty, however this wasn't terribly evident due to the nice flavor (the two ingredients molded nicely to avoid any overpowering) and was served with thin rice noodles. The beef dumplings were fine, nothing that deserves any more attention. The braised pork and egg was probably my favorite. The egg is hard boiled and served on top of a bed of rice and ground pork that had a very smoky flavor to it. This was not what I was expecting however I enjoyed it thoroughly. The spareribs were served with either sweet potatoes or yams, and this added tremendously to the variety of tastes that had already comprised of today's pallet. As I search for the right words to describe the spareribs, they were, steamed, very small, and were covered in a light breading. They could have been bigger, and with less of the nameless (to me) breading. Overall I enjoyed my experience here. Much like an a-la carte dim sum, you can skip around the menu and find a variety of choices that are A. Tasty, and B. Cheap. Including tip our total came to less than $20. Very difficult to find that somewhere else....and then I saw the Washingtonian "Best Bargain Award" on my way out. Holy Ramble!
(4)Melissa W.
My husband and I frequent this place once or twice a month to get our fix of Taiwanese food. We love Taiwanese food and this place is pretty good! We enjoy getting the fried chicken with noodles, steamed dumplings, and beef noodle soup. We have tried other things on the menu as well, and everything is delicious! I gave the restaurant four stars because we love bubble tea but their bubble tea is too sweet for our liking and they don't offer the option for adding less sugar. But all in all, a great place to go!
(4)Justina K.
I'm so glad I found this place on yelp! Let's say, this is not your typical general tsao's chicken Chinese takeout restaurant, but it's different and really good!! Right when I opened the door, a rush of memories I had this past summer in Taiwan came right back to me. I really wanted to order everything on the menu but I ended up getting: Scallion pancakes (warm & doughy, I love dipping it in soy sauce) Pot Stickers (I put extra spicy chili sauce into my soy sauce & vinegar- 8 of them!) Bean curd & thousand yr egg (not your typical boiled egg, but something to try out!) Beef noodle soup (I opted for the thick noodles, a bit heartier than phO) O man, I was overly stuffed with the four dishes I ordered and it only cost me $25 (w/ tip). I can't wait to go to this place again and try their red bean congee dessert.
(4)Frank H.
Unadulterated Chinese food So I read a review off Choong Hwa Moon about this place having the real-deal "ja jjang myun". I didn't do my research because I thought this place was actually a Korean-style Chinese place. So we went in and I didn't know any of the dishes and I think set myself up for failure. We had the ja jjang myun and something called the vegetarian delight. First off, the real deal jja jjang myun is way different. Basically it's noodles, raw bean sprouts, and, julienned cucumber but the sauce is lighter and consists of ground pork. I gotta give up for this restaurant because the portions are pretty big but the taste was just different for me. The vegetarian delight was a very special tofu curd sauted with some veggies in brown sauce. Lessons learned from this experience 1) Do your homework - figure out what is good at a place before you go. 2) Chinese style Ja jjang myun does not equal korean style ja jjang myun. Bottomline: After reading about this place and some of the other reviews, it seems like there are gems on the menu and I will try some of the other stuff. The prices here are awesome $3-7 a dish. Next time I go I will order the hot beef soup, onion pancake, and pot stickers.
(3)Rebecca W.
The food comes out really quickly and not all at once. A lot of the side dishes are served cold and all the food there was very fresh and yummy. Got the chinese fried chicken over rice and it was really good as well as the noodles in chicken broth with green vegetables. The food was a mix between taiwanese/chinese food. They also serve bubble teas!
(4)Anson P.
This place is a good way to get out of your comfort zone. It's small and doesn't have the feel of what Americans are used to for dim sum. The last time I was here and it has been awhile, you walk in, get seated, and fill out a little checklist of what you want. You cannot go wrong with the scallion pancakes. Downright tasty. The potstickers are pretty good. The best way to do it is to pick something on the menu you would never order and get it. Good way to experiment. I love Annandale, mostly because I live here. I like to see expansion in what we're known for. We're already the center of Korean food, we might as well work on conquering the other cuisines of the world.
(5)Gening L.
If you're stuck in the DC area and crave an authentic Chinese brunch, head over to A&J for its famous beef noodle soup, sao bing you tiao and my favorite - the onion pancakes (cong you bing). The food is northern Chinese, but it's extremely popular in Taiwan. Those from California may recognize this place as a chain with locations in Cupertino Village and Irvine, and you will be happy to know they also have one in Annendale and Rockville, MD. i've been to both, and prefer the food at the Annendale location. If you've never had this Taiwanese style breakfast before, be wary that it is extremely carby and heavy, but very satisfying and delicious. (don't bring your atkins friends here) The onion pancake is a pleaser for everyone. If you don't eat meat, get the dan dan mian (peanut sauce noodles, not like Thai peanut sauce but a thinner sauce with sesame seed oil). And you can also choose to get thick or thin noodles. I think thick noodles may be better for the noodle soups, but I prefer the thin noodles for my peanut noodles. Also very popular is the chinese hamburger, a pan fried sort or large dumpling in a hamburger shape (xian bing). If you've had Chinese breakfasts before and enjoyed them, definitely check this place out. My friends from CA who are now living in Boston, drive over to DC... just to get the beef noodle soup at A&J.
(5)Beignet i.
After reading about it in the Washingtonian and the good reviews on Yelp, I decided to try A&J and was really excited about it. I love ethnic (particularly asian) food so I had great hopes for this meal and made a list of recommended dishes from reading all the reviews. I have to say that I really didn't enjoy my meal at all. Now, I have to concede that I have never had this type of Asian food so maybe, it's because I'm just not used to it but other than the cucumber salad which was excellent, I ordered the pork sandwich in sesame bun (pork was mostly fat and had no taste), the skinny noodles with peanut sauce (wasn't too bad but not that great) and the fried chicken over rice (again chicken was mostly fat and not that tasty). I guess I missed something because people seem to enjoy this place. In any case, I'm glad I tried something new and it wasn't that expensive so I don't have many regrets.
(1)Diana S.
Absolutely loved this place. Ate too much food, but still want to go back for more. From immediate glance at the menu, my friends and I agreed that this was a legit Chinese restaurant - not an Americanized Chinese place. I took the advice of a few others on here and ordered the Steamed Beef Dumplings, the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup, and the Pan Fried Vegetarian Bun. My friends ordered other dumplings, the bubble tapioca drinks, and other noodle dishes as well. All of us enjoyed our food, and found it to be quite authentic. The price is also one you can't find anywhere else. However, watch out.... Cash only! Will definitely be returning again.
(4)Haiguang D.
A hidden gem in Annandale. Costs much less than any other Chinese restaurants but has a much more worthy recipe. Mainly provide noodles and other Chinese wheaten food, such as steamed buns, panfried dumplings, etc. Their beef (and/or tendon) noodles soup is probably the most authentic with the lowest price (7.25 for a big bowl) in the whole DC area. Dan dan mien is also very good. They offer fantastic appetizers, cucumber salad, sliced pork ears and other ones are all very delicious and go well with wine or beer (they don't provide alcohol so you'd better carry out their appetizers.) Very busy during dinner hours so be there early.
(4)Jack F.
Kevin L. reminded me about the A & J's over by Annadale and its reputation for being the better restaurant (see my review on A & J - Rockville). I don't' think the food is anybetter down in Virginia but I do know that it's located in a really cool shopping "mall" complete with its own bakery and a grocery store. It's an all-in-one spot. And get this, the this A & J has its own bubble tea take-out window. But at the same time, its Annadale. When I go to Annadale, I want bon chon and all the Korean goodness I can stuff myself with. So whereas this A & J is just as good as the one over in Rockville, I'm simply not as compelled to drive to Annadale for Chinese food. 4 Stars - A great place (equal if not greater than the Rockville place). I highly recommend it if you're in the area and craving Chinese food.
(4)Alison L.
Happy as a clam... would be the way to describe how I felt after our dinner. FYI- they close at 9pm... every night. We chose the Spicy beef noodle soup, zha jian mian, wonton soup, potsickers, green onion pancake and xiao long bao. All were awesome. The prices were very decent. The noodle bowls had a solid amount of noodles. The potstickers didn't look the best, but they tasted good. (weren't overly doughy like lots of other places). The xiao long baos weren't quite "soup dumplings" but more so steamed dumplings. tasty nonetheless. (I'll have to trek to NYC for the good stuff). Green onion pancake was good.. little on the thick side. Since we went right before it was to close, there were empty tables. However, I can only imagine how packed the places gets since it's such a small joint. Customer service was excellent. Especially since they were closing the kitchen right after we ordered, they were very polite in letting us know that.
(4)Lindsey H.
Nope. Food bad.
(1)Vivian C.
For a Saturday afternoon, my family and I were glad we could get a table at this small restaurant. Despite its size, A&J is a great place for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, late night..whenever! Their zha jiang mian is DELICIOUS. They put a lot of meat on the noodles; sho, I was one happy eater! Their niu rou xiang bing (beef hamburger) is smaller than when I had it last. Nevertheless it's still good. I also tried the vegetarian hamburger filled with vegetable and noodles. Very flavorful, as well. Their milk bubble tea is sweet. It's nice how they don't give you too much ice so it'll take up the whole cup. The service was good. It's always to see the same ladies everytime I come back to this place.
(5)Amine A.
Been to A&J several times and I've never been disappointed; belly is full with delicious food and wallet still got $$ in it. ;-) Really, I don't know how they stay in business with such low prices. Always been there with a group and end up paying around $12-15/person with tax and tip. I think I've just about ordered everything on the menu and I've never not liked any item. If I have to pick a favorite, it has to be the fried chicken. The only negative is that they close at 9PM which is early for my dining habits.
(4)Linda P.
Love this place. Food is cheap, fast, and yummy. Just make sure you bring cash.
(5)Stacy J.
Priscilla F.'s review encapsulates what everyone needs to know about A & Js, though I will add a few additional tid bits: Parking = I try to park away from other cars when I can. The parking spots are tight and frankly, I don't really trust the parkers here. Price = Dirt Cheap ... yup! Enough to try anything and everything on the menu! Service = I come in here not expecting much and am always super happy with the service. They're fast and on top of things. I appreciate that they pack your to-gos for you as well. Quality = Enough to make you leave happy :) Totally. A & Js makes me reaaaally happy. Does anyone happen to know why it's called A & J's?
(4)Alicia G.
I was visiting some family friends in Springfield and they took me out to lunch at A&J. I could tell from the moment we parked the car that it was going to be awesome. I spent a semester in China a few years ago and the moment we walked in the door of the restaurant, I felt like I had just been transported to a busy, crowded restaurant that I had frequented in Beijing. The place was what you would describe in Chinese as "re nao" (lively/loud, bustling). The menu is in English, Pinyin and Chinese characters. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I remembered. The four of us ordered the fried pork dumplings, the steamed beef dumplings, and various noodle bowls. I had the pork noodle bowl and it was delicious. There were some other things on the menu that I would have liked to have ordered - foods that I had eaten a lot in Beijing - but it would have been too much at the time. We were all really full from what we already had. All I could think about the entire time I ate was how excited I was to have found the most authentic Chinese food in the area - and that they have a location even closer to me in Rockville!! The best part of the whole meal was that for all of the things we ordered, our total bill was only $35. Important to note that they only take cash - will need to remember this for future visits. Ahhhh I am so so happy. A&J will meet my real Chinese food cravings until I get to China next summer!
(5)Trabbit L.
I want one near me ASAP After spotting the "braised pork over rice with braised egg" for $3 or something crazy cheap, my curiousity made me order it. It came perfectly bare and well proportioned. The food tasted just how a simple home-cooked meal should. Well seasoned pork and egg + perfectly cooked rice with a tiny mound of pickled vegetables. We also ordered some little things to share. Beef tendon with garlic sauce was very nicely spiced. Husband had fried pork chop over rice, and cousin ordered her usual noodles. Everyone was happy with their choice, and the little $3 rice bowl satisfied me just great. Cheapest tasty food I'd had in a while. Would love to go back on a very hungry day and try everything on their menu! I tried "chinese herb plum" bubble drink. Tasted odd (the way most herbal things do), and I loved it!
(5)David A.
Wow. A&J has really amazing, authentic, non-Americanized Chinese food. I can't believe we've found another Chinese restaurant in the DC area that is the "real deal." I was beaming a huge smile all night because its so satisfying to find myself magically transported to what feels like Asia. A&J has a unique Chinese style of cooking that I loved. Others have written the owners are from Taiwan as well the cooking is influenced by Northern China. Yes, they take only cash and the restaurant is tucked away. But I can live with both because this restaurant is a real gem and I like its hidden nature. We can't wait to try breakfast.
(5)Jane C.
Looks like this will be our favorite spot for weekend treats. Beef tendon noodle (thick) was delicioso, but a bit too salty for me. Everything else was on the spot, love their soy bean milk (salty version) and fried bread, wheat gluten was also great (wish they gave a bit more). Only downside is to remember this place is Cash only.
(4)Andrei C.
Great service and fantastic food. You can't ask for anything better. The prices are right, and the portions are perfect. You will not find any of the "normal" Chinese dishes from your neighborhood restaurant. This place serves authentic foods and reminds me on Hong Kong when I go for lunch or dinner. Be prepared to wait and bring cash and figure on spending some 20 bucks per person for a full meal. The food is worth the wait. Try everything on the menu. I have gone through 75% of the menu items so far and every dish was awesome. The service is very nice but the food is the reason you come here again and again.
(5)Jennifer C.
Delicious. Always good. Taiwanese Tapas.
(4)Marlene S.
I love this place probably because I love Taiwanese food YUM! We always get the Suan La Mian for $4.25 which is basically noodles in a spicy/sour sauce! So delicious. I can't stop licking my lips after we leave there because the taste of the sauce lingers on my lips. It's like I can get 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, etc. just from licking my lips. Great deal for $4.25. Their scallion pancakes are delicious too. They're pretty thick and probably meant for a couple of people, but I can def. eat the whole thing by myself. Their bubble teas are really good and cheap too! About $2.50 for one bubble tea. OMG so good! Few notes: 1. CASH ONLY! 2. Go early if you don't want to wait. 3. You order by marking the items you want directly on the menu and the waitress comes by to pick up the menu and verify your order.
(5)Juichia C.
Great noodles, great dumplings, great little dishes! While this place is known as a Taiwanese restaurant, the food is more like a Taiwanese version of Beijing food. As you know, noodles, pancakes and dumplings are Northern China's signature dishes. The rice dishes are more Taiwanese. I have been to "Ban Mu Yuan" (the Chinese name of A&J) in both Taipei AND Bejing. The food at this A&J varies from the ones in Asia, of course. Perhaps the food here has been Americanized in flavor and of course, with American grown ingredients, and that is the reason for the difference. Nevertheless, the food is authentic for what you can find in the US. You can choose between thick or thin noodles for most of the noodle dishes, personally think both are great! I'm not sure if they make the noodles in house though. Highly recommend the marinated pork over rice, spicy beef noodle soup (not super spicy), pot stickers, spicy cucumber salad, minced meat and long beans (my favorite), marinated bean curd, and the steamed pork dumplings! My boyfriend also loves their scallion pancakes. The bubble teas are not too bad, but certainly not the best I've had. Expect a longer wait on Sunday mornings during brunch hours, when they serve up some authentic Chinese breakfast items, like real soy milk, porridge, Chinese hamburgers (xian bing), and Chinese doughnuts (you tiao). The decor is nothing special but nobody goes there for ambience. And once you have a taste of that food in your mouth, you'll forget about the fact that you're eating at a tiny restaurant located in a weird small Asian mall.
(4)Annie M.
I can say that I've been to just about every single chinese restaurant in Fairfax and most of the ones in Montgomery County, MD and not a single place is better than A&J to me. Everything there is authentic Chinese food and offered at the lowest prices you'll ever encounter. The A in A&J stands for amazing. Simple and plain. Go visit and you'll see that they've won every single Washingtonian Best Cheap Eat award since 1998. But don't just take my word for it, try out their beef noodle soup (spicy or nonspicy, it's all good regardless) and taste for yourself. Just one caveat: they only accept cash!
(5)Wade C.
Without trucking your but to Maryland, this is my favorite chinese food in the area. My favorites are: Braised pork with egg and rice Fried chicken Spicy beef noodle soup Spicy garlic cucumbers Potstickers You should try it out, it is nothing like the Panda, PF Chang, or Kwai fare you can get at the mall - this is truly worth the trip! Remember to bring CASH!
(5)Tom N.
My three tips for eating at A&J: bring cash, circle everything on the menu, and ask for the wide noodle when you order soup. Noodle is definitely not plural because my bowl of beef stew had a single noodle that was at least ten feet long! You can also order bubble tea at the little window in the hallway towards the recently renamed supermarket. Don't be intimidated; do yourself a favor and GO!
(5)Amanda E.
A&Js has plenty of reviews, but so what. I love this place. My favorite potstickers in the area - by far. The dough is perfectly browned and slightly crisp, not soggy like most places. I have food ADD so their dishes are perfect for sharing. Between two people, my typical order is one large soup with two bowls, kao fu (vegetable gluten), spicy cucumbers (with garlic - big plus), either a turnip pasty or thousand layer pastry, potstickers always and a meat dish - either the sliced pork, thousand year egg over rice, pork/beef over rice. I love the fried chicken and noodle soup. The combination draws quizzical looks from some at first glance, but once the deliciously fried chicken arrives alongside a hot, steaming bowl of noodle soup there is an instant connection. The sliced pork (or beef, which is just as good) is a great compliment to any combination of dishes. The drizzle atop the meat is perfect and the meat is SO tender sliced paper thin. Cash only. And don't forget boba tea to go. P.S. I say moderate priced 11-30 per person because I eat. A lot. Not because it's expensive. Actually it's really cheap.
(5)Leo B.
A&J's is definitely a cheap eats place but make sure you bring CA$H they don't accept CC's!!! Most of the items on the menu are way under $10 bucks and the food is tasty. However, don't come hungry because the portions are small, I guess so they can accommodate low prices, and they take a long time to prepare the food, even if the place is empty. My friend and I ordered the fried chicken and rice, the pork chops and rice along with a pork bun. All of it flavorful but like I said before don't come hungry because the portions are small. The other downside to this place is that they don't have any fried rice on their menu, maybe I'm not that knowledgeable about northern Chinese cuisine but I think they should have fried rice. Just my opinion.
(3)Hyunoo P.
2 months ago some Yelpers came here for some kind of authentic experience. While there was a lot of food and good times being passed around the table, all I came away with was knowing that I must not be a big fan of Taiwanese cooking. I found the ham hock broth to be incredibly salty, briny if you will. Same with the beef tendon. If this was intentional, mission accomplished. The fried pork and chicken were crispy and delicious but as much bone as they were not-bone. Once again, i'm a total pleb when it comes to Taiwanese food, so let my review only mean something to other know-nothings. Middle of the road- 3 stars.
(3)Andrew H.
A&J is one of those places that allows you to order lots of cheap, tasty, and interesting dishes. It seems to be the staple around the NOVA area for Taiwanese food (there aren't that many that I know of), but I have to say that I love coming back here, whether it be for dinner, lunch on the weekends, whatever it may be. The spicy beef noodle soup (with wide noodles) is a great dish for an entree, but the key here is to try the smaller "side" dishes that you can order. The fried buns with beef/pork in them (I am not exactly sure what they are called) take a little bit longer to prepare, but they are AWESOME. They've got this juice (ehh, more so oil but thats ok) that pretty much squirts out as you bite into it... its pretty damn tasty. Also, the fried pork chops and rice are pretty good as well. The scallion pancake is OK, but needs some kind of sauce to complement it. I also love this rice dish with ground beef and the soy sauce egg over it (its coated in some sort of sauce, but can't put my finger on what it is). This place gets four stars because its a cheap, no frills restaurants that I can come back to and know that the food I'm going to eat was as good as it was the last time I went back. Its also a great takeout place. Remember CASH ONLY!
(4)Kapo T.
coming to DC, i didn't think there were decent chinese kind of food. since my friend had a car, coming out here from DC would be too far for me... and knowing that there were no good chinese food in DC chinatown, i was down to give this place a try... we ordered the pork chop over rice, minced meat over rice, and (breakfast) egg pancake. i was the most impressed with the minced meat over rice. the flavor was right and the balance between the meat sauce and the rice was just right. the pork chop was so-so. the cut was too thick, not like the real taiwanese ones, which are thinner and more flavor. the egg pancake isn't like what i had in taiwan either (or maybe i ordered the wrong thing?) the flavor for the egg pancake is good. something simple and good flavor. too bad i didn't have enough people to try other dishes. i guess i have to come back again. when we were leaving the restaurant, there were a good amount of people waiting... i guess we beat the crowd!
(4)Barrie C.
FINALLY, I've found a place where you can get authentic Northern-style Chinese dim sum in DC. It's a smaller restaurant, so if it's crowded it can be kind of loud, but we didn't have a problem getting a table (best to go later for dim sum, around 1:30 or 2). The potstickers were only average, but the spare ribs, the sticky rice with shredded pork, and the flaky scallion dumpling were very good. Quality Chinese food. And best of all, it was pretty damn cheap. But it's cash only, so be prepared. I didn't get a chance to try everything I wanted to try, so I will definitely be back. If you're looking for authentic dim sum, try A&J.
(4)Kevin Y.
i like the food, but i thin it's not up to standards if you compare it the food in taiwan. ...but we're not in taiwan, or china for that matter. food is reasonably priced, decent portion, and the service is fast. here is what i recommend: pot stickers: for real hand made, fresh, try it pan-fried beef pancake: good porkchop: good beef noodle soup is sub par. they did not put star anise in it.....
(3)Mila S.
Yay for Taiwanese restaurants! I used to go here when I was a kid when I lived closer to the restaurant. Later, I had moved to a different area and kind of forgot about this place. But I rediscovered it a couple of years ago, and I'm so glad too! I love their spicy beef szechuan noodle soup, the fried scallion pancakes, and their fried dumplings. They're all delicious!This place only accepts cash too, so be prepared!
(4)PC W.
Yummy in my tummy. If you're looking for authentic Chinese food, A&J is where it's at. I was ready to give up on good Chinese food in the DC area but Kevin L. came into my life and showed me the way. This was my first foray (knowingly) into Taiwanese food (besides bubble tea) but I was familiar with many of the dumpling and noodle dishes from northern China. Thank goodness Kevin was there to help us navigate the menu and pick out the best dishes. The scallion pancakes were served sizzling and crispy. The bowls of congee were piping hot . My favorite was the gigantic beef dumplings which were fried to perfection. One bite and the juices come rushing out. This takes some skill but the trick is to balance the huge dumpling in a spoon over the congee so once you bite into it, the soupy goodness flavors the congee. But it can be dangerous, as evidenced by me whose dumpling went plop right into the congee before I could event bite into it, causing a big, ricey mess on the table. The vegetarian version of the gigantic dumpling was good to - fried the same way but there was vermicelli, egg (?) and some greens on the inside. The xiao long bao were good too except they arrived already punctured and all the juices escaped. It takes all the fun and flavor out. There was a another dumpling that I do not recall the name of that was really good - it was wrapped lengthwise and fried as well. We had a few of the cold dishes to start - I had never had cold Chinese dishes before. I am very used to Hong Kong Chinese food and each type of regional Chinese food has its own staples and cooking style. I think I'll have to try it again next time to decide if I really like it or not. The marinated tofu dish was tasty. I'm also not a fan of mustard which seemed to be a main ingredient in the cold noodle dishes. It was $10 (inclusive of tax and tip) per person for our group of 7. The restaurant is small so I wouldn't recommend a group larger than 8 (which is probably what the largest table can handle). The service is what you would expect of most Chinese food joints - quick and minimal. I'm already hooked and there are so many more dishes to try! I know I'll be back again and again and again.
(5)Dian C.
A great alternative to the standard greasy Cantonese dim sum places around which can quickly get old. The space is small, but they seem to get people in and out quickly so there never was a huge line. They have a great variety of food, from noodle soup to steamed dumplings to congee to do jiang and yiu tiao. There aren't too many vegetables on the menu though. The xiao long bao were not very good, so avoid these, as they were not juicy AT ALL. Prices are unbeatable and service is prompt due to the small size of the restaurant.
(4)Richard B.
A great little Chinese restaurant hidden away in Annandale. Very "unamerican" Chinese food that tastes great! Was very pleased with my trip there and I'm sure I'll be back again and again. I recommend sitting there and observing what the other foodies are getting. You can tell what is good there by seeing what the Natives are eating. When I went it happened to by the fried pork and rice. PROTIP: They are cash only
(4)Parysa T.
Cash Only! First tip! Otherwise you will have to go out and get money during your meal. Anyways, don't go into this place thinking you're going to get some fried rice and egg rolls - this is not your typical Chinese restaurant! All the dishes are small and meant for sharing and the prices are surprisingly low. The wonton soup was very good so I recommend that. Also, consider getting the beef bun as it's like a jumbo dumpling, and their regular dumplings are awesome!
(4)Anne F.
No American fortune cookies!! This place is real Chinese Food. We ordered carry-out. Make sure you circle what you want from the menu otherwise they just think you are not ready to order. Anything with A&J special sauce is good. We didn't find a lot of the common Chinese Foods, like Orange Chicken on the menu so we had to go somewhere else. The food tasted ok.
(3)Art P.
Quick, efficient, cheap and DELICIOUS! I've passed this place hundreds of times never noticing it, but, of you decide to track it down you are in for a treat. Start with the smoked chicken and that will set the tone. An important note though...they are cash only. Enjoy!
(4)Evonne L.
This place feels like home to me, because it tastes and feels like home cooking...except at the end when I have to pay for my food, and in cash only too. I love the beef tendon noodle soup (see pic) which is pretty spicy, but just right for my trying-to-eat-more-spice-but-my-palette-is-just-Ânot-built-that-way taste. The dumplings are delish too, which neutralizes the spice for me. Also get the soybeans and mustard greens, which is sweet and fun to eat in texture. Noodle dishes are big portioned and costs around $6 each, and the other dishes are around $5 or less.
(4)Jessie L.
Had beef noodle soup here and the soup had a great garlic flavor, but as for the noodle, just so so. Some of the noodles sticked together. 4 star for the soup.
(4)Wayne L.
I'm not sure why I don't love this place. It seems authentic enough, and has many good dishes. I suppose it's just that A&J is good, but not great. Some instances where it's great is that A&J has pretty authentic breakfast dishes. I really like the soy milk, for example. Other instances where it's not so great is that the dishes can contain a good amount of MSG. I took my parents here one time, and my mom got sick from the meal. She does not take too well to MSG-heavy dishes, apparently. A&J does have bubble tea, and it is solid here. The restaurant itself is quite small, and is located in a run-down looking building that also has the hair salon I frequent (Beautiful Life). They are cash only, and the parking lot is pretty bad in my opinion. Location is fine, right off of Little River Turnpike. I haven't been to A&J in a long time, but for the most part, it offers a decent enough authentic experience. For those who are interested, I would say to definitely give it a shot and see for yourself first hand.
(3)Bien H.
I was surprised it was super shiny and clean, not like the typical seem-to-be dirty, low-lighting Chinese restaurant. Came here at 2PM so there were only me and another guest. Service was fast, you have to circle on the menu what you want. I had the spicy beef and tendon noodle. Maybe I have the wrong because I don't really like the soup, but the beef, tendon and noodle were really good. I would try another kind of noodle soup next time. Overall, cheap, good service, good food!
(4)Donald P.
Haven't been here in 1.5 years since whenever we go to Annandale we almost always get Korean food. It's nice to have other options though. Just like our first visit we leaned over to the table next to us and asked for recommendations. This time we were a little happier with the choices...beef noodle soup (clear broth), wonton soup (Shanghai style), and fried bread stick. Serving sizes are moderate to light, but then again so are the prices. We'll have to remember to order more. Hope to be back here again soon.
(4)Ken E.
This is the ONLY Chinese restaurant we have found in NoVa or the District that has good food. We had given up on Chinese down here. This place is going to be our "go to" place for this cuisine.
(5)Dick J.
I found the smoked chicken really not enjoyable since it had a bitter after taste. The fried pork chop was good but nothing special at all
(2)Jonathan H.
A&J is a Southern California based Taiwanese Chain store that I somehow found here.... it made me so happy. For brunch, I ordered salty soy milk, a rice roll, beef tendon, and A&J's signature vegetarian pastry with chives and rice noodles wrapped inside. Their menu has fewer items than a typical A&J but its enough to satisfy my need for Taiwanese food. Plus the man selling taiwanese pastries out of his mini-van on Sundays from 10:30-12:30 = PRICELESS
(5)John S.
Not your basic Chinese Zodiac placemat, typical Chinese American menu, stale fortune cookie in a plastic wrapper sort of place. They offer some excellent regional soups with a choice of noodles. The potstickers are fantastic. Dried beef is superb. Round out the meal with some cucumbers, seaweed, and mustard greens, and life is good. No beer. Cash only. I really like this place.
(4)Evelyn C.
Since I can't go home to have my dad's beef noodle soup, A&J is a great alternative. The beef and tendon noodle soup tastes almost as good as my dad's. The beef and tendon are melt in your mouth tender. I have since fallen in love with the Suan La Mien (sour spicy noodles) which I am obsessed with. It's just a little sour at first, and then half way through your bowl, you feel the spiciness kick in big time! The residual sauce left at the bottom of the bowl is best soaked up with the Zhua bing (or Thousand layer pancake) which is flaky, cripsy and soft in the middle. Also love the small dishes: Kao fu- vegetarian gluten bits with tofu and mushrooms marinated cucumbers- so garlicky mmm... seaweed and mung bean sprouts- also garlicky :) Notes: - I always get the thin noodles for any dish. I have tried the thick cut noodles, but I always feel that they are not cooked long enough and is more than just "al dente" in the middle. The thin noodles have a much more "consistent" consistency. - cash only!!! - I docked a star because there were two occasions when service was not on par: One night with the hubby we sat for 10 min without anyone coming to give us tea or menus. Another occasion, our small dish orders were never entered into the system, so we got our noodle dishes first before they corrected this.
(4)Tony P.
Much thanks to Michele D who set up a UYE at this restaurant. I would characterize the food as mid or southern style Chinese cooking. There was a mix of selections from both on the menu. I was glad to have KevinL on hand to help us order from the menu because my personal selection of the beef noodle with tendon was not that good. It wasn't bad per se, but the only thing I could taste from the broth was a powerful beef buillion flavor. KevinL's selections on the other hand was pretty eclectic and tasty. We all shared the dishes and had a really good family style meal. I especially liked the soup buns and steamed dumplings. It was lucky for us we came here early at 11am because by noon, there was a line forming out the door. The establishment is not really big and there are maybe 8 tables total. This is place is just good home style cooking and not expensive at all. I hope to revisit it more often.
(4)Susan B.
I'm Korean and I love this place. We go about once a week. The place is medium sized but every time I've gone it's always been practically empty. My Chinese brother in law took us to the one in Rockville, MD and I think I like the food quality is ever so slightly better there which is why I gave this one 4stars. It's a very casual place; good for families. They only take cash. Not your typical fast food, greasy Chinese food- which is why I love it.
(4)Bonnie T.
Great Taiwanese/Northern Chinese dishes are offered here. They also have another location in Rockville, MD. I really enjoyed the pan fried beef pancake, very juicy and delicious. Also liked the various small cold side dished. Come with friends and try different things. Come on weekend mornings go get some traditional breakfast items as well.
(4)Aimee L.
I have gone here for many many years and A & J has never disappointed me. Friendly and fast service. Food is inexpensive and alwasy great tasting!!! I love A & J :)
(5)Shiopei C.
The only place to get comfort Taiwanese food. I've been here multiple times when I visit from Maryland (have sadly not yet visited the Rockville location) and everything is delicious. My favorite is their breakfast selection I love their hot sweetened soy milk drink, especially good with the vegetarian pan friend bun and their fried crullers. I 'm also a fan of their fried egg w/ green onions on a sesame biscuit as well. Simple dishes, but it's just so good to be able to order it up instead of making your own. Their rice ball (Fan tuan) wasn't as special as what I've gotten overseas, but it still made me happy. It comes with a fried cruller and shredded dried pork wrapped up in some sticky rice. Their beef noodle soup has a special "ma la" (numbing peppercorn) touch to it, which can make your mouth feel strangely cottony. I wasn't crazy about this, but the broth is flavorful and the noodles are a good consistency. I personally like the thin noodles over the wide ones. Overall I'll be back again for sure!
(4)Tiila N.
Oh my how I love this place, everything here is so authentic for a few minutes I thought I was in Taiwan. The place is very small( can hold about 30 people) but the food come out very fast it's like they are a super assembly line back there. I don't live in DC but this is a must go to place whenever I visit. I might look small but do not let it fool you, one of my meal can feed a small village. The food here is super cheap but remember it's CASH ONLY! Recommendation: Spicy beef noodle soup- slice shank noodle soup with bok choy and tendon...every restaurant have their own variation but it is very authentic here Spicy wonton with red hot sauce- this is my favorite...the wonton is soft with the right amount of meat and the tangy spicy red sauce really brings out the flavor Pan fried beef bun- crunchy from the outside but soft and juicy on the inside, the fusion of the two textures is what I really like in this dish Steamed beef dumplings Soy milk Spicy cucumber Enjoy :)
(5)King C.
If i had sum it up in a sentence it would be: -Awesome authentic chinese food in the DC/VA area- Trying to find a decent authentic chinese food place in the DC/VA area is difficult. The next closest authetic decent chinese restaurant is Temptasian near Grand Mart. This place was recommended to me by my friends and it did not disappoint. I got the porkchop with rice place and it was pretty decent. Not the best i've ever had but it was good enough. Their noodle soups were pretty good and their side dishes were well made. We got the potstickers, the cucumber salad, and the spicy wontons. Those were all good and I would recommend those. However this place does not have Chinese BBQ meat, like the roasted duck or the roasted pork. Location: This place is in the back streets and it looks like a hole in the wall place. This place is definitely a good combination of good food, price, and authenticity. Definitely give this place a try. BRING CASH, NO Credit Cards.
(4)Kate T.
After dinning here, I must admit a discovery, my taste buds have evolved dramatically. What use to be considered satisfying no longer is. Simple and tasteful does not seem to do quite the justice to the buds. Hmm... Good thing? Well, not to the restaurants and future restaurants that I'll be reviewing... We ordered Sao Bing & You Taio, Sweet Hot Soy Milk, Pi Dan Tofu, Minced Beef over rice, Grilled Pork Chop over Rice, Beef Noodle Soup, and Xiao Long Tan Bao. Verdict? The only thing that truly had me satisfied was the Beef Noodle soup. The beef was nicely tender and quite flavorful. The noodle (wide/thick) accommodates the beef beautifully -- nice and "Q". The soup base was rather tasty with a right amount of kick of flavor and spice. Over all, I'm pleased. Could it have been better? Of course. But with a bowl of beef and noodle that taste like that at the price of $6.75? Oh, believe me, it's worth it. Will I come and visit again? Sure thing! But before I do, I'd like to visit other Taiwanese joints before revisiting again.
(3)Roll T.
3.25 stars. While the xiao long bao here isn't going to conjure up any memories of the masterful rendition I found at Shanghai Cafe in NYC, I am still excited when I hear the phrase A&J. Why? Ham hock. As a rather late addition to our meal, I ordered a ham hock soup that turned out be a hypertension inducing meal with the most tender, flavorful pig foot. Sure, it may have disgusted half my table, but that sucker was amazing. I'd definitely order it again. I also enjoyed the beef buns (although more soup and less meat would have been ideal) and what appeared to be a braised beef tendon noodle soup. The scallions were a bit too thick and doughy for my taste. The potstickers were quite tasty. The dan dan noodles were nice, but I prefer the rendition I had at Hong Kong Palace in Falls Church. Most of the fried meats were unremarkable. I was completely unimpressed by the spareribs. My final verdict is to stick with the soups, dumplings, and buns. A&J is perfect for a large group that wants a cheap split check. As such, our experience involved a number of Yelpers. This meant that aside from tasty food, we also had conversations ranging from indie pop music to how to best fire an employee to retarded one-clawed crabs to the proper etiquette of using a Tide pen (I'll place the commendations directly upon Tina R. and Hyunoo for the utterly random conversation topics). I had high hopes for A&J, but sadly, it didn't reach my possibly overly optimistic expectations. Having said that, I think a few more visits might be in order before I properly gauge its offerings.
(3)Nhu P.
My first Yelp review and A & J definitely deserves the honor. This restaurant is down the street from where I'm living now and I used to go there A LOT(once every other week). After a long hiatus I finally returned with a friend last night and wondered why the heck did I stay away for so long? We ordered too much food for 2 people(something my friends have to put up with when they dine with me) that they couldn't fit on our small table. The waitress had to put two tables together and laughed at us after. A bit embarrassing but I was too hungry to care . We got the fried porkchop dish, spicy beef noodle soup Schezuan style, cold hot and sour noodles, pan fried potstickers, pork ears, tripe and 2 milk-flavored boba. My favorite as always was the spicy beef noodle soup Schezuan style. It someone resembles Vietnamese bun bo Hue (my all-time favorite and something I would request before I die) in concept but quite different in taste. The soup's very flavorful, one can tell that it's been simmered in numerous herbs; I was able to detect the taste of star anise (Vietnamese use this to cook Pho!). The large chunks of beef were very tender...seriously melt-in-your-mouth goodness. I chose wide noodles for my soup (not sure what the alternative is, most likely the thinner egg noodles?) and the noodle definitely tasted fresh, most likely hand-pulled. This bowl of noodles was under $7 i believe...definitely a bargain! The only dish I'd never tried before and decided to try this time was the hot and sour noodles. It came out in a big bowl with the sauce on the bottom with linguine-like noodles. After mixing the two together, the sauce tasted garlicky and pleasantly sour (not too hot) and definitely hit the spot. I love LOVE the cold noodles from China Bistro but it seems like I won't have to drive that far (MD) to appease my cold noodle craving now. I was definitely glad that I ventured out of my "safe" zone and tried a different cold noodle dish this time. If you like your cold noodle with the traditional peanuty taste (which I DON'T like, go for the dan dan noodles). Everything else tasted like they have always tasted at A & J: delicious and comforting. This is Taiwanese street food at its best. You won't break the bank while dining here. A & J has made it onto the Washingtonian best bargain restaurants year after year. I would gladly give it a 5-star if it wasn't for the fact that it's a CASH ONLY establishment (something I forget on a couple of occasions and had to run to the ATM). You can get your food to-go as well by ordering from the take-out window. definitely coming back to get another bowl of spicy beef noodles once it gets chillier!
(4)Foodie C.
This is authentic as it gets! This is like a Chinese Tapas bar. All small plates Foods are extremely fresh and quite tasty and not 'Americanized' Remember this is more Northern Style and very different from other regions of China so it may be different than some Yelpers expect Very small seating area so go on off peak times Tip Stay away from the Rest Room down the hall 'SCARY'... Report Card Food A- Service B- Cleanliness C-
(4)Jen T.
Love this place! I come here all the time for brunch or dinner with my co-workers. The scallion pancakes, pot stickers, and beef noodle soup are by far my favorite. The thousand layer pancake is tasty but not all that exciting. Personally, I love the dan dan noodles but they aren't for everyone. They are spicy and heavy on the oil. The cucumber salad is also delicious.
(4)Bren P.
I'm not a fan. I had high hopes for this place because of all the good reviews (sprinked with some low reviews as well), but this just didn't do it for me. I only liked the spicy garlic cucmber dish, dumplings and this edamame and raddish dish. Everything else we ordered was bland (I had to add spoonfuls of spicy chili sauce to add some flavor and kick). The soup dumplings were okay, but they were TINY and not what I'm use to (nothing comes close to Joe Shanghai's soup dumplings in nyc). It had no flavor and the dumpling broke as soon as I grabbed it with my chopsticks. Not cool. My friends and I ordered the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup. They seemed to like it, but I didn't like it at all. Again, I added tons of spicy chili sauce to flavor it up. My other friend ordered the Liang Mian and she wasn't a fan either. There was some issues with that as well, in a nutshell the waitress brought her the wrong dish and when she asked to bring her the correct dish the waitress gave her a lot of attitude. Needless to say, I will not be going back there again.
(1)Dan W.
Little gem hidden at a corner in Annandale. It's like a Chinese Tapa place, only cheaper. Pretty authentic Taiwanese apps like you'd find on the street vendors in TW. Some dishes could use more flavor, but there's a bottle of soysause on the table for a reason. It is next to a Chinese grocery market and bakery, so bring home some good stuff before leaving the area.
(4)Mai T.
This place is awesome. Aside from the long wait (this joint is SMALL) and cash only.. the food makes up for it. My favorites are the scallion pancakes.. rice and porkchop .. the rice is so yummy.. tendon..pickeled vegetables.. I can't name it all. Go try it out for yourself is all I have to say. But do try some from my list!
(5)Jimena M.
I'm glad I finally got to try this place out. It was amazing hanging out with fellow yelpers as well. But I thought this place was alright. The beef buns were delicious, but i wish they had more juice and veggies. It was basically a meat patty inside a thin fried shell. Albeit a pretty tasty meat patty. My favorite was the braised beef tendon soup. The broth was flavorful, the beef succulent, the veggies fresh and the noodles were definitely homemade. The xiao long bao (steamed pork buns) were also nice and fresh. Other things we tried: the ham hock soup. It was basically a big piece of hamhock, bone and all in broth. All I tasted was salt and it enveloped every single one of my taste buds. I could barely make out any pork flavor. I had to drink a whole glass of water to get the salt taste off my mouth..ick. We also got some vegetable sides, the mustard greens were brown and flavorless. The dumplings while definitely homemade and alright didn't impress me, they seemed overly boiled, the skins were too thick and it tasted boring. I prefer mandoo. Two con's after a visit here: first, you will glow for a few days from the glorious greasiness that is chinese food. Second, I got extremely ill that night and basically underwent a body cleansing. Now it could have been the bingsoo I had at another place, or the piece of chicken i had at bon chon, or a combination of all three, but i suspect it was something here...shrug...I have definitely eaten more and been ok in the past.
(3)Jake K.
Oodles of noodles keeping me away from kicking poodles! That's what I think when A&J is mentioned. While the place is a little intimidating for the non-Chinese at first, it's quickly conquered. The time I went with my parents, the ladies were very patient (I guess they could tell we were han-guo) and made a couple of suggestions. We ended up getting the pot stickers, thousand year old egg with bean curd, dan-dan mien. Other trips to A&J involved other dishes to include tripe, sow's ears, and other "exotics" that I'm not apt to try...but maybe one day....after too much soju! Great place for some dim sum but a tad smaller than the Maryland location. However, I would say that the food tastes better here...maybe because I don't have to drive as far? *grin*
(4)Alicia C.
So I was all set for a quiet evening in... silly me. Luckily I have Yelp to save me from myself and somehow I found myself talked into a spontaneous eat-fest out in Annandale. (For a brief, fleeting moment I had hopes we'd end up at A&J's Rockville location... but alas, the MD 'burbs never seem to win). Anyway, A&J was the first stop of the night. Since our party arrived in shifts, we ended up split between two tables. Katie F, Juliana C, and I shared the fried beef buns, some pan fried dumplings, the scallion pancake, and the braised pork over rice. So yes... a lot of fried awesomeness. But not to worry... for the sake of balance we also threw in the spicy cucumber salad and I tried the guava bubble tea. My favorites by far were the fried beef bun and the spicy cucumber salad. The braised pork was ok, I just wasn't expecting it to be ground pork over rice. (This dish also came with a hard boiled egg soaked in soy sauce... due to it's... preservation... the egg was kind of rubbery, so not my favorite thing, but the pork and rice were a nice addition to the meal. The bubble tea was pretty good. The guava flavor that I had wasn't overly sweet. The tapioca balls were a little softer than I'm used to, but no complaints. I will definitely be back again to try out more of the menu, and for more of those delicious, soupy beef buns. But as others have mentioned, this is definitely a spot to go to with someone that is experienced with the menu and their offerings, that way you know where to focus your efforts, or stomachs rather. All in all, a great way to start off the night!
(4)Dave M.
Best Dim Sum experience I've had in DC Metro. 1) Location: Not bad, about 15 min drive from Old Town. We had some friends from the District meet us there, 20 min drive for them. 2) Setting: The restaurant is extremely well kept. Clean, trim, and traditionally decorated 3) Service: Mind-blowing considering the venue; the waitstaff is on par with places like The Prime Rib (minus formal wear). We were traditionally American, ordering dishes we knew or sounded familiar. Our waitress gently suggested a few new dishes (delicious) but most helpful was that she perfectly staggered the food so we had a couple of dishes to work on at a time. 4) Food: Exquisite. So good in fact it's not only worth the drive, I may have ended my DC Dim Sum tour. And the real kicker is the price. The four of us were so full we had to take food home, and even with 20% tip we got out for less than $15 a person (cash only). Do you like Dim Sum? Do you have a car? Get your keys now; it's worth a visit.
(5)B. F.
Stumbled upon this place while looking for some good, casual Korean food in Annandale. Read the reviews and had to try it. What a little gem. Had to wait a bit to be seated but the staff was very courteous and the place was packed so we figured it would be worth it. We were a party of 4. They don't take reservations and the place is very tiny so if you don't get there early then you will wait. Food came out quick and hot. Nice assortment on the menu and everything we had was delicious from the soups to the noodles to the small plates. Best Chinese food I've had in a long time and it was refreshing to have "homemade" won ton soup, YUM! Big negative is that they don't take credit cards and there is no warning about it either and no ATM near by. Regardless, we will be back & better prepared next time, lol.
(4)Timothy C.
I'm giving this place 5 stars because it doesn't serve "typical" Chinese food. China (plus Taiwan) is so big that it actually have different cuisines. The more famous styles include Shanghainese, Cantonese, Suzhanese, Taiwanese, Zhejiang etc etc. A&J serves a blend of Shanhainese and Taiwanese foods, and they do it pretty well. Come here and venture into good eats you have never had in "Chinese Buffet." Some of my favorites: scallion pancake chinese sesame biscuit w/ sliced beef thousand layer pancake wonton w/ red hot sauce spicy beef and tendon noodle soup fried pork chop on rice pan fried beef bun steamed spareribs smoked chicken bean noodle and chicken salad vegetarian delight (probably an acquired taste for some) bean curd and thousand year egg (same)
(5)Melody H.
Pan fried beef buns oozed soupy meaty goodness, but only after exploding all over my hand. I made the mistake of trying to cut into it a little overzealously and managed to burn myself. Not the bun's fault, but mine. I drank the oozed soup off the plate; that's how good it was. I didn't even care that my hand might fall off. The thousand year old egg with bean curd was excellent; served cold and drizzled with sesame seed oil for a rich but not overly seasoned taste. Scallion pancake made me moan a little in appreciation of the crisp outer texture and moist inner layers, and with some soy sauce and hot sauce it was perfect. The thousand layer pancake was less impressive; it's basically a really bland Chinese croissant. We tried the spicy beef noodle soup but I'm not big on egg noodles and it wasn't very spicy so this Korean girl was disappointed. I also didn't like the spare ribs as there was a weird semi-bready semi-meaty texture and unpleasant aftertaste. There's so much more to try on the menu, though. I spied some people eating what looked like amazing fried chicken with rice, the vegetarian kao fu or fu kao (forgot what it's called), and I need to try the sticky rice with shredded pork everyone keeps raving about. I don't expect to like everything on the menu, but with prices so low, I'll definitely be back to give it another shot!
(4)Jeff W.
It took me a good 2 hours to recover from the absolute euphoric high I had after a Sunday brunch at A&J. It was like a neverending parade of pleasurable food, and with the exception of one dish (pig ear) I loved every minute of it. Since everything was great, there's really no need to list it all out, but highlights for me were the stunning and tender chunks of tendon in the spicy tendon soup, the simple but delicious mustard greens, and of course the niu ro xian bing which I will affectionately call "pan fried pocket of heaven". So how much was this pleasure parade, with enough food to stuff 4 hearty eaters? A whopping $46, and I was told that's unusually expensive, perhaps because I insisted on the more expensive bowl of spicy tendon soup. I laughed out loud when we got the bill. After tip it came out to be $13 a head, possibly the single greatest value for food I've ever seen in my life. I cannot wait to return, and will probably be fantasizing about that niu ro xian bing for the next two weeks.
(5)H M.
I love this place! Esp for breakfast. The sticky rice is yummy and also the fresh soy bean milk! When we go there I always get the pork chop rice along with the tofu/thousand year old egg. Everything from the noodles to the pot stickers are yummy! Everytime we are in VA we stop here for breakfast/lunch. This place is cash only, no cc BOO!
(5)Peter K.
I heard A & J was the most authentic "Chinese" food in the area. It's more like Northern/Beijing style Chinese - noodles and dumplings are the starch of choice, not rice. The food also tastes quite different from the typical Cantonese-inspired Chinese-American food. There is no distinction between "entrees" and other types of dishes, but most menu items can be classified as small plates. One person will probably be satisfied with 2-3 items costing $10-12, which is a great deal. Dan Dan Mian - mildly spicy, very peanut-y noodles. Just noodles, nothin' else. Even though this is how it is executed in Beijing, I found myself wanting a least a hint of vegetable somewhere, but never found it. Same with most other dishes here. Authentic meat dishes often mean no veggies. Xiao Long Bao - yummy pork dumplings. Dough was chewy and delightful. Niu Rou Xian Bing - never had this before. One large pork pastry, kinda watery inside. Sure, why not. Scallion Pancake - pretty self explanatory, and this one is authentic. Braised Pork on rice - a small bowl of rice topped with hardboiled egg and ground pork in a dark brown sauce. Never had it before. It may be authentic, but it tasted like a Chinese sugary ragout gone wrong. Overall I won't rate A&J a "must see," but I plan on going back and sampling some other stuff on their menu that looked good, like Niu Rou Mian (Beef noodle soup) and congee. [Beer Notes: none]
(3)Trish N.
Four things I definitely recommend! 1. Pan fried beef bun (niu ro xian bing) -- oh juicy! 2. Spicy baby wonton 3. Pot Stickers 4. Scallion pancake Cheap. Good. I'll eat it. Bring Tide to Go pen - warning: when biting into the beef bun it will squirt. Bring cash.
(4)Sasa X.
Great place for Chinese breakfast, lunch and dinner, or a snack. It's small but clean place to dine, and waitresses are friendly and efficient.
(4)Steve H.
One of my favorite places for good authentic Chinese food. You won't find kung pao chicken or beef lo mein at this place. Only good authentic food like spicy beef noodle soup, scallion pancakes, dumplings, fried chicken, peanut noodles, etc. If you are a newbie and Caucasian, you may be surprised by the menu. You most likely won't recognize anything on the menu. You most likely read about this place in the Washingtonian magazine and want to try it. But you may be surprised at what they serve including pork ears, thousand year eggs and pancakes. A few things to keep in mind. If it is crowded, the servers will ask you if you mind sharing larger tables with other patrons. They ONLY accept cash. No credit cards or checks. You will only get plates the size of a cup saucer. You will get a paper menu. If you can't speak Chinese, it's best to just circle the items you want on the menu. After your first time, this stuff won't be a problem anymore. You will enjoy the food and the decent service.
(5)Czarina B.
Best (and only) Northern Chinese style dim sum in the area! Love it, love it, love it! I'm a snack whore, I love tea time snackies, finger foods, tapas, Asian fusion tapas, sushi, sashimi, beer food, and DIM SUM!!! Oh the adventurous running with scissors child in me loves reaching out for every kind of deep fried, breaded, stinky-tofued, dripping with mysterious goodness treat on the cart. So I was at first disappointed that my grabby handed self would be deprived of the rolling carts. You order off a menu here. I also wasn't down at first with the starch heavy noodle based dim sum. Noodles noodles noodles -- if I wanted starch, I would get PORK BUNS and SHUMAI and TARO PASTRIES, right? Right? BUT then I discovered -- The food here IS SO GOOD. Don't expect traditional Hong Kong style dim sum and your taste buds will be happy. The Northern Chinese style is dry and starchy in comparison. The quick: Cash only (duh) Small and clean but crowded on weekends - expect a 10-15 minute wait. Dim Sum on weekends until 3pm Related to the A&J chain based in Taiwan A&J chain specializes in beef noodles which I never knew from eating here. I'm strictly a dim sum and fried chicken girl here! You can go to the nearby bakery or grocery store for pearl tea and $1 pastries while waiting You can get things to go, but it will take a long time and you have to ask to take any soups to go that normally come with your dish. Our Standby Dishes: Mustard Greens and Tofu salad Peanut Noodles Fried Chicken (Addictive!) Warm Soy Milk Pan Fried Dumplings And basically whatever other random assortment of goodies we're in the mood for. The fried chicken here is REALLY GOOD and comes with broth and rice -- you know how they praise Korean fried chicken joints? Well, they don't have any in VA/DC so I would rather eat this.
(5)Gurkie C.
**2.5** probably. I have been to A&Js twice now and have always had problems with my food. I am a vegetarian meaning I am relatively picky. Both times I have gone with people who are fluent in Taiwanese/Mandarin and who really enjoyed their food. The first time I believe they put pork into something I was eating and the second time I think there was chicken in my Veg. dumplings. The food I did eat there was good until I ran into issues... While this place is good, I would say they are not the most vegetarian friendly of places. That being said some of my friends who are vegetarian have really enjoyed it.
(3)Charlie S.
I love this place. It's a nice change of Chinese food. The highlights are their noodle soups and the small plates. It's pretty hearty food. Something for a nice cold or cool day. I like their spicy beef noodle soup. You have the option of thin or wide noodles. The wide noodles are made in house. So, we opted for the wide. I also like the ground pork and black bean sauce with julienne cucumbers and bean sprouts served over noodles. There is no broth. I recommend ordering the noodles to share and then order the small dishes to supplement. For two people, you can probably order one noodle dish and two or three small plates. If you are by yourself, a noodle dish would probably be enough. Of the small plates I've tried, I liked the thinly sliced pork ears with Szechuan peppercorn, the wontons doused in a spicy ma la sauce, the steam pork buns which is more like dumplings, and the potstickers. On a Sunday morning, there is quite a wait if you come around noon. We just beat the crowd when we got in at 11:30.
(4)Chris S.
I've been here twice now, but have only been able to sample a few of the items. I'm addicted to this kind of Chinese food from living in Boston, where it's a little more common. This is all about noodles, and it's not the same cuisine featured in most Chinese restaurants in the D.C. area - different region of China. This is not the best I have ever had, but it's the best I've had around here. I will have to see if I can get them to make the spicy broth/sauces hotter. Next time I'm trying the Dun Dun Noodles and will report back. The service was friendly and efficient. I am looking forward to more visits -- going to be a regular, I can already say that.
(3)Jenn L.
nice not having to go all the way to Bob's noodle in Rockville for some yummy Taiwanese. Sure, it's not as delicious as my mom's cooking, but it sure is good! Skip the xiao long baos, but definitely get the beef noodle soup with wide noodles. I love how they have a lot of garlic in their soup to just give it the right kick. The food is cheap and the restaurant is clean and I will definitely be frequenting it again!
(4)Lily L.
Another popular Taiwanese dim sum location (similar to Oriental Gourmet)! They do serve other menu items, but I usually go just for dim sum. If you decide to visit this place during their dim sum/lunch hours on the weekend, be prepared to take a number or share a table with strangers. The restaurant is very quaint (i.e. small), and the majority of the seating accommodates 1 - 4 people. Parking may also be a bit of a challenge to find on weekends. The parking lot there is not very large, and it is shared with a few other stores, including a small Chinese Supermarket. I've never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a spot though, so don't let it deter you! I really enjoy their spicy beef noodle soup (could probably feed 1 1/2 people), soy bean milk (sweet and salty - the salty is more of a soup than a drink), fried dumplings, and the cold jellyfish. I was slightly upset that they did not have the 8 treasure taro dish, bu they have plenty of other items on the menu that were delicious easily filled me up!
(4)Linda M.
I go to A&J every now & then... Parking = Plentiful ... Price = Dirt Cheap ... Service = Don't Expect Much... Just make sure you SPEAK UP... Quality = Enough to make you leave happy :) ((( THAT PRETTY MUCH SUMS IT UP ))) Items I usuallly Get Pork Chop Rice - Super delish & cheap... real crispy and portion is decent Cucumber with ground pork with bean sprout - If you want something not too dry, get this ... healthy and goes down easy and tasty ! Dumplings - Not bad.. they steam it after-all Pig Ears - Cheap Cheap Cheap eat for appetizer .... always have to get this Give it a try... CASH ONLY BY THE WAY ... make sure you run to the ATM first :)
(4)Rebecca L.
Definitely AUTHENTIC as me and my family would say. When we think of dim sum we think of carts going around picking what you want. We ordered from a menu, which was not uncommon to us before but everything that came out was not what was actually expected. We ordered one thing and ended up getting an entire pig foot, we don't know exactly how we messed that one up! Also when we came we had a group of 7 and I think we got cut in line kz the place was packed out like sardines in a can!! Food was good, just not expected and instead of saying weird or something negative we chose to call it authentic. I wouldn't call this place dim sum kz normally that's a weekend thing and from the menu I think they serve that all week so it's more like authentic Chinese tapas.
(3)Jim W.
Again, as good as we remembered. Of course, I over ordered. So, taking some home. Hubby had the wonton soup and I had the Dan Dan mien. Delicious. The sauce for the thin noodles was amazing. Just enough spice, tart, and sweetness. The wonton soup was excellent. Tasty, hot, juicy, and flavorful. We also had an assortment of Chinese tapas. Kafu, shredded tofu with carrots and celery, seaweed salad, long bean, veggie pan fried bun, potstickers , and dan bien (egg burrito). Everything tasty great. A must if you haven't been here. Or must go back again.
(5)Chris T.
One of the best Chinese restaurants in Northern VA. I prefer Cantonese Hong Kong style chinese food, but A&J's szechuan style has turned me on to a variety of chinese cooking styles. It's not the typical Mapo Tofu dishes. They are truly authentic and original. Some suggestions include the wide noodles in any of their soups, pan fried pork dumplings and turnip pastry. Fast friendly service, perfect for your lunch hour.
(4)Elaine M.
I was introduced to A&J 6 days ago. And in 6 days, I've been there 3 times. This is not your typical mainstream Americanized Chinese food, so don't come here if that's what you're expecting. Case in point, they serve sliced pig ears (try finding that at your mall food court Chinese food joint!), which, by the way, is slightly spicy and ridiculously addicting. From my understanding, their spicy beef noodle soup is one of their most popular dishes, and I can see why: hearty homemade noodles (ask for the wide), flavorful broth with a kick (the first time I had it, it was overwhelmingly spicy, but the next time, it was perfect), and tender beef that practically melts in your mouth... and it's super cheap! (Speaking of which, they have a small wall filled with awards they've gotten for best cheap eats in the DC area, year after year.) Other good eats here are the spicy beef and tendon noodle soup (same as the aforementioned spicy beef noodle soup, but...with tendons. lol), the beef bun, Chinese-style fried pork noodle soup, and shredded pork with mustard greens noodle soup. Basically, the food is cheap, hearty, and yum. And I've always gotten prompt and polite service, so no complaints from me there. Note that it does get busy on weekends at lunchtime, and there aren't too many tables, so you may have to wait if you opt to venture there during busy times. Also note that this place is cash only!
(4)blah b.
I came here a few times before always hoping to meet the expectations yelp reviews put for me and I have been disappointed every time. The service is minimal at best and the food tastes okay but that's about it. Everything is microwaved and barely lukewarm including the spicy beef noodle which in china we serve piping hot. The spicy beef noodle leaves much to be wanted. Their only saving grace are their pork ears and dumplings. But even then they barely make the cut
(2)Genny R.
I want to give this place a 3.5. The food definitely gets a 4. The fried chicken (My usual order) and fried pork were very delicious. We also had black bean noodles and the sliced cucumber that accompanied it was a very refreshing contrast to the rich black bean sauce. We ordered spicy ribs that were not very good. WARNING: the fried beef bun has soup inside of it, the first time I got it I did not realize that and I not only spilled the soup in my lap, it also burned my mouth. lol that was embarrassing. It is really good though. They serve ok boba. The prices are pretty decent too. It only cost us around 25 dollars for all the food we ordered. The place gets a 2. It can be hard to find the restaurant if you don't know where exactly it is. I've been here three times and each time I accidental pass it. The "cash only" policy can get annoying.The place is also small so I wouldn't invite a big group of friends, it's a more intimate setting. And the bathroom is pretty ghetto. The flusher on the toilets were a set of chopsticks connected to a rope, and there are no locks on the stall doors, you tie the stall doors closed with ropes.
(3)Tom C.
I went to A&J again last Saturday during a busy lunch hour. Our party of 2 people shared a large table with 4-5 other strangers. We were fine with this so no biggie. I got the chinese fried pork with rice with 4 to 5 small dishes. Surprisingly, I was a little disappointed with some of what I ordered. I didn't like the thousand layer pancake (it's pretty messy to eat) The chinese fried pork barely had any meat, which is expected, but just a meager serving. I'm keeping this 4 stars.
(4)Joe L.
Visited this place while I was on a business trip in D.C. We have A&J's back in SoCal, so I thought this would be a safe bet for some good Chinese food and they didn't let me know. I had the Niu Rou Mian and the Niu Rou Xian Bing. Both were excellent and I think this A&J's Niu Rou Mian was even better than it is at our A&J's in California! Prices are good and the waitresses are friendly. Give A&J's a try, but remember your cash....it's cash only just like ours in CA.
(5)Eliza C.
The spicy wontons had a little dot of meat inside of it, might as well been a wonton skin dish. Flavor was definitely there. The spicy beef noodle soup was ok. The sesame bun with beef had dry beef, the dish could have been better. Make sure you arrive before 3pm for their weekend morning breakfast
(3)Lorraine S.
Another awesome night at A&j's. We had the fried chicken, wide beef noodle soup (yum!) and the wonton soup. It was surprisingly delicious. More texture than other wonton soups. My husband loves the pig ears and tendon. We shared a table with another group because the place is small, but it ended up being a very nice encounter. Before you go, remember its cash only!
(5)Vanessa W.
Not a big fan...
(3)Tu-van L.
Finally got to enjoy the wonders of A&J under the tutelage of Kevin L. and Alicia G. for Sunday brunch. I have since lost track of all that I had, but everything I've had was some degree of delicious. The pig ear was thinly sliced savory with a hint of gelatinous. The picked cucumber was short of converting my cucumber-hating self. The cold noodles were alright but still delicious (as were the steamed buns). The one tofu dish was on the sweeter side of delicious. The fried chicken was delicious with flavorful dark meat fried to perfection. The hockey puck sized beef bun was huge and contained a spoonful of savory fatty beef broth. And all this shared with my brunch party made for a delicious meal. You bet I'll come back here. If not for the dumplings the fried chicken.
(4)Hamsa H.
This restaurant is my favorite Chinese restaurant in all of the greater DC metropolitan area. Since returning from New York almost a year ago, we've been on this perpetual hunt for the amazing spicy noodles we ate in Chinatown in the shack underneath the train station (not to be confused with the van by the river). Although the spicy noodles continued to elude us until we went to Uncle Liu's Hot Pot, the soups at A & J are amazing, the noodles are fresh and delicious, and the spicy Szechuan beef soup is just what the doctor ordered. They also have wonderful, tender dumplings and excellent appetizers. You can't beat the price - the most expensive thing on the menu is about $11. They don't take reservations and they're small, so if they're full, you have to wait. They also don't take credit cards, which is kind of annoying, since we always forget. But for the price, you can't beat it.
(4)Michelle P.
This is stop #1 on Sunday's day of visiting places that i had bookmarked. And i feel it really set the tone for the whole day. As in any food where i'm not exactly sure what is in it, i was a little skeptical of A&J. This is primarily because my palate is still being expanded and i'm still unsure of things that i like to eat. But put me in the very capable hands of Kevin L and Michele D, and i know that i'll be allright. I started with some kind of egg/ham/noodle dish that was fantastic. Not too heavy and exactly how i pictured breakfast in china. Then it was on to the spicy beef tendon soup, that Jeff served me without the things i didn't want (the spicy beef tendon). I really loved the noodles in the soup... wow they were awesome. Then it was the fried dough that resembled a churro, but was so much better. Then the little pork dumplings and the scalion pancake. Everyone complained about the lack of fluffiness of the pancake, but since i had no comparison it tasted great to me. And i saved the best for last. I think the American name is "Fried Beef Bun" or something like that. But really what it is? Awesomeness. I struggled with figuring out how to eat it, since even after a chopstick lesson i was forced to get Kevin and michele to ask for a fork. But as i took the first bite and the amazing hamburger soup (thats what i'm calling it) flowed out, i realized i was in heaven. The whole thing was absolutely delicious. And make sure that unlike Kevin's mom, you drink the soup.. YUM! Overall i was way less scared than expected and in fact, very delighted by the massive amounts of food we ate and the fact our bill was only $46. It was great! And i will be back :)
(5)Starrlina S.
I finally tried this restaurant and wasn't really impressed, but I'm going to give it 2-stars because my expectations may have been to high. 1. Small friendly restaurant. 2. Location is off the main street which is probably good for frequent customers. 3. I expected authentic Chinese with chicken and shrimp dishes (most were pork). 4. Tried the scallion pancakes that were raved about on Yelp -- eh, no big deal. I can say -- been there, done that -- but not a place to return for me.
(2)A P.
We've been there a total of 3 times and the scallion pancakes rock. The dumplings so so but it seems that on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, there is a different menu. More street hawker style foods like sticky rice roll, roast pork bing and fresh soy milk. It is a pain that it is cash only but the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup (Thin Noodles please) is my husband's favorite. It rocks. definitely will be back for more.
(4)Samantha J.
So we went here based on a suggestion from my boss. And since it's almost literally across the street from the boyfriend's apartment, we decided to check it out. The place is small and a hole in the wall but wow, so good! He got the spicy beef noodle soup with the large noodles, I got the plain beef noodle soup with the small noodles. I would definitely go with the spicy one next time. It's more flavorful. The boss told us to try the thousand year old egg, so we did. The egg was pretty good, but I'm not a fan of the bean curd. The sesame biscuit with sliced beef was delicious! The steamed beef dumpling and pork buns were also delicious. (I do love good dim sum) The pan fried beef bun was good, the cucumber in hot garlic sauce was not. But I'm not a fan of hot garlic, so probably unfair. And of course, the best part, bubble tea! I'm a HUGE fan of these and this place has some good ones, not the powdery ones you sometimes get. The only disappointment was I was expecting more dim sum choices, since I was told that's what it was. But other than that, good, cheap food. What could be better than that?
(4)Ka-Loon T.
While I love a good bowl of beef noodle soup, this A&J did not meet my expectations. I was probably because I have been spoiled by the taste of the A&J in Rockville. The noodles at this A&J are not freshly made like the Maryland one, but the dumplings and scallion pancake is still just as good. Seating here is also far more sparse, than the Maryland one. But the one bit I would like to point out, is that it seems that being able to speak Chinese doesn't seem to result in varying levels of service at this A&J. BTW: If you haven't figured it out yet, my choice off the menu is always set to the same things before I even get here: beef noodle soup with the wide (supposedly fresh) noodles, and to share at the table, guatze and scallion pancake. definitely winners.
(3)G R.
I'm not exactly a dimsum aficionado, but I do know good dimsum and bad dimsum. And I consider A&J to be pretty darn good and authentic, and that keeps me coming back often. I was introduced to A&J by a Taiwanese-American friend several years ago. They're not the traditional dimsum that most people think of, in that they don't have those servers going from table to table pushing those little carts. But similarly, a lot of the dishes are small "tapas" style; which works out since you can order a lot of dishes without feeling like a total glutton. The other dishes which are soups or which come with rice or noodles are larger and more substantial meals/entrees which can be eaten on their own. My personal favorites among the smaller dishes are the sliced beef tripe with hot red sauce, cucumber salad in hot garlic sauce, the tofu with century egg, and the veggie delight. As far as the larger entree-type dishes are concerned, my recommendations are the spicy beef and tendon noodle soup, the braised pork on rice and the Chinese style fried chicken on rice. If you stop in during lunch, I also recommend the savory sticky rice roll that is on the separate lunch/brunch menu (there is also a sweet version which I have not tried). This location is kind of hole in the wall in an old half-empty strip mall, but the restaurant itself is clean and decent-looking. The space is tight and at certain times, especially at lunch, there can be a lot of customers waiting to be seated, but the turnover is pretty quick. The ordering system is similar to a sushi bar in that you circle items on the menu and hand it to your server. Service is quick and efficient. Make a stop at the ATM beforehand since they only accept cash. But the upshot is that you won't need much of it! (A&J has been one of Washingtonian's Cheap Eats recommendations for several years now.)
(4)Jenny T.
*NOT* your typical dim sum place, as I read in some other reviews here. I'm not Northern Chinese, so I'd never had this food. Basically if you are looking for push-card dim sum or the predominant Chinese food, this isn't it. But still delicious! Small establishment, friendly waitstaff, and pretty packed when I went. The list of breakfast items was limited, though. (Of course I am used to the thousand-choice dim sum menu, so I'm a little biased)
(3)Ross R.
One of my favorite comfort-food joints. Introduced all my friends to it in college. Insanely cheap, tasty, and consistent. Fried Chicken is probably their best entree. Vegetarian delight is incredible too...whether you get it hot or cold. So many varieties of tofu and bean curd that it's quite easy to go there and eat vegetarian, even if you are not experienced with meat-free eating. Scallion pancake is great too...as are any dumpling/bun and wonton dishes. Also, best bubble tea I've ever had, anywhere. Get the regular milk tea without any ice and enjoy.
(5)Susan C.
Food was good. Heard there aren't many options for decent Taiwanese style food in the area. Loved the menu with pinyin style descriptions. Especially helpful for ABC types who can't read much Chinese, grew up in a Chinese household so only recognize the names of the dishes in Chinese and usually the English translations are literal translations.
(3)Peter C.
If you're looking for decent taiwanese food for relatively cheap, this is the place to go. My girlfriend and I ended up spending $28 bucks here for sunday brunch which included 3 drinks, 2 bowl of noodles, and 3 side dishes. We were FULL! Let me just say, that Sunday brunch times will require a wait. We were waiting in line for about half an hour or so before we ended up getting seated. And if you don't mind sharing a table, then you'll get seated even faster. We ended up sharing with 3 other parties but hey, I just want my food so I'm not going to complain. We got two soy bean drinks to start (one sweet and one salty) and we started off with cucumber salad and sliced pork ears. The pork ears are a little bit spicy but they weren't too bad. They're cut very thin so it's not too chewy which was good. The cucumber salad wasn't anything fancy as it's pretty standard. Then came our noodles. I had the spicy beef and tendon (thick) noodle soup while my girlfriend had the cold noodles in hot and sour sauce. Both were very good but I thought the broth for the beef got a bit salty at the end. Either way, it's very flavorful and very satisfying in my stomach. My girlfriend thought the cold noodles were a little bit spicy so she ended up getting her 2nd soy milk but I thought it was alright. We also had a side of spicy wonton with hot sauce. I had originally thought it was going to be fried, but it's actually not. It was boiled wonton's in this spicy sauce. My girlfriend didn't like it and I would've wished it was bigger in dumpling size. They looked like dwarf dumplings with barely any meat in there. The dumplings were also a little bit undercooked because the skin was still tough in some of them. Overall though, they have quite a few items on their menu for relatively cheap that makes me want to go back and try it out.
(4)Cris C.
We found this place after dropping off our bikes for repair. One dollar sign for a greatly reviewed place? Aww yeah! We ordered two portions of steamed pork buns, fried pork soup, and a wonton soup. The tea was served quickly and after she took our orders, we went to the bathroom. If possible, avoid the bathroom located on the other side of the building at all costs. BOTH toilets were broken and there were piles of toilet paper and urine (thank god, only urine) in them. I decided to hold it in and just washed my hands. It's a miracle that place had a full bottle of soap and a working hand dryer, seriously. Now, I didn't remove a star due to the bathroom, nor did I remove the star for how the food tasted. I removed it due to the fact that the buns stuck so badly. Such a shame since they tasted great! It was also removed cause my wonton soup was weak. The broth and sesame oil were great, but they seriously went cheap on the meat. I had a total of 4-5 wontons in my soup and a total of 1tsp of meat between them all. I'm not joking. Not only did they skimp on the meat, my wontons were over cooked and separated so the tiny morsels of meat fell out. I'm sorry, I cant get over the amount of meat. They were smaller than marble pieces! But again, it tasted great. My sister ordered the fried pork soup. I wasn't a fan of the broth, but the fried pork was to die for and reminded me of my mothers chicharones. So, why not a 3 star? Because I will definitely be coming again. I didn't get the best items, but the price was right. Next time, I'll order some Yelper recommendations. Don't let me down A&J!
(4)Jenn B.
My girlfriend introduced me to this place, which we affectionately call the "Noddle House" and I've been thanking her for it ever since! I've never been disappointed with anything ordered. Service is super fast and friendly. I have a love affair with the Steamed Pork Buns and Scallion Pancakes. They are fantastic! Some faves to try? Spicy Beef Noddle Soup, Fried Pork Chop on Rice, Pickled Cabbage or the Radish Noddle Soup. An absolutely MUST have is the Bubble Tea! I order one with lunch and then one to go
(5)Nancy T.
For around $25 (including tip) my friend and I got six small dishes of delicious food way better than any bland, strip mall Chinese you've ever had. There was so much food we couldn't finish it. I'd highly recommend the scallion pancake, vegetable dumplings, wonton noodles in spicy sauce, warm and spicy sesame noodles and smoked chicken. The condiments are great: chili garlic sauce, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. I recommend mixing them all together for a dipping sauce. Update: the best dish there has to be the thin noodles with ground pork and bean paste mixed with bean sprouts and cucumber. This stuff is madly delicious. I could eat an entire serving myself. Service was fantastic. The food came out so quickly (yet it was freshly made) and the waitress refilled our waters nonstop (and trust me, you'll need water...this stuff is hot). I can't wait to go back. True quality and value and a huge bang for your buck. It's fun to browse the Korean market next door after your meal, too. They have some very hard to find foods like sharon fruit.
(4)Jason L.
Best AUTHENTIC Chinese/Taiwanese food around. No, you won't find General Tso's Chicken. Try the tendon and beef, or fried pork chop noodle soups instead, or pan fried beef bun and tofu with "thousand year" egg. I honestly felt like I was eating in a small restaurant in Taiwan. Non of this Panda Express or other Americanized Chinese food.
(5)Samnang M.
Good place for authentic Chinese food. Lots of variety of dishes. Noodle dishes are great, broth has a lot of flavor. My favorite is the beef tendon noodle soup. The small side dishes (dim sum style) are fantastic. I recommend getting the sliced ears and the tripe. Place is cash only but the food is very good and cheap. I want to come back and try more stuff of the menu.
(4)Stephen S.
One of my favorites! The place is a small diner that's out of the way but you won't be disappointed by the food or the price. Favorite dishes here are the: - pan fried dumplings - beef noodle soup - scallion pancakes - tofu with hundred year old egg
(5)Perchancetodrea M.
Love the pig's ears, and the seaweed salad. I get these every single time I go here. And I go as often as I can. And every other time I go, I get the pan-fried pork dumplings.
(4)Todd K.
Disclaimer: my two star rating is based completely on the congee (and the fact that the location is terrible, it is buried down Markham, I'm surprised anyone can find it). I saw this place had congee, and I love congee so I figured I would try it out. Verdict: never go to this place for congee. I'm not sure how you can mess up congee, but they managed to. I felt like I was eating plain oatmeal instead of congee. It had no taste other than the same plain taste you get out of plain oatmeal. It was too thick and definitely less of a soup than it should be. Normal congee has a bit of a rice and sour taste with a little bite to it. It is usually made with green onion (scallions) and ginger, with the option of adding meat, chicken or, preferably, seafood. Even more authentic establishments will serve it with a couple sticks of mushy Chinese bread - that's the good stuff. A&J is the complete opposite. Bottom line: if you are looking for congee, look elsewhere. The whole menu is dirt cheap, I must say though (a well earned one "$" here on yelp). A lot of the items on the menu, though, are a tad bit...exotic (pig ears...yikes!). The place is CASH ONLY. It seems more like a place that you would hit up for a late night snack as opposed to a sit down dinner with a date/family. To get to here make the left onto Markham (if you are going westbound on Little River Turnpike). It will be on your right hand side a couple hundred feet down the street.
(2)Lisa R.
Authentic - I haven't been here in over a year, yet the nomness still resonates on my pallet. This is the location for authentic (northern) Chinese food. I'll be honest, I pointed at what looked good and ate off of what my friend ordered. This is easily some of the best dim sum I've had in my life, and for anyone interested in trying REAL dim sum, go here! Even if you don't know what to order, or don't have a food guide like i did, I've found that most places, even if the wait staff doesn't speak English, or not too well, they are always friendly and respect the adventurous, albeit ignorant and new to try, eater. :-) I will have to go back and update this when i get the names of what the dishes are :) Side note: parking can be a hassle here, i had to park on the street. Also - if you haven't tried bubble tea, try it here! if you are hesitant to try some more adventurous flavors like Chrysanthemum (not sure if they even have it), you can order a mocha or a coffee type of bubble tea. If you haven't had bubble tea, and are hesitant to try the tapioca balls - ask for bubble tea without the bubble, and if you like the flavor, you can always ask for some bubble then (i personally love it, but i can understand squishy black tapioca balls may be off putting for some)
(5)Nina C.
This is probably the best chinese food I've had in the D.C. metro area. The spicy wontons...I think they were made by Jesus. Everything was awesome, from the dan dan mian to other random mystery items that I have no idea what they are (because they were ordered by chinese friends). This place would rival any dim sum spot in NYC's chinatown. A&J = Awesome and Just-go-there.
(5)Gary T.
Awesome place, but the raised the prices by 75 cents to a dollars on most items! :( I think they're skimping on the beef when you order beef noodle school. I go here once a week and was bummed out. But the food is amazing. Love it.
(5)Erin C.
We love A&J's! Delicious little dishes that you can eat a variety of 'til you're absolutely stuffed, and still feel great afterwards - all for a very low bill. And be sure to go on the weekend in the morning and get the special breakfast menu. I love the yo tiao, a long fried donut-like breakfast food that you can dip in the soy milk (I prefer the milk cold and sweet but most people like it hot). Our other favorites are: smoked chicken beef bun beef noodle soup (with either wide or thin noodles) tripe pig ears cucumbers scallion pancake fried dumplings shrimp wonton soup We didn't like the shao long bao (soup dumplings) as much as the rest, because you can actually get better shao long bao at the asian market frozen (which sounds disparaging, but the truth is that the frozen stuff is actually better than any restaurant we've found in the area - closest best is John's Shanghai in NYC). Anyway, a great place, you can go again and again and not get sick of it, there is so much to order! We're SO glad we live nearby. If you've never been though, I suggest you go with someone who knows it ... Also, if you go when its crowded, they'll ask if you mind sharing a table with another group. We don't mind, because you get seated faster!
(5)Glaciala A.
As stellar as the Rockville branch.
(5)Oak L.
We decided to try this place for the first time on a Tuesday for lunch. It was not crowded and though it was just before 1 pm, only about 8 or 10 people were there for the 45 min. we were there; one couple, oddly, sat, looked at the menu, sipped the complimentary tea, and then walked out without saying a word. BUT, we stayed and found that while we were not familiar with the items (I'm of southern Chinese heritage, wife is Japanese), we found the food delicious and nicely priced. We ordered 5 items: cold noodle in a garlic soy sauce $3.25, congee with corn & millet $0.95 were our main dishes, and added a spicy tripe 2.25, soy and mustard green 2.25, and the 1000 layer pancake 4.25. We were happy with all of it though the tasty pancake was probably overpriced. For the two of us, we got away for 16.50 including a 15% tip. Service was good and while not friendly, was timely. We'll go back and try something else like the fried chicken and the bao. Quite filling and tasty.
(4)John L.
My wife and I went here for lunch. I've had this type of good before in Austin so I knew what to expect but I think the reviews of my fellow yelpers jaded me. We ordered scallion pancakes, beef soup with noodles and potstickers. The beef soup was good with very tender beef but the broth was too rich. My wife was not keen on the flavor. The scallion pancakes were good buy too thick for my tastes. I'm more use to the thin kind. The best dish was the potstickers. Very fresh and tasty. We also tried the pickled pigs ears. It had a OK flavor. For us we will stick with Mark's Duck House for Dim Sum. The flavors are more pleasing for my Korean palate.
(3)T W.
Food was very good. I had the spicy beef noodle soup and was definitely can be consider a good meal by itself. I had a bubbletea. It was good and the little black pearls were well cooked. Parking wasn't a problem, but I went in the evening. Place is very cozy and you can sometimes feel too tight. Otherwise, go for the food and enjoy.
(4)Mickey T.
a restaurant that does things a little differently than other chinese restaurants, almost everything cooked here is different from what you're used to if you're a chinese food connoisseur--but that's not to say it's bad--it's a good different. the menu is mostly unfamiliar for those who usually order out chinese food, but the staff is ready to explain anything you have questions about. the service is quick and i've yet to have a bad experience here. since the popularity of this place has grown, it can sometimes get crowded, and become cramped since the restaurant itself is rather small. if you're indecisive and need some help picking something, get the beef noodle soup. f'n awesome.
(4)Catie C.
Best Spicy Beef Tendon Noodle Soup I ever had! Tender and flavorful tendon matching up with chewy noodles. I personally don't like soft, falling apart noodles so this was perfect for me. The broth, my my, the best I've had. Even the other dishes I had was scrumptious. The right texture. The right amount of flavor. I am not a pro with Taiwanese Cuisine, but this place hit my palette dead on. If the service was better, I'd give it the 5th star. They seem to forget to grab empty plates off the table. Or shall I say, a tendency to just clean everything up at the end of the meal. So be it and a wall of plates I shall build. If only my tummy would allow me to build that wall!
(4)E L.
We been coming to this A&J three times already. Each time was a disappointment compared to the sister restaurant in Cupertino and Irvine, CA. Each time we came here, I was hoping it will get better. All of the appetizers are about half of the portion of what I get in Cupertino and Irvine but the price is the same. The noodles soup broth - not tasty at all. Thank you but no thank you to this A&J.
(2)David P.
A&J is my destination for Taiwanese comfort food. This is the style of food I remember from the two years I spent in Taiwan in the late 60s, when it was still a poor country. The style of food served here reflects the culinary backgrounds of the hundreds of thousands of mainland refugees who escaped Mao's revolution in 1949. It has since taken on some of its own unique Taiwanese style to be what it is today. I love most everything on the menu, though to me the 'must haves' are the noodle soups and the fried dumplings. The little dishes of breads, buns, bean curd appetizers, etc., are great for sharing. The best of all, you can get out of here for about $15 a person, tip included. But of course it's cash only.
(4)Pat O.
One of my favorite restaurants! Only place I know to get Beef Noodle soup similar to what I got in Taiwan. I've been to A&J often but have been happily stuck on their Beef Noodle soup with the thick noodles - trust me, it's delicious. I've also had a couple different dim sums and their scallion pancake as a side and liked both. I wouldn't recommend going on a weekend day simply because their dining area is small and the servers seemed to very quickly get overwhelmed...on my last Saturday visit, I stood in line, had to wait a long time to have my order taken, sides were cold, and my dim sum showed up only after I asked about it (my guess is that they forgot my order but made that up by grabbing someone else's ). I have had absolutely no issues during weekdays. Great place to get authentic Chinese food.
(4)Dette T.
There were less than 5 tables occupied when i was here, i had to wait 20mins for my food. The noodles were overcooked, maybe that's what took them so long but wait, my hubby's chicken was undercooked and there was blood when he cut it- gross. Never going back. I think just going to a normal Chinese restaurant is better for my noodle soup cravings.
(2)Yelper O.
This is not your typical chinese restaurant. Their food is different from other Chinese joints. You def. need to know what to order... I wasn't sure what to order so I got several random items. Mainly they were good but just really different... Don't go in here and expect to get general tso's or kung pao.
(3)Dan W.
Only because I know there is better. Their Rockville location! Their Chinese name is 'borrowed' from a very famous restaurant in Taiwan, but my Taipei relatives say the similarity pretty much ends there. However, it's not fair to compare this fare to what you would get in Taiwan. That being said, the food is good as i've attested to in my comments on the Rockville location. However, the couple times I've been here, i always get the nagging feeling my potstickers were already cooked and sitting in warm-holding then thrown back in the skillet for re-heating. That really gets me when I know they have a good product but they waste it, because they are just too lazy to cook it the way it should be done. I'm closer to this one by about 20 minutes, but I'll still go to the Rockville one, instead. Foiled by their evil (?) twin in Rockville...
(2)Brian Y.
Hands down this little place serves some of the best Chinese food around for the price. It just can't be beat.....ever. I'm not a fan of beef and broccoli and such but I am a fan of everything on this need to decipher (for a non Chinese person) menu. The staff not speaking English very well is a good sign when dealing with ethnic food. You have to mark it all down on the paper menus that they hand to you which is not a big deal. The dim sum is very good. And the fried chicken is no joke. I am a huge fan of this place and I don't know why I don't go there more often. 4 stars for A&J's.
(4)Betsy T.
This place gets five stars from me for two reasons: 1) It's Taiwanese and I'm from Taiwan; 2) most Chinese food in the DC area should be reported as human rights violations, so any half-decent Chinese place is like an oasis in a vast, scorching desert. A&J has very good renditions of all the Taiwanese favorites: beef noodle soup, potstickers, panfried buns ("jian bing"), pork chops or fried chicken with rice ... It brings back wonderful memories of food heaven in Taiwan. All of their noodle dishes are very good. I also highly recommend the dumplings. And if you're feeling adventurous, try the appetizer dish with the tofu and preserved egg ("pi dan"). A&J is also one of the few places I've found in this area that has a "traditional Chinese breakfast", including soymilk (hot, cold, sweetened or unsweetened), fried dough sticks ("you tiao"), egg pancakes ("dan bing"), sticky rice with shredded pork ("luo mi") and my absolute favorite that you must try, the flaky scallion buns. Thank goodness those are vegetarian, although just between you and me I make some meat exceptions for this place. You can get the traditional Chinese breakfast on Saturday and Sundays around brunch time. One last recommendation: the "kao fu", which I call monk food, but is a traditional Chinese vegetarian Buddhist dish made with wheat gluten and meant to taste sort of like meat, is really very good. Everyone I've forced it on has liked it, even meat eaters. (Note: The reviewer who gave this place one star because it didn't have the "char sui bao" - the barbecue pork buns of dim sum fame - was just confused about the type of cuisine. There are many types of "buns" in Chinese cuisine, and not enough English words to call them, so they all become "buns" even though some are the pillowy BBQ pork buns of Cantonese cuisine and some are the panfried meat buns of Taiwanese cuisine. Taiwanese food also has pillowy buns stuffed with sausage, or laced with scallions ... drool ...)
(5)Rob M.
Great place! Service is fairly quick and friendly. They'll even humor your attempts at speaking mandarin. Price is below average. Food is well above average. Ask for the homemade noodles. Only drawback is that it's cash only.
(4)Frank W.
Definitely a great place to get some good chinese food! I will be back, thanks to the yelp community for pointing it place out to me! (:
(4)Harry T.
Fried pork chop with rice, mustard greens mixed with other veggies I can't describe, a sour soup with cabbage, Sichuan style wonton soup and you have a huge meal for around 20 bucks. The food is great and authentic. Don't listen to me just go and see for yourself.
(5)Sarah S.
Food: 3 stars. The food is reasonably good and cheap. If I lived nearby and I wanted some simple Chinese food, I would frequent this place again. However, the restaurant is small, crowded and noisy, and the dim sum selection is minimal. The service was slow - it was busy and on a Sunday. So, it ultimately depends on what you're looking for in a dining experience.
(2)Jeff S.
I have been addicted to this place for the past 10 yrs. All of my friends who I have brought to this place are addicted, it's a Sunday Must.
(5)Bryan P.
My kind of place! Excellent food at cheap prices! I've never been to China but being a New Yorker I do consider myself somewhat of an authority on Chinese food (naturally). This is not your typical shiny MSG drenched faux Chinese, but something a little more on the authentic side. If you're looking for ambiance, keep looking! This place is all about the food (kind of like a Chinese Rays the Steaks). This is not a first date place, but more of a fifth date place you go to demonstrate your food savy. These are dishes that feature some of what the esteemed Anthony Bouradain refers to as the "nasty bits." They serve Dim Sum style portions but without the carts or conveyor belts. So you get to try a lot for a little. I've been here many times and have never had a bad dish. A mark of quality for any restaurant is when I try things which I don't expect to like and love it. My Vietnamese friend who introduced me to A&J coaxed me into trying one of their vegetarian dishes, some sort of Bean Curd thingy I think. Man was that excellent (and there's a statue of me in the Carnivore Hall of Fame)! Another mark of quality for an Asian restaurant is when I'm the only Caucasian there (which is often the case). No different from going to a Kabob place and being surrounded by Middle Eastern cab drivers. There are several great Chinese places in the area, but if you are feeling a bit on the adventurous side, give A&J a try. Your stomach and wallet will thank you!
(5)Mar O.
Pretty good chinese in the DC area, which I have been trying VERY hard to find. There's a lot of fried, doughy things on the menu, which are good, but too much for me sometimes. However, there's enough of non-fried and delicious items that I'm quite happy here, and I find the taste is quite authentic. And just FYI, it is a northern chinese place, so your typical Cantonese dim sum items, like those soft pork buns Cat is talking about, are not available. While it is somewhat misleading to call them buns, they're not really dumplings either and potstickers are featured elsewhere in the menu. The fact is sometimes things get lost in translation, but I don't think this takes away from the food at all, which I really liked. For good chinese, I recommend this place, but I'm warning you, this is NOT Catonese dim sum. Step away if that's what you want (and check out Oriental East in Silver Spring instead). Service was pretty nice, though we went early on Saturday evening, so they weren't terribly busy.
(4)shawn g.
It's been a while since I've been out for Taiwanese brunch, but I don't know that I'd come back to this place. The soup dumplings were decent, but I think I prefer the Shanghai style ones found out west yelp.com/biz/hu-chiang-d… The warm savory soy milk helped wake me up, but the thousand layer pancake and donut were disappointing and oily. I might come back here with a Taiwanese person if they promise to order, and drive.
(2)David G.
First time at this place. Tried the beef dumplings and was quite disappointed. It tasted like it was reheated multiple times because it wasn't sold last week. Just bad. Also tried the beef noodle soup which was so so. I think this place deserves a second visit before I totally take them off my list.
(2)Katie F.
As always I was guided by my all things Chinese leader Kevin L. He ordered, Kathleen M and I ate. My favorite things was a fried beef bun. My second favorite thing was a cucumber salad. That's really all I can say. Go here, take someone who knows what they are ordering.
(4)J. C.
Undoubtedly the best bargain restaurant around for authentic Chinese food. "Authentic" meaning real chinese people are cooking your food and a menu with no cop-outs like moo-shoo-gai-pan or general tso's chicken or whatever. You eat like the locals eat only you're halfway around the world if you know what I mean. And "bargain" meaning you could make it out the door with a full stomach in less than 2 figures and actually have seriously enjoyed your meal. Of course, your gonna have to pay a little more to satisfy your curiosity as well as your hunger.
(4)Wendy L.
We live in the area so we come to eat about once or twice a year since it's been open. Our most recent visit was this past Saturday for an early lunch. We shared a Zha Jiang Mian made with thin noodles which had a nice balance of pork, cucumber, and bean sprouts. Luo Bo Si Su Bing (turnip flaky bun) was perfectly flaky and had a good flavor. Zhua Bing was a miss. It was flavorless and not as crispy as the last time I ordered it from the Rockville location so it was a thousand layer gummy-ness inside. Xiao Long Bao was another miss. While it wasn't gosh awful, it didn't have the requisite soup and the skin was a bit thick. The place is small and best for couples. They only have two larger tables. Since we got here early we didn't have to wait but there was at least once where we had to share one of the larger tables with another family before. I don't know if they ever ask this of guests who aren't Chinese but it might be a faster way to get a seat if you see it free and there is another small group waiting. The servers have always been pretty helpful and quick.
(3)Betsey L.
love a&j's. food is good. authentic. not too oily. good price. zha jiang mien tastes good w/ the thin noodles! thousand layer pancake (zhua bing) not so good- i need some salt on that. scallion pancake is good. beef noodle soup - sometimes better than other times. but prob the best hong sao niu ro mien you'll find in the area. taiwanese fried chicken and rice - YUM! and i love that side of pickled veggies it comes with! dumplings aren't bad either. dan dan mien (sesame/peanut butter noodles) is good if you like peanut butter. wontons in hot/spicy sauce is good. HUGE fan of those side dishes on the back of the menu- we like to order the following: - bean thread noodle w/ chicken salad, cucumber and mustard - pickled cucumber in spicy garlic sauce - edamame, bean curd skin, bamboo, mustard greens - spicy beef tendon (MMmMmm tendon...) ....i mean, its all good!! i'm perfectly happy just ordering the cold side dishes w/ a bowl of rice actually. i need someone to eat with that'll do that with me. and they have congee, yo tiao, doe jiang!!!!!! prob the only place in nova that has this??!! it also feels "clean" in there. not oily and yucky....like vinh kee.
(4)kei c.
We tried a few of the buns, the jajang, wonton soup and a tofu side. Oh and bubble tea. While appreciative of the bargain, I can't say that I'm as enthused about the actual food as other reviewers are. The steamed pork buns were great, the fried beef bun...meh, rather big and bland. I'm used to the Korean jajang and this was somewhat too salty. The tofu roll side was kinda gross...wondering what chemicals make it up. The bubble tea tasted like something out of a can. Overall, the food was a tad clunky like the atmosphere. I wish there was an alternative. Oh right, don't forget, Cash-only.
(3)Guna H.
I love good bargain food - what can I say!!! This place was great. It's not in a very noticeable location so I was pretty impressed with how much business was going on. Plus, if Taiwanese people are actually coming here for Taiwanese food -- you know that it's got to be good and authentic. I was really happy with the Hot Cucumber Salad, Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings, and Fried Chicken & Rice. Our bill was about $30 for 3 people. All I can say is YUM!
(4)Andy M.
It's small, you'll probably have to wait, and you'll likely be hungover. But this place will put you right. A big bowl of beef noodles is like medicine for the morning after. Be adventurous too - the pork ears are absolutely amazing, and the thousand year egg and mushed bean curd came out a, well, mushy mess, but ended up being the most popular dish at our table. You really can't choose wrong here, and the authenticity goes without saying. Bonus! They actually have the menus in English now, so you don't always have to drag your same Chinese friend there all the time. After you're done, go into the Chinese supermarket it's attached to and get another pound of the pork ears from the food stand inside.
(4)Kent W.
What a great place to catch some Chinese/Taiwanese style breakfast. My friend took me here, and it was pretty pleasant. I don't know what half the stuff are called, because I can't read Chinese. Great. Bravo. Anywho! We got bowls of congee, salty soy milk with dried shrimp and floating grease balls looking thing, so call long Chinese donuts, cold veggie dish, tea eggs, and crispy flakes with scallions in the middle. I'm a fudging fan man. Oh! And all for a low price of...forgot how much, but it was pretty cheap.
(4)Sam M.
A&J Restaurant: (Authentic Taiwanese cuisine) - The smoked chicken was soooo tender, juicy, smokey, and flavorful (highly recommended). The soups (meaty broth steeped in 5-spice with anise seasonings, spicy beef noodle & chicken noodle, choose the wide noodles) we had were large and more than enough as an entree and great "comfort food" on a cold winter day. The pork steamed dumplings were delicious garnished with julienned ginger shreds. They serve tea with your meal. An excellent sign: the place was packed with customers who'd be very familiar with the genuine menu offerings, listed also in Chinese. We went on a Sunday and they had a Chinese breakfast menu, regular English-version menu, & Chinese-language menu. For the large helpings of yummy food, this is a great value for the money. It is listed among Washington's Best Eats! Because it is a small establishment, crowded with diners, might also order "to go" and they accept cash only. For the adventurous foodie, this is THE place to go! It won't disappoint!
(5)Tom D.
I totally agree with all the rave reviews, as authentic as you can get for low-key fast chinese snacks and food in the mid-atlantic.... I love the noodles with pork -- the dumplings will make you wake up in the middle of the night aching with desire. The scallion pancake would make Aunt Jemima rethink the definition of a pancake -- this is the best cheap eat in the area. Noodle soups, noodles with and the hot and sour noodles (best with the thin noodles). The spicy beef noodle soup is probably their most popular soup -- and for good reason. I am actually not a huge fan of the wonton soups (have had some issues with them being undercooked) -- I do like the wontons in hot and sour sauce, but beware the wontons and noodles in hot and sour sauce are actually quite sour -- but I am a fan, eventhough I need a fan after I eat them to fan my bad hot and sour breath......not something to eat on a first date. I love their bean curd with mushrooms. I would cut off my pinky toe for their potstickers (guo tie). I probably eat here more than any other place in DC -- usually at the Annandale location as it is not as crowded as Rockville. Best bang for the buck in DC area.
(4)Dean R.
Authentic Chinese food. Oh, and don't worry they will not give you a menu with americanized chinese food - because they only serve the real stuff. No credit cards accepted - so take cash. The folks are good poeple, serving good food. For a change - stop in for brunch during the weekend and try some breakfast dishes. Cheers
(4)Aaron E.
I loved the food. Fresh dumplings, onion pancakes, and noodle soup. If only it was closer to my home. Worried you can't orally communicate with the waitstaff? You are given a paper English/Chinese menu and a pen so you can circle your order. You don't even need to talk. The interior has been updated since I first dined here many years ago. A definite improvement over the plastic covered, hole in the wall atmosphere they used to have. OK, it still feels that way, but definitely better than before.
(5)Ruth A.
After reading the other reviews, more than a hundred, I know that you're (hopefully) convinced that you must try A&J. The food is unusual for NOVA, dim sum rather than an entree meal. I'm suggesting that you make some notes of the favs small dishes mentioned in the reviews and start with these. We do not always understand the waiters descriptions (if any) and at times, have ordered some mighty strange (to our palette) dishes. Be adventurous and I'm sure you'll enjoy!
(3)Bobby D.
I have been eating at A & J for over a decade and can confidently say I have walked through their doors over 100 times. Prior to the Annandale location opening, all VA folk were forced to head up to Rockville. Few things you should know - 1) They only take Cash and Checks (require you to write Drivers License # on check 2) Oolong Tea they serve is delicious and complimentary so don't send it away when they bring it to your table shouting " We didnt order this" 3) If you came here thinking it was like PF CHangs, or that they had General Tso's, you're terribly mistaken (but in for a treat better than PF Changs can offer) 3) MOST IMPORTANT - HOW TO PROPERLY ORDER HERE- a) They hand you a paper menu...the exact menu of the laminated version that may have sat on the table. b) Every dish has a number next to it. If you want that item, write down the QUANTITY of that dish, and circle the number. (ex. write a "1" circle it next to Steamed Veggie Dumplings if you only want 1 order c) WHEN ORDERING Noodles, not only abide by b), but also specify "thick" or "thin" noodles by writing it next to your quantity. The help will be impressed, and will respect that. Trust me. They will think you are old school. I recommend the thick - thin remind me too much of spaghettis. What to order/Best Items on Menu (coming from first generation american) - Friend Pork Dumplings (they are long, and come 8 per order) - Steamed Veggie Dumplings ( 4, and dont mind the red dot on them. They are supposed to be like that) - Cucumbers in Garlic - Mustard Greens with Soy Beans - Pork Sesame seed bun - Fried Chicken (unbelievably delicious) w/ Rice or Noodles - Scallion Pancake - Spicy Beef Noodle (so good) - Passion Bubble Tea. Staff is incredible, despite English being everyones second language there. Since taking people to this restaurant over the past five years, I have not had a single person complain OR NOT take one of their friends to this place. Remarkable restaurant. Follow my tips, and youll love it.
(5)Ling F.
CASH ONLY! Not an americanize chinese restaurant or Dimsum. It's more of real authentic chinese food. They're more known for their Beef noodle soups, fried chicken/pork with rice, dumplings. Super cheap! This place is small so try to avoid coming as a big group.
(5)Tiger C.
No frills, no chills, no credit cards, this place just straight up keeps it real. If you are looking at hitting up real Asian tapas, grease and msg included this is the spot. The prices are definitely reasonable and the selection is robust. Best dishes from this sitting included potstickers and the fried pork with rice dishes. The scallion pancakes were blah, just mainly salty, the boba milk tea was the worst I have had in a long time. If you want good boba tea, hit up the Eden Center in Falls Church. The setting is alright, looks exactly like what you would expect from a cash only Asian tapas eats restaurants. Best part of these tapas is that they are reasonably priced and decently sized. After eating, be aware that the msg effect will start kicking in and you will get sleepy.
(3)Jennie C.
I was so surprised that there was an A&J on the East. We have one in Cupertino, California and it's basically the same menu and everything. I kept wondering how the two stores were related. Got the Zhua Bing which is basically this pancake that comes off in circular shreds. It's really good if you dip it into the soup of your beef noodle. We got the hong shao beef noodle with thick noodles. The ke fu over rice, i really wish i knew the name. There's a picture of it in the photos titled "wheat gluten" so I'm guessing that's the translation for it. It's this brown spongy thing that's kinda sweet and it's put over rice. It's just so good. It's sounds weird, and looks strange but it's soooooooooo delicious. Overall this A&J is tastes fresher and healthier than the one in Cupertino.
(4)I O.
Extremly appetizing, kinda like Tapas for Chinese Food, dim sum portions, and the noodle soups are great! Minus 1 star, CASH ONLY
(4)Chris K.
Great, authentic chinese food. You won't find beef with broccoli here.
(5)Bro H.
Soup dumplings fucking suck. Everything else is alright I guess.
(3)Tiffany P.
I'm a total food slut for Chinese food, and next to the more popular cart-pushing Cantonese dim sum, Northern Dim Sum is a favorite of mine and A & J is the place to get it! This small joint in Annandale has been serving up delicious Northern style dishes for as long as I can remember and it's as good as ever. Must order dishes include: the spicy garlic cucumbers; the garlic seaweed; the uber delicious beef tendon with garlic sauce; the spicy wontons; and noodles in hot and sour sauce. I also like to come here on weekends for brunch because they serve Chinese breakfast. Then you can get the Chinese fried bread sticks, warm soy milk and other delicious goodies. Everything is melt-in-your mouth delicious (especially the tendons!) and incredibly garlic-y!!!! Be prepared to taste the sharp spicy punch of raw garlic in all these dishes. It can get pretty busy here on weekend and for dinner so be prepared to wait a bit. The table turn around time is quite fast so you won't be waiting too long. The waitresses are quick and the food comes out fast. It's definitely a hustle and bustle kind of joint. Sometimes they can get kind of pushy when they want you to eat and leave in order to make room for the next table. Prices seem to have gone up, but I don't care! I will always come back here to get my garlic-y fix! Love it!
(5)Nancy E.
My "go to" place for an authentic Taiwanese fix... Great "Mom & Pop" place. Decent portions, decent prices. Generally under $10 per person. Menu has a variety of noodle soups, duck, pork chops, chicken over rice, cold & hot appetizers. My favorites... beef noodle soups, pork chops noodle soup and chinese style fried chicken either over rice or noodle soup. This place has great little appetizers too, almost dim sum style. The xiao long bao (little pork buns) are tasty as are the guo-te (chinese dumplings). They have a small menu full of variety. Menu is in both chinese & english. Hot tea, sodas and homemade Boba tea (bubble tea), not made from powder. Less than 10 tables. Weekends, expect to wait to be seated and also expect to possibly share a table. Authentically Asian! Love it! **Cash only.
(5)D. K.
3.5 for the area. 2.5 if we were in CA. Yes, my spoiled taste buds eat at places in Monterey Park, CA like 101 Noodle Express and Mandarin Noodle House. But I have to live on this end of the country for the next couple of years so I'll shut my pie hole and I'll be thankful that A & J even exists.
(3)Patrick G.
Great food at an amazing price. What's not to like. If you don't like grease, then go find a Chopt in Dupont Circle or something. The portions were much bigger than I thought they would be from the Yelp reviews. I ordered dumplings and thought they would be 8 small ones, but they were 8 of the largest potstickers I have ever seen! Can't go wrong with the fried chicken either. Scallion pancake aww yeah good stuff too. Planning to come back for their weekend breakfast and order one of everything on the breakfast menu that the nice waitress showed me, since the price of everything is so cheap!
(5)Ben S.
Woooeee! They were open the Tuesday after Hurricane Sandy. Two friends and I drove Arlington all the way out here. I was not dissappointed. The beef noodle soup with wide noodles is great. It has a spice that builds the more you eat. My favorite dish was the scallion pancake!! MmmmmM! The fried chicken and rice is very good. The chicken is sooo crispy and delicious. The spicy wontons were good but too spicy for me. The braised pork and egg was very good. The dumplings are very large and cooked to form a crisp outer layer but the inside is soft! Delicious and excellent. One of the best Chinese places! The only down is that they only accept cold hard cash.
(5)Jason J.
I come here with my family whenever I go home to Virginia for vacation. The place is small but cozy, and the food is absolutely fantastic. They have dim sum-type dishes, but it's not a dim sum place. Still, those are delicious - I'm a huge huge fan of their steamed dumplings, potstickers, and xian bing. The place is more well known for the various noodle soups, though. My brother likes the beef and beef tendon noodle soup, but he gets a different noodle soup each time and has never complained about a single one. The wonton soups are great, too. All in all, a top-notch, quite inexpensive restaurant, good for lunch or a light dinner!
(4)Lester K.
I've heard a bunch of times about how good and how cheap this place is. While the food is damn good, I call bullshit on the latter. I've been here twice: 1) Once with my wife (she really exists and she's not a blow-up doll!), who's not a big eater. I spent about $45 including tax + tip. 2) Once with some skinny bitch who doesn't eat a lot. I spent a hair under $60 including tax + tip. So on my 2 trips, I've averaged $26 per person per visit. I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound cheap to me. In defense of A&J, between my 2 visits here, I did try just about everything. Some of it twice. Some of it thrice. I highly recommend any dish that contains dead animals. The pork chops especially rocked my world. It tastes as good as Emmanuelle Chriqui's ass looks in 'You Don't Mess with the Zohan'. What I would do with her and a bottle of Fizzy Bubblech... This place is small. I don't recommend a group of 5 or more
(4)Melody L.
A&J is a solid Taiwanese style restaurant. I always get the spicy beef noodle soup with thin noodles. It's fragrant, delicious, perfect amount of spice, and the noodles have a great consistency texture. However, everything besides the beef noodle soup has been either mediocre or just...not very good. The Guo Tie I had were awful, but the scallion pancake was decent. However, I will return again and again for the beef noodle soup. The Rockville location is a lot better, but since I live in NOVA this is a great stop to get my Chinese food fix. Cash Only.
(3)Mukur H.
Drove into an extremely busy and cramped parking lot but lucky found a spot. Upon entering the restaurant we were greeted nicely by the staff and provided seating immediately. The place was filled with Chinese, Japanese and Korean folks. Service was quicker and friendlier than I expected. We ordered the scallion pancakes, potstickers, dan dan mein noodle, steamed pork dumpling and a pan fried beef bun. The scallion pancake - Delicious, a little dense, but great flavor. Potstickers - Hands down best dish we had. It had such as a home made flavor. Dan Dan Mein noodle - Not what I expected. I did not enjoy it much as it was basically a sesame paste soup with some peanuts and a bit of heat. The noodles were a little too al Dante. Steamed Pork Dumpling - once again, not what I expected. It was small and fatty. Pan Fried Beef Dumpling - I didnt like it much as it was stuffed with oil and beef fat. Breaking into it, it exploded and almost got all over the table. Overall, I did like the place, I think it really depends on what you get. It has the potential to be a five star place in my book. On the plus side, all this was only $20, but on the negative side, its cash only! I uploaded 2 pics of the menu so you have atleast some idea of what they have.
(4)Kevin L.
Picture this: Me, pouring out the broth from inside my niu ro xian bing into a soup spoon, then slurping it up. My mom, watching me do this with her own niu ro xian bing in chopsticks, saying, "Oh. Is -that- how you eat it?" Me, burning myself on the hot soupy liquid. My mom, pouring out the broth from her niu ro xian bing into her soup spoon... and discarding it. Me, saying, "But mom, that's the best part!" My mom, saying, "It's too fatty for me" before biting into her niu ro xian bing. Followed by, "This is -good-." ------------ And that's reason enough.
(5)Anne C.
sigh. I tried, I REALLY TRIED. I figured, I'm Chinese and this place seems to get good reviews overall, many from Chinese/Taiwanese ppl claiming authentic food! so i went here AGAIN early today excited for some YUM-O food! i thought oh well maybe the first time i just didn't get the right things...etc.etc. here's the rundown: -Spicy Beef & tendon noodle soup: I got this the last time I went and didnt like the wide noodles so got the thin noodles this time---didn't change a bit...my firend and I thought it reminded us of ramyun noodles & the soup tasted like it was doused in soy sauce. On the other hand, the pieces of beef & tendons were juicy & tender. 2.5 stars - niu ro xian bing (Pan fried beef bun)---with such high regard from so many yelpers on this dish, i was sorely disappointed. Yes, they had the yummy soup inside the bun and it was crispy outside perfectly--the beef was more on the dry side and required a bit of oily spices to make it delicious. 3 stars -Plain millet & corn congee/bean curd skin w/ mustard greens & soy beans/cucumber salad in hot garlic sauce---sadly we got these 3 items first and I think if we just stopped right there, we would've been satisfied with our meal---the congee was fine; it went perfectly with the two side dishes and both of them were tasty and fresh and refreshing---4.5 stars -steamed beef dumplings: my friend thought they were not bad (note: he's korean and eats everything lol), i just didn't like them--they were already broken by the time i got them and there were no fresh yummy soup in them! 2 stars -luo buo si su bing--oh man...this turnip pastry was just terrible. My friend hated it. It was blander than usual (usually the filling is peppered and spiced well) and it was overall, just really dry and not tasty. I ate the filling b/c it was healthy regardless of the blandness & left the outside pastry. 1 star -scallion pancakes---wow! is it just me? I know lots of ppl like it, but i have had authentic scallion pancakes in shanghai and in L.A/SF/NY and the good ones are extremely thin!! thin and crispy! the ones here are just really fat, filled with dough and if you even eat one slice of it, you are full from all that flour! 1 star so apparently i am just not chinese :( i really tried, tried tried. my friend and I both left here feeling disappointed yet again. Maybe I don't like authentic Taiwanese food? I've tried all different types of regional chinese foods and enjoy all types as long as it's GOOD...this place i finally can say that i feel that it is just overrated and after trying this place multiple times I give up!!! my friend says it's b/c my family can cook too well and spoiled my tummy! i sure hope that's the case!
(2)Alex T.
3.5 stars...food was fresh and tasted good...coming here the first time - noticed the menu was quite different than other dim sum places ive been too....its very clean and great service
(3)Paul W.
2.5 stars. This place is not worth the wait. I've probably tried all of their most popular dishes and authenticity aside, almost everything to me is bland and completely unmemorable. The only dishes i enjoy here are the dumplings and the spicy garlic cucumber dish. For me this place is off hour standby for cheap Chinese in Annandale. There are just too many other really good Chinese restaurants in the area.
(2)Mira V.
My mom and I tried this place yesterday for lunch, the place is tiny but fortunately for us it wasn't packed at all. The lady sat us immediately brought tea. I had a list of things to order from suggestions on Yelp. A must is the Garlic spicy cucumbers, its sweet, and then when you swallow it has a kick of heat. Really good! Steamed dumplings Fried dumplings beef and tendon soup thousand layer pancake Its def not your american chinese resturant so if your expecting orange chicken I wouldn't suggest this place. Everything is spicy and I love it. Orders are almost tapas sized or those who are familiar with Dim Sum its about the same sized portions. Def enough for two people to share. Everything was really good. The soup broth was really good, I dont really like chewy meat or slimey texture like tendon but I always give things a try at least once in a place, you never know who will change your mind. My mom had one piece of beef that was apparently really tender and soft but the rest of the meat in the soup was chewy, again it's probably supposed to be since there was a lot of fat on it but thats just not my cup of tea. I prefer thin noodles compared to thick, so we ordered it with thin noodles. Apparently though you can order and of the soups with thick or thin noodles you just have to state it on the paper you give them with your order. Total our bill was $24 and we were STUFFED and def satisfied. I dont know if i could deal with the place if there was a wait or really packed but for a quick lunch when its not super busy is totally worth it. I hope to take my husband here soon.
(4)Mark S.
Went here for lunch on 4th of July. Everything was perfect again. So yummy. The Xuan La Mian is really good. The dumplings were great. We got 5 dishes, 2 bubble teas for a total of $26!!! cheap! so cheap, so yummy, and authentic! only negative side was my wooden chopsticks were bent. I had a hard time using them. my gf used them and gave me hers :)
(5)donni s.
Meeting up with my old friend Minty to check out her new house, we decided to have lunch. She brought me to this little restaurant tucked in what looked to me like a smaller Eden Center. What a place this was, I walked in and just saw everyone with bowls of everything. I felt like I was in China. Since never having been there before, I suggested Minty order (I wanted to order everything off the menu!). She eventually ordered pan-fried pork dumplings, fried chicken and rice, and a egg and rice dish which I forget is called. (She tells me it's sort of like a vietnamese comfort dish). I was tempted to try the wonton soup szechuan style so that was ordered last minute. The pork dumplings were excellent. Moist and with just enough filling. The egg and rice dish reminded me of what Minty said, comfort food. In Lao cuisine we have pretty much the same dish but we call it Dtom Khem. Pork stewed in a soy sauce and sugar based broth with hard-boiled eggs over rice. It was delicious, just like how mom makes it haha. The wonton szechuan style was decent. I expected more heat from it and less oil, nonetheless it was good. Winner of the day though had to go to the fried chicken and rice. The chicken itself was cooked to perfection. Super crispy skin and moist succulent meat on the inside (dark meat.. its the best), it just won me over. Overall my experience here was just perfect. This is a no fuss restaurant with excellent food. My exact kind of place.
(4)Lillian W.
I wanted to give this place 4 stars because it's the closest to home cooking that i've had in a very, very long time. However, the food i tried was too salty. I had the dan dan noodles which were very good, but EXTREMELY salty. I also had the chong you bing (onion pancakes) and that was decent...but the pancakes were a bit too hard. They normally should be soft when it's fresh...so either the food wasn't fresh or the food was overcooked. However, the menu selection is decent....you get all kinds of noodle choices from cold noodles such as dan dan mien, to more soup-based selections such as hong sao niu rou mien....You can also get cold dishes such as pig ears and greens. Also, the tea that the restaurant serves comes from a tea bag....not from floating tea leaves....which can be both good and bad, depending on your preference! The ordering process resembles that of a dim sum restaurant. You mark your selections on a piece of paper (which are number coded for those who cannot read Chinese) and the server takes it to the counter. Overall, I would say that service is what you would expect at a standard Chinese restaurant- slow. The decor of the restaurant was actually quite nice...it looks like a hole in the wall but there's a decent amount of space in the restaurant and you can tell the owners made an effort to liven up the area. Parking is in a private lot which is very convenient. Prices are EXTREMELY cheap. The restaurant has won many Washingtonian awards for its affordable meals. However, they ONLY ACCEPT CASH. NO CREDIT CARDS! Oh, and of course everyone wants to know the sanitary conditions of a Chinese restaurant! The utensils were clean, the tables were spotless. The only thing is that the bathroom is located outside of the restaurant and it is NASTY AS HECK! If you can, I would try to ignore nature's call and wait till you get home. I would recommend this, especially since I plan to come back again. I just hope the food quality is better when I visit next!
(3)Sophie T.
Def a regular spot of mine. Authentic Taiwanese food. I usually stick to what I like, and what I like is the vegetarian delight. Which as the menu describes: gluten with mushroom. Yeah, it does not sound great and the first time I ordered it, I was skeptical... But Oh, it is so so so good. The dish comes with rice as well. I usually pair that with a side of cucumber salad - it's perfect! The service is super fast, but it's cash only - reason why I'm not giving 5 stars. I've ordered the side dish version of the vegetarian delight, which is much smaller and does not come with rice HOWEVER that version comes COLD - not as good. With gluten, it is best eaten hot/warm, it's tougher when cold - I was not a fan. I've ordered other dishes but why fix it if it ain't broke, so 99% out of the time, I stick to my vegetarian delight!
(4)Boui K.
my second time here an it never disappoints me. ordered the beef tendon soup with fat noodles. soup was soy flavor with chewy noodles. order a side of meat bun which was crispy on the bottom which was excellent too. only thing sucks is its cash only. will go back when im feeling like taiwanese noodles.
(4)Jessica B.
I almost gave up on chinese food in the dc area until I found A&J's. Pretty good authentic food. I brought my parents when they came to visit and they were very pleased. The dim sum like food is available everyday on their menu. Most places only have it on the weekends! Also, if you need chinese groceries, check out the market in the back. They have some good stuff! Enjoy!
(5)Kim K.
Had been wanting to try it because of the good reviews. Maybe it raised my expectation. It was alright but not "WOW". I'd come back for some quick cheap bites. We tried all of the recommendations in the reviews and they were pretty good except for the spicy noodle soup. It was bland and plain, no major flavor and even adding the chili sauce didn't help. One recommendation from me, get the thin noodles. You get a choice of thin or thick and the thick noodle is just tooo thick to absorb enough broth or sauce to flavor itself.
(3)Jack C.
Cheap eats, Northern Chinese style noodles cafe. Beef soup noodles is the most popular item there. Dumplings are okay. I usually go there for breakfast on weekends. Soy milk (sweetened/salty), crispy egg pancakes, and beef dumplings are my favs. FYI, this place is cash only. I think they have one in MD as well.
(3)Melissa L.
This place serves northern chinese food. We ordered a variety of food, but nothing really wet my appetite.
(2)hank j.
Small local place with a few tables. I really wanted to like this but what I thought was; environment 2 Spicy Beef noodle soup 1 : Kinda plain, but very tasty, the noodles themselves were good. They charge you for sour veggies. Shanghai Dumplings 3 : tasty, but looked really shriveled up. Scallion pancakes 5 : Awesome! Thousand Layer pancakes 4 : in itself it's really good, but i wish it was served with some curry, like what they do a Malaysian places. pan fried beef and veggie buns 5 : Awesome!
(3)N L.
As a Cantonese-raised Chinese boy, I've been left wondering why the DC-area has forsaken my native cuisine. To compensate (surely much to my parent's slowly crumbling hearts) I've turned to Taiwanese cuisine, quite simply because I crave Chinese food and this is some of the best this area has to offer. Smoked soy-sauce chicken, grease-less fried pork chops, Dan Dan noodles, and their famous potstickers slathered in their equally famous hot sauce...man, I just had a private food porn moment. Great value, efficient service, and it's certainly telling when the place is over half-full at closing time on a Thursday night. Get your butts down here; culinary cultural allegiances be damned!!
(4)Jesse W.
Excellent northern chinese cuisine, one of my favorite restaurants in northern virginia. Must haves are the guo tie dumplings (gotta dip them in a sauce made from condiments on the table, vinegar, soy sauce and chili garlic paste), the bean curd soy bean mixture and the boiled peanuts. The fried chicken is also excellent and the bean paste/beef/noodle mixture is a very unique and tasty dish. Very cheap, excellent one of a kind food, highly recommended.
(5)DML K.
Oh gosh! Oh golly! Oh gee! I love this place! I am not sure where we found the recommendation to go here -- maybe chowhound, maybe Tyler Cowen's blog -- but man oh man -- I am I glad we found this place. When you first arrive, you think you have the wrong place. The outside is dimly light and the sign is not that big. Heck the inside of the restaurant is not overly big either -- maybe 15 or so tables. Everything we ordered can out quickly and was delicious. We loved their pot stickers, dumplings, scallion pancakes and fried chicken. The guys liked the smoked chicken but the gals -- well we were not that adventurous. In all we ordered maybe 10 different items and they were all worthy of repeats. The total bill was maybe $20 per couple which included our bubble teas. The only other thing to remember before you run on over to this little hidden treasure is to stop by and pick up some cash as they do not take checks or credit cards!
(4)Takaki K.
This small hole in the wall has some great food! I hear it's northern Chinese food, and whatever that means, it's good. I loved their cold noodles, pickled mustard greens, pot stockers etc. And their pan fried beef bun is a BOMB. No wonder everyone's raving about it. The food is all good and the price is very reasonable. I will for sure go back.
(4)Wendy S.
The food is distinctly north-eastern Chinese. (To the reviewer below, many currently Taiwanese immigrated from the mainland and brought with them their customs and language, as Taiwan was historically an indigenous people.) I was born in Tianjin, China and many of the dishes served here are food I grew up with. Simple, hearty, everyday meals. It's no fine dining, but if you want a taste of every day life in North Eastern China, this is pretty close. My boyfriend and I go often and introduce as many people to it as we possibly can. To a person, they've all loved this place. We're hoping they would open up locations in more neighborhoods, (like Burke).
(5)Cathy D.
Miscommunication and total false advertising on the menu. My friend wanted pork buns and was expecting soft, pillowy, white steamed buns filled with red pork meat. Instead, we got pork dumplings. Huge distinction between dumpling and bun! Don't order bubble tea from here. The powder leaves a residue at the bottom and the tapioca pearls weren't cooked fully. Go down the hallway to Maria's Bakery. FYI: I remember hearing that one of my friends found a bug in his/her food.
(1)Ying F.
Great and CHEAP chinese food! This is not the typical americanized chinese food. This is real chinese food. Best Beef Buns and Spicy beef noodle soup! If you're in DC or MD, it's worth the drive to come to this place!
(5)Kenneth L.
This restaurant expands your views on what you may consider Chinese food. A&J Restaurant caters to a younger crowd as not only a place to dine, but also a hang out spot. The menu includes a wide range of Taiwanese dishes that are tasty as well as inexpensive. A must try are the pot stickers!
(4)Alice L.
Really one of the best bargain places you'll ever meet. Plus, it's totally authentic (taiwanese) food. Really, almost every saturday morning we come here to have the soybean milk and fried dough with some other small dishes (we like to mix it up a little ;-) ) On the other hand, the waitresses there don't really speak english, and it can be a little intimidating for westerners since the majority of the conversation in the air is purely chinese. And the food can get a little oily at times. But for the most part, this is one of those places where one needs to at least try one time.
(4)M D.
I like this place. Definitely an exotic selection of dishes not for the faint of heart. I love the thousand-year-old egg with tofu, but that's an acquired taste. I think most people would be terrified at the sight of it, but if you're brave enough to try it, you'll be pleasantly surprised!
(4)mark r.
We flew into DC en route to Williamsburg and Yelped for food along the way. A&J is a tiny place just off the main road. It was very busy on Saturday night. Service was great. Food even better. Very fresh! Pan fried pork dumplings, Scallion pancake, and hot spicy sesame noodles hit the spot. Ooh! Guava bubble tea.
(5)Andy P.
As small and good as this place is, I almost hate to mention to others, but since the secret is obviously out... I hit this place up about once every 2-3 months, usually for the weekend breakfast. First, to clear up a couple things -- this is more of a down-home northern Chinese cuisine so the menu is going to be different than the usual Americanized versions of Cantonese/Hunan/Sichuan cuisine that you normally see at Chinese restuarants. Don't let that put you off. Also, it's usually very busy so you may have to flag down a waitress at times. It's not that they aren't friendly, it's just kind of a hectic. It's also nice if you have a Chinese speaker along with you, but you'll get by fine if you don't. Anyway, on to the important parts, the food. I usually get at least one fantuan (sorta like a burrito, but wrapped in rice instead of a tortilla). They have sweet and savory versions. The fantuan isn't as good as what I can get in Taiwan, but is still very good (and I don't have to go wait in line at 6:00 in the morning like in my wife's hometown) Besides that, the breads and dumplings or wantons are your best bet, and maybe a little smoked chicken if you need something heavier. Wantons in hot oil and thousand layer pancakes are my personal favs, but the much-discussed scallion pancakes or the chinese hamburger are nice choices too. Their full-meal rice dishes and noodle soup are good, but aren't really what I go there for. If you've got someone you don't mind sharing with, it's more fun to get a bunch of small dishes and try things until you find what you really like. Overall, one of the most legit Chinese places in town and definitely recommended. BTW -- someone mentioned bubble tea. I'd skip that at A&J and go to the Maria's down the hallway, they have more options.
(4)Eric W.
After reading the rave reviews I decided to check A&J out. We arrived at about 6:30pm on a Saturday evening. The restaurant was small and there were about 3 parties waiting to be seated. In fact, the whole time we dined, there was usually at least one party waiting to be seated. I viewed this as a good thing - that is, the food must be good... Whe ordered about 8 different dishes. All were generally good. My wife noted that many of the dishes were in need of a dipping sauce. For example the scallion pancake is pretty "doughy" and the same dish in a Korean restaurant would have had a dipping sauce. Most of the dishes seemed to be missing a bit of seasoning and we found ourselves having to add soy sauce, pepper sauce, etc. that much said, the food was generally good and the check was very reasonable. A&J is a solid "3" for a good meal at a reasonable price. For someone wanting to try something a little different than your typical Chinese restaurant, I'd recommend A&J.
(3)Lance W.
First, A&J is not Taiwanese. It's simple northern Chinese comfort food. Too bad it's not that comforting. If you want Taiwanese food, go to Bob's Noodle. Even worse, the chinese food scene in the DC metro is lackluster so that A&J is perceived as a great place. The pot stickers are pretty good and the place is usually clean. That's about all the positives. I used to enjoy the beef noodle soup and pork chop noodle soup, but the soups are pretty bland. A&J's beef noodle soup is a very salty soy sauce based soup. You can tell it hasn't been cooked with a large beef shank in the pot to infuse it with meaty flavor. The prices are constantly going up but the quality of the product has pretty much remained the same. VERY IMPORTANT! This is a cash only joint. Really, cash-only in this day and age? It's definitely money laundering. Oh, and if you're in a party of six or more, they automatically include gratuity but the receipts are in chinese so you'll probably double tip unless someone in your party catches it. I was going to give it 3 stars but the shady business practices drop it to 2.
(2)Chunnu B.
BIG fan of this little place. I went there for my first dim sum experience last night after a friend suggested we eat there. I never would have found it on my own - A&J is located off of Little River TPK in this super tiny "mall" (not sure what to call it) buried in the back near a neighborhood. Service was good, quick, and friendly. They got our food out pretty quick and it all tasted good. Pork Dumplings I could go without, they were good but not amazing and I could easily go to H-Mart and buy a frozen bag of them to make at home. The fried chicken and rice, beef bun, scallion pancake, and ground pork on rice served with egg you have to get! Delicious! What's even better than yum food served quickly? CHEAP yum food served quickly! A lot of the dishes I saw were around $3-$6 and we spent about $25 for all that food - not bad! Now I need to go back to try out everything else - I'm very curious about the SPICY Wonton Soup! Just remember one thing when you go: CASH ONLY!!
(4)Stephanie L.
MMMM dim sum. Fast service. Rice congee for less than a dollar (quite a large bowl - fair pricing!). Bean curd and mushroom dish = delish. The seaweed dish was a must-have. We weren't so keen on the tofu + thousand-year-old egg dish, but I think that's more a matter of preference. My boyfriend got a beef noodle soup, which he seemed to enjoy. The place is pretty plain, but what do you expect from a small-ish establishment with low prices? Bottom line: a lot of vegetarian options. Cheap, quick food. 5 stars.
(5)Professor R.
I will not recommend this place to anyone,big rip off, very stingy attitude and they lied about MSG.
(1)Scott J.
Been here twice, loved it both times. Like others have said here, you walk in and this place feels like China. We've had a couple different noodle dishes and they were all really good. They make the noodles in-house and they're delicious. We've actually liked everything we had there--and the service was attentive and friendly. It's also super-cheap. For the price, you really can't beat this place. A&J will definitely be in our regular restaurant rotation.
(4)Kathleen M.
Like the vast majority of my Chinese food experiences (and hell, Korean and Vietnamese experiences as well), I've learned the way to go. Leave the menu alone, bat my big blue eyes at Kevin L, pout my lips out a little bit, and make him do the ordering. Yep, my only words to the waitress should be "yes, I'll have some tea" or something to that affect. This gameplan always serves me well. While I may not know exactly what I'm eating (and in the case of the chicken foot at Hollywood East, I may not want to know what I'm eating!), I usually end up with way too much tasty grub. A & J was no exception, while round-eyes Katie F and I were treated to a host of delicacies. I preferred the hot options to the cold, but I'm usually like that. I like 'em hot (temperature wise, not spice wise. Spice wise, I like things downright frigid). I'm still having dreams about the tastiness of the fried beef bun and the tofu dish we had was really great as well. Tea was wonderful, I believe I had 40 cups, and service was on the ball. The storefront was clean but small, so I can see this place getting pretty packed during peak hours. Be sure to come with someone who knows what they're doing... my vote is for Kevin L.
(4)angela n.
This hole in the wall has my favorite Asian food in the area - superior to anything you can get in DC. Not your typical Chinese menu - there's no chow mein and not much rice, for example. This is mostly Taiwanese and northern Chinese small plates. I like coming with a group so we can taste lots of dishes (But be prepared to wait for a table, and make sure your dining companions are adventurous. Occasionally my pickier friends have hated this place). Highlights: - Kao Fu: Dark spongy vegetarian gluten, bursting with savory broth. Its texture is almost meaty, and it's amazing with mushrooms. - Ma La Huang Gua: Cold cucumbers and sliced fresh garlic with peppers and hot chili oil. The cool crunch is wonderfully refreshing. - Mao Do Bai Ye: Pungent mustard greens and fresh soybeans stir-fried with thin tender bean curd skin. - The tapioca bubble tea. Comes in several flavors, I esp. like the light green honeydew. My carnivorous husband loves the Niu Ro Niu Jin Mian: Szechuan spicy beef tendon noodle soup. He said the beef and noodles taste very fresh, and the broth is dark and bold. Dishes that haven't been huge hits are the Pi Dan Dou Fu (thousand year egg with bean curd) -- my friends and I found it a little mushy and weird. The Dan Dan Mien (a big noodle bowl with hot spicy sesame and peanut sauce) can be uneven - Sometimes I love it, but sometimes I find it not nearly spicy enough. Cash only.
(4)Leon Y.
I'm trying to think if I should give it 5 or 4 stars...and decided 4 probably is fair. They have some pretty authentic Chinese dishes. The must have for me is the fried dumpling, beef pie/cake (so juicy), wonton (thank god for A&J, this is the only place serves wonton in non-Cantonese style) and plum juice. Other stuff is okay.. like the beet stew noodle really could have done a better job. Hunan Gourmet in Fair Oaks Mall beats it (or anywhere else for that matter) hands down. But I like it in general, I just tend to stick with the known good ones
(4)Steph L.
3.5 stars. Man, I had such high expectations for A&J. I have to say, I was a little disappointed. The boyfriend and I ordered almost all the supposedly must-get items. Nothing was bad, but nothing stood out either. The good: -Vegetarian with gluten, dry bean curd & mushroom - taste just like it would in China, gluten was soft yet has a nice chew. Would've liked a little more woodear mushroom though. -Spicy sliced pork ears - a good amount, sliced thin, nice texture, but definitely not spicy. We added a ton of chili paste to it and it was quite delicious after that. -Cucumber salad in hot garlic sauce - spicy and garlicy, just like it should be, cucumbers fresh and crunchy. The meh: -Dry bean curd, peanuts and cilantro salad w/hot sauce - bland, bland, bland. -Scallion pancakes, potstickers and beef bun - all had a nice crispy outer layer/skin, but were also all VERY greasy. The highlight was the soup in the beef bun, it was hot and savory, made me say "mmm...umami" when I drank it from my soup spoon. -Steamed spareribs with five spice powder - bland, not sweet or spicy like it should be. The saving grace was the sweet soft squash at the bottom. Granted we didn't have any of the noodle dishes, which are supposed to be very good, and the zha jiang mian other people ordered did look the most authentic out of all the ones I've had in the few area Chinese restaurants that offer it. I will definitely give the noodles a try and hopefully give it a higher rating next time.
(3)Alex K.
I don't get what's so good about this place. I've been coming here for at least 6 yrs, and a year ago I would be saying what everyone else is. However, the past 2 yrs A&Js has increased it's prices and the quality of the food has gone down drastically. It's sad really, I used to love this place. To be honest, my whole review is just based on the noodles. The spicy beef especially. They changed the soup base and now I can never eat it. It tastes horrible compared to the old one. I think in general, they are making the soup base a lot more watery. The bubble tea is also way overpriced. The bubbles themselves have been undercooked the past THREE times i've been. Never again will I get it from here. Maybe it's unfair because I am comparing to the old, spectacular A&J's, but noobies beware; this place is wayyy hyped up by other reviewers. I hope they go back to the old A&J's.....
(3)Michael F.
A&J is a Chinese restaurant where someone accustomed to General Tso's Chicken and Sweet and Sour Pork will have to re-evaluate what they thought Chinese food was. None the less it is an unpretentious lunch spot where someone of that sort would not feel intimidated. Additionally, there's plenty of dishes that they would not be frightened by such as the fried chicken soup and smoked chicken, right along side Sezchuan style tendon and tripe, which would appeal to more adventurous eaters. Their soups are almost enough for two people, so if you order soup, you might want to hold off on ordering a lot more food. The rest is served dim sum style, so figure on at least two dishes per person. The prices her are exceptionally competitive and you receive excellent value.
(4)J L.
Yup brought cash, thanks yelpers Got the Spicy Beef and Tendon Sch Style Soup, Pan Fried Pork Buns, Cucumber Salad, Beef Tripe in some kind of sauce, and Bubble Tea (A little different variety than the kind you get over at Eden Center). Overall I would say it was ok, it will fill you up for a reasonable price and maybe remind you a bit of home, it's funny because out of all the stuff I ordered I actually liked the cucumber salad the best (and that is like the easiest dish to prepare, even someone who burns their food in the microwave could make that!). I don't know if they dumbed down the soup for me because my friend was white or because I didn't say anything in Chinese... not sure but i can say that when I asked her for a "Chinese Hamburger," she looked at me as if I was retarded... which after asking the question I did feel slightly embarrassed, but i read a review on here that said that they did serve it but i guess not..? Also I wasn't really a fan of how close the two people tables are, I could literally just start eating food off the table next to me.. too close for comfort.
(3)Michele D.
After hosting an UYE with Kevin, Brian, Tony, Thuy, Brendan and his lovely sister, I still have to give this place 5 stars. In all the times I have been, service has been consistently good and fast, and food has been consistently good, cheap, and damn good. The only thing that's not always consistent would be the pan fried beef buns. Sometimes they are just right soupy, and sometimes they are too oily. On this last visit, they were right in between. Two dishes I tried this time that I hadn't had before were the beef tendon with garlic sauce and the sliced beef marinated and cooked with bean paste. At first, the idea of having tendon was completely uninteresting to me. After hearing Kevin rave about how tender it was, I gave it a try. WOW, was I glad I kept an open mind, because it was very, very good. The sliced marinated beef was also very tasty and I would recommend it as an order. Very tender, not fatty, and the bean paste gave it a nice salty flavor without it being too salty. It's always good to go family style, as we did. We had all the usual orders, and I think Kevin and I were the ones to finish the last bites of everything. Were we too full to have a little dessert? Wait. Have you seen us eat? Yeah, ok...you *know* we all went for dessert despite the big meal we just destroyed.
(5)joe w.
This place seemed like an excellent value for the money that is hard to beat. I recommend the spicy beef thin noodles or alternatively beef w/ cilantro and wide noodles--these are hot dishes. We also tried bean curd and mushrooms followed by bamboo shoots and mustard greens--these are cold dishes. The turnip pastry was tasty too. The guava bubble tea tasted sweet. We visited when the nearby grocery store was closed so there was plenty of parking on a Sat. evening. Our out the door tab for two people was around $35 or $17/person which was more than $ rating but still extremely reasonable. Restrooms are shared with all the businesses in the complex so borrowing a key is required. If value for the money is a criteria, this place is a good as it gets. Well worth the drive in my opinion.
(5)Brian S.
I finally got the opportunity to try A & J this time. This very clean hole-in-the-wall Taiwanese restaurant is fantastic. Its location is tricky to find; it's attached to the front of a Chinese grocery store on a side street off Little River Turnpike (Annandale). The food is absolutely delicious and, better yet, amazingly cheap. It's a dim-sum-style menu--circle the items you want and share with your dining partner. A must-order is the spicy peanut noodles which are rich in flavor and have a creamy, smooth texture. Also try the pork sesame biscuit, which is crispy outside and filled with tasty, soft meat. Another delight is the fried chicken with noodle soup. Move over Bon Chon Chicken, A & J fried chicken is the best I ever had, crispy on the outside-juicy in the inside (no bones). The noodle soup is fabulous with handmade wide noodles, delicious!!! I will be back again real soon to try other yummy dishes. The only draw back is they only accept cash.
(4)Evan F.
My favorite in the area for noodles and potstickers. I think the spicy-sour noodles are the best - awesome texture/chewiness and right level of spice (though it could be a little more spicy). Scallion pancake is also delicious, with a combination of hot pepper, vinegar, shoyu available on the table. Last time I went we got the veggie dumplings and cabbage/pork soup - which were ok, but not spectacular. Fried chicken with rice is tasty and not too greasy. I guess the bubble tea is a little expensive, but a good way to end a spicy meal. I used to live in the San Francisco Bay area and went to AJ's sister restaurant in Cupertino (off 280, wolfe road) a couple times a week - if you happen to be on the west coast, might be worth a visit-
(5)Candace C.
Taiwanese breakfast! When I want something other than dim sum, we come here. It's great to be able to go grocery shopping next door (after we eat, of course). Among our favs are: Xiao long bao-Steamed dumplings with soup on the inside Guotie- pan fried dumplings Beef tendon noodle soup Spicy Garlic Cucumber Bubble Tea The prices are really reasonable and the service is fast though not exactly friendly.
(4)Mango T.
I am chinese and I am not a fan of this place. I don't know why. Maybe my expectations are too high after reading all the previous reviews. I dragged my husband and we ordered all the yelp recommendations... the spicy beef soup, another soup with gluten stuff, the pork dumplings, the pan fried beef pot sticker, some sesame noodle dish and the scallion pancake. Our bill was about $29, so it's def pretty cheap for all the food that we ordered. The dishes are pretty bland and the soup does not come out piping hot :-( They came out more luke warm. Also, I have had better dumplings at Mark's Duck House. The scallion pancakes were very tasty. That was the only dish that I really enjoyed. Besides the scallion pancakes, I did not enjoy any of the other dishes. I enjoy Cantonese food more than Taiwanese, so I would not go back. My husband, who is also Asian did not like any of the dishes... he says it too hard core Chinese and too bland. I have to agree with him. I was really excited about checking out this restaurant and left pretty dissapointed.
(2)Joblo O.
What is little known about this restaurant is that it is part of a chain with outlets in Taiwan and Beijing as well as DC. I got my first taste of A&J when I lived right next door to one of their Beijing outlets. It became my regular Beijing hangout. When leaving that restaurant one day I noticed a review on the wall from the Washington Post. imagine my surprise when I discovered that I could get my A&J fix in my hometown! Needless to say, I am still visiting often. Spicy beef soup, cucumbers in chili oil with garlic, Shanghai soup dumplings and many other items on the menu are comfort food for me. Staff at the Annandale outlet are efficient, they even wear the same uniforms as their cousins in Beijing. I can't say enough great things about A&J. It doesn't get any better.
(5)Jay B.
So I went back and tried the spicy beef noodle soup and for kicks, the pi dan dou fu. The tofu was odd...think of a tofu smoothie with a thousand year old egg on top. Odd as it was, it was to my own guilt quite delicious and addictive. Being a massive fan of thousand year old eggs helped also and it matched well with the tofu. I have a hunch that they used quite alot of MSG in the tofu however. The beef noodle soup was decent. The tendon and meat was tender and good and the noodles were obviously homemade. It seems that this place specializes in noodles. The broth had typical szechuan characteristics as it left the typical numbing sensation in my mouth and was decently spicy. The broth just didn't do it for me in the end. It had a slightly bitter aftertaste and the really strong taste of soy sauce didn't leave me wanting to continue eating it. Compare this beef noodle dish to another beef noodle counterpart that costs about the same - pho - and I'd overwhelmingly choose pho over this. I added one more star since the experience was a little better, but I'm afraid the food here is just too simple and bland for my tastes. I just still can't believe that someone would actually pay money for noodles drenched in peanut butter sauce
(2)T L.
I always get the cucumber salad in hot garlic sauce. If you want something small, try the turnip pastry, any of the dumplings or the thousand layer pancake. For a fuller meal, the spicy beef noodle soup or Chinese style fried chicken on rice are always good without fail. I've also seen their breakfast menu on Saturday morning but I like the regular menu a lot better. Btw, the bread stick on the breakfast menu is a Chinese cruller.
(4)Michael W.
This is a small cozy place and can get crowded really quick. I love the fact that it is a REAL Chinese restaurant. No, you won't find General Tso's Chicken here. What you will find are foods that are simple, tasty, and a nice change from American Chinese food. I ordered a seaweed and onion appetizer and a bean curd with mushrooms appetizer and both were very tasty. My beef noodle soup was very delicious. I always ordered them with the wide noodles as they fill me up more. The breadsticks are also excellent and seem to be very popular as everyone I see there always orders it. The food is cheap and was very filling. The waitresses are also very nice. Our lunch was right under twenty bucks plus tip for just my wife and me.
(5)Lor B.
3 stars - it was decent, but not fantastic. I was pretty excited as the place had gotten good reviews here on Yelp. We ordered quite a few items, but these were what I remember most; 1) Szechuan beef noodle soup. Noodles were delicious: obviously hand made with that firm chew. The tendon: well, it left me speechless. I wanted a bathtub full of that so that I rub it all over my body. But even these two awesome elements cannot save a bowl of soup if the broth is awful. Bad. Pretty damn bad. Even with spoonfuls of pickled greens, this bowl could not be saved. BAD. I give it a C-. 2) (Shanghai Style) Wonton Soup: Good. I give this an A-. Chickeny, but not too salty/MSG-laden broth. Excellent wontons and plent of greens. I'd order this again. 3) Scallion pancake: good, if a little thick and slightly greasy. 4) Fried chicken w/rice: EXCELLENT. Well spiced chicken, not greasy, huge heaping pile of rice w/a side of greens. 5) Turnip pastry: Weird but oddly delicious dough wrapped around chopped turnip (and is that bacon? tiny small bits of bacon?) It was good, but it wouldn't be the first thing on my re-order list. 6) Potstickers: Order this. Crisp but chewy fried wrapper, meaty filling, yum. 7) Bean curd w/Thousand year egg: HOLY CRAP I LOVE THIS. I mean, nothing could be simpler, but this is goooood. Get it. Smash it all together. Spoon into your mouth. Moan a little with happiness. 8) Cucumber w/garlic/chili sauce: Order this too. In fact, order a few plates of this. Feel virtuous (it's veggies!) even after you scarf down plates and plates and plates. 9) Some kind of fried pork belly thing. You can't go wrong with fried pork with crisp skin, a layer of unctuous fat and delicious meat. 10) Pig ears. Sliced super thin (you could practically see through it), marinated in something w/sichuan peppercorns and served cold. Surprisingly addictive. 11) Xia Long Bao: nothng remarkable. Good, safe thing to order ifyou have not particularly adventuros eaters at your table. If this is supposed to be soup dumplings, then it failed. No soup in the dumplings. But the meat filling was pretty good! 12) Not sure of the name - it's sticky rice with pork floss and a fried dough, all rolled up into a delicious cylinder. Strange, but good. But I think I love it because I have a weakness for pork floss. Bottom line: I'm glad I went. But it's not a restaurant I'd visit every month for a meal. I mean, if they offered the tendon as a standalone dish, I'd go far more often if only to eat that. In the end, it was kind of a letdown. The food was good, but not amazing. Service was fast, a little gruff, and coolly efficient. It's pretty good looking inside the restaurant, if a bit small. Also, the parking situation SUCKS. Get there early if you want a table and parking close by.
(3)S H.
Booah! The Rockville location seems better- fresher and better cooked. What I found here were greasy potstickers that tasted old and fried chicken that was also tasting not so fresh. Disappointing! Cash only and smells.
(2)Yan W.
Definitely the best Taiwanese place (maybe.. still the only Taiwanese place?) in the area! You get a a la carte menu when you enter and get to select exactly what you want. May favorites are usually: 1) Dan Dan noodles (get the "xi mian" if they ask) 2) The Guo Tie (Potstickers are crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside) 3) If you are a Chinese tofu fan, anything with tofu in it is good, including the hot tofu drink served in the mornings. 4) Surprisingly, their fried chicken and rice... The chicken is nice and crispy on the outside, very tender and juicy inside! Service is also great, but if you go for brunch on a Sat/Sun, be prepared for a wait!
(4)Drew N.
Great place to come with a small group, as you can try lots of little dishes. That being said, do NOT come here with a group larger than 4, its really small and has small tables. The waitresses are really quick and usually nice, but they will tear you a new one if you act like an ass. The noodle soups are all really good. The thin noodles are good if you want to try other stuff too, or get the thick noodles if you are really hungry. I love the scallion pancakes, and the pan fried dumplings! Everything on the menu is about 1-5$ so its a lot of fun to try many things. There was only 1 thing I ordered that scared me, im not sure what it was, but i remember reading the description on the menu and it sounded like a hamhock, which i love. Lol, however when I ordered it, it was like a friggin Hoof in a bowl of soup...... it was pretty tasty, but you should have seen the look on my face when they brought it out. :D Come with 1-3 friends and bring CASH only!
(5)Joe F.
Yes, this is as good as it gets in the DC area for true regional Chinese food. The noodles and dumplings are amazing all around. Must order dishes are: Tofu and mustard greens Pork Dumplings (large order) Pork Dumplings (small order of 4 - steamed) Smoked chicken!!! Spicy Sour noodles or dumplings Beef Soup!!! This place is everything the other dumpling/dim sum places in the area should aspire to be. Amazingly cheap, amazing food, super fast service. Oh, cash only BTW.
(5)Araneta A.
This place doesn't disappoint. I think I have tasted most in the menu and I enjoyed most of it. This is the place to go if you are looking to eat something tasty and inexpensive.
(5)Chris M.
With 50 prior reviews, no need to beat around the bush. Here's the lowdown: Location: It's easy to pass right by the place. It's unremarkable from the exterior, and looks like a bit of an eye sore. For the uninitiated, it's located on Markham and sits on the south side of 236 next to an asian market. Be careful in the parking lot, as it's a bit of a tight squeeze when it's busy. Atmosphere: Nothing to celebrate on the interior, although it appears to be reasonably clean. Whatever, I'm easy to please. (yeah, right) Food: I came here for the dim sum on a Saturday morning. There's a small brunch menu in addition to the regular menu. While I was not bowled over by a magical flavor sensation, I did find a couple of favorites: the scallion onion pancakes (seems to be a universal favorite) and the pan-fried beef dumpling. For your dipping pleasure, I recommend combining the soy sauce, vinegar and chili paste - it worked for everything. 3.5 stars - I'm really glad I tried A & J. It's been on my list for a while and represented my first dim sum experience. If you're new to dim sum, this seems like a steady initiation into the Taiwanese-style cuisine. Happy Dining!
(3)Alyssa W.
The spicy beef noodle soup was great. The beef in it literally melted in my mouth. We also had the pork dumplings and beef buns and both were fantastic. The girl running the front of the restaurant was very friendly and helpful. It's cash only but there's an ATM across the street if you need it and they also take checks. Overall great experience and I'll be back as soon as I can.
(5)Sherry B.
I've tried to love this place so much because of some of the good reviews here, but finally am throwing in the towel and submitting my review. I've gone 4 times and each time there was a great dish, a poor, and then the mostly mediocre ones. Hence the 3 stars. The spicy beef tendon and spicy cucumber salad are probably the standouts I've tried. The beef noodle soup was average, same with the xiao long bao. During this last visit, we tried the niu ro xian bing (pan fried beef bun), which did have flavorful juice that yelpers seem to like, but wasn't my cup of tea. Certainly flavorful, but hella greasy, and the meat itself was basically like eating a burger, except you don't have the benefit of having the right condiments or toppings. The hubby, who's Chinese, took one look and pushed it aside. Would I go back? Probably, unless there happen to be other Tawainese breakfast places in the area. After multiple visits at least I know what to avoid. Btw, if you're ever in the Boston area, check out Chung Shin Yuan in Newton (it's on yelp). They have the quality of Tawainese breakfast food I'm used to... we used to hit it up practically every weekend morning when we lived near there. Gotta go early though because the line starts forming 30 min before they even crack open their doors.
(3)Jacqueline Y.
i'm giving this a 2 because it used to be a 4 last year and the year before. i've been to this place ever since i was in chinese school, for over 10 years, and every time this place was always solid. the fried dumplings, the fried beef buns, the spicy cucumbers, the tofu with shredded carrots and celery, the tofu with mustard greens, the beef noodle soup, the thousand layer pancake, the scallion pancake, the fried chicken, the fried pork chop, the dan dan mien, ... the list can go on on what dishes were awesome here. but its gone down hill. everything is overly salty, too much oil and too much MSG. i'm disappointed A&J. get it together and stop over seasoning everything!
(2)Christina W.
I LOVE THIS PLACE! I come here whenever I have friends visiting or whenever I want to meet up with friends. This is usually my go to stop for food when I'm in Annandale and I always get the same dishes (boring I know, but I can't help sticking with what's been determined super good). The service is what you expect at a typical Chinese place, straight to the point and quick. My usual picks: (with a group of friends of course! :)) Onion scallion pancakes Dumplings - sauce it up with a mixture of vinegar, soy and chili sauces! Dan dan noodles - my #1!! Zha jiang mian Mustard greens, soybeans and tofu Spicy cucumber Because it is a Taiwanese joint, you should try their boba tea just to try it. It's okay. The milk tea isn't bad but not great and the boba is alright too. If you have leftover boba, you can shoot it at random people when you leave the restaurant. The only downside, CASH ONLY. So please bring cash when you go, if not, you're gonna be really embarrassed b/c you'll have to count all your loose bills and change or call up a friend to bring you cash.
(4)S. P.
There's a reason this place is consistently considered a "best deal"!! YUM!! When we were there, it was a random Monday night at 7:30pm and the other diners were all Asian - good sign!! Food: Spicy wonton - you should know, it's a thumbprint of meat inside but it was really good. And you get 5-6 of them, enough to share! But the best part - that sauce they put it in - we ended up dipping everything into that sauce. I seriously considered asking them for a separate bowl of that sauce....YUM!!!!! Scallion Pancake - not a lot of scallion flavor, but holy-moley, the texture!! So perfect. Perfectly crispy on the outside, chewy-dense - just AMAZING! I dipped it in the spicy wonton sauce and that was perfect. Spicy Beef Noodle Soup - also tasty and perfect on a chilly night. You can definitely taste the star anise, but I thought the spice was a little muted. Beef was super tender and the noodles were that wonderful, doughy-chewy texture of handmade noodles (not the typical over-processed rice noodles). Yes, the soup was a little oily, but I'm betting that's from the spiced oil than from the meat because the soup still tasted really good and light. Turnip Cake/Pastry - Not your typical dim sum rectangle. They put it in a pastry shell like thing and you can see the shreds of turnip on the inside. It was good too, but definitely needed a little spicy wonton sauce to make it better. Spicy cucumbers - tasty but no real wow-factor. Still prefer kimchee. Seaweed salad w bean sprouts - good. Warning to those who are thinking Japanese style - it's not. It's a thicker seaweed, sliced very thinly. Good but not the same. The whole dinner cost me less than $25 for two!!! Next time, I'm definitely getting a whole separate order of the spicy wonton sauce only!!
(4)Anna M.
Omg A & J I heart you so so so much! Yes that's 3 so's! The flat noodle that is home made is just so delicious. The perfect texture and consistency. The spicy beef soup is by far one of the best soups ever. Only trumped of course by moms ox tail soup haha. The flavor of the beef soup is amazing. Man my mouth is watering thinking about it. Bring cash tho!
(5)Mike L.
i had the dumplings and thought they were very good. worth checking out.
(4)Clara L.
I breezed over some yelp reviews about A&J and got overly excited to read that this place had dimsum. So I quickly made lunch plans with a friend and we headed out to Annandale to check it out. Well... it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't bad either. First off, I'm from a Cantonese cuisine background, and when I think dim sum, I expect carts stocked with dishes that extend past dumplings going around a noisy restaurant. No carts here, and a very limited dimsum menu... mostly dumplings from my knowledge. Another disadvantage for me was... I didn't recognize some of the descriptions of the dishes on the menu and I'm pretty much illiterate in chinese. So, we did our best and ordered a few dumpling dishes, a turnip pastry (this was new for me) and "Shanghai-style" won ton soup (where were the noodles???). Overall the food was good, but I guess since I had a different dimsum/brunch experience pictured in my head, it didn't quite hit the spot for me. Perhaps I should have the menu translated for me and I'll be better prepared if/when I go back in the future.
(3)Yasmeen A.
I'm not sure exactly what I did for the 18+ years that I hadn't been having Taiwanese brunch. Mad thanks to my brother and sister-in-law for introducing me to A & J's several years ago. An absolute must-order for brunch is the sweet soy milk with with donuts for dipping. The huuuuuuuuge noodle and soup bowls leave us slurping in a manner reserved for heavily intoxicated people. And despite my firm belief that onions are the devil's vegetable, A & J's scallion cakes are a perfect mild and flaky accompaniment to any dish. It definitely helps if you go with a native or someone really familiar with the menu, here moreso than some other places. If you've got a few minutes to spare, head into the mini-mall in the back after your meal. There you'll find a host of great ingredients you just ate, including that amazing soy milk.
(5)Jeff P.
I had just gotten back to DC after a visit with my folks up in PA, and I met up with some friends at this hidden joint off the main drag in Annandale. The place was one room inside a building that resembled a mini mall, but was full of Chinese shops. I wasn't feeling particularly well when I got to the place, as I was running low on sleep, hadn't eaten much that day, had to drive my car to the dealer to have some work done on it; all of this led to me having quite a bad headache. Well, the beef noodle soup I got, along with sweet passion fruit-flavored bubble tea, were just the pick-me-up I needed (well, at least they made my headache subside for a bit!). The service was friendly, though I think having a friend along who spoke Mandarin helped a bunch (note to self: learn Mandarin). The bonus round was that after the meal, we went to a bakery just down the central corridor in the same building and I got another bubble tea! I forget what the place was called, but it had even more flavors, including my favorite, Litchi.
(4)Cameron T.
Another good find thanks to Yelp! We came here early, so luckily half the place was empty. As soon as we ordered, the food started coming out. The mustard greens with soy beans & bean curd skin was excellent. It was one of our favorites. We also tried the spicy beef & tendon noodles with wide noodles. It was delicious, and the meat was so tender it melted in your mouth. Would have liked it to be a touch spicier though. Also, the pork chop with rice was great. Items that were good? Cucumber salad, pan fried pork dumplings & beef bun, and the scallion pancakes. The only things we didn't enjoy was the sesame pastry stuffed with beef. It was a bit bland and the pastry was too doughy. Not too crazy about the savory sticky rice either. It tasted okay. It was just too heavy and sat like a lump in our stomach. We're coming back for sure. It's an awesome find and we have so many more dishes to try. CASH only. There's a B of A ATM across the road if you forget.
(4)Sars L.
Tasty authentic chinese/taiwanese? food (not a mongolian beef kind of place). Delicious items include the pi dan to fu (tofu w/ sesame oil + preserved egg), spicy beef noodle soup, zha jian mian, doujiang (breakfast-ish times only), fried chicken, braised beef + egg + rice. This place is legit~ I suggest going with chinese people or people who have gone before.
(4)Brian S.
I finally got the opportunity to try A & J this time. This very clean hole-in-the-wall Taiwanese restaurant is fantastic. Its location is tricky to find; it's attached to the front of a Chinese grocery store on a side street off Little River Turnpike (Annandale). The food is absolutely delicious and, better yet, amazingly cheap. It's a dim-sum-style menu--circle the items you want and share with your dining partner. A must-order is the spicy peanut noodles which are rich in flavor and have a creamy, smooth texture. Also try the pork sesame biscuit, which is crispy outside and filled with tasty, soft meat. Another delight is the fried chicken with noodle soup. Move over Bon Chon Chicken, A & J fried chicken is the best I ever had, crispy on the outside-juicy in the inside (no bones). The noodle soup is fabulous with handmade wide noodles, delicious!!! I will be back again real soon to try other yummy dishes. The only draw back is they only accept cash.
(4)Evan F.
My favorite in the area for noodles and potstickers. I think the spicy-sour noodles are the best - awesome texture/chewiness and right level of spice (though it could be a little more spicy). Scallion pancake is also delicious, with a combination of hot pepper, vinegar, shoyu available on the table. Last time I went we got the veggie dumplings and cabbage/pork soup - which were ok, but not spectacular. Fried chicken with rice is tasty and not too greasy. I guess the bubble tea is a little expensive, but a good way to end a spicy meal. I used to live in the San Francisco Bay area and went to AJ's sister restaurant in Cupertino (off 280, wolfe road) a couple times a week - if you happen to be on the west coast, might be worth a visit-
(5)Candace C.
Taiwanese breakfast! When I want something other than dim sum, we come here. It's great to be able to go grocery shopping next door (after we eat, of course). Among our favs are: Xiao long bao-Steamed dumplings with soup on the inside Guotie- pan fried dumplings Beef tendon noodle soup Spicy Garlic Cucumber Bubble Tea The prices are really reasonable and the service is fast though not exactly friendly.
(4)Mango T.
I am chinese and I am not a fan of this place. I don't know why. Maybe my expectations are too high after reading all the previous reviews. I dragged my husband and we ordered all the yelp recommendations... the spicy beef soup, another soup with gluten stuff, the pork dumplings, the pan fried beef pot sticker, some sesame noodle dish and the scallion pancake. Our bill was about $29, so it's def pretty cheap for all the food that we ordered. The dishes are pretty bland and the soup does not come out piping hot :-( They came out more luke warm. Also, I have had better dumplings at Mark's Duck House. The scallion pancakes were very tasty. That was the only dish that I really enjoyed. Besides the scallion pancakes, I did not enjoy any of the other dishes. I enjoy Cantonese food more than Taiwanese, so I would not go back. My husband, who is also Asian did not like any of the dishes... he says it too hard core Chinese and too bland. I have to agree with him. I was really excited about checking out this restaurant and left pretty dissapointed.
(2)Joblo O.
What is little known about this restaurant is that it is part of a chain with outlets in Taiwan and Beijing as well as DC. I got my first taste of A&J when I lived right next door to one of their Beijing outlets. It became my regular Beijing hangout. When leaving that restaurant one day I noticed a review on the wall from the Washington Post. imagine my surprise when I discovered that I could get my A&J fix in my hometown! Needless to say, I am still visiting often. Spicy beef soup, cucumbers in chili oil with garlic, Shanghai soup dumplings and many other items on the menu are comfort food for me. Staff at the Annandale outlet are efficient, they even wear the same uniforms as their cousins in Beijing. I can't say enough great things about A&J. It doesn't get any better.
(5)Jay B.
So I went back and tried the spicy beef noodle soup and for kicks, the pi dan dou fu. The tofu was odd...think of a tofu smoothie with a thousand year old egg on top. Odd as it was, it was to my own guilt quite delicious and addictive. Being a massive fan of thousand year old eggs helped also and it matched well with the tofu. I have a hunch that they used quite alot of MSG in the tofu however. The beef noodle soup was decent. The tendon and meat was tender and good and the noodles were obviously homemade. It seems that this place specializes in noodles. The broth had typical szechuan characteristics as it left the typical numbing sensation in my mouth and was decently spicy. The broth just didn't do it for me in the end. It had a slightly bitter aftertaste and the really strong taste of soy sauce didn't leave me wanting to continue eating it. Compare this beef noodle dish to another beef noodle counterpart that costs about the same - pho - and I'd overwhelmingly choose pho over this. I added one more star since the experience was a little better, but I'm afraid the food here is just too simple and bland for my tastes. I just still can't believe that someone would actually pay money for noodles drenched in peanut butter sauce
(2)T L.
I always get the cucumber salad in hot garlic sauce. If you want something small, try the turnip pastry, any of the dumplings or the thousand layer pancake. For a fuller meal, the spicy beef noodle soup or Chinese style fried chicken on rice are always good without fail. I've also seen their breakfast menu on Saturday morning but I like the regular menu a lot better. Btw, the bread stick on the breakfast menu is a Chinese cruller.
(4)Michael W.
This is a small cozy place and can get crowded really quick. I love the fact that it is a REAL Chinese restaurant. No, you won't find General Tso's Chicken here. What you will find are foods that are simple, tasty, and a nice change from American Chinese food. I ordered a seaweed and onion appetizer and a bean curd with mushrooms appetizer and both were very tasty. My beef noodle soup was very delicious. I always ordered them with the wide noodles as they fill me up more. The breadsticks are also excellent and seem to be very popular as everyone I see there always orders it. The food is cheap and was very filling. The waitresses are also very nice. Our lunch was right under twenty bucks plus tip for just my wife and me.
(5)Lor B.
3 stars - it was decent, but not fantastic. I was pretty excited as the place had gotten good reviews here on Yelp. We ordered quite a few items, but these were what I remember most; 1) Szechuan beef noodle soup. Noodles were delicious: obviously hand made with that firm chew. The tendon: well, it left me speechless. I wanted a bathtub full of that so that I rub it all over my body. But even these two awesome elements cannot save a bowl of soup if the broth is awful. Bad. Pretty damn bad. Even with spoonfuls of pickled greens, this bowl could not be saved. BAD. I give it a C-. 2) (Shanghai Style) Wonton Soup: Good. I give this an A-. Chickeny, but not too salty/MSG-laden broth. Excellent wontons and plent of greens. I'd order this again. 3) Scallion pancake: good, if a little thick and slightly greasy. 4) Fried chicken w/rice: EXCELLENT. Well spiced chicken, not greasy, huge heaping pile of rice w/a side of greens. 5) Turnip pastry: Weird but oddly delicious dough wrapped around chopped turnip (and is that bacon? tiny small bits of bacon?) It was good, but it wouldn't be the first thing on my re-order list. 6) Potstickers: Order this. Crisp but chewy fried wrapper, meaty filling, yum. 7) Bean curd w/Thousand year egg: HOLY CRAP I LOVE THIS. I mean, nothing could be simpler, but this is goooood. Get it. Smash it all together. Spoon into your mouth. Moan a little with happiness. 8) Cucumber w/garlic/chili sauce: Order this too. In fact, order a few plates of this. Feel virtuous (it's veggies!) even after you scarf down plates and plates and plates. 9) Some kind of fried pork belly thing. You can't go wrong with fried pork with crisp skin, a layer of unctuous fat and delicious meat. 10) Pig ears. Sliced super thin (you could practically see through it), marinated in something w/sichuan peppercorns and served cold. Surprisingly addictive. 11) Xia Long Bao: nothng remarkable. Good, safe thing to order ifyou have not particularly adventuros eaters at your table. If this is supposed to be soup dumplings, then it failed. No soup in the dumplings. But the meat filling was pretty good! 12) Not sure of the name - it's sticky rice with pork floss and a fried dough, all rolled up into a delicious cylinder. Strange, but good. But I think I love it because I have a weakness for pork floss. Bottom line: I'm glad I went. But it's not a restaurant I'd visit every month for a meal. I mean, if they offered the tendon as a standalone dish, I'd go far more often if only to eat that. In the end, it was kind of a letdown. The food was good, but not amazing. Service was fast, a little gruff, and coolly efficient. It's pretty good looking inside the restaurant, if a bit small. Also, the parking situation SUCKS. Get there early if you want a table and parking close by.
(3)S H.
Booah! The Rockville location seems better- fresher and better cooked. What I found here were greasy potstickers that tasted old and fried chicken that was also tasting not so fresh. Disappointing! Cash only and smells.
(2)Yan W.
Definitely the best Taiwanese place (maybe.. still the only Taiwanese place?) in the area! You get a a la carte menu when you enter and get to select exactly what you want. May favorites are usually: 1) Dan Dan noodles (get the "xi mian" if they ask) 2) The Guo Tie (Potstickers are crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside) 3) If you are a Chinese tofu fan, anything with tofu in it is good, including the hot tofu drink served in the mornings. 4) Surprisingly, their fried chicken and rice... The chicken is nice and crispy on the outside, very tender and juicy inside! Service is also great, but if you go for brunch on a Sat/Sun, be prepared for a wait!
(4)Drew N.
Great place to come with a small group, as you can try lots of little dishes. That being said, do NOT come here with a group larger than 4, its really small and has small tables. The waitresses are really quick and usually nice, but they will tear you a new one if you act like an ass. The noodle soups are all really good. The thin noodles are good if you want to try other stuff too, or get the thick noodles if you are really hungry. I love the scallion pancakes, and the pan fried dumplings! Everything on the menu is about 1-5$ so its a lot of fun to try many things. There was only 1 thing I ordered that scared me, im not sure what it was, but i remember reading the description on the menu and it sounded like a hamhock, which i love. Lol, however when I ordered it, it was like a friggin Hoof in a bowl of soup...... it was pretty tasty, but you should have seen the look on my face when they brought it out. :D Come with 1-3 friends and bring CASH only!
(5)Joe F.
Yes, this is as good as it gets in the DC area for true regional Chinese food. The noodles and dumplings are amazing all around. Must order dishes are: Tofu and mustard greens Pork Dumplings (large order) Pork Dumplings (small order of 4 - steamed) Smoked chicken!!! Spicy Sour noodles or dumplings Beef Soup!!! This place is everything the other dumpling/dim sum places in the area should aspire to be. Amazingly cheap, amazing food, super fast service. Oh, cash only BTW.
(5)Araneta A.
This place doesn't disappoint. I think I have tasted most in the menu and I enjoyed most of it. This is the place to go if you are looking to eat something tasty and inexpensive.
(5)Chris M.
With 50 prior reviews, no need to beat around the bush. Here's the lowdown: Location: It's easy to pass right by the place. It's unremarkable from the exterior, and looks like a bit of an eye sore. For the uninitiated, it's located on Markham and sits on the south side of 236 next to an asian market. Be careful in the parking lot, as it's a bit of a tight squeeze when it's busy. Atmosphere: Nothing to celebrate on the interior, although it appears to be reasonably clean. Whatever, I'm easy to please. (yeah, right) Food: I came here for the dim sum on a Saturday morning. There's a small brunch menu in addition to the regular menu. While I was not bowled over by a magical flavor sensation, I did find a couple of favorites: the scallion onion pancakes (seems to be a universal favorite) and the pan-fried beef dumpling. For your dipping pleasure, I recommend combining the soy sauce, vinegar and chili paste - it worked for everything. 3.5 stars - I'm really glad I tried A & J. It's been on my list for a while and represented my first dim sum experience. If you're new to dim sum, this seems like a steady initiation into the Taiwanese-style cuisine. Happy Dining!
(3)Alyssa W.
The spicy beef noodle soup was great. The beef in it literally melted in my mouth. We also had the pork dumplings and beef buns and both were fantastic. The girl running the front of the restaurant was very friendly and helpful. It's cash only but there's an ATM across the street if you need it and they also take checks. Overall great experience and I'll be back as soon as I can.
(5)Sherry B.
I've tried to love this place so much because of some of the good reviews here, but finally am throwing in the towel and submitting my review. I've gone 4 times and each time there was a great dish, a poor, and then the mostly mediocre ones. Hence the 3 stars. The spicy beef tendon and spicy cucumber salad are probably the standouts I've tried. The beef noodle soup was average, same with the xiao long bao. During this last visit, we tried the niu ro xian bing (pan fried beef bun), which did have flavorful juice that yelpers seem to like, but wasn't my cup of tea. Certainly flavorful, but hella greasy, and the meat itself was basically like eating a burger, except you don't have the benefit of having the right condiments or toppings. The hubby, who's Chinese, took one look and pushed it aside. Would I go back? Probably, unless there happen to be other Tawainese breakfast places in the area. After multiple visits at least I know what to avoid. Btw, if you're ever in the Boston area, check out Chung Shin Yuan in Newton (it's on yelp). They have the quality of Tawainese breakfast food I'm used to... we used to hit it up practically every weekend morning when we lived near there. Gotta go early though because the line starts forming 30 min before they even crack open their doors.
(3)Jacqueline Y.
i'm giving this a 2 because it used to be a 4 last year and the year before. i've been to this place ever since i was in chinese school, for over 10 years, and every time this place was always solid. the fried dumplings, the fried beef buns, the spicy cucumbers, the tofu with shredded carrots and celery, the tofu with mustard greens, the beef noodle soup, the thousand layer pancake, the scallion pancake, the fried chicken, the fried pork chop, the dan dan mien, ... the list can go on on what dishes were awesome here. but its gone down hill. everything is overly salty, too much oil and too much MSG. i'm disappointed A&J. get it together and stop over seasoning everything!
(2)Christina W.
I LOVE THIS PLACE! I come here whenever I have friends visiting or whenever I want to meet up with friends. This is usually my go to stop for food when I'm in Annandale and I always get the same dishes (boring I know, but I can't help sticking with what's been determined super good). The service is what you expect at a typical Chinese place, straight to the point and quick. My usual picks: (with a group of friends of course! :)) Onion scallion pancakes Dumplings - sauce it up with a mixture of vinegar, soy and chili sauces! Dan dan noodles - my #1!! Zha jiang mian Mustard greens, soybeans and tofu Spicy cucumber Because it is a Taiwanese joint, you should try their boba tea just to try it. It's okay. The milk tea isn't bad but not great and the boba is alright too. If you have leftover boba, you can shoot it at random people when you leave the restaurant. The only downside, CASH ONLY. So please bring cash when you go, if not, you're gonna be really embarrassed b/c you'll have to count all your loose bills and change or call up a friend to bring you cash.
(4)S. P.
There's a reason this place is consistently considered a "best deal"!! YUM!! When we were there, it was a random Monday night at 7:30pm and the other diners were all Asian - good sign!! Food: Spicy wonton - you should know, it's a thumbprint of meat inside but it was really good. And you get 5-6 of them, enough to share! But the best part - that sauce they put it in - we ended up dipping everything into that sauce. I seriously considered asking them for a separate bowl of that sauce....YUM!!!!! Scallion Pancake - not a lot of scallion flavor, but holy-moley, the texture!! So perfect. Perfectly crispy on the outside, chewy-dense - just AMAZING! I dipped it in the spicy wonton sauce and that was perfect. Spicy Beef Noodle Soup - also tasty and perfect on a chilly night. You can definitely taste the star anise, but I thought the spice was a little muted. Beef was super tender and the noodles were that wonderful, doughy-chewy texture of handmade noodles (not the typical over-processed rice noodles). Yes, the soup was a little oily, but I'm betting that's from the spiced oil than from the meat because the soup still tasted really good and light. Turnip Cake/Pastry - Not your typical dim sum rectangle. They put it in a pastry shell like thing and you can see the shreds of turnip on the inside. It was good too, but definitely needed a little spicy wonton sauce to make it better. Spicy cucumbers - tasty but no real wow-factor. Still prefer kimchee. Seaweed salad w bean sprouts - good. Warning to those who are thinking Japanese style - it's not. It's a thicker seaweed, sliced very thinly. Good but not the same. The whole dinner cost me less than $25 for two!!! Next time, I'm definitely getting a whole separate order of the spicy wonton sauce only!!
(4)Anna M.
Omg A & J I heart you so so so much! Yes that's 3 so's! The flat noodle that is home made is just so delicious. The perfect texture and consistency. The spicy beef soup is by far one of the best soups ever. Only trumped of course by moms ox tail soup haha. The flavor of the beef soup is amazing. Man my mouth is watering thinking about it. Bring cash tho!
(5)Mike L.
i had the dumplings and thought they were very good. worth checking out.
(4)Clara L.
I breezed over some yelp reviews about A&J and got overly excited to read that this place had dimsum. So I quickly made lunch plans with a friend and we headed out to Annandale to check it out. Well... it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't bad either. First off, I'm from a Cantonese cuisine background, and when I think dim sum, I expect carts stocked with dishes that extend past dumplings going around a noisy restaurant. No carts here, and a very limited dimsum menu... mostly dumplings from my knowledge. Another disadvantage for me was... I didn't recognize some of the descriptions of the dishes on the menu and I'm pretty much illiterate in chinese. So, we did our best and ordered a few dumpling dishes, a turnip pastry (this was new for me) and "Shanghai-style" won ton soup (where were the noodles???). Overall the food was good, but I guess since I had a different dimsum/brunch experience pictured in my head, it didn't quite hit the spot for me. Perhaps I should have the menu translated for me and I'll be better prepared if/when I go back in the future.
(3)Yasmeen A.
I'm not sure exactly what I did for the 18+ years that I hadn't been having Taiwanese brunch. Mad thanks to my brother and sister-in-law for introducing me to A & J's several years ago. An absolute must-order for brunch is the sweet soy milk with with donuts for dipping. The huuuuuuuuge noodle and soup bowls leave us slurping in a manner reserved for heavily intoxicated people. And despite my firm belief that onions are the devil's vegetable, A & J's scallion cakes are a perfect mild and flaky accompaniment to any dish. It definitely helps if you go with a native or someone really familiar with the menu, here moreso than some other places. If you've got a few minutes to spare, head into the mini-mall in the back after your meal. There you'll find a host of great ingredients you just ate, including that amazing soy milk.
(5)Jeff P.
I had just gotten back to DC after a visit with my folks up in PA, and I met up with some friends at this hidden joint off the main drag in Annandale. The place was one room inside a building that resembled a mini mall, but was full of Chinese shops. I wasn't feeling particularly well when I got to the place, as I was running low on sleep, hadn't eaten much that day, had to drive my car to the dealer to have some work done on it; all of this led to me having quite a bad headache. Well, the beef noodle soup I got, along with sweet passion fruit-flavored bubble tea, were just the pick-me-up I needed (well, at least they made my headache subside for a bit!). The service was friendly, though I think having a friend along who spoke Mandarin helped a bunch (note to self: learn Mandarin). The bonus round was that after the meal, we went to a bakery just down the central corridor in the same building and I got another bubble tea! I forget what the place was called, but it had even more flavors, including my favorite, Litchi.
(4)Cameron T.
Another good find thanks to Yelp! We came here early, so luckily half the place was empty. As soon as we ordered, the food started coming out. The mustard greens with soy beans & bean curd skin was excellent. It was one of our favorites. We also tried the spicy beef & tendon noodles with wide noodles. It was delicious, and the meat was so tender it melted in your mouth. Would have liked it to be a touch spicier though. Also, the pork chop with rice was great. Items that were good? Cucumber salad, pan fried pork dumplings & beef bun, and the scallion pancakes. The only things we didn't enjoy was the sesame pastry stuffed with beef. It was a bit bland and the pastry was too doughy. Not too crazy about the savory sticky rice either. It tasted okay. It was just too heavy and sat like a lump in our stomach. We're coming back for sure. It's an awesome find and we have so many more dishes to try. CASH only. There's a B of A ATM across the road if you forget.
(4)Sars L.
Tasty authentic chinese/taiwanese? food (not a mongolian beef kind of place). Delicious items include the pi dan to fu (tofu w/ sesame oil + preserved egg), spicy beef noodle soup, zha jian mian, doujiang (breakfast-ish times only), fried chicken, braised beef + egg + rice. This place is legit~ I suggest going with chinese people or people who have gone before.
(4)marc a.
July 4th for brunch was the second time I had been to A&J, and so far they're batting 1.000. Delicious food in general--the smoked chicken is delightfully smoky (wish the folks at Joe's Noodle House could get their smoked duck that smoky and was a favorite. Also quite good were their leek-filled pastries that they had on their breakfast menu and their guo tie. On the down side, their dan dan noodles were not all that good and definitely didn't seem to follow the traditional flavors of the Sichuanese version. Maybe the Taiwanese have a different version? If so, I prefer the hotter Sichuanese style, if not this was a particularly poor representation. Either way they were oversauced with a peanut sauce that reminded me of a bad Swimming Rama I had once in a Thai restaurant in Seattle, only without the character. So lesson learned to skip the dan dan, and I will next time I go back (and I'll surely be back).
(4)alice c.
First of all, one should know that this is a CASH ONLY restaurant. That being said, at least the prices are reasonable. You'll be more than fine if you stick a 20$ bill or three in your wallet. I grew up going to Taiwanese diners all over Los Angeles, so I definitely miss the food I grew up on. I would definitely say this place is about as good as it's gonna get... perhaps even (God-forbid, from a west coast eater!) fabulous. Um, why fabulous? Because in DC, I expect the Chinese food to be overly greasy and overly soy-sauced. I expect there to mostly be beef, chicken, or shrimp on the menu, and I expect any use of dumpling skins and noodles to be either way too soft and falling apart, or way too thick and/or dry and/or just plain nasty. I've had my fill of noodle dishes that tasted like mouthfuls of cooked dough. (That said, I would recommend A&J's thin noodles over the thick ones.) I am a fan of this place because, even though there's "nothing special" about the food (to use the language of former less happy reviewers), they at least GET IT RIGHT. They don't do anything wrong. That puts them in a different class from everyone else. Their menu's fairly extensive, as well. :) I like their zhua-bing (flaky "grab-cake" pancake), any of their pork noodle soups, their luo buo shi bing (flaky radish pastry?), and their small cold veggie dishes at the back of their menu. Their xiao long bao is OK, although I have sort of a high standard cuz I like making my own... at least they're actually using dumpling skins rather than that strange bread thing that other restaurants sell. (What's up with those mini buns that are sometimes sold as xiao long bao at other restaurants? I think that is so uncouth.) So relieved to find a place where I can enjoy some Chinese food that I've paid someone else to make. * No alcohol on premises; they don't have a license.
(4)Daniel P.
As close as you can get (to the best of my knowledge) to authentic Chinese food in the immediate Fairfax County area. Not a single Lo Mein, General Tso's or (X) Fried Rice here. Their only concessions to typical carry out fare are the fried chicken/pork with rice dishes which still taste distinctly Chinese and not like some cheap Popeye's knock off that was hastily added to the menu to appease people with unimaginative palates. It's super cheap to eat here as well with most dishes averaging around $6, so depending on what you get this joint may even be a better value than Mickey D's or other similar fast food establishments.
(5)Yvonne C.
A&J is one of the best Chinese restaurants I know of in this area. As others have noted it's cash only, and not that easy to find, but well worth it. They don't serve large portions, but that's a plus because it allows you to sample more dishes. And the prices are so reasonable that even if you order too much your bill won't be very big. Smoked chicken---amazing! Dan Dan Noodles---lots of sauce, not too spicy, more peanut-flavored than at other restaurants where I've eaten it. Cucumbers in spicy oil with garlic--really spicy, yet refreshing Seaweed salad with bean sprouts---chewy, delicious All their noodle dishes are excellent, and you often have a choice of what size of noodles you want (thick or thin). Their soups are flavorful too. The only thing I've ever eaten there which I didn't like was a fried dough kind of thing---can't remember the name. I saw ethnic Chinese dunking it in a glass of soy milk--maybe that's the way to go, but I didn't know it. My favorite drink there is the plum drink---sort of smoky/salty/sweet all at the same time, which sounds horrible, I know, but it's an intriguing flavor that you won't soon forget and I find myself craving it at odd times. (It pairs well with the smoked chicken).
(4)May Y.
A&J's is a favorite from since I can remember. It originates in Cali, which is a pretty good sign. I even went to visit family once near SanFran and they were going to take me there until I told them we actually had an establishment in VA. That's an even better sign. It's not exactly dim sum like you think of it, but small eats nonetheless; kind of like what you would find on the streets of Taiwan. What I love is that the menu's in English and Chinese; none of this secret menu of awesome stuff locked away in Chinese only. Being Taiwanese-American, I know what I'm craving, but is it so bad that I don't know the name of it? No need to stand up and point at somebody else's table here. Just order your fried crullers and sweet soy milk for brunch, and declare your independence. Don't forget your bubble tea!
(4)Brendan J.
Well, I've never been to China or Taiwan, so I can't speak for authenticity, but my Chinese and Taiwanese friends all like this place too, so I'm thinking that is a good thing. Someone said the portions are small, and I guess they are, but you're supposed to get a bunch and they're mad cheap anyway. The soups are all ginormous though. I love the Chinese fried chicken with rice and soup. It seems like everyone loves the scallion pancakes, with good reason. Drizzled with the hot chili oil, some soy sauce, and some vinegar, it is hot, crispy deliciousness in every bit. The beancurd with greens, beef noodle soup, and thin sliced beef something? are also favorites. The millet and rice congee is bland, but a good break for your tastebuds between bites from different plates. They also have a separate breakfast menu on Saturdays and Sundays. It isn't very big, but is in addition to the normal menu. My favorite from the breakfast menu are the super flaky scallion pastries.. If you've never had pork floss, it is worth trying in the savory sticky rice roll? or whatever they call it. It might not be your thing, but at about $2, not a big loss if it isn't.
(4)Aaron F.
I was irked to visit A&J only after reading other yelpers lengthy, mouth-watering, however at times mixed accounts of this dim-sum-esque Northern Chinese restaurant tucked in the labyrinth of Asian restaurants found in the Annandale central business district. After being a fully fledged Chinese addict, I have eased off the MSG in recent months, however when a new place opens serving something other than your middle of the road General Tso's I will jump at it. Immediately upon entering it is evident there is little physical separation between the kitchen and dining area. Even at 4pm the fresh aroma of the variety of dishes being prepared seeps into the dining area and hallway outside of the restaurant (A&J is located in a mini-mall location, having a common hallway that extends to other small, indoor businesses). The combination of the smell aerating from the rear half of the restaurant and the small dining quarters in which I was about to embark on my feasting adventure provoked a feeling of eagerness as I sat down. To order you circle the entree number with a pencil. Awesome! You would think this leapfrogging technique of avoiding a potential language barrier when ordering would be incredibly useful, but the menu is in english, and uses numbers. Despite it's impracticality (and absence of an eraser on my pencil) I found it to be a unique aspect. I generally don't eat pork, so eating with my swine-loving girlfriend encouraged me to open up the menu. We ordered the radish & pork soup, steamed beef dumplings, braised pork and egg, and beef spareribs. The radish & pork soup was a good start, it was salty, however this wasn't terribly evident due to the nice flavor (the two ingredients molded nicely to avoid any overpowering) and was served with thin rice noodles. The beef dumplings were fine, nothing that deserves any more attention. The braised pork and egg was probably my favorite. The egg is hard boiled and served on top of a bed of rice and ground pork that had a very smoky flavor to it. This was not what I was expecting however I enjoyed it thoroughly. The spareribs were served with either sweet potatoes or yams, and this added tremendously to the variety of tastes that had already comprised of today's pallet. As I search for the right words to describe the spareribs, they were, steamed, very small, and were covered in a light breading. They could have been bigger, and with less of the nameless (to me) breading. Overall I enjoyed my experience here. Much like an a-la carte dim sum, you can skip around the menu and find a variety of choices that are A. Tasty, and B. Cheap. Including tip our total came to less than $20. Very difficult to find that somewhere else....and then I saw the Washingtonian "Best Bargain Award" on my way out. Holy Ramble!
(4)Melissa W.
My husband and I frequent this place once or twice a month to get our fix of Taiwanese food. We love Taiwanese food and this place is pretty good! We enjoy getting the fried chicken with noodles, steamed dumplings, and beef noodle soup. We have tried other things on the menu as well, and everything is delicious! I gave the restaurant four stars because we love bubble tea but their bubble tea is too sweet for our liking and they don't offer the option for adding less sugar. But all in all, a great place to go!
(4)Justina K.
I'm so glad I found this place on yelp! Let's say, this is not your typical general tsao's chicken Chinese takeout restaurant, but it's different and really good!! Right when I opened the door, a rush of memories I had this past summer in Taiwan came right back to me. I really wanted to order everything on the menu but I ended up getting: Scallion pancakes (warm & doughy, I love dipping it in soy sauce) Pot Stickers (I put extra spicy chili sauce into my soy sauce & vinegar- 8 of them!) Bean curd & thousand yr egg (not your typical boiled egg, but something to try out!) Beef noodle soup (I opted for the thick noodles, a bit heartier than phO) O man, I was overly stuffed with the four dishes I ordered and it only cost me $25 (w/ tip). I can't wait to go to this place again and try their red bean congee dessert.
(4)Frank H.
Unadulterated Chinese food So I read a review off Choong Hwa Moon about this place having the real-deal "ja jjang myun". I didn't do my research because I thought this place was actually a Korean-style Chinese place. So we went in and I didn't know any of the dishes and I think set myself up for failure. We had the ja jjang myun and something called the vegetarian delight. First off, the real deal jja jjang myun is way different. Basically it's noodles, raw bean sprouts, and, julienned cucumber but the sauce is lighter and consists of ground pork. I gotta give up for this restaurant because the portions are pretty big but the taste was just different for me. The vegetarian delight was a very special tofu curd sauted with some veggies in brown sauce. Lessons learned from this experience 1) Do your homework - figure out what is good at a place before you go. 2) Chinese style Ja jjang myun does not equal korean style ja jjang myun. Bottomline: After reading about this place and some of the other reviews, it seems like there are gems on the menu and I will try some of the other stuff. The prices here are awesome $3-7 a dish. Next time I go I will order the hot beef soup, onion pancake, and pot stickers.
(3)Rebecca W.
The food comes out really quickly and not all at once. A lot of the side dishes are served cold and all the food there was very fresh and yummy. Got the chinese fried chicken over rice and it was really good as well as the noodles in chicken broth with green vegetables. The food was a mix between taiwanese/chinese food. They also serve bubble teas!
(4)Anson P.
This place is a good way to get out of your comfort zone. It's small and doesn't have the feel of what Americans are used to for dim sum. The last time I was here and it has been awhile, you walk in, get seated, and fill out a little checklist of what you want. You cannot go wrong with the scallion pancakes. Downright tasty. The potstickers are pretty good. The best way to do it is to pick something on the menu you would never order and get it. Good way to experiment. I love Annandale, mostly because I live here. I like to see expansion in what we're known for. We're already the center of Korean food, we might as well work on conquering the other cuisines of the world.
(5)Andrew H.
A&J is one of those places that allows you to order lots of cheap, tasty, and interesting dishes. It seems to be the staple around the NOVA area for Taiwanese food (there aren't that many that I know of), but I have to say that I love coming back here, whether it be for dinner, lunch on the weekends, whatever it may be. The spicy beef noodle soup (with wide noodles) is a great dish for an entree, but the key here is to try the smaller "side" dishes that you can order. The fried buns with beef/pork in them (I am not exactly sure what they are called) take a little bit longer to prepare, but they are AWESOME. They've got this juice (ehh, more so oil but thats ok) that pretty much squirts out as you bite into it... its pretty damn tasty. Also, the fried pork chops and rice are pretty good as well. The scallion pancake is OK, but needs some kind of sauce to complement it. I also love this rice dish with ground beef and the soy sauce egg over it (its coated in some sort of sauce, but can't put my finger on what it is). This place gets four stars because its a cheap, no frills restaurants that I can come back to and know that the food I'm going to eat was as good as it was the last time I went back. Its also a great takeout place. Remember CASH ONLY!
(4)Kapo T.
coming to DC, i didn't think there were decent chinese kind of food. since my friend had a car, coming out here from DC would be too far for me... and knowing that there were no good chinese food in DC chinatown, i was down to give this place a try... we ordered the pork chop over rice, minced meat over rice, and (breakfast) egg pancake. i was the most impressed with the minced meat over rice. the flavor was right and the balance between the meat sauce and the rice was just right. the pork chop was so-so. the cut was too thick, not like the real taiwanese ones, which are thinner and more flavor. the egg pancake isn't like what i had in taiwan either (or maybe i ordered the wrong thing?) the flavor for the egg pancake is good. something simple and good flavor. too bad i didn't have enough people to try other dishes. i guess i have to come back again. when we were leaving the restaurant, there were a good amount of people waiting... i guess we beat the crowd!
(4)Barrie C.
FINALLY, I've found a place where you can get authentic Northern-style Chinese dim sum in DC. It's a smaller restaurant, so if it's crowded it can be kind of loud, but we didn't have a problem getting a table (best to go later for dim sum, around 1:30 or 2). The potstickers were only average, but the spare ribs, the sticky rice with shredded pork, and the flaky scallion dumpling were very good. Quality Chinese food. And best of all, it was pretty damn cheap. But it's cash only, so be prepared. I didn't get a chance to try everything I wanted to try, so I will definitely be back. If you're looking for authentic dim sum, try A&J.
(4)Kevin Y.
i like the food, but i thin it's not up to standards if you compare it the food in taiwan. ...but we're not in taiwan, or china for that matter. food is reasonably priced, decent portion, and the service is fast. here is what i recommend: pot stickers: for real hand made, fresh, try it pan-fried beef pancake: good porkchop: good beef noodle soup is sub par. they did not put star anise in it.....
(3)PC W.
Yummy in my tummy. If you're looking for authentic Chinese food, A&J is where it's at. I was ready to give up on good Chinese food in the DC area but Kevin L. came into my life and showed me the way. This was my first foray (knowingly) into Taiwanese food (besides bubble tea) but I was familiar with many of the dumpling and noodle dishes from northern China. Thank goodness Kevin was there to help us navigate the menu and pick out the best dishes. The scallion pancakes were served sizzling and crispy. The bowls of congee were piping hot . My favorite was the gigantic beef dumplings which were fried to perfection. One bite and the juices come rushing out. This takes some skill but the trick is to balance the huge dumpling in a spoon over the congee so once you bite into it, the soupy goodness flavors the congee. But it can be dangerous, as evidenced by me whose dumpling went plop right into the congee before I could event bite into it, causing a big, ricey mess on the table. The vegetarian version of the gigantic dumpling was good to - fried the same way but there was vermicelli, egg (?) and some greens on the inside. The xiao long bao were good too except they arrived already punctured and all the juices escaped. It takes all the fun and flavor out. There was a another dumpling that I do not recall the name of that was really good - it was wrapped lengthwise and fried as well. We had a few of the cold dishes to start - I had never had cold Chinese dishes before. I am very used to Hong Kong Chinese food and each type of regional Chinese food has its own staples and cooking style. I think I'll have to try it again next time to decide if I really like it or not. The marinated tofu dish was tasty. I'm also not a fan of mustard which seemed to be a main ingredient in the cold noodle dishes. It was $10 (inclusive of tax and tip) per person for our group of 7. The restaurant is small so I wouldn't recommend a group larger than 8 (which is probably what the largest table can handle). The service is what you would expect of most Chinese food joints - quick and minimal. I'm already hooked and there are so many more dishes to try! I know I'll be back again and again and again.
(5)Dian C.
A great alternative to the standard greasy Cantonese dim sum places around which can quickly get old. The space is small, but they seem to get people in and out quickly so there never was a huge line. They have a great variety of food, from noodle soup to steamed dumplings to congee to do jiang and yiu tiao. There aren't too many vegetables on the menu though. The xiao long bao were not very good, so avoid these, as they were not juicy AT ALL. Prices are unbeatable and service is prompt due to the small size of the restaurant.
(4)B. F.
Stumbled upon this place while looking for some good, casual Korean food in Annandale. Read the reviews and had to try it. What a little gem. Had to wait a bit to be seated but the staff was very courteous and the place was packed so we figured it would be worth it. We were a party of 4. They don't take reservations and the place is very tiny so if you don't get there early then you will wait. Food came out quick and hot. Nice assortment on the menu and everything we had was delicious from the soups to the noodles to the small plates. Best Chinese food I've had in a long time and it was refreshing to have "homemade" won ton soup, YUM! Big negative is that they don't take credit cards and there is no warning about it either and no ATM near by. Regardless, we will be back & better prepared next time, lol.
(4)Timothy C.
I'm giving this place 5 stars because it doesn't serve "typical" Chinese food. China (plus Taiwan) is so big that it actually have different cuisines. The more famous styles include Shanghainese, Cantonese, Suzhanese, Taiwanese, Zhejiang etc etc. A&J serves a blend of Shanhainese and Taiwanese foods, and they do it pretty well. Come here and venture into good eats you have never had in "Chinese Buffet." Some of my favorites: scallion pancake chinese sesame biscuit w/ sliced beef thousand layer pancake wonton w/ red hot sauce spicy beef and tendon noodle soup fried pork chop on rice pan fried beef bun steamed spareribs smoked chicken bean noodle and chicken salad vegetarian delight (probably an acquired taste for some) bean curd and thousand year egg (same)
(5)Melody H.
Pan fried beef buns oozed soupy meaty goodness, but only after exploding all over my hand. I made the mistake of trying to cut into it a little overzealously and managed to burn myself. Not the bun's fault, but mine. I drank the oozed soup off the plate; that's how good it was. I didn't even care that my hand might fall off. The thousand year old egg with bean curd was excellent; served cold and drizzled with sesame seed oil for a rich but not overly seasoned taste. Scallion pancake made me moan a little in appreciation of the crisp outer texture and moist inner layers, and with some soy sauce and hot sauce it was perfect. The thousand layer pancake was less impressive; it's basically a really bland Chinese croissant. We tried the spicy beef noodle soup but I'm not big on egg noodles and it wasn't very spicy so this Korean girl was disappointed. I also didn't like the spare ribs as there was a weird semi-bready semi-meaty texture and unpleasant aftertaste. There's so much more to try on the menu, though. I spied some people eating what looked like amazing fried chicken with rice, the vegetarian kao fu or fu kao (forgot what it's called), and I need to try the sticky rice with shredded pork everyone keeps raving about. I don't expect to like everything on the menu, but with prices so low, I'll definitely be back to give it another shot!
(4)Sasa X.
Great place for Chinese breakfast, lunch and dinner, or a snack. It's small but clean place to dine, and waitresses are friendly and efficient.
(4)Steve H.
One of my favorite places for good authentic Chinese food. You won't find kung pao chicken or beef lo mein at this place. Only good authentic food like spicy beef noodle soup, scallion pancakes, dumplings, fried chicken, peanut noodles, etc. If you are a newbie and Caucasian, you may be surprised by the menu. You most likely won't recognize anything on the menu. You most likely read about this place in the Washingtonian magazine and want to try it. But you may be surprised at what they serve including pork ears, thousand year eggs and pancakes. A few things to keep in mind. If it is crowded, the servers will ask you if you mind sharing larger tables with other patrons. They ONLY accept cash. No credit cards or checks. You will only get plates the size of a cup saucer. You will get a paper menu. If you can't speak Chinese, it's best to just circle the items you want on the menu. After your first time, this stuff won't be a problem anymore. You will enjoy the food and the decent service.
(5)Czarina B.
Best (and only) Northern Chinese style dim sum in the area! Love it, love it, love it! I'm a snack whore, I love tea time snackies, finger foods, tapas, Asian fusion tapas, sushi, sashimi, beer food, and DIM SUM!!! Oh the adventurous running with scissors child in me loves reaching out for every kind of deep fried, breaded, stinky-tofued, dripping with mysterious goodness treat on the cart. So I was at first disappointed that my grabby handed self would be deprived of the rolling carts. You order off a menu here. I also wasn't down at first with the starch heavy noodle based dim sum. Noodles noodles noodles -- if I wanted starch, I would get PORK BUNS and SHUMAI and TARO PASTRIES, right? Right? BUT then I discovered -- The food here IS SO GOOD. Don't expect traditional Hong Kong style dim sum and your taste buds will be happy. The Northern Chinese style is dry and starchy in comparison. The quick: Cash only (duh) Small and clean but crowded on weekends - expect a 10-15 minute wait. Dim Sum on weekends until 3pm Related to the A&J chain based in Taiwan A&J chain specializes in beef noodles which I never knew from eating here. I'm strictly a dim sum and fried chicken girl here! You can go to the nearby bakery or grocery store for pearl tea and $1 pastries while waiting You can get things to go, but it will take a long time and you have to ask to take any soups to go that normally come with your dish. Our Standby Dishes: Mustard Greens and Tofu salad Peanut Noodles Fried Chicken (Addictive!) Warm Soy Milk Pan Fried Dumplings And basically whatever other random assortment of goodies we're in the mood for. The fried chicken here is REALLY GOOD and comes with broth and rice -- you know how they praise Korean fried chicken joints? Well, they don't have any in VA/DC so I would rather eat this.
(5)Gurkie C.
**2.5** probably. I have been to A&Js twice now and have always had problems with my food. I am a vegetarian meaning I am relatively picky. Both times I have gone with people who are fluent in Taiwanese/Mandarin and who really enjoyed their food. The first time I believe they put pork into something I was eating and the second time I think there was chicken in my Veg. dumplings. The food I did eat there was good until I ran into issues... While this place is good, I would say they are not the most vegetarian friendly of places. That being said some of my friends who are vegetarian have really enjoyed it.
(3)Charlie S.
I love this place. It's a nice change of Chinese food. The highlights are their noodle soups and the small plates. It's pretty hearty food. Something for a nice cold or cool day. I like their spicy beef noodle soup. You have the option of thin or wide noodles. The wide noodles are made in house. So, we opted for the wide. I also like the ground pork and black bean sauce with julienne cucumbers and bean sprouts served over noodles. There is no broth. I recommend ordering the noodles to share and then order the small dishes to supplement. For two people, you can probably order one noodle dish and two or three small plates. If you are by yourself, a noodle dish would probably be enough. Of the small plates I've tried, I liked the thinly sliced pork ears with Szechuan peppercorn, the wontons doused in a spicy ma la sauce, the steam pork buns which is more like dumplings, and the potstickers. On a Sunday morning, there is quite a wait if you come around noon. We just beat the crowd when we got in at 11:30.
(4)Chris S.
I've been here twice now, but have only been able to sample a few of the items. I'm addicted to this kind of Chinese food from living in Boston, where it's a little more common. This is all about noodles, and it's not the same cuisine featured in most Chinese restaurants in the D.C. area - different region of China. This is not the best I have ever had, but it's the best I've had around here. I will have to see if I can get them to make the spicy broth/sauces hotter. Next time I'm trying the Dun Dun Noodles and will report back. The service was friendly and efficient. I am looking forward to more visits -- going to be a regular, I can already say that.
(3)Jenn L.
nice not having to go all the way to Bob's noodle in Rockville for some yummy Taiwanese. Sure, it's not as delicious as my mom's cooking, but it sure is good! Skip the xiao long baos, but definitely get the beef noodle soup with wide noodles. I love how they have a lot of garlic in their soup to just give it the right kick. The food is cheap and the restaurant is clean and I will definitely be frequenting it again!
(4)Starrlina S.
I finally tried this restaurant and wasn't really impressed, but I'm going to give it 2-stars because my expectations may have been to high. 1. Small friendly restaurant. 2. Location is off the main street which is probably good for frequent customers. 3. I expected authentic Chinese with chicken and shrimp dishes (most were pork). 4. Tried the scallion pancakes that were raved about on Yelp -- eh, no big deal. I can say -- been there, done that -- but not a place to return for me.
(2)A P.
We've been there a total of 3 times and the scallion pancakes rock. The dumplings so so but it seems that on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, there is a different menu. More street hawker style foods like sticky rice roll, roast pork bing and fresh soy milk. It is a pain that it is cash only but the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup (Thin Noodles please) is my husband's favorite. It rocks. definitely will be back for more.
(4)Samantha J.
So we went here based on a suggestion from my boss. And since it's almost literally across the street from the boyfriend's apartment, we decided to check it out. The place is small and a hole in the wall but wow, so good! He got the spicy beef noodle soup with the large noodles, I got the plain beef noodle soup with the small noodles. I would definitely go with the spicy one next time. It's more flavorful. The boss told us to try the thousand year old egg, so we did. The egg was pretty good, but I'm not a fan of the bean curd. The sesame biscuit with sliced beef was delicious! The steamed beef dumpling and pork buns were also delicious. (I do love good dim sum) The pan fried beef bun was good, the cucumber in hot garlic sauce was not. But I'm not a fan of hot garlic, so probably unfair. And of course, the best part, bubble tea! I'm a HUGE fan of these and this place has some good ones, not the powdery ones you sometimes get. The only disappointment was I was expecting more dim sum choices, since I was told that's what it was. But other than that, good, cheap food. What could be better than that?
(4)Ka-Loon T.
While I love a good bowl of beef noodle soup, this A&J did not meet my expectations. I was probably because I have been spoiled by the taste of the A&J in Rockville. The noodles at this A&J are not freshly made like the Maryland one, but the dumplings and scallion pancake is still just as good. Seating here is also far more sparse, than the Maryland one. But the one bit I would like to point out, is that it seems that being able to speak Chinese doesn't seem to result in varying levels of service at this A&J. BTW: If you haven't figured it out yet, my choice off the menu is always set to the same things before I even get here: beef noodle soup with the wide (supposedly fresh) noodles, and to share at the table, guatze and scallion pancake. definitely winners.
(3)Yelper O.
This is not your typical chinese restaurant. Their food is different from other Chinese joints. You def. need to know what to order... I wasn't sure what to order so I got several random items. Mainly they were good but just really different... Don't go in here and expect to get general tso's or kung pao.
(3)Dan W.
Only because I know there is better. Their Rockville location! Their Chinese name is 'borrowed' from a very famous restaurant in Taiwan, but my Taipei relatives say the similarity pretty much ends there. However, it's not fair to compare this fare to what you would get in Taiwan. That being said, the food is good as i've attested to in my comments on the Rockville location. However, the couple times I've been here, i always get the nagging feeling my potstickers were already cooked and sitting in warm-holding then thrown back in the skillet for re-heating. That really gets me when I know they have a good product but they waste it, because they are just too lazy to cook it the way it should be done. I'm closer to this one by about 20 minutes, but I'll still go to the Rockville one, instead. Foiled by their evil (?) twin in Rockville...
(2)Brian Y.
Hands down this little place serves some of the best Chinese food around for the price. It just can't be beat.....ever. I'm not a fan of beef and broccoli and such but I am a fan of everything on this need to decipher (for a non Chinese person) menu. The staff not speaking English very well is a good sign when dealing with ethnic food. You have to mark it all down on the paper menus that they hand to you which is not a big deal. The dim sum is very good. And the fried chicken is no joke. I am a huge fan of this place and I don't know why I don't go there more often. 4 stars for A&J's.
(4)Guna H.
I love good bargain food - what can I say!!! This place was great. It's not in a very noticeable location so I was pretty impressed with how much business was going on. Plus, if Taiwanese people are actually coming here for Taiwanese food -- you know that it's got to be good and authentic. I was really happy with the Hot Cucumber Salad, Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings, and Fried Chicken & Rice. Our bill was about $30 for 3 people. All I can say is YUM!
(4)Betsy T.
This place gets five stars from me for two reasons: 1) It's Taiwanese and I'm from Taiwan; 2) most Chinese food in the DC area should be reported as human rights violations, so any half-decent Chinese place is like an oasis in a vast, scorching desert. A&J has very good renditions of all the Taiwanese favorites: beef noodle soup, potstickers, panfried buns ("jian bing"), pork chops or fried chicken with rice ... It brings back wonderful memories of food heaven in Taiwan. All of their noodle dishes are very good. I also highly recommend the dumplings. And if you're feeling adventurous, try the appetizer dish with the tofu and preserved egg ("pi dan"). A&J is also one of the few places I've found in this area that has a "traditional Chinese breakfast", including soymilk (hot, cold, sweetened or unsweetened), fried dough sticks ("you tiao"), egg pancakes ("dan bing"), sticky rice with shredded pork ("luo mi") and my absolute favorite that you must try, the flaky scallion buns. Thank goodness those are vegetarian, although just between you and me I make some meat exceptions for this place. You can get the traditional Chinese breakfast on Saturday and Sundays around brunch time. One last recommendation: the "kao fu", which I call monk food, but is a traditional Chinese vegetarian Buddhist dish made with wheat gluten and meant to taste sort of like meat, is really very good. Everyone I've forced it on has liked it, even meat eaters. (Note: The reviewer who gave this place one star because it didn't have the "char sui bao" - the barbecue pork buns of dim sum fame - was just confused about the type of cuisine. There are many types of "buns" in Chinese cuisine, and not enough English words to call them, so they all become "buns" even though some are the pillowy BBQ pork buns of Cantonese cuisine and some are the panfried meat buns of Taiwanese cuisine. Taiwanese food also has pillowy buns stuffed with sausage, or laced with scallions ... drool ...)
(5)Rob M.
Great place! Service is fairly quick and friendly. They'll even humor your attempts at speaking mandarin. Price is below average. Food is well above average. Ask for the homemade noodles. Only drawback is that it's cash only.
(4)Frank W.
Definitely a great place to get some good chinese food! I will be back, thanks to the yelp community for pointing it place out to me! (:
(4)Harry T.
Fried pork chop with rice, mustard greens mixed with other veggies I can't describe, a sour soup with cabbage, Sichuan style wonton soup and you have a huge meal for around 20 bucks. The food is great and authentic. Don't listen to me just go and see for yourself.
(5)kei c.
We tried a few of the buns, the jajang, wonton soup and a tofu side. Oh and bubble tea. While appreciative of the bargain, I can't say that I'm as enthused about the actual food as other reviewers are. The steamed pork buns were great, the fried beef bun...meh, rather big and bland. I'm used to the Korean jajang and this was somewhat too salty. The tofu roll side was kinda gross...wondering what chemicals make it up. The bubble tea tasted like something out of a can. Overall, the food was a tad clunky like the atmosphere. I wish there was an alternative. Oh right, don't forget, Cash-only.
(3)Andy M.
It's small, you'll probably have to wait, and you'll likely be hungover. But this place will put you right. A big bowl of beef noodles is like medicine for the morning after. Be adventurous too - the pork ears are absolutely amazing, and the thousand year egg and mushed bean curd came out a, well, mushy mess, but ended up being the most popular dish at our table. You really can't choose wrong here, and the authenticity goes without saying. Bonus! They actually have the menus in English now, so you don't always have to drag your same Chinese friend there all the time. After you're done, go into the Chinese supermarket it's attached to and get another pound of the pork ears from the food stand inside.
(4)Kent W.
What a great place to catch some Chinese/Taiwanese style breakfast. My friend took me here, and it was pretty pleasant. I don't know what half the stuff are called, because I can't read Chinese. Great. Bravo. Anywho! We got bowls of congee, salty soy milk with dried shrimp and floating grease balls looking thing, so call long Chinese donuts, cold veggie dish, tea eggs, and crispy flakes with scallions in the middle. I'm a fudging fan man. Oh! And all for a low price of...forgot how much, but it was pretty cheap.
(4)Sam M.
A&J Restaurant: (Authentic Taiwanese cuisine) - The smoked chicken was soooo tender, juicy, smokey, and flavorful (highly recommended). The soups (meaty broth steeped in 5-spice with anise seasonings, spicy beef noodle & chicken noodle, choose the wide noodles) we had were large and more than enough as an entree and great "comfort food" on a cold winter day. The pork steamed dumplings were delicious garnished with julienned ginger shreds. They serve tea with your meal. An excellent sign: the place was packed with customers who'd be very familiar with the genuine menu offerings, listed also in Chinese. We went on a Sunday and they had a Chinese breakfast menu, regular English-version menu, & Chinese-language menu. For the large helpings of yummy food, this is a great value for the money. It is listed among Washington's Best Eats! Because it is a small establishment, crowded with diners, might also order "to go" and they accept cash only. For the adventurous foodie, this is THE place to go! It won't disappoint!
(5)Tom D.
I totally agree with all the rave reviews, as authentic as you can get for low-key fast chinese snacks and food in the mid-atlantic.... I love the noodles with pork -- the dumplings will make you wake up in the middle of the night aching with desire. The scallion pancake would make Aunt Jemima rethink the definition of a pancake -- this is the best cheap eat in the area. Noodle soups, noodles with and the hot and sour noodles (best with the thin noodles). The spicy beef noodle soup is probably their most popular soup -- and for good reason. I am actually not a huge fan of the wonton soups (have had some issues with them being undercooked) -- I do like the wontons in hot and sour sauce, but beware the wontons and noodles in hot and sour sauce are actually quite sour -- but I am a fan, eventhough I need a fan after I eat them to fan my bad hot and sour breath......not something to eat on a first date. I love their bean curd with mushrooms. I would cut off my pinky toe for their potstickers (guo tie). I probably eat here more than any other place in DC -- usually at the Annandale location as it is not as crowded as Rockville. Best bang for the buck in DC area.
(4)Dean R.
Authentic Chinese food. Oh, and don't worry they will not give you a menu with americanized chinese food - because they only serve the real stuff. No credit cards accepted - so take cash. The folks are good poeple, serving good food. For a change - stop in for brunch during the weekend and try some breakfast dishes. Cheers
(4)Aaron E.
I loved the food. Fresh dumplings, onion pancakes, and noodle soup. If only it was closer to my home. Worried you can't orally communicate with the waitstaff? You are given a paper English/Chinese menu and a pen so you can circle your order. You don't even need to talk. The interior has been updated since I first dined here many years ago. A definite improvement over the plastic covered, hole in the wall atmosphere they used to have. OK, it still feels that way, but definitely better than before.
(5)Ruth A.
After reading the other reviews, more than a hundred, I know that you're (hopefully) convinced that you must try A&J. The food is unusual for NOVA, dim sum rather than an entree meal. I'm suggesting that you make some notes of the favs small dishes mentioned in the reviews and start with these. We do not always understand the waiters descriptions (if any) and at times, have ordered some mighty strange (to our palette) dishes. Be adventurous and I'm sure you'll enjoy!
(3)Jessica B.
I almost gave up on chinese food in the dc area until I found A&J's. Pretty good authentic food. I brought my parents when they came to visit and they were very pleased. The dim sum like food is available everyday on their menu. Most places only have it on the weekends! Also, if you need chinese groceries, check out the market in the back. They have some good stuff! Enjoy!
(5)Kim K.
Had been wanting to try it because of the good reviews. Maybe it raised my expectation. It was alright but not "WOW". I'd come back for some quick cheap bites. We tried all of the recommendations in the reviews and they were pretty good except for the spicy noodle soup. It was bland and plain, no major flavor and even adding the chili sauce didn't help. One recommendation from me, get the thin noodles. You get a choice of thin or thick and the thick noodle is just tooo thick to absorb enough broth or sauce to flavor itself.
(3)Jack C.
Cheap eats, Northern Chinese style noodles cafe. Beef soup noodles is the most popular item there. Dumplings are okay. I usually go there for breakfast on weekends. Soy milk (sweetened/salty), crispy egg pancakes, and beef dumplings are my favs. FYI, this place is cash only. I think they have one in MD as well.
(3)Melissa L.
This place serves northern chinese food. We ordered a variety of food, but nothing really wet my appetite.
(2)hank j.
Small local place with a few tables. I really wanted to like this but what I thought was; environment 2 Spicy Beef noodle soup 1 : Kinda plain, but very tasty, the noodles themselves were good. They charge you for sour veggies. Shanghai Dumplings 3 : tasty, but looked really shriveled up. Scallion pancakes 5 : Awesome! Thousand Layer pancakes 4 : in itself it's really good, but i wish it was served with some curry, like what they do a Malaysian places. pan fried beef and veggie buns 5 : Awesome!
(3)N L.
As a Cantonese-raised Chinese boy, I've been left wondering why the DC-area has forsaken my native cuisine. To compensate (surely much to my parent's slowly crumbling hearts) I've turned to Taiwanese cuisine, quite simply because I crave Chinese food and this is some of the best this area has to offer. Smoked soy-sauce chicken, grease-less fried pork chops, Dan Dan noodles, and their famous potstickers slathered in their equally famous hot sauce...man, I just had a private food porn moment. Great value, efficient service, and it's certainly telling when the place is over half-full at closing time on a Thursday night. Get your butts down here; culinary cultural allegiances be damned!!
(4)Jesse W.
Excellent northern chinese cuisine, one of my favorite restaurants in northern virginia. Must haves are the guo tie dumplings (gotta dip them in a sauce made from condiments on the table, vinegar, soy sauce and chili garlic paste), the bean curd soy bean mixture and the boiled peanuts. The fried chicken is also excellent and the bean paste/beef/noodle mixture is a very unique and tasty dish. Very cheap, excellent one of a kind food, highly recommended.
(5)DML K.
Oh gosh! Oh golly! Oh gee! I love this place! I am not sure where we found the recommendation to go here -- maybe chowhound, maybe Tyler Cowen's blog -- but man oh man -- I am I glad we found this place. When you first arrive, you think you have the wrong place. The outside is dimly light and the sign is not that big. Heck the inside of the restaurant is not overly big either -- maybe 15 or so tables. Everything we ordered can out quickly and was delicious. We loved their pot stickers, dumplings, scallion pancakes and fried chicken. The guys liked the smoked chicken but the gals -- well we were not that adventurous. In all we ordered maybe 10 different items and they were all worthy of repeats. The total bill was maybe $20 per couple which included our bubble teas. The only other thing to remember before you run on over to this little hidden treasure is to stop by and pick up some cash as they do not take checks or credit cards!
(4)Takaki K.
This small hole in the wall has some great food! I hear it's northern Chinese food, and whatever that means, it's good. I loved their cold noodles, pickled mustard greens, pot stockers etc. And their pan fried beef bun is a BOMB. No wonder everyone's raving about it. The food is all good and the price is very reasonable. I will for sure go back.
(4)Wendy S.
The food is distinctly north-eastern Chinese. (To the reviewer below, many currently Taiwanese immigrated from the mainland and brought with them their customs and language, as Taiwan was historically an indigenous people.) I was born in Tianjin, China and many of the dishes served here are food I grew up with. Simple, hearty, everyday meals. It's no fine dining, but if you want a taste of every day life in North Eastern China, this is pretty close. My boyfriend and I go often and introduce as many people to it as we possibly can. To a person, they've all loved this place. We're hoping they would open up locations in more neighborhoods, (like Burke).
(5)Cathy D.
Miscommunication and total false advertising on the menu. My friend wanted pork buns and was expecting soft, pillowy, white steamed buns filled with red pork meat. Instead, we got pork dumplings. Huge distinction between dumpling and bun! Don't order bubble tea from here. The powder leaves a residue at the bottom and the tapioca pearls weren't cooked fully. Go down the hallway to Maria's Bakery. FYI: I remember hearing that one of my friends found a bug in his/her food.
(1)Ying F.
Great and CHEAP chinese food! This is not the typical americanized chinese food. This is real chinese food. Best Beef Buns and Spicy beef noodle soup! If you're in DC or MD, it's worth the drive to come to this place!
(5)Kenneth L.
This restaurant expands your views on what you may consider Chinese food. A&J Restaurant caters to a younger crowd as not only a place to dine, but also a hang out spot. The menu includes a wide range of Taiwanese dishes that are tasty as well as inexpensive. A must try are the pot stickers!
(4)Alice L.
Really one of the best bargain places you'll ever meet. Plus, it's totally authentic (taiwanese) food. Really, almost every saturday morning we come here to have the soybean milk and fried dough with some other small dishes (we like to mix it up a little ;-) ) On the other hand, the waitresses there don't really speak english, and it can be a little intimidating for westerners since the majority of the conversation in the air is purely chinese. And the food can get a little oily at times. But for the most part, this is one of those places where one needs to at least try one time.
(4)M D.
I like this place. Definitely an exotic selection of dishes not for the faint of heart. I love the thousand-year-old egg with tofu, but that's an acquired taste. I think most people would be terrified at the sight of it, but if you're brave enough to try it, you'll be pleasantly surprised!
(4)mark r.
We flew into DC en route to Williamsburg and Yelped for food along the way. A&J is a tiny place just off the main road. It was very busy on Saturday night. Service was great. Food even better. Very fresh! Pan fried pork dumplings, Scallion pancake, and hot spicy sesame noodles hit the spot. Ooh! Guava bubble tea.
(5)Perchancetodrea M.
Love the pig's ears, and the seaweed salad. I get these every single time I go here. And I go as often as I can. And every other time I go, I get the pan-fried pork dumplings.
(4)Mickey T.
a restaurant that does things a little differently than other chinese restaurants, almost everything cooked here is different from what you're used to if you're a chinese food connoisseur--but that's not to say it's bad--it's a good different. the menu is mostly unfamiliar for those who usually order out chinese food, but the staff is ready to explain anything you have questions about. the service is quick and i've yet to have a bad experience here. since the popularity of this place has grown, it can sometimes get crowded, and become cramped since the restaurant itself is rather small. if you're indecisive and need some help picking something, get the beef noodle soup. f'n awesome.
(4)Andy P.
As small and good as this place is, I almost hate to mention to others, but since the secret is obviously out... I hit this place up about once every 2-3 months, usually for the weekend breakfast. First, to clear up a couple things -- this is more of a down-home northern Chinese cuisine so the menu is going to be different than the usual Americanized versions of Cantonese/Hunan/Sichuan cuisine that you normally see at Chinese restuarants. Don't let that put you off. Also, it's usually very busy so you may have to flag down a waitress at times. It's not that they aren't friendly, it's just kind of a hectic. It's also nice if you have a Chinese speaker along with you, but you'll get by fine if you don't. Anyway, on to the important parts, the food. I usually get at least one fantuan (sorta like a burrito, but wrapped in rice instead of a tortilla). They have sweet and savory versions. The fantuan isn't as good as what I can get in Taiwan, but is still very good (and I don't have to go wait in line at 6:00 in the morning like in my wife's hometown) Besides that, the breads and dumplings or wantons are your best bet, and maybe a little smoked chicken if you need something heavier. Wantons in hot oil and thousand layer pancakes are my personal favs, but the much-discussed scallion pancakes or the chinese hamburger are nice choices too. Their full-meal rice dishes and noodle soup are good, but aren't really what I go there for. If you've got someone you don't mind sharing with, it's more fun to get a bunch of small dishes and try things until you find what you really like. Overall, one of the most legit Chinese places in town and definitely recommended. BTW -- someone mentioned bubble tea. I'd skip that at A&J and go to the Maria's down the hallway, they have more options.
(4)Eric W.
After reading the rave reviews I decided to check A&J out. We arrived at about 6:30pm on a Saturday evening. The restaurant was small and there were about 3 parties waiting to be seated. In fact, the whole time we dined, there was usually at least one party waiting to be seated. I viewed this as a good thing - that is, the food must be good... Whe ordered about 8 different dishes. All were generally good. My wife noted that many of the dishes were in need of a dipping sauce. For example the scallion pancake is pretty "doughy" and the same dish in a Korean restaurant would have had a dipping sauce. Most of the dishes seemed to be missing a bit of seasoning and we found ourselves having to add soy sauce, pepper sauce, etc. that much said, the food was generally good and the check was very reasonable. A&J is a solid "3" for a good meal at a reasonable price. For someone wanting to try something a little different than your typical Chinese restaurant, I'd recommend A&J.
(3)Stephen S.
One of my favorites! The place is a small diner that's out of the way but you won't be disappointed by the food or the price. Favorite dishes here are the: - pan fried dumplings - beef noodle soup - scallion pancakes - tofu with hundred year old egg
(5)Erin C.
We love A&J's! Delicious little dishes that you can eat a variety of 'til you're absolutely stuffed, and still feel great afterwards - all for a very low bill. And be sure to go on the weekend in the morning and get the special breakfast menu. I love the yo tiao, a long fried donut-like breakfast food that you can dip in the soy milk (I prefer the milk cold and sweet but most people like it hot). Our other favorites are: smoked chicken beef bun beef noodle soup (with either wide or thin noodles) tripe pig ears cucumbers scallion pancake fried dumplings shrimp wonton soup We didn't like the shao long bao (soup dumplings) as much as the rest, because you can actually get better shao long bao at the asian market frozen (which sounds disparaging, but the truth is that the frozen stuff is actually better than any restaurant we've found in the area - closest best is John's Shanghai in NYC). Anyway, a great place, you can go again and again and not get sick of it, there is so much to order! We're SO glad we live nearby. If you've never been though, I suggest you go with someone who knows it ... Also, if you go when its crowded, they'll ask if you mind sharing a table with another group. We don't mind, because you get seated faster!
(5)Glaciala A.
As stellar as the Rockville branch.
(5)Oak L.
We decided to try this place for the first time on a Tuesday for lunch. It was not crowded and though it was just before 1 pm, only about 8 or 10 people were there for the 45 min. we were there; one couple, oddly, sat, looked at the menu, sipped the complimentary tea, and then walked out without saying a word. BUT, we stayed and found that while we were not familiar with the items (I'm of southern Chinese heritage, wife is Japanese), we found the food delicious and nicely priced. We ordered 5 items: cold noodle in a garlic soy sauce $3.25, congee with corn & millet $0.95 were our main dishes, and added a spicy tripe 2.25, soy and mustard green 2.25, and the 1000 layer pancake 4.25. We were happy with all of it though the tasty pancake was probably overpriced. For the two of us, we got away for 16.50 including a 15% tip. Service was good and while not friendly, was timely. We'll go back and try something else like the fried chicken and the bao. Quite filling and tasty.
(4)John L.
My wife and I went here for lunch. I've had this type of good before in Austin so I knew what to expect but I think the reviews of my fellow yelpers jaded me. We ordered scallion pancakes, beef soup with noodles and potstickers. The beef soup was good with very tender beef but the broth was too rich. My wife was not keen on the flavor. The scallion pancakes were good buy too thick for my tastes. I'm more use to the thin kind. The best dish was the potstickers. Very fresh and tasty. We also tried the pickled pigs ears. It had a OK flavor. For us we will stick with Mark's Duck House for Dim Sum. The flavors are more pleasing for my Korean palate.
(3)T W.
Food was very good. I had the spicy beef noodle soup and was definitely can be consider a good meal by itself. I had a bubbletea. It was good and the little black pearls were well cooked. Parking wasn't a problem, but I went in the evening. Place is very cozy and you can sometimes feel too tight. Otherwise, go for the food and enjoy.
(4)A B.
I effing love A&J. I go practically once a week and I don't do that for any other restaurant in my excessively large list. Why, you ask? Well aside from the fact that this place is dirt cheap and thus works with my college student budget, the food is just that damn good. I've tried about 60% of the menu, and I can still say this. Standouts: Scallion pancake, steamed beef dumplings, pan fried beef bun, the seaweed and bean sprout salad, mustard greens with soybeans and I think bean curd skins, smoked chicken, and the spicy cucumber salad. And of course since they give you free tea, why bother with a drink? BUT the bubble tea here is pretty decent and fairly priced. Coffee and passion fruit are my two favorites. Service is great - seems to be the same people working there everytime I go, but they know the menu very well and are very attentive to making sure nothing will interact with food allergies or anything if you speak to them about it. Order everything at least once. You can even afford to. Oh, by the way, cash only.
(5)Rachel P.
holy crap the dim sum here is SO DELICIOUS. seriously. it's been awhile since i've had such a different, unique and tasty tastes! i came with three other friends, we went on a saturday around 1:30 and still had to wait a half hour, but the wait was definitely worth it. service was very good, food came quickly, and in the perfect amounts. my friends and i LOVED everything we ordered: potstickers, steamed dumplings, thousand layer cake, wide noodles w/peanut sauce (BIG fave of all of ours), veggie steamed bun, seaweed and bean sprout salad, thin noodles in a soy-saucy sauce...i can't remember what else, but really, ALL the food was soooo good. compared to mark's duck house for dim sum, this place has better variety, tastes better and seems much healthier. i find that mark's duck house dim sum is too greasy, and in a way, tastes the same. i can't recommend this place enough!
(5)Wendy S.
not as good as the sister store in rockville, md. if i need a quick A&J fix i would hit the annandale since i live in arlington, va.
(3)Corinne G.
I've been back two times and the food has been consistently good. I love the bubble tea too.
(5)Chris W.
While visiting DC, friends took me here to A&J. I was a little skeptical when we pulled up to the place, but it was definitely worth the drive out to Annandale. The food was really delicious and cheap! Just make sure to go when you aren't starving - the wait can be long at times.
(4)Harry G.
Good chinese food, different from Fortune, but good.
(5)Patrick S.
Your bill always ends up ridiculously low considering all the great food you get. You'd think three bags of authentic Chinese food would cost more than twenty bucks. Seriously.. read the rest of the reviews about how good the food is, I don't feel like being redundant, but dang it's good and cheap enough that it gives packing a lunch myself some competition.
(5)Quang T.
Decor: A few wooden art pieces hanging from the wall, other than that it's pretty bare bones, find me a nicely decorated chinese restaurant. Service: Attentive. Proficient. Food: I don't ever recall having a bad meal at A&Js. I've been a customer even before it was A&Js. It's a place my dad and I would frequent just for the spicy beef noodle soup. You often will see families gather around this establishment picking on small appetizer dishes, slurping down a good bowl of soup and sippin away at a bowl of warm soy milk. Other items worthy of trying are the potstickers (which seems to be a staple here), the spicy cucumber salad and the fried chicken with rice. Some other less known items but also worthy are the mustard greens with tofu skin and my personal favorite, the yummy turnip pastry. For the less adventurous, I would stick with either the one of the rice dishes and the potstickers. My only gripe with A&Js is crowd that gathers in on the weekends during brunch/lunch. The wait can sometimes be quite long, and often times, you may have to share a table with total strangers. If you're an introvert like some people, that can make for a really odd dining experience. Regardless, I will be returning.... quite often.... maybe this weekend...
(4)Malinda T.
it's a good taiwanese food... not the best though... i don't think the taste are the same like the food that you'll get in taiwan...even when i order the fried chicken.. the taste is not the same at all... the noodles.. ok... i like how the noodle taste like homemade.. but seasoning wise they should really try to make it more authentic... lu rou fan is not bad.. it's the minced pork over rice... the price is also very affordable... they accept cash only though..
(4)A L.
We ordered a lot of side dishes. My favs were the pan fried beef buns and the minced pork over rice. Be careful when you bite into the buns, they warned us about the hot liquid, but we didn't think it was going to be scorching! Everything was a little to salty and greasy but still good! They have a place in Rockville, MD too.
(3)CYNTHIA C.
I wish I could give AJ's more stars but this place isn't spectacular. The servings are on the small side, in my opinion and they don't really offer a lot of Taiwanese dishes. It's so depressing the DC area doesn't have a great, traditional Taiwanese restaurant. ARRGGHH!
(3)Rowena E.
we always over order when we go here. we try to order for two, but we end up ordering for about six. love this authentic little hole in the wall. it's a tiny shoebox of a place and you'll rub elbows with the people at the table next to you. not a bad thing since it allows you to scope out what they're eating so you can tell your waitress that you want it too. you can't go wrong with the fresh dumplings and scallion pancakes. even the pickiest eaters i know love them.
(5)Azn G.
This place has been on Washingtonian 's best bargain place in the past 9 years (saw the awards on the wall while waiting for dim sum). I tasted the bean curd with mushrooms, pork buns, beef buns, wonton soup and ja jang with wide noodles. The steams pork buns were good not sure if they were fresh or frozen, kinda watery. The beef buns were fried and oily but good, wish i knew ahead of time i was supposed to drink the inside stuff like soup. The liked the honey dew bubble tea the best. The tapioca balls were fresh and soft unlike some other places that i have tired. The prices were pretty good and service was fast.
(3)I C.
I've ordered bubble tea at A&J several times. Each time I am disappointed by the tapioca and the tea. Tapioca is either over or under cooked and the tea isnt strong enough (tastes like water and sugar). After the 4th or 5th attempt, I have learned my lesson. Most consistent place is Asia Taste in Rockville MD, but TenRen is okay.
(1)Nikki F.
I LOVE A&J! I first at the A&J in Cupertino, CA and it was my fav Chinese place EVER. When I moved to the DC area, I was so stoked to find another branch. I have SERIOUS cravings for their hot and sour noodles - so vinegary and so spicy and so delicious. The noodles are definitely home-made (get the thick ones!!). I also love their potstickers which I dip in the chili paste/vinegar/soy sauce they give you on the tables. I also love love love the scallion pancake. A&J is cheap, fast, and DELICIOUS---what more could you want?
(5)Sarah S.
Food: 3 stars. The food is reasonably good and cheap. If I lived nearby and I wanted some simple Chinese food, I would frequent this place again. However, the restaurant is small, crowded and noisy, and the dim sum selection is minimal. The service was slow - it was busy and on a Sunday. So, it ultimately depends on what you're looking for in a dining experience.
(2)Jeff S.
I have been addicted to this place for the past 10 yrs. All of my friends who I have brought to this place are addicted, it's a Sunday Must.
(5)Bryan P.
My kind of place! Excellent food at cheap prices! I've never been to China but being a New Yorker I do consider myself somewhat of an authority on Chinese food (naturally). This is not your typical shiny MSG drenched faux Chinese, but something a little more on the authentic side. If you're looking for ambiance, keep looking! This place is all about the food (kind of like a Chinese Rays the Steaks). This is not a first date place, but more of a fifth date place you go to demonstrate your food savy. These are dishes that feature some of what the esteemed Anthony Bouradain refers to as the "nasty bits." They serve Dim Sum style portions but without the carts or conveyor belts. So you get to try a lot for a little. I've been here many times and have never had a bad dish. A mark of quality for any restaurant is when I try things which I don't expect to like and love it. My Vietnamese friend who introduced me to A&J coaxed me into trying one of their vegetarian dishes, some sort of Bean Curd thingy I think. Man was that excellent (and there's a statue of me in the Carnivore Hall of Fame)! Another mark of quality for an Asian restaurant is when I'm the only Caucasian there (which is often the case). No different from going to a Kabob place and being surrounded by Middle Eastern cab drivers. There are several great Chinese places in the area, but if you are feeling a bit on the adventurous side, give A&J a try. Your stomach and wallet will thank you!
(5)Mar O.
Pretty good chinese in the DC area, which I have been trying VERY hard to find. There's a lot of fried, doughy things on the menu, which are good, but too much for me sometimes. However, there's enough of non-fried and delicious items that I'm quite happy here, and I find the taste is quite authentic. And just FYI, it is a northern chinese place, so your typical Cantonese dim sum items, like those soft pork buns Cat is talking about, are not available. While it is somewhat misleading to call them buns, they're not really dumplings either and potstickers are featured elsewhere in the menu. The fact is sometimes things get lost in translation, but I don't think this takes away from the food at all, which I really liked. For good chinese, I recommend this place, but I'm warning you, this is NOT Catonese dim sum. Step away if that's what you want (and check out Oriental East in Silver Spring instead). Service was pretty nice, though we went early on Saturday evening, so they weren't terribly busy.
(4)shawn g.
It's been a while since I've been out for Taiwanese brunch, but I don't know that I'd come back to this place. The soup dumplings were decent, but I think I prefer the Shanghai style ones found out west yelp.com/biz/hu-chiang-d… The warm savory soy milk helped wake me up, but the thousand layer pancake and donut were disappointing and oily. I might come back here with a Taiwanese person if they promise to order, and drive.
(2)David G.
First time at this place. Tried the beef dumplings and was quite disappointed. It tasted like it was reheated multiple times because it wasn't sold last week. Just bad. Also tried the beef noodle soup which was so so. I think this place deserves a second visit before I totally take them off my list.
(2)Katie F.
As always I was guided by my all things Chinese leader Kevin L. He ordered, Kathleen M and I ate. My favorite things was a fried beef bun. My second favorite thing was a cucumber salad. That's really all I can say. Go here, take someone who knows what they are ordering.
(4)J. C.
Undoubtedly the best bargain restaurant around for authentic Chinese food. "Authentic" meaning real chinese people are cooking your food and a menu with no cop-outs like moo-shoo-gai-pan or general tso's chicken or whatever. You eat like the locals eat only you're halfway around the world if you know what I mean. And "bargain" meaning you could make it out the door with a full stomach in less than 2 figures and actually have seriously enjoyed your meal. Of course, your gonna have to pay a little more to satisfy your curiosity as well as your hunger.
(4)calvin c.
My wife order usually, but I love their beef and tendon noodle soup. The fried dumplings are good. Weekends are busy. Weekday lunch is not that crowded.
(4)Lizzy T.
I come here with my boyfriend ALL THE TIME! I'm korean american and my boyfriend is Indian, and he's a real picky eater. BUT, I took him to A&J and ordered him the fried chicken with white rice and he DEVOURED that dish like it was his last one! Also, the red hot chilli sauce that they have, we finish two batches whenever we go there... its that delish. I'm giving it four stars because they have crappy services. The waitresses there don't smile, and are short tempered at times. Its the good food and the cheap prices that draw people there..
(4)Wendy L.
We live in the area so we come to eat about once or twice a year since it's been open. Our most recent visit was this past Saturday for an early lunch. We shared a Zha Jiang Mian made with thin noodles which had a nice balance of pork, cucumber, and bean sprouts. Luo Bo Si Su Bing (turnip flaky bun) was perfectly flaky and had a good flavor. Zhua Bing was a miss. It was flavorless and not as crispy as the last time I ordered it from the Rockville location so it was a thousand layer gummy-ness inside. Xiao Long Bao was another miss. While it wasn't gosh awful, it didn't have the requisite soup and the skin was a bit thick. The place is small and best for couples. They only have two larger tables. Since we got here early we didn't have to wait but there was at least once where we had to share one of the larger tables with another family before. I don't know if they ever ask this of guests who aren't Chinese but it might be a faster way to get a seat if you see it free and there is another small group waiting. The servers have always been pretty helpful and quick.
(3)Betsey L.
love a&j's. food is good. authentic. not too oily. good price. zha jiang mien tastes good w/ the thin noodles! thousand layer pancake (zhua bing) not so good- i need some salt on that. scallion pancake is good. beef noodle soup - sometimes better than other times. but prob the best hong sao niu ro mien you'll find in the area. taiwanese fried chicken and rice - YUM! and i love that side of pickled veggies it comes with! dumplings aren't bad either. dan dan mien (sesame/peanut butter noodles) is good if you like peanut butter. wontons in hot/spicy sauce is good. HUGE fan of those side dishes on the back of the menu- we like to order the following: - bean thread noodle w/ chicken salad, cucumber and mustard - pickled cucumber in spicy garlic sauce - edamame, bean curd skin, bamboo, mustard greens - spicy beef tendon (MMmMmm tendon...) ....i mean, its all good!! i'm perfectly happy just ordering the cold side dishes w/ a bowl of rice actually. i need someone to eat with that'll do that with me. and they have congee, yo tiao, doe jiang!!!!!! prob the only place in nova that has this??!! it also feels "clean" in there. not oily and yucky....like vinh kee.
(4)Yiling W.
Good tasty authentic Chinese food that we were also easily able to convince our non-Asian friends with us to try and like too. Went here for brunch dishes and went home happy and over-full, wishing I still had car access so I could get out there tomorrow.
(5)Alison K.
Our out-of-town visitors always demand a visit to A&J, which is great because you can order lots of dishes with a big group. Our favorites include Pan Fried Pork Dumplings; Noodles (thin) in Hot and Sour Sauce; Spicy Wonton w/Hot Red Sauce; Scallion Pancakes; Smoked Chicken; Bean Curd Skin w/ Mustard Greens and Soy Beans (my personal favorite); Vegetarian Delight w/Gluten, Dry Bean Curd & Mushrooms; Dry Bean Curd, Peanuts & Cilantro Salad; Cucumber Salad in Hot Garlic Sauce; and, for dessert, Red Bean Pastry w/ Pine Nuts. I'm a fish-eating vegetarian, and despite the fact there is no fish on the menu I never feel deprived; there are so many great vegetarian choices, mostly on the back page of the menu. We've been going to A&J's (both branches) for years, and have found the same consistently great food year after year. Now they open at 10:00 on weekends and have a special breakfast menu, but we're so wedded to our favorites that we didn't try anything new this time.
(5)Francesca T.
this is where i make my parents take me every time i come "home" to VA/DC. i'm in love with the fried chicken + wide noodle soup + mustard greens. mom always gets fried pork with rice and dad picks something at random. my "big bro" brought me here a few times, and those times, i had the best lunches of a table filled with multiple little plates of things i could try. Big Bro is chinese and orders all these things i never would have tried. (mushrooms served cold, scallion pancakes, mixed greens etc...) all in his language so i have been at a loss when i tried to go back and find them. i should have taken home the menu with all the circled numbers!! anyways, it's so cheap (and only take cash) and everything is tasty so it's always fun to try to find out and figure out what my big bro ordered by picking out appetizers at random.
(5)Nina L.
I used come here every weekend. I would crave for seaweed,chinese scallion pancakes, and 5 spiced beef. It's always crowded on the weekends...expect to wait anywhere from 30- 40 minutes...the food isn't as good as food in Taipei, but it's tasty and inexpensive. There aren't many Northern style restaurants in the DC area to compare it to. I used to go to A&J's in Rockville and shop at Maxim's on the weekend. The A&J's in Rockville has about 20 tables. It's even more crowded than the Annandale location. Don't forget to stop by the ATM, they take cash only.
(4)Janet L.
i love this restaurant. although the wait is long, it proves that the dishes here must be worth it. it becomes unbearable as i wait and watch others eat and smell all the different spices and aromas of my favorite chinese dishes. i highly recommend: -kao fu: wheat gluten (sponge-like) with mushrooms, lima beans, bamboo shoots, and carrots soaked in a sweet brown sauce -wonton soup: each wonton is filled generously with pork and greens in a broth with noodles (choice of flat or thin noodles) with shredded egg and bok choy -xue cai ro si mian: generous amount of noodles with pork, mustard greens, and bamboo shoots -dan-bing: average taste, but very filling. egg in a tortilla wrap, pan fried. -potstickers: pan-fried dumplings. juicy, oily chunks of meat. the flour was a little undercooked though. -thousand year egg with tofu: average taste, not too excited about this dish of it's mushy texture. -seaweed with vinegar & garlic sauce: personally, i thought the sauce was a little too acidic, it hurt my throat a little. - bean curd skin rolls with black fungus: kind of bland, choose the kao fu instead! - scallion pancake: crispy, hot and delicious! overall my favorite is the kao fu so be sure to order that dish when you visit. i usually order more than two because one plate isn't enough to fill me up and satisfy my hunger.
(5)Gening L.
If you're stuck in the DC area and crave an authentic Chinese brunch, head over to A&J for its famous beef noodle soup, sao bing you tiao and my favorite - the onion pancakes (cong you bing). The food is northern Chinese, but it's extremely popular in Taiwan. Those from California may recognize this place as a chain with locations in Cupertino Village and Irvine, and you will be happy to know they also have one in Annendale and Rockville, MD. i've been to both, and prefer the food at the Annendale location. If you've never had this Taiwanese style breakfast before, be wary that it is extremely carby and heavy, but very satisfying and delicious. (don't bring your atkins friends here) The onion pancake is a pleaser for everyone. If you don't eat meat, get the dan dan mian (peanut sauce noodles, not like Thai peanut sauce but a thinner sauce with sesame seed oil). And you can also choose to get thick or thin noodles. I think thick noodles may be better for the noodle soups, but I prefer the thin noodles for my peanut noodles. Also very popular is the chinese hamburger, a pan fried sort or large dumpling in a hamburger shape (xian bing). If you've had Chinese breakfasts before and enjoyed them, definitely check this place out. My friends from CA who are now living in Boston, drive over to DC... just to get the beef noodle soup at A&J.
(5)Beignet i.
After reading about it in the Washingtonian and the good reviews on Yelp, I decided to try A&J and was really excited about it. I love ethnic (particularly asian) food so I had great hopes for this meal and made a list of recommended dishes from reading all the reviews. I have to say that I really didn't enjoy my meal at all. Now, I have to concede that I have never had this type of Asian food so maybe, it's because I'm just not used to it but other than the cucumber salad which was excellent, I ordered the pork sandwich in sesame bun (pork was mostly fat and had no taste), the skinny noodles with peanut sauce (wasn't too bad but not that great) and the fried chicken over rice (again chicken was mostly fat and not that tasty). I guess I missed something because people seem to enjoy this place. In any case, I'm glad I tried something new and it wasn't that expensive so I don't have many regrets.
(1)Richard B.
A great little Chinese restaurant hidden away in Annandale. Very "unamerican" Chinese food that tastes great! Was very pleased with my trip there and I'm sure I'll be back again and again. I recommend sitting there and observing what the other foodies are getting. You can tell what is good there by seeing what the Natives are eating. When I went it happened to by the fried pork and rice. PROTIP: They are cash only
(4)Parysa T.
Cash Only! First tip! Otherwise you will have to go out and get money during your meal. Anyways, don't go into this place thinking you're going to get some fried rice and egg rolls - this is not your typical Chinese restaurant! All the dishes are small and meant for sharing and the prices are surprisingly low. The wonton soup was very good so I recommend that. Also, consider getting the beef bun as it's like a jumbo dumpling, and their regular dumplings are awesome!
(4)Anne F.
No American fortune cookies!! This place is real Chinese Food. We ordered carry-out. Make sure you circle what you want from the menu otherwise they just think you are not ready to order. Anything with A&J special sauce is good. We didn't find a lot of the common Chinese Foods, like Orange Chicken on the menu so we had to go somewhere else. The food tasted ok.
(3)Joe L.
Visited this place while I was on a business trip in D.C. We have A&J's back in SoCal, so I thought this would be a safe bet for some good Chinese food and they didn't let me know. I had the Niu Rou Mian and the Niu Rou Xian Bing. Both were excellent and I think this A&J's Niu Rou Mian was even better than it is at our A&J's in California! Prices are good and the waitresses are friendly. Give A&J's a try, but remember your cash....it's cash only just like ours in CA.
(5)Eliza C.
The spicy wontons had a little dot of meat inside of it, might as well been a wonton skin dish. Flavor was definitely there. The spicy beef noodle soup was ok. The sesame bun with beef had dry beef, the dish could have been better. Make sure you arrive before 3pm for their weekend morning breakfast
(3)G R.
I'm not exactly a dimsum aficionado, but I do know good dimsum and bad dimsum. And I consider A&J to be pretty darn good and authentic, and that keeps me coming back often. I was introduced to A&J by a Taiwanese-American friend several years ago. They're not the traditional dimsum that most people think of, in that they don't have those servers going from table to table pushing those little carts. But similarly, a lot of the dishes are small "tapas" style; which works out since you can order a lot of dishes without feeling like a total glutton. The other dishes which are soups or which come with rice or noodles are larger and more substantial meals/entrees which can be eaten on their own. My personal favorites among the smaller dishes are the sliced beef tripe with hot red sauce, cucumber salad in hot garlic sauce, the tofu with century egg, and the veggie delight. As far as the larger entree-type dishes are concerned, my recommendations are the spicy beef and tendon noodle soup, the braised pork on rice and the Chinese style fried chicken on rice. If you stop in during lunch, I also recommend the savory sticky rice roll that is on the separate lunch/brunch menu (there is also a sweet version which I have not tried). This location is kind of hole in the wall in an old half-empty strip mall, but the restaurant itself is clean and decent-looking. The space is tight and at certain times, especially at lunch, there can be a lot of customers waiting to be seated, but the turnover is pretty quick. The ordering system is similar to a sushi bar in that you circle items on the menu and hand it to your server. Service is quick and efficient. Make a stop at the ATM beforehand since they only accept cash. But the upshot is that you won't need much of it! (A&J has been one of Washingtonian's Cheap Eats recommendations for several years now.)
(4)Jenny T.
*NOT* your typical dim sum place, as I read in some other reviews here. I'm not Northern Chinese, so I'd never had this food. Basically if you are looking for push-card dim sum or the predominant Chinese food, this isn't it. But still delicious! Small establishment, friendly waitstaff, and pretty packed when I went. The list of breakfast items was limited, though. (Of course I am used to the thousand-choice dim sum menu, so I'm a little biased)
(3)Peter C.
If you're looking for decent taiwanese food for relatively cheap, this is the place to go. My girlfriend and I ended up spending $28 bucks here for sunday brunch which included 3 drinks, 2 bowl of noodles, and 3 side dishes. We were FULL! Let me just say, that Sunday brunch times will require a wait. We were waiting in line for about half an hour or so before we ended up getting seated. And if you don't mind sharing a table, then you'll get seated even faster. We ended up sharing with 3 other parties but hey, I just want my food so I'm not going to complain. We got two soy bean drinks to start (one sweet and one salty) and we started off with cucumber salad and sliced pork ears. The pork ears are a little bit spicy but they weren't too bad. They're cut very thin so it's not too chewy which was good. The cucumber salad wasn't anything fancy as it's pretty standard. Then came our noodles. I had the spicy beef and tendon (thick) noodle soup while my girlfriend had the cold noodles in hot and sour sauce. Both were very good but I thought the broth for the beef got a bit salty at the end. Either way, it's very flavorful and very satisfying in my stomach. My girlfriend thought the cold noodles were a little bit spicy so she ended up getting her 2nd soy milk but I thought it was alright. We also had a side of spicy wonton with hot sauce. I had originally thought it was going to be fried, but it's actually not. It was boiled wonton's in this spicy sauce. My girlfriend didn't like it and I would've wished it was bigger in dumpling size. They looked like dwarf dumplings with barely any meat in there. The dumplings were also a little bit undercooked because the skin was still tough in some of them. Overall though, they have quite a few items on their menu for relatively cheap that makes me want to go back and try it out.
(4)Catie C.
Best Spicy Beef Tendon Noodle Soup I ever had! Tender and flavorful tendon matching up with chewy noodles. I personally don't like soft, falling apart noodles so this was perfect for me. The broth, my my, the best I've had. Even the other dishes I had was scrumptious. The right texture. The right amount of flavor. I am not a pro with Taiwanese Cuisine, but this place hit my palette dead on. If the service was better, I'd give it the 5th star. They seem to forget to grab empty plates off the table. Or shall I say, a tendency to just clean everything up at the end of the meal. So be it and a wall of plates I shall build. If only my tummy would allow me to build that wall!
(4)E L.
We been coming to this A&J three times already. Each time was a disappointment compared to the sister restaurant in Cupertino and Irvine, CA. Each time we came here, I was hoping it will get better. All of the appetizers are about half of the portion of what I get in Cupertino and Irvine but the price is the same. The noodles soup broth - not tasty at all. Thank you but no thank you to this A&J.
(2)David P.
A&J is my destination for Taiwanese comfort food. This is the style of food I remember from the two years I spent in Taiwan in the late 60s, when it was still a poor country. The style of food served here reflects the culinary backgrounds of the hundreds of thousands of mainland refugees who escaped Mao's revolution in 1949. It has since taken on some of its own unique Taiwanese style to be what it is today. I love most everything on the menu, though to me the 'must haves' are the noodle soups and the fried dumplings. The little dishes of breads, buns, bean curd appetizers, etc., are great for sharing. The best of all, you can get out of here for about $15 a person, tip included. But of course it's cash only.
(4)Pat O.
One of my favorite restaurants! Only place I know to get Beef Noodle soup similar to what I got in Taiwan. I've been to A&J often but have been happily stuck on their Beef Noodle soup with the thick noodles - trust me, it's delicious. I've also had a couple different dim sums and their scallion pancake as a side and liked both. I wouldn't recommend going on a weekend day simply because their dining area is small and the servers seemed to very quickly get overwhelmed...on my last Saturday visit, I stood in line, had to wait a long time to have my order taken, sides were cold, and my dim sum showed up only after I asked about it (my guess is that they forgot my order but made that up by grabbing someone else's ). I have had absolutely no issues during weekdays. Great place to get authentic Chinese food.
(4)Dette T.
There were less than 5 tables occupied when i was here, i had to wait 20mins for my food. The noodles were overcooked, maybe that's what took them so long but wait, my hubby's chicken was undercooked and there was blood when he cut it- gross. Never going back. I think just going to a normal Chinese restaurant is better for my noodle soup cravings.
(2)Bobby D.
I have been eating at A & J for over a decade and can confidently say I have walked through their doors over 100 times. Prior to the Annandale location opening, all VA folk were forced to head up to Rockville. Few things you should know - 1) They only take Cash and Checks (require you to write Drivers License # on check 2) Oolong Tea they serve is delicious and complimentary so don't send it away when they bring it to your table shouting " We didnt order this" 3) If you came here thinking it was like PF CHangs, or that they had General Tso's, you're terribly mistaken (but in for a treat better than PF Changs can offer) 3) MOST IMPORTANT - HOW TO PROPERLY ORDER HERE- a) They hand you a paper menu...the exact menu of the laminated version that may have sat on the table. b) Every dish has a number next to it. If you want that item, write down the QUANTITY of that dish, and circle the number. (ex. write a "1" circle it next to Steamed Veggie Dumplings if you only want 1 order c) WHEN ORDERING Noodles, not only abide by b), but also specify "thick" or "thin" noodles by writing it next to your quantity. The help will be impressed, and will respect that. Trust me. They will think you are old school. I recommend the thick - thin remind me too much of spaghettis. What to order/Best Items on Menu (coming from first generation american) - Friend Pork Dumplings (they are long, and come 8 per order) - Steamed Veggie Dumplings ( 4, and dont mind the red dot on them. They are supposed to be like that) - Cucumbers in Garlic - Mustard Greens with Soy Beans - Pork Sesame seed bun - Fried Chicken (unbelievably delicious) w/ Rice or Noodles - Scallion Pancake - Spicy Beef Noodle (so good) - Passion Bubble Tea. Staff is incredible, despite English being everyones second language there. Since taking people to this restaurant over the past five years, I have not had a single person complain OR NOT take one of their friends to this place. Remarkable restaurant. Follow my tips, and youll love it.
(5)Ling F.
CASH ONLY! Not an americanize chinese restaurant or Dimsum. It's more of real authentic chinese food. They're more known for their Beef noodle soups, fried chicken/pork with rice, dumplings. Super cheap! This place is small so try to avoid coming as a big group.
(5)Tiger C.
No frills, no chills, no credit cards, this place just straight up keeps it real. If you are looking at hitting up real Asian tapas, grease and msg included this is the spot. The prices are definitely reasonable and the selection is robust. Best dishes from this sitting included potstickers and the fried pork with rice dishes. The scallion pancakes were blah, just mainly salty, the boba milk tea was the worst I have had in a long time. If you want good boba tea, hit up the Eden Center in Falls Church. The setting is alright, looks exactly like what you would expect from a cash only Asian tapas eats restaurants. Best part of these tapas is that they are reasonably priced and decently sized. After eating, be aware that the msg effect will start kicking in and you will get sleepy.
(3)Jennie C.
I was so surprised that there was an A&J on the East. We have one in Cupertino, California and it's basically the same menu and everything. I kept wondering how the two stores were related. Got the Zhua Bing which is basically this pancake that comes off in circular shreds. It's really good if you dip it into the soup of your beef noodle. We got the hong shao beef noodle with thick noodles. The ke fu over rice, i really wish i knew the name. There's a picture of it in the photos titled "wheat gluten" so I'm guessing that's the translation for it. It's this brown spongy thing that's kinda sweet and it's put over rice. It's just so good. It's sounds weird, and looks strange but it's soooooooooo delicious. Overall this A&J is tastes fresher and healthier than the one in Cupertino.
(4)I O.
Extremly appetizing, kinda like Tapas for Chinese Food, dim sum portions, and the noodle soups are great! Minus 1 star, CASH ONLY
(4)Chris K.
Great, authentic chinese food. You won't find beef with broccoli here.
(5)Bro H.
Soup dumplings fucking suck. Everything else is alright I guess.
(3)Tiffany P.
I'm a total food slut for Chinese food, and next to the more popular cart-pushing Cantonese dim sum, Northern Dim Sum is a favorite of mine and A & J is the place to get it! This small joint in Annandale has been serving up delicious Northern style dishes for as long as I can remember and it's as good as ever. Must order dishes include: the spicy garlic cucumbers; the garlic seaweed; the uber delicious beef tendon with garlic sauce; the spicy wontons; and noodles in hot and sour sauce. I also like to come here on weekends for brunch because they serve Chinese breakfast. Then you can get the Chinese fried bread sticks, warm soy milk and other delicious goodies. Everything is melt-in-your mouth delicious (especially the tendons!) and incredibly garlic-y!!!! Be prepared to taste the sharp spicy punch of raw garlic in all these dishes. It can get pretty busy here on weekend and for dinner so be prepared to wait a bit. The table turn around time is quite fast so you won't be waiting too long. The waitresses are quick and the food comes out fast. It's definitely a hustle and bustle kind of joint. Sometimes they can get kind of pushy when they want you to eat and leave in order to make room for the next table. Prices seem to have gone up, but I don't care! I will always come back here to get my garlic-y fix! Love it!
(5)Lorraine S.
Another awesome night at A&j's. We had the fried chicken, wide beef noodle soup (yum!) and the wonton soup. It was surprisingly delicious. More texture than other wonton soups. My husband loves the pig ears and tendon. We shared a table with another group because the place is small, but it ended up being a very nice encounter. Before you go, remember its cash only!
(5)Vanessa W.
Not a big fan...
(3)Nancy E.
My "go to" place for an authentic Taiwanese fix... Great "Mom & Pop" place. Decent portions, decent prices. Generally under $10 per person. Menu has a variety of noodle soups, duck, pork chops, chicken over rice, cold & hot appetizers. My favorites... beef noodle soups, pork chops noodle soup and chinese style fried chicken either over rice or noodle soup. This place has great little appetizers too, almost dim sum style. The xiao long bao (little pork buns) are tasty as are the guo-te (chinese dumplings). They have a small menu full of variety. Menu is in both chinese & english. Hot tea, sodas and homemade Boba tea (bubble tea), not made from powder. Less than 10 tables. Weekends, expect to wait to be seated and also expect to possibly share a table. Authentically Asian! Love it! **Cash only.
(5)D. K.
3.5 for the area. 2.5 if we were in CA. Yes, my spoiled taste buds eat at places in Monterey Park, CA like 101 Noodle Express and Mandarin Noodle House. But I have to live on this end of the country for the next couple of years so I'll shut my pie hole and I'll be thankful that A & J even exists.
(3)Patrick G.
Great food at an amazing price. What's not to like. If you don't like grease, then go find a Chopt in Dupont Circle or something. The portions were much bigger than I thought they would be from the Yelp reviews. I ordered dumplings and thought they would be 8 small ones, but they were 8 of the largest potstickers I have ever seen! Can't go wrong with the fried chicken either. Scallion pancake aww yeah good stuff too. Planning to come back for their weekend breakfast and order one of everything on the breakfast menu that the nice waitress showed me, since the price of everything is so cheap!
(5)Ben S.
Woooeee! They were open the Tuesday after Hurricane Sandy. Two friends and I drove Arlington all the way out here. I was not dissappointed. The beef noodle soup with wide noodles is great. It has a spice that builds the more you eat. My favorite dish was the scallion pancake!! MmmmmM! The fried chicken and rice is very good. The chicken is sooo crispy and delicious. The spicy wontons were good but too spicy for me. The braised pork and egg was very good. The dumplings are very large and cooked to form a crisp outer layer but the inside is soft! Delicious and excellent. One of the best Chinese places! The only down is that they only accept cold hard cash.
(5)Jason J.
I come here with my family whenever I go home to Virginia for vacation. The place is small but cozy, and the food is absolutely fantastic. They have dim sum-type dishes, but it's not a dim sum place. Still, those are delicious - I'm a huge huge fan of their steamed dumplings, potstickers, and xian bing. The place is more well known for the various noodle soups, though. My brother likes the beef and beef tendon noodle soup, but he gets a different noodle soup each time and has never complained about a single one. The wonton soups are great, too. All in all, a top-notch, quite inexpensive restaurant, good for lunch or a light dinner!
(4)Lester K.
I've heard a bunch of times about how good and how cheap this place is. While the food is damn good, I call bullshit on the latter. I've been here twice: 1) Once with my wife (she really exists and she's not a blow-up doll!), who's not a big eater. I spent about $45 including tax + tip. 2) Once with some skinny bitch who doesn't eat a lot. I spent a hair under $60 including tax + tip. So on my 2 trips, I've averaged $26 per person per visit. I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound cheap to me. In defense of A&J, between my 2 visits here, I did try just about everything. Some of it twice. Some of it thrice. I highly recommend any dish that contains dead animals. The pork chops especially rocked my world. It tastes as good as Emmanuelle Chriqui's ass looks in 'You Don't Mess with the Zohan'. What I would do with her and a bottle of Fizzy Bubblech... This place is small. I don't recommend a group of 5 or more
(4)Melody L.
A&J is a solid Taiwanese style restaurant. I always get the spicy beef noodle soup with thin noodles. It's fragrant, delicious, perfect amount of spice, and the noodles have a great consistency texture. However, everything besides the beef noodle soup has been either mediocre or just...not very good. The Guo Tie I had were awful, but the scallion pancake was decent. However, I will return again and again for the beef noodle soup. The Rockville location is a lot better, but since I live in NOVA this is a great stop to get my Chinese food fix. Cash Only.
(3)Jessie L.
Had beef noodle soup here and the soup had a great garlic flavor, but as for the noodle, just so so. Some of the noodles sticked together. 4 star for the soup.
(4)Wayne L.
I'm not sure why I don't love this place. It seems authentic enough, and has many good dishes. I suppose it's just that A&J is good, but not great. Some instances where it's great is that A&J has pretty authentic breakfast dishes. I really like the soy milk, for example. Other instances where it's not so great is that the dishes can contain a good amount of MSG. I took my parents here one time, and my mom got sick from the meal. She does not take too well to MSG-heavy dishes, apparently. A&J does have bubble tea, and it is solid here. The restaurant itself is quite small, and is located in a run-down looking building that also has the hair salon I frequent (Beautiful Life). They are cash only, and the parking lot is pretty bad in my opinion. Location is fine, right off of Little River Turnpike. I haven't been to A&J in a long time, but for the most part, it offers a decent enough authentic experience. For those who are interested, I would say to definitely give it a shot and see for yourself first hand.
(3)Anne C.
sigh. I tried, I REALLY TRIED. I figured, I'm Chinese and this place seems to get good reviews overall, many from Chinese/Taiwanese ppl claiming authentic food! so i went here AGAIN early today excited for some YUM-O food! i thought oh well maybe the first time i just didn't get the right things...etc.etc. here's the rundown: -Spicy Beef & tendon noodle soup: I got this the last time I went and didnt like the wide noodles so got the thin noodles this time---didn't change a bit...my firend and I thought it reminded us of ramyun noodles & the soup tasted like it was doused in soy sauce. On the other hand, the pieces of beef & tendons were juicy & tender. 2.5 stars - niu ro xian bing (Pan fried beef bun)---with such high regard from so many yelpers on this dish, i was sorely disappointed. Yes, they had the yummy soup inside the bun and it was crispy outside perfectly--the beef was more on the dry side and required a bit of oily spices to make it delicious. 3 stars -Plain millet & corn congee/bean curd skin w/ mustard greens & soy beans/cucumber salad in hot garlic sauce---sadly we got these 3 items first and I think if we just stopped right there, we would've been satisfied with our meal---the congee was fine; it went perfectly with the two side dishes and both of them were tasty and fresh and refreshing---4.5 stars -steamed beef dumplings: my friend thought they were not bad (note: he's korean and eats everything lol), i just didn't like them--they were already broken by the time i got them and there were no fresh yummy soup in them! 2 stars -luo buo si su bing--oh man...this turnip pastry was just terrible. My friend hated it. It was blander than usual (usually the filling is peppered and spiced well) and it was overall, just really dry and not tasty. I ate the filling b/c it was healthy regardless of the blandness & left the outside pastry. 1 star -scallion pancakes---wow! is it just me? I know lots of ppl like it, but i have had authentic scallion pancakes in shanghai and in L.A/SF/NY and the good ones are extremely thin!! thin and crispy! the ones here are just really fat, filled with dough and if you even eat one slice of it, you are full from all that flour! 1 star so apparently i am just not chinese :( i really tried, tried tried. my friend and I both left here feeling disappointed yet again. Maybe I don't like authentic Taiwanese food? I've tried all different types of regional chinese foods and enjoy all types as long as it's GOOD...this place i finally can say that i feel that it is just overrated and after trying this place multiple times I give up!!! my friend says it's b/c my family can cook too well and spoiled my tummy! i sure hope that's the case!
(2)Susan C.
Food was good. Heard there aren't many options for decent Taiwanese style food in the area. Loved the menu with pinyin style descriptions. Especially helpful for ABC types who can't read much Chinese, grew up in a Chinese household so only recognize the names of the dishes in Chinese and usually the English translations are literal translations.
(3)Jonathan H.
A&J is a Southern California based Taiwanese Chain store that I somehow found here.... it made me so happy. For brunch, I ordered salty soy milk, a rice roll, beef tendon, and A&J's signature vegetarian pastry with chives and rice noodles wrapped inside. Their menu has fewer items than a typical A&J but its enough to satisfy my need for Taiwanese food. Plus the man selling taiwanese pastries out of his mini-van on Sundays from 10:30-12:30 = PRICELESS
(5)Mukur H.
Drove into an extremely busy and cramped parking lot but lucky found a spot. Upon entering the restaurant we were greeted nicely by the staff and provided seating immediately. The place was filled with Chinese, Japanese and Korean folks. Service was quicker and friendlier than I expected. We ordered the scallion pancakes, potstickers, dan dan mein noodle, steamed pork dumpling and a pan fried beef bun. The scallion pancake - Delicious, a little dense, but great flavor. Potstickers - Hands down best dish we had. It had such as a home made flavor. Dan Dan Mein noodle - Not what I expected. I did not enjoy it much as it was basically a sesame paste soup with some peanuts and a bit of heat. The noodles were a little too al Dante. Steamed Pork Dumpling - once again, not what I expected. It was small and fatty. Pan Fried Beef Dumpling - I didnt like it much as it was stuffed with oil and beef fat. Breaking into it, it exploded and almost got all over the table. Overall, I did like the place, I think it really depends on what you get. It has the potential to be a five star place in my book. On the plus side, all this was only $20, but on the negative side, its cash only! I uploaded 2 pics of the menu so you have atleast some idea of what they have.
(4)Kevin L.
Picture this: Me, pouring out the broth from inside my niu ro xian bing into a soup spoon, then slurping it up. My mom, watching me do this with her own niu ro xian bing in chopsticks, saying, "Oh. Is -that- how you eat it?" Me, burning myself on the hot soupy liquid. My mom, pouring out the broth from her niu ro xian bing into her soup spoon... and discarding it. Me, saying, "But mom, that's the best part!" My mom, saying, "It's too fatty for me" before biting into her niu ro xian bing. Followed by, "This is -good-." ------------ And that's reason enough.
(5)Jac H.
i love this place. the 5 stars is based solely on food. the service isn't great (due to language barrier) and the space is so small, but i much prefer this location over the bethesda one (food wise). i ALWAYS order the same things when i go because they are the best: - sesame noodles (aka peanut butter!) - spicy cold noodles - thousand layer pancake (to dip in all the leftover sauces!) - garlic/spicy cucumbers - mustard greens (always pour in a TON of vinegar) - spicy wontons everything else is just a treat.. but i always always always get those and they're always sooo good. if you go, make sure you bring someone who speaks Chinese! and they don't take reservations! :(
(5)Ross R.
One of my favorite comfort-food joints. Introduced all my friends to it in college. Insanely cheap, tasty, and consistent. Fried Chicken is probably their best entree. Vegetarian delight is incredible too...whether you get it hot or cold. So many varieties of tofu and bean curd that it's quite easy to go there and eat vegetarian, even if you are not experienced with meat-free eating. Scallion pancake is great too...as are any dumpling/bun and wonton dishes. Also, best bubble tea I've ever had, anywhere. Get the regular milk tea without any ice and enjoy.
(5)Mira V.
My mom and I tried this place yesterday for lunch, the place is tiny but fortunately for us it wasn't packed at all. The lady sat us immediately brought tea. I had a list of things to order from suggestions on Yelp. A must is the Garlic spicy cucumbers, its sweet, and then when you swallow it has a kick of heat. Really good! Steamed dumplings Fried dumplings beef and tendon soup thousand layer pancake Its def not your american chinese resturant so if your expecting orange chicken I wouldn't suggest this place. Everything is spicy and I love it. Orders are almost tapas sized or those who are familiar with Dim Sum its about the same sized portions. Def enough for two people to share. Everything was really good. The soup broth was really good, I dont really like chewy meat or slimey texture like tendon but I always give things a try at least once in a place, you never know who will change your mind. My mom had one piece of beef that was apparently really tender and soft but the rest of the meat in the soup was chewy, again it's probably supposed to be since there was a lot of fat on it but thats just not my cup of tea. I prefer thin noodles compared to thick, so we ordered it with thin noodles. Apparently though you can order and of the soups with thick or thin noodles you just have to state it on the paper you give them with your order. Total our bill was $24 and we were STUFFED and def satisfied. I dont know if i could deal with the place if there was a wait or really packed but for a quick lunch when its not super busy is totally worth it. I hope to take my husband here soon.
(4)Mark S.
Went here for lunch on 4th of July. Everything was perfect again. So yummy. The Xuan La Mian is really good. The dumplings were great. We got 5 dishes, 2 bubble teas for a total of $26!!! cheap! so cheap, so yummy, and authentic! only negative side was my wooden chopsticks were bent. I had a hard time using them. my gf used them and gave me hers :)
(5)donni s.
Meeting up with my old friend Minty to check out her new house, we decided to have lunch. She brought me to this little restaurant tucked in what looked to me like a smaller Eden Center. What a place this was, I walked in and just saw everyone with bowls of everything. I felt like I was in China. Since never having been there before, I suggested Minty order (I wanted to order everything off the menu!). She eventually ordered pan-fried pork dumplings, fried chicken and rice, and a egg and rice dish which I forget is called. (She tells me it's sort of like a vietnamese comfort dish). I was tempted to try the wonton soup szechuan style so that was ordered last minute. The pork dumplings were excellent. Moist and with just enough filling. The egg and rice dish reminded me of what Minty said, comfort food. In Lao cuisine we have pretty much the same dish but we call it Dtom Khem. Pork stewed in a soy sauce and sugar based broth with hard-boiled eggs over rice. It was delicious, just like how mom makes it haha. The wonton szechuan style was decent. I expected more heat from it and less oil, nonetheless it was good. Winner of the day though had to go to the fried chicken and rice. The chicken itself was cooked to perfection. Super crispy skin and moist succulent meat on the inside (dark meat.. its the best), it just won me over. Overall my experience here was just perfect. This is a no fuss restaurant with excellent food. My exact kind of place.
(4)Lillian W.
I wanted to give this place 4 stars because it's the closest to home cooking that i've had in a very, very long time. However, the food i tried was too salty. I had the dan dan noodles which were very good, but EXTREMELY salty. I also had the chong you bing (onion pancakes) and that was decent...but the pancakes were a bit too hard. They normally should be soft when it's fresh...so either the food wasn't fresh or the food was overcooked. However, the menu selection is decent....you get all kinds of noodle choices from cold noodles such as dan dan mien, to more soup-based selections such as hong sao niu rou mien....You can also get cold dishes such as pig ears and greens. Also, the tea that the restaurant serves comes from a tea bag....not from floating tea leaves....which can be both good and bad, depending on your preference! The ordering process resembles that of a dim sum restaurant. You mark your selections on a piece of paper (which are number coded for those who cannot read Chinese) and the server takes it to the counter. Overall, I would say that service is what you would expect at a standard Chinese restaurant- slow. The decor of the restaurant was actually quite nice...it looks like a hole in the wall but there's a decent amount of space in the restaurant and you can tell the owners made an effort to liven up the area. Parking is in a private lot which is very convenient. Prices are EXTREMELY cheap. The restaurant has won many Washingtonian awards for its affordable meals. However, they ONLY ACCEPT CASH. NO CREDIT CARDS! Oh, and of course everyone wants to know the sanitary conditions of a Chinese restaurant! The utensils were clean, the tables were spotless. The only thing is that the bathroom is located outside of the restaurant and it is NASTY AS HECK! If you can, I would try to ignore nature's call and wait till you get home. I would recommend this, especially since I plan to come back again. I just hope the food quality is better when I visit next!
(3)Sophie T.
Def a regular spot of mine. Authentic Taiwanese food. I usually stick to what I like, and what I like is the vegetarian delight. Which as the menu describes: gluten with mushroom. Yeah, it does not sound great and the first time I ordered it, I was skeptical... But Oh, it is so so so good. The dish comes with rice as well. I usually pair that with a side of cucumber salad - it's perfect! The service is super fast, but it's cash only - reason why I'm not giving 5 stars. I've ordered the side dish version of the vegetarian delight, which is much smaller and does not come with rice HOWEVER that version comes COLD - not as good. With gluten, it is best eaten hot/warm, it's tougher when cold - I was not a fan. I've ordered other dishes but why fix it if it ain't broke, so 99% out of the time, I stick to my vegetarian delight!
(4)Boui K.
my second time here an it never disappoints me. ordered the beef tendon soup with fat noodles. soup was soy flavor with chewy noodles. order a side of meat bun which was crispy on the bottom which was excellent too. only thing sucks is its cash only. will go back when im feeling like taiwanese noodles.
(4)John S.
Not your basic Chinese Zodiac placemat, typical Chinese American menu, stale fortune cookie in a plastic wrapper sort of place. They offer some excellent regional soups with a choice of noodles. The potstickers are fantastic. Dried beef is superb. Round out the meal with some cucumbers, seaweed, and mustard greens, and life is good. No beer. Cash only. I really like this place.
(4)Evelyn C.
Since I can't go home to have my dad's beef noodle soup, A&J is a great alternative. The beef and tendon noodle soup tastes almost as good as my dad's. The beef and tendon are melt in your mouth tender. I have since fallen in love with the Suan La Mien (sour spicy noodles) which I am obsessed with. It's just a little sour at first, and then half way through your bowl, you feel the spiciness kick in big time! The residual sauce left at the bottom of the bowl is best soaked up with the Zhua bing (or Thousand layer pancake) which is flaky, cripsy and soft in the middle. Also love the small dishes: Kao fu- vegetarian gluten bits with tofu and mushrooms marinated cucumbers- so garlicky mmm... seaweed and mung bean sprouts- also garlicky :) Notes: - I always get the thin noodles for any dish. I have tried the thick cut noodles, but I always feel that they are not cooked long enough and is more than just "al dente" in the middle. The thin noodles have a much more "consistent" consistency. - cash only!!! - I docked a star because there were two occasions when service was not on par: One night with the hubby we sat for 10 min without anyone coming to give us tea or menus. Another occasion, our small dish orders were never entered into the system, so we got our noodle dishes first before they corrected this.
(4)Tony P.
Much thanks to Michele D who set up a UYE at this restaurant. I would characterize the food as mid or southern style Chinese cooking. There was a mix of selections from both on the menu. I was glad to have KevinL on hand to help us order from the menu because my personal selection of the beef noodle with tendon was not that good. It wasn't bad per se, but the only thing I could taste from the broth was a powerful beef buillion flavor. KevinL's selections on the other hand was pretty eclectic and tasty. We all shared the dishes and had a really good family style meal. I especially liked the soup buns and steamed dumplings. It was lucky for us we came here early at 11am because by noon, there was a line forming out the door. The establishment is not really big and there are maybe 8 tables total. This is place is just good home style cooking and not expensive at all. I hope to revisit it more often.
(4)Susan B.
I'm Korean and I love this place. We go about once a week. The place is medium sized but every time I've gone it's always been practically empty. My Chinese brother in law took us to the one in Rockville, MD and I think I like the food quality is ever so slightly better there which is why I gave this one 4stars. It's a very casual place; good for families. They only take cash. Not your typical fast food, greasy Chinese food- which is why I love it.
(4)Bien H.
I was surprised it was super shiny and clean, not like the typical seem-to-be dirty, low-lighting Chinese restaurant. Came here at 2PM so there were only me and another guest. Service was fast, you have to circle on the menu what you want. I had the spicy beef and tendon noodle. Maybe I have the wrong because I don't really like the soup, but the beef, tendon and noodle were really good. I would try another kind of noodle soup next time. Overall, cheap, good service, good food!
(4)Shiopei C.
The only place to get comfort Taiwanese food. I've been here multiple times when I visit from Maryland (have sadly not yet visited the Rockville location) and everything is delicious. My favorite is their breakfast selection I love their hot sweetened soy milk drink, especially good with the vegetarian pan friend bun and their fried crullers. I 'm also a fan of their fried egg w/ green onions on a sesame biscuit as well. Simple dishes, but it's just so good to be able to order it up instead of making your own. Their rice ball (Fan tuan) wasn't as special as what I've gotten overseas, but it still made me happy. It comes with a fried cruller and shredded dried pork wrapped up in some sticky rice. Their beef noodle soup has a special "ma la" (numbing peppercorn) touch to it, which can make your mouth feel strangely cottony. I wasn't crazy about this, but the broth is flavorful and the noodles are a good consistency. I personally like the thin noodles over the wide ones. Overall I'll be back again for sure!
(4)Tiila N.
Oh my how I love this place, everything here is so authentic for a few minutes I thought I was in Taiwan. The place is very small( can hold about 30 people) but the food come out very fast it's like they are a super assembly line back there. I don't live in DC but this is a must go to place whenever I visit. I might look small but do not let it fool you, one of my meal can feed a small village. The food here is super cheap but remember it's CASH ONLY! Recommendation: Spicy beef noodle soup- slice shank noodle soup with bok choy and tendon...every restaurant have their own variation but it is very authentic here Spicy wonton with red hot sauce- this is my favorite...the wonton is soft with the right amount of meat and the tangy spicy red sauce really brings out the flavor Pan fried beef bun- crunchy from the outside but soft and juicy on the inside, the fusion of the two textures is what I really like in this dish Steamed beef dumplings Soy milk Spicy cucumber Enjoy :)
(5)King C.
If i had sum it up in a sentence it would be: -Awesome authentic chinese food in the DC/VA area- Trying to find a decent authentic chinese food place in the DC/VA area is difficult. The next closest authetic decent chinese restaurant is Temptasian near Grand Mart. This place was recommended to me by my friends and it did not disappoint. I got the porkchop with rice place and it was pretty decent. Not the best i've ever had but it was good enough. Their noodle soups were pretty good and their side dishes were well made. We got the potstickers, the cucumber salad, and the spicy wontons. Those were all good and I would recommend those. However this place does not have Chinese BBQ meat, like the roasted duck or the roasted pork. Location: This place is in the back streets and it looks like a hole in the wall place. This place is definitely a good combination of good food, price, and authenticity. Definitely give this place a try. BRING CASH, NO Credit Cards.
(4)Lily L.
Another popular Taiwanese dim sum location (similar to Oriental Gourmet)! They do serve other menu items, but I usually go just for dim sum. If you decide to visit this place during their dim sum/lunch hours on the weekend, be prepared to take a number or share a table with strangers. The restaurant is very quaint (i.e. small), and the majority of the seating accommodates 1 - 4 people. Parking may also be a bit of a challenge to find on weekends. The parking lot there is not very large, and it is shared with a few other stores, including a small Chinese Supermarket. I've never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a spot though, so don't let it deter you! I really enjoy their spicy beef noodle soup (could probably feed 1 1/2 people), soy bean milk (sweet and salty - the salty is more of a soup than a drink), fried dumplings, and the cold jellyfish. I was slightly upset that they did not have the 8 treasure taro dish, bu they have plenty of other items on the menu that were delicious easily filled me up!
(4)Linda M.
I go to A&J every now & then... Parking = Plentiful ... Price = Dirt Cheap ... Service = Don't Expect Much... Just make sure you SPEAK UP... Quality = Enough to make you leave happy :) ((( THAT PRETTY MUCH SUMS IT UP ))) Items I usuallly Get Pork Chop Rice - Super delish & cheap... real crispy and portion is decent Cucumber with ground pork with bean sprout - If you want something not too dry, get this ... healthy and goes down easy and tasty ! Dumplings - Not bad.. they steam it after-all Pig Ears - Cheap Cheap Cheap eat for appetizer .... always have to get this Give it a try... CASH ONLY BY THE WAY ... make sure you run to the ATM first :)
(4)Rebecca L.
Definitely AUTHENTIC as me and my family would say. When we think of dim sum we think of carts going around picking what you want. We ordered from a menu, which was not uncommon to us before but everything that came out was not what was actually expected. We ordered one thing and ended up getting an entire pig foot, we don't know exactly how we messed that one up! Also when we came we had a group of 7 and I think we got cut in line kz the place was packed out like sardines in a can!! Food was good, just not expected and instead of saying weird or something negative we chose to call it authentic. I wouldn't call this place dim sum kz normally that's a weekend thing and from the menu I think they serve that all week so it's more like authentic Chinese tapas.
(3)Art P.
Quick, efficient, cheap and DELICIOUS! I've passed this place hundreds of times never noticing it, but, of you decide to track it down you are in for a treat. Start with the smoked chicken and that will set the tone. An important note though...they are cash only. Enjoy!
(4)Evonne L.
This place feels like home to me, because it tastes and feels like home cooking...except at the end when I have to pay for my food, and in cash only too. I love the beef tendon noodle soup (see pic) which is pretty spicy, but just right for my trying-to-eat-more-spice-but-my-palette-is-just-Ânot-built-that-way taste. The dumplings are delish too, which neutralizes the spice for me. Also get the soybeans and mustard greens, which is sweet and fun to eat in texture. Noodle dishes are big portioned and costs around $6 each, and the other dishes are around $5 or less.
(4)Donald P.
Haven't been here in 1.5 years since whenever we go to Annandale we almost always get Korean food. It's nice to have other options though. Just like our first visit we leaned over to the table next to us and asked for recommendations. This time we were a little happier with the choices...beef noodle soup (clear broth), wonton soup (Shanghai style), and fried bread stick. Serving sizes are moderate to light, but then again so are the prices. We'll have to remember to order more. Hope to be back here again soon.
(4)Ken E.
This is the ONLY Chinese restaurant we have found in NoVa or the District that has good food. We had given up on Chinese down here. This place is going to be our "go to" place for this cuisine.
(5)Dick J.
I found the smoked chicken really not enjoyable since it had a bitter after taste. The fried pork chop was good but nothing special at all
(2)Genny R.
I want to give this place a 3.5. The food definitely gets a 4. The fried chicken (My usual order) and fried pork were very delicious. We also had black bean noodles and the sliced cucumber that accompanied it was a very refreshing contrast to the rich black bean sauce. We ordered spicy ribs that were not very good. WARNING: the fried beef bun has soup inside of it, the first time I got it I did not realize that and I not only spilled the soup in my lap, it also burned my mouth. lol that was embarrassing. It is really good though. They serve ok boba. The prices are pretty decent too. It only cost us around 25 dollars for all the food we ordered. The place gets a 2. It can be hard to find the restaurant if you don't know where exactly it is. I've been here three times and each time I accidental pass it. The "cash only" policy can get annoying.The place is also small so I wouldn't invite a big group of friends, it's a more intimate setting. And the bathroom is pretty ghetto. The flusher on the toilets were a set of chopsticks connected to a rope, and there are no locks on the stall doors, you tie the stall doors closed with ropes.
(3)Tom C.
I went to A&J again last Saturday during a busy lunch hour. Our party of 2 people shared a large table with 4-5 other strangers. We were fine with this so no biggie. I got the chinese fried pork with rice with 4 to 5 small dishes. Surprisingly, I was a little disappointed with some of what I ordered. I didn't like the thousand layer pancake (it's pretty messy to eat) The chinese fried pork barely had any meat, which is expected, but just a meager serving. I'm keeping this 4 stars.
(4)Stacy J.
Priscilla F.'s review encapsulates what everyone needs to know about A & Js, though I will add a few additional tid bits: Parking = I try to park away from other cars when I can. The parking spots are tight and frankly, I don't really trust the parkers here. Price = Dirt Cheap ... yup! Enough to try anything and everything on the menu! Service = I come in here not expecting much and am always super happy with the service. They're fast and on top of things. I appreciate that they pack your to-gos for you as well. Quality = Enough to make you leave happy :) Totally. A & Js makes me reaaaally happy. Does anyone happen to know why it's called A & J's?
(4)Nancy T.
For around $25 (including tip) my friend and I got six small dishes of delicious food way better than any bland, strip mall Chinese you've ever had. There was so much food we couldn't finish it. I'd highly recommend the scallion pancake, vegetable dumplings, wonton noodles in spicy sauce, warm and spicy sesame noodles and smoked chicken. The condiments are great: chili garlic sauce, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. I recommend mixing them all together for a dipping sauce. Update: the best dish there has to be the thin noodles with ground pork and bean paste mixed with bean sprouts and cucumber. This stuff is madly delicious. I could eat an entire serving myself. Service was fantastic. The food came out so quickly (yet it was freshly made) and the waitress refilled our waters nonstop (and trust me, you'll need water...this stuff is hot). I can't wait to go back. True quality and value and a huge bang for your buck. It's fun to browse the Korean market next door after your meal, too. They have some very hard to find foods like sharon fruit.
(4)Jason L.
Best AUTHENTIC Chinese/Taiwanese food around. No, you won't find General Tso's Chicken. Try the tendon and beef, or fried pork chop noodle soups instead, or pan fried beef bun and tofu with "thousand year" egg. I honestly felt like I was eating in a small restaurant in Taiwan. Non of this Panda Express or other Americanized Chinese food.
(5)Samnang M.
Good place for authentic Chinese food. Lots of variety of dishes. Noodle dishes are great, broth has a lot of flavor. My favorite is the beef tendon noodle soup. The small side dishes (dim sum style) are fantastic. I recommend getting the sliced ears and the tripe. Place is cash only but the food is very good and cheap. I want to come back and try more stuff of the menu.
(4)Todd K.
Disclaimer: my two star rating is based completely on the congee (and the fact that the location is terrible, it is buried down Markham, I'm surprised anyone can find it). I saw this place had congee, and I love congee so I figured I would try it out. Verdict: never go to this place for congee. I'm not sure how you can mess up congee, but they managed to. I felt like I was eating plain oatmeal instead of congee. It had no taste other than the same plain taste you get out of plain oatmeal. It was too thick and definitely less of a soup than it should be. Normal congee has a bit of a rice and sour taste with a little bite to it. It is usually made with green onion (scallions) and ginger, with the option of adding meat, chicken or, preferably, seafood. Even more authentic establishments will serve it with a couple sticks of mushy Chinese bread - that's the good stuff. A&J is the complete opposite. Bottom line: if you are looking for congee, look elsewhere. The whole menu is dirt cheap, I must say though (a well earned one "$" here on yelp). A lot of the items on the menu, though, are a tad bit...exotic (pig ears...yikes!). The place is CASH ONLY. It seems more like a place that you would hit up for a late night snack as opposed to a sit down dinner with a date/family. To get to here make the left onto Markham (if you are going westbound on Little River Turnpike). It will be on your right hand side a couple hundred feet down the street.
(2)Lisa R.
Authentic - I haven't been here in over a year, yet the nomness still resonates on my pallet. This is the location for authentic (northern) Chinese food. I'll be honest, I pointed at what looked good and ate off of what my friend ordered. This is easily some of the best dim sum I've had in my life, and for anyone interested in trying REAL dim sum, go here! Even if you don't know what to order, or don't have a food guide like i did, I've found that most places, even if the wait staff doesn't speak English, or not too well, they are always friendly and respect the adventurous, albeit ignorant and new to try, eater. :-) I will have to go back and update this when i get the names of what the dishes are :) Side note: parking can be a hassle here, i had to park on the street. Also - if you haven't tried bubble tea, try it here! if you are hesitant to try some more adventurous flavors like Chrysanthemum (not sure if they even have it), you can order a mocha or a coffee type of bubble tea. If you haven't had bubble tea, and are hesitant to try the tapioca balls - ask for bubble tea without the bubble, and if you like the flavor, you can always ask for some bubble then (i personally love it, but i can understand squishy black tapioca balls may be off putting for some)
(5)Nina C.
This is probably the best chinese food I've had in the D.C. metro area. The spicy wontons...I think they were made by Jesus. Everything was awesome, from the dan dan mian to other random mystery items that I have no idea what they are (because they were ordered by chinese friends). This place would rival any dim sum spot in NYC's chinatown. A&J = Awesome and Just-go-there.
(5)Gary T.
Awesome place, but the raised the prices by 75 cents to a dollars on most items! :( I think they're skimping on the beef when you order beef noodle school. I go here once a week and was bummed out. But the food is amazing. Love it.
(5)Diana S.
Absolutely loved this place. Ate too much food, but still want to go back for more. From immediate glance at the menu, my friends and I agreed that this was a legit Chinese restaurant - not an Americanized Chinese place. I took the advice of a few others on here and ordered the Steamed Beef Dumplings, the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup, and the Pan Fried Vegetarian Bun. My friends ordered other dumplings, the bubble tapioca drinks, and other noodle dishes as well. All of us enjoyed our food, and found it to be quite authentic. The price is also one you can't find anywhere else. However, watch out.... Cash only! Will definitely be returning again.
(4)Haiguang D.
A hidden gem in Annandale. Costs much less than any other Chinese restaurants but has a much more worthy recipe. Mainly provide noodles and other Chinese wheaten food, such as steamed buns, panfried dumplings, etc. Their beef (and/or tendon) noodles soup is probably the most authentic with the lowest price (7.25 for a big bowl) in the whole DC area. Dan dan mien is also very good. They offer fantastic appetizers, cucumber salad, sliced pork ears and other ones are all very delicious and go well with wine or beer (they don't provide alcohol so you'd better carry out their appetizers.) Very busy during dinner hours so be there early.
(4)Jack F.
Kevin L. reminded me about the A & J's over by Annadale and its reputation for being the better restaurant (see my review on A & J - Rockville). I don't' think the food is anybetter down in Virginia but I do know that it's located in a really cool shopping "mall" complete with its own bakery and a grocery store. It's an all-in-one spot. And get this, the this A & J has its own bubble tea take-out window. But at the same time, its Annadale. When I go to Annadale, I want bon chon and all the Korean goodness I can stuff myself with. So whereas this A & J is just as good as the one over in Rockville, I'm simply not as compelled to drive to Annadale for Chinese food. 4 Stars - A great place (equal if not greater than the Rockville place). I highly recommend it if you're in the area and craving Chinese food.
(4)Alison L.
Happy as a clam... would be the way to describe how I felt after our dinner. FYI- they close at 9pm... every night. We chose the Spicy beef noodle soup, zha jian mian, wonton soup, potsickers, green onion pancake and xiao long bao. All were awesome. The prices were very decent. The noodle bowls had a solid amount of noodles. The potstickers didn't look the best, but they tasted good. (weren't overly doughy like lots of other places). The xiao long baos weren't quite "soup dumplings" but more so steamed dumplings. tasty nonetheless. (I'll have to trek to NYC for the good stuff). Green onion pancake was good.. little on the thick side. Since we went right before it was to close, there were empty tables. However, I can only imagine how packed the places gets since it's such a small joint. Customer service was excellent. Especially since they were closing the kitchen right after we ordered, they were very polite in letting us know that.
(4)Lindsey H.
Nope. Food bad.
(1)Vivian C.
For a Saturday afternoon, my family and I were glad we could get a table at this small restaurant. Despite its size, A&J is a great place for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, late night..whenever! Their zha jiang mian is DELICIOUS. They put a lot of meat on the noodles; sho, I was one happy eater! Their niu rou xiang bing (beef hamburger) is smaller than when I had it last. Nevertheless it's still good. I also tried the vegetarian hamburger filled with vegetable and noodles. Very flavorful, as well. Their milk bubble tea is sweet. It's nice how they don't give you too much ice so it'll take up the whole cup. The service was good. It's always to see the same ladies everytime I come back to this place.
(5)Amine A.
Been to A&J several times and I've never been disappointed; belly is full with delicious food and wallet still got $$ in it. ;-) Really, I don't know how they stay in business with such low prices. Always been there with a group and end up paying around $12-15/person with tax and tip. I think I've just about ordered everything on the menu and I've never not liked any item. If I have to pick a favorite, it has to be the fried chicken. The only negative is that they close at 9PM which is early for my dining habits.
(4)Linda P.
Love this place. Food is cheap, fast, and yummy. Just make sure you bring cash.
(5)Alicia G.
I was visiting some family friends in Springfield and they took me out to lunch at A&J. I could tell from the moment we parked the car that it was going to be awesome. I spent a semester in China a few years ago and the moment we walked in the door of the restaurant, I felt like I had just been transported to a busy, crowded restaurant that I had frequented in Beijing. The place was what you would describe in Chinese as "re nao" (lively/loud, bustling). The menu is in English, Pinyin and Chinese characters. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I remembered. The four of us ordered the fried pork dumplings, the steamed beef dumplings, and various noodle bowls. I had the pork noodle bowl and it was delicious. There were some other things on the menu that I would have liked to have ordered - foods that I had eaten a lot in Beijing - but it would have been too much at the time. We were all really full from what we already had. All I could think about the entire time I ate was how excited I was to have found the most authentic Chinese food in the area - and that they have a location even closer to me in Rockville!! The best part of the whole meal was that for all of the things we ordered, our total bill was only $35. Important to note that they only take cash - will need to remember this for future visits. Ahhhh I am so so happy. A&J will meet my real Chinese food cravings until I get to China next summer!
(5)Trabbit L.
I want one near me ASAP After spotting the "braised pork over rice with braised egg" for $3 or something crazy cheap, my curiousity made me order it. It came perfectly bare and well proportioned. The food tasted just how a simple home-cooked meal should. Well seasoned pork and egg + perfectly cooked rice with a tiny mound of pickled vegetables. We also ordered some little things to share. Beef tendon with garlic sauce was very nicely spiced. Husband had fried pork chop over rice, and cousin ordered her usual noodles. Everyone was happy with their choice, and the little $3 rice bowl satisfied me just great. Cheapest tasty food I'd had in a while. Would love to go back on a very hungry day and try everything on their menu! I tried "chinese herb plum" bubble drink. Tasted odd (the way most herbal things do), and I loved it!
(5)David A.
Wow. A&J has really amazing, authentic, non-Americanized Chinese food. I can't believe we've found another Chinese restaurant in the DC area that is the "real deal." I was beaming a huge smile all night because its so satisfying to find myself magically transported to what feels like Asia. A&J has a unique Chinese style of cooking that I loved. Others have written the owners are from Taiwan as well the cooking is influenced by Northern China. Yes, they take only cash and the restaurant is tucked away. But I can live with both because this restaurant is a real gem and I like its hidden nature. We can't wait to try breakfast.
(5)Jane C.
Looks like this will be our favorite spot for weekend treats. Beef tendon noodle (thick) was delicioso, but a bit too salty for me. Everything else was on the spot, love their soy bean milk (salty version) and fried bread, wheat gluten was also great (wish they gave a bit more). Only downside is to remember this place is Cash only.
(4)Andrei C.
Great service and fantastic food. You can't ask for anything better. The prices are right, and the portions are perfect. You will not find any of the "normal" Chinese dishes from your neighborhood restaurant. This place serves authentic foods and reminds me on Hong Kong when I go for lunch or dinner. Be prepared to wait and bring cash and figure on spending some 20 bucks per person for a full meal. The food is worth the wait. Try everything on the menu. I have gone through 75% of the menu items so far and every dish was awesome. The service is very nice but the food is the reason you come here again and again.
(5)Jennifer C.
Delicious. Always good. Taiwanese Tapas.
(4)Marlene S.
I love this place probably because I love Taiwanese food YUM! We always get the Suan La Mian for $4.25 which is basically noodles in a spicy/sour sauce! So delicious. I can't stop licking my lips after we leave there because the taste of the sauce lingers on my lips. It's like I can get 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, etc. just from licking my lips. Great deal for $4.25. Their scallion pancakes are delicious too. They're pretty thick and probably meant for a couple of people, but I can def. eat the whole thing by myself. Their bubble teas are really good and cheap too! About $2.50 for one bubble tea. OMG so good! Few notes: 1. CASH ONLY! 2. Go early if you don't want to wait. 3. You order by marking the items you want directly on the menu and the waitress comes by to pick up the menu and verify your order.
(5)Juichia C.
Great noodles, great dumplings, great little dishes! While this place is known as a Taiwanese restaurant, the food is more like a Taiwanese version of Beijing food. As you know, noodles, pancakes and dumplings are Northern China's signature dishes. The rice dishes are more Taiwanese. I have been to "Ban Mu Yuan" (the Chinese name of A&J) in both Taipei AND Bejing. The food at this A&J varies from the ones in Asia, of course. Perhaps the food here has been Americanized in flavor and of course, with American grown ingredients, and that is the reason for the difference. Nevertheless, the food is authentic for what you can find in the US. You can choose between thick or thin noodles for most of the noodle dishes, personally think both are great! I'm not sure if they make the noodles in house though. Highly recommend the marinated pork over rice, spicy beef noodle soup (not super spicy), pot stickers, spicy cucumber salad, minced meat and long beans (my favorite), marinated bean curd, and the steamed pork dumplings! My boyfriend also loves their scallion pancakes. The bubble teas are not too bad, but certainly not the best I've had. Expect a longer wait on Sunday mornings during brunch hours, when they serve up some authentic Chinese breakfast items, like real soy milk, porridge, Chinese hamburgers (xian bing), and Chinese doughnuts (you tiao). The decor is nothing special but nobody goes there for ambience. And once you have a taste of that food in your mouth, you'll forget about the fact that you're eating at a tiny restaurant located in a weird small Asian mall.
(4)Annie M.
I can say that I've been to just about every single chinese restaurant in Fairfax and most of the ones in Montgomery County, MD and not a single place is better than A&J to me. Everything there is authentic Chinese food and offered at the lowest prices you'll ever encounter. The A in A&J stands for amazing. Simple and plain. Go visit and you'll see that they've won every single Washingtonian Best Cheap Eat award since 1998. But don't just take my word for it, try out their beef noodle soup (spicy or nonspicy, it's all good regardless) and taste for yourself. Just one caveat: they only accept cash!
(5)Wade C.
Without trucking your but to Maryland, this is my favorite chinese food in the area. My favorites are: Braised pork with egg and rice Fried chicken Spicy beef noodle soup Spicy garlic cucumbers Potstickers You should try it out, it is nothing like the Panda, PF Chang, or Kwai fare you can get at the mall - this is truly worth the trip! Remember to bring CASH!
(5)Tom N.
My three tips for eating at A&J: bring cash, circle everything on the menu, and ask for the wide noodle when you order soup. Noodle is definitely not plural because my bowl of beef stew had a single noodle that was at least ten feet long! You can also order bubble tea at the little window in the hallway towards the recently renamed supermarket. Don't be intimidated; do yourself a favor and GO!
(5)Amanda E.
A&Js has plenty of reviews, but so what. I love this place. My favorite potstickers in the area - by far. The dough is perfectly browned and slightly crisp, not soggy like most places. I have food ADD so their dishes are perfect for sharing. Between two people, my typical order is one large soup with two bowls, kao fu (vegetable gluten), spicy cucumbers (with garlic - big plus), either a turnip pasty or thousand layer pastry, potstickers always and a meat dish - either the sliced pork, thousand year egg over rice, pork/beef over rice. I love the fried chicken and noodle soup. The combination draws quizzical looks from some at first glance, but once the deliciously fried chicken arrives alongside a hot, steaming bowl of noodle soup there is an instant connection. The sliced pork (or beef, which is just as good) is a great compliment to any combination of dishes. The drizzle atop the meat is perfect and the meat is SO tender sliced paper thin. Cash only. And don't forget boba tea to go. P.S. I say moderate priced 11-30 per person because I eat. A lot. Not because it's expensive. Actually it's really cheap.
(5)Leo B.
A&J's is definitely a cheap eats place but make sure you bring CA$H they don't accept CC's!!! Most of the items on the menu are way under $10 bucks and the food is tasty. However, don't come hungry because the portions are small, I guess so they can accommodate low prices, and they take a long time to prepare the food, even if the place is empty. My friend and I ordered the fried chicken and rice, the pork chops and rice along with a pork bun. All of it flavorful but like I said before don't come hungry because the portions are small. The other downside to this place is that they don't have any fried rice on their menu, maybe I'm not that knowledgeable about northern Chinese cuisine but I think they should have fried rice. Just my opinion.
(3)Hyunoo P.
2 months ago some Yelpers came here for some kind of authentic experience. While there was a lot of food and good times being passed around the table, all I came away with was knowing that I must not be a big fan of Taiwanese cooking. I found the ham hock broth to be incredibly salty, briny if you will. Same with the beef tendon. If this was intentional, mission accomplished. The fried pork and chicken were crispy and delicious but as much bone as they were not-bone. Once again, i'm a total pleb when it comes to Taiwanese food, so let my review only mean something to other know-nothings. Middle of the road- 3 stars.
(3)Kate T.
After dinning here, I must admit a discovery, my taste buds have evolved dramatically. What use to be considered satisfying no longer is. Simple and tasteful does not seem to do quite the justice to the buds. Hmm... Good thing? Well, not to the restaurants and future restaurants that I'll be reviewing... We ordered Sao Bing & You Taio, Sweet Hot Soy Milk, Pi Dan Tofu, Minced Beef over rice, Grilled Pork Chop over Rice, Beef Noodle Soup, and Xiao Long Tan Bao. Verdict? The only thing that truly had me satisfied was the Beef Noodle soup. The beef was nicely tender and quite flavorful. The noodle (wide/thick) accommodates the beef beautifully -- nice and "Q". The soup base was rather tasty with a right amount of kick of flavor and spice. Over all, I'm pleased. Could it have been better? Of course. But with a bowl of beef and noodle that taste like that at the price of $6.75? Oh, believe me, it's worth it. Will I come and visit again? Sure thing! But before I do, I'd like to visit other Taiwanese joints before revisiting again.
(3)Roll T.
3.25 stars. While the xiao long bao here isn't going to conjure up any memories of the masterful rendition I found at Shanghai Cafe in NYC, I am still excited when I hear the phrase A&J. Why? Ham hock. As a rather late addition to our meal, I ordered a ham hock soup that turned out be a hypertension inducing meal with the most tender, flavorful pig foot. Sure, it may have disgusted half my table, but that sucker was amazing. I'd definitely order it again. I also enjoyed the beef buns (although more soup and less meat would have been ideal) and what appeared to be a braised beef tendon noodle soup. The scallions were a bit too thick and doughy for my taste. The potstickers were quite tasty. The dan dan noodles were nice, but I prefer the rendition I had at Hong Kong Palace in Falls Church. Most of the fried meats were unremarkable. I was completely unimpressed by the spareribs. My final verdict is to stick with the soups, dumplings, and buns. A&J is perfect for a large group that wants a cheap split check. As such, our experience involved a number of Yelpers. This meant that aside from tasty food, we also had conversations ranging from indie pop music to how to best fire an employee to retarded one-clawed crabs to the proper etiquette of using a Tide pen (I'll place the commendations directly upon Tina R. and Hyunoo for the utterly random conversation topics). I had high hopes for A&J, but sadly, it didn't reach my possibly overly optimistic expectations. Having said that, I think a few more visits might be in order before I properly gauge its offerings.
(3)Nhu P.
My first Yelp review and A & J definitely deserves the honor. This restaurant is down the street from where I'm living now and I used to go there A LOT(once every other week). After a long hiatus I finally returned with a friend last night and wondered why the heck did I stay away for so long? We ordered too much food for 2 people(something my friends have to put up with when they dine with me) that they couldn't fit on our small table. The waitress had to put two tables together and laughed at us after. A bit embarrassing but I was too hungry to care . We got the fried porkchop dish, spicy beef noodle soup Schezuan style, cold hot and sour noodles, pan fried potstickers, pork ears, tripe and 2 milk-flavored boba. My favorite as always was the spicy beef noodle soup Schezuan style. It someone resembles Vietnamese bun bo Hue (my all-time favorite and something I would request before I die) in concept but quite different in taste. The soup's very flavorful, one can tell that it's been simmered in numerous herbs; I was able to detect the taste of star anise (Vietnamese use this to cook Pho!). The large chunks of beef were very tender...seriously melt-in-your-mouth goodness. I chose wide noodles for my soup (not sure what the alternative is, most likely the thinner egg noodles?) and the noodle definitely tasted fresh, most likely hand-pulled. This bowl of noodles was under $7 i believe...definitely a bargain! The only dish I'd never tried before and decided to try this time was the hot and sour noodles. It came out in a big bowl with the sauce on the bottom with linguine-like noodles. After mixing the two together, the sauce tasted garlicky and pleasantly sour (not too hot) and definitely hit the spot. I love LOVE the cold noodles from China Bistro but it seems like I won't have to drive that far (MD) to appease my cold noodle craving now. I was definitely glad that I ventured out of my "safe" zone and tried a different cold noodle dish this time. If you like your cold noodle with the traditional peanuty taste (which I DON'T like, go for the dan dan noodles). Everything else tasted like they have always tasted at A & J: delicious and comforting. This is Taiwanese street food at its best. You won't break the bank while dining here. A & J has made it onto the Washingtonian best bargain restaurants year after year. I would gladly give it a 5-star if it wasn't for the fact that it's a CASH ONLY establishment (something I forget on a couple of occasions and had to run to the ATM). You can get your food to-go as well by ordering from the take-out window. definitely coming back to get another bowl of spicy beef noodles once it gets chillier!
(4)Jim W.
Again, as good as we remembered. Of course, I over ordered. So, taking some home. Hubby had the wonton soup and I had the Dan Dan mien. Delicious. The sauce for the thin noodles was amazing. Just enough spice, tart, and sweetness. The wonton soup was excellent. Tasty, hot, juicy, and flavorful. We also had an assortment of Chinese tapas. Kafu, shredded tofu with carrots and celery, seaweed salad, long bean, veggie pan fried bun, potstickers , and dan bien (egg burrito). Everything tasty great. A must if you haven't been here. Or must go back again.
(5)Chris T.
One of the best Chinese restaurants in Northern VA. I prefer Cantonese Hong Kong style chinese food, but A&J's szechuan style has turned me on to a variety of chinese cooking styles. It's not the typical Mapo Tofu dishes. They are truly authentic and original. Some suggestions include the wide noodles in any of their soups, pan fried pork dumplings and turnip pastry. Fast friendly service, perfect for your lunch hour.
(4)Bren P.
I'm not a fan. I had high hopes for this place because of all the good reviews (sprinked with some low reviews as well), but this just didn't do it for me. I only liked the spicy garlic cucmber dish, dumplings and this edamame and raddish dish. Everything else we ordered was bland (I had to add spoonfuls of spicy chili sauce to add some flavor and kick). The soup dumplings were okay, but they were TINY and not what I'm use to (nothing comes close to Joe Shanghai's soup dumplings in nyc). It had no flavor and the dumpling broke as soon as I grabbed it with my chopsticks. Not cool. My friends and I ordered the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup. They seemed to like it, but I didn't like it at all. Again, I added tons of spicy chili sauce to flavor it up. My other friend ordered the Liang Mian and she wasn't a fan either. There was some issues with that as well, in a nutshell the waitress brought her the wrong dish and when she asked to bring her the correct dish the waitress gave her a lot of attitude. Needless to say, I will not be going back there again.
(1)Dan W.
Little gem hidden at a corner in Annandale. It's like a Chinese Tapa place, only cheaper. Pretty authentic Taiwanese apps like you'd find on the street vendors in TW. Some dishes could use more flavor, but there's a bottle of soysause on the table for a reason. It is next to a Chinese grocery market and bakery, so bring home some good stuff before leaving the area.
(4)Mai T.
This place is awesome. Aside from the long wait (this joint is SMALL) and cash only.. the food makes up for it. My favorites are the scallion pancakes.. rice and porkchop .. the rice is so yummy.. tendon..pickeled vegetables.. I can't name it all. Go try it out for yourself is all I have to say. But do try some from my list!
(5)Jimena M.
I'm glad I finally got to try this place out. It was amazing hanging out with fellow yelpers as well. But I thought this place was alright. The beef buns were delicious, but i wish they had more juice and veggies. It was basically a meat patty inside a thin fried shell. Albeit a pretty tasty meat patty. My favorite was the braised beef tendon soup. The broth was flavorful, the beef succulent, the veggies fresh and the noodles were definitely homemade. The xiao long bao (steamed pork buns) were also nice and fresh. Other things we tried: the ham hock soup. It was basically a big piece of hamhock, bone and all in broth. All I tasted was salt and it enveloped every single one of my taste buds. I could barely make out any pork flavor. I had to drink a whole glass of water to get the salt taste off my mouth..ick. We also got some vegetable sides, the mustard greens were brown and flavorless. The dumplings while definitely homemade and alright didn't impress me, they seemed overly boiled, the skins were too thick and it tasted boring. I prefer mandoo. Two con's after a visit here: first, you will glow for a few days from the glorious greasiness that is chinese food. Second, I got extremely ill that night and basically underwent a body cleansing. Now it could have been the bingsoo I had at another place, or the piece of chicken i had at bon chon, or a combination of all three, but i suspect it was something here...shrug...I have definitely eaten more and been ok in the past.
(3)Jake K.
Oodles of noodles keeping me away from kicking poodles! That's what I think when A&J is mentioned. While the place is a little intimidating for the non-Chinese at first, it's quickly conquered. The time I went with my parents, the ladies were very patient (I guess they could tell we were han-guo) and made a couple of suggestions. We ended up getting the pot stickers, thousand year old egg with bean curd, dan-dan mien. Other trips to A&J involved other dishes to include tripe, sow's ears, and other "exotics" that I'm not apt to try...but maybe one day....after too much soju! Great place for some dim sum but a tad smaller than the Maryland location. However, I would say that the food tastes better here...maybe because I don't have to drive as far? *grin*
(4)Alicia C.
So I was all set for a quiet evening in... silly me. Luckily I have Yelp to save me from myself and somehow I found myself talked into a spontaneous eat-fest out in Annandale. (For a brief, fleeting moment I had hopes we'd end up at A&J's Rockville location... but alas, the MD 'burbs never seem to win). Anyway, A&J was the first stop of the night. Since our party arrived in shifts, we ended up split between two tables. Katie F, Juliana C, and I shared the fried beef buns, some pan fried dumplings, the scallion pancake, and the braised pork over rice. So yes... a lot of fried awesomeness. But not to worry... for the sake of balance we also threw in the spicy cucumber salad and I tried the guava bubble tea. My favorites by far were the fried beef bun and the spicy cucumber salad. The braised pork was ok, I just wasn't expecting it to be ground pork over rice. (This dish also came with a hard boiled egg soaked in soy sauce... due to it's... preservation... the egg was kind of rubbery, so not my favorite thing, but the pork and rice were a nice addition to the meal. The bubble tea was pretty good. The guava flavor that I had wasn't overly sweet. The tapioca balls were a little softer than I'm used to, but no complaints. I will definitely be back again to try out more of the menu, and for more of those delicious, soupy beef buns. But as others have mentioned, this is definitely a spot to go to with someone that is experienced with the menu and their offerings, that way you know where to focus your efforts, or stomachs rather. All in all, a great way to start off the night!
(4)Dave M.
Best Dim Sum experience I've had in DC Metro. 1) Location: Not bad, about 15 min drive from Old Town. We had some friends from the District meet us there, 20 min drive for them. 2) Setting: The restaurant is extremely well kept. Clean, trim, and traditionally decorated 3) Service: Mind-blowing considering the venue; the waitstaff is on par with places like The Prime Rib (minus formal wear). We were traditionally American, ordering dishes we knew or sounded familiar. Our waitress gently suggested a few new dishes (delicious) but most helpful was that she perfectly staggered the food so we had a couple of dishes to work on at a time. 4) Food: Exquisite. So good in fact it's not only worth the drive, I may have ended my DC Dim Sum tour. And the real kicker is the price. The four of us were so full we had to take food home, and even with 20% tip we got out for less than $15 a person (cash only). Do you like Dim Sum? Do you have a car? Get your keys now; it's worth a visit.
(5)Jeff W.
It took me a good 2 hours to recover from the absolute euphoric high I had after a Sunday brunch at A&J. It was like a neverending parade of pleasurable food, and with the exception of one dish (pig ear) I loved every minute of it. Since everything was great, there's really no need to list it all out, but highlights for me were the stunning and tender chunks of tendon in the spicy tendon soup, the simple but delicious mustard greens, and of course the niu ro xian bing which I will affectionately call "pan fried pocket of heaven". So how much was this pleasure parade, with enough food to stuff 4 hearty eaters? A whopping $46, and I was told that's unusually expensive, perhaps because I insisted on the more expensive bowl of spicy tendon soup. I laughed out loud when we got the bill. After tip it came out to be $13 a head, possibly the single greatest value for food I've ever seen in my life. I cannot wait to return, and will probably be fantasizing about that niu ro xian bing for the next two weeks.
(5)H M.
I love this place! Esp for breakfast. The sticky rice is yummy and also the fresh soy bean milk! When we go there I always get the pork chop rice along with the tofu/thousand year old egg. Everything from the noodles to the pot stickers are yummy! Everytime we are in VA we stop here for breakfast/lunch. This place is cash only, no cc BOO!
(5)Peter K.
I heard A & J was the most authentic "Chinese" food in the area. It's more like Northern/Beijing style Chinese - noodles and dumplings are the starch of choice, not rice. The food also tastes quite different from the typical Cantonese-inspired Chinese-American food. There is no distinction between "entrees" and other types of dishes, but most menu items can be classified as small plates. One person will probably be satisfied with 2-3 items costing $10-12, which is a great deal. Dan Dan Mian - mildly spicy, very peanut-y noodles. Just noodles, nothin' else. Even though this is how it is executed in Beijing, I found myself wanting a least a hint of vegetable somewhere, but never found it. Same with most other dishes here. Authentic meat dishes often mean no veggies. Xiao Long Bao - yummy pork dumplings. Dough was chewy and delightful. Niu Rou Xian Bing - never had this before. One large pork pastry, kinda watery inside. Sure, why not. Scallion Pancake - pretty self explanatory, and this one is authentic. Braised Pork on rice - a small bowl of rice topped with hardboiled egg and ground pork in a dark brown sauce. Never had it before. It may be authentic, but it tasted like a Chinese sugary ragout gone wrong. Overall I won't rate A&J a "must see," but I plan on going back and sampling some other stuff on their menu that looked good, like Niu Rou Mian (Beef noodle soup) and congee. [Beer Notes: none]
(3)Trish N.
Four things I definitely recommend! 1. Pan fried beef bun (niu ro xian bing) -- oh juicy! 2. Spicy baby wonton 3. Pot Stickers 4. Scallion pancake Cheap. Good. I'll eat it. Bring Tide to Go pen - warning: when biting into the beef bun it will squirt. Bring cash.
(4)Tu-van L.
Finally got to enjoy the wonders of A&J under the tutelage of Kevin L. and Alicia G. for Sunday brunch. I have since lost track of all that I had, but everything I've had was some degree of delicious. The pig ear was thinly sliced savory with a hint of gelatinous. The picked cucumber was short of converting my cucumber-hating self. The cold noodles were alright but still delicious (as were the steamed buns). The one tofu dish was on the sweeter side of delicious. The fried chicken was delicious with flavorful dark meat fried to perfection. The hockey puck sized beef bun was huge and contained a spoonful of savory fatty beef broth. And all this shared with my brunch party made for a delicious meal. You bet I'll come back here. If not for the dumplings the fried chicken.
(4)Hamsa H.
This restaurant is my favorite Chinese restaurant in all of the greater DC metropolitan area. Since returning from New York almost a year ago, we've been on this perpetual hunt for the amazing spicy noodles we ate in Chinatown in the shack underneath the train station (not to be confused with the van by the river). Although the spicy noodles continued to elude us until we went to Uncle Liu's Hot Pot, the soups at A & J are amazing, the noodles are fresh and delicious, and the spicy Szechuan beef soup is just what the doctor ordered. They also have wonderful, tender dumplings and excellent appetizers. You can't beat the price - the most expensive thing on the menu is about $11. They don't take reservations and they're small, so if they're full, you have to wait. They also don't take credit cards, which is kind of annoying, since we always forget. But for the price, you can't beat it.
(4)Michelle P.
This is stop #1 on Sunday's day of visiting places that i had bookmarked. And i feel it really set the tone for the whole day. As in any food where i'm not exactly sure what is in it, i was a little skeptical of A&J. This is primarily because my palate is still being expanded and i'm still unsure of things that i like to eat. But put me in the very capable hands of Kevin L and Michele D, and i know that i'll be allright. I started with some kind of egg/ham/noodle dish that was fantastic. Not too heavy and exactly how i pictured breakfast in china. Then it was on to the spicy beef tendon soup, that Jeff served me without the things i didn't want (the spicy beef tendon). I really loved the noodles in the soup... wow they were awesome. Then it was the fried dough that resembled a churro, but was so much better. Then the little pork dumplings and the scalion pancake. Everyone complained about the lack of fluffiness of the pancake, but since i had no comparison it tasted great to me. And i saved the best for last. I think the American name is "Fried Beef Bun" or something like that. But really what it is? Awesomeness. I struggled with figuring out how to eat it, since even after a chopstick lesson i was forced to get Kevin and michele to ask for a fork. But as i took the first bite and the amazing hamburger soup (thats what i'm calling it) flowed out, i realized i was in heaven. The whole thing was absolutely delicious. And make sure that unlike Kevin's mom, you drink the soup.. YUM! Overall i was way less scared than expected and in fact, very delighted by the massive amounts of food we ate and the fact our bill was only $46. It was great! And i will be back :)
(5)Bonnie T.
Great Taiwanese/Northern Chinese dishes are offered here. They also have another location in Rockville, MD. I really enjoyed the pan fried beef pancake, very juicy and delicious. Also liked the various small cold side dished. Come with friends and try different things. Come on weekend mornings go get some traditional breakfast items as well.
(4)Aimee L.
I have gone here for many many years and A & J has never disappointed me. Friendly and fast service. Food is inexpensive and alwasy great tasting!!! I love A & J :)
(5)Elaine M.
I was introduced to A&J 6 days ago. And in 6 days, I've been there 3 times. This is not your typical mainstream Americanized Chinese food, so don't come here if that's what you're expecting. Case in point, they serve sliced pig ears (try finding that at your mall food court Chinese food joint!), which, by the way, is slightly spicy and ridiculously addicting. From my understanding, their spicy beef noodle soup is one of their most popular dishes, and I can see why: hearty homemade noodles (ask for the wide), flavorful broth with a kick (the first time I had it, it was overwhelmingly spicy, but the next time, it was perfect), and tender beef that practically melts in your mouth... and it's super cheap! (Speaking of which, they have a small wall filled with awards they've gotten for best cheap eats in the DC area, year after year.) Other good eats here are the spicy beef and tendon noodle soup (same as the aforementioned spicy beef noodle soup, but...with tendons. lol), the beef bun, Chinese-style fried pork noodle soup, and shredded pork with mustard greens noodle soup. Basically, the food is cheap, hearty, and yum. And I've always gotten prompt and polite service, so no complaints from me there. Note that it does get busy on weekends at lunchtime, and there aren't too many tables, so you may have to wait if you opt to venture there during busy times. Also note that this place is cash only!
(4)blah b.
I came here a few times before always hoping to meet the expectations yelp reviews put for me and I have been disappointed every time. The service is minimal at best and the food tastes okay but that's about it. Everything is microwaved and barely lukewarm including the spicy beef noodle which in china we serve piping hot. The spicy beef noodle leaves much to be wanted. Their only saving grace are their pork ears and dumplings. But even then they barely make the cut
(2)Scott J.
Been here twice, loved it both times. Like others have said here, you walk in and this place feels like China. We've had a couple different noodle dishes and they were all really good. They make the noodles in-house and they're delicious. We've actually liked everything we had there--and the service was attentive and friendly. It's also super-cheap. For the price, you really can't beat this place. A&J will definitely be in our regular restaurant rotation.
(4)Cris C.
We found this place after dropping off our bikes for repair. One dollar sign for a greatly reviewed place? Aww yeah! We ordered two portions of steamed pork buns, fried pork soup, and a wonton soup. The tea was served quickly and after she took our orders, we went to the bathroom. If possible, avoid the bathroom located on the other side of the building at all costs. BOTH toilets were broken and there were piles of toilet paper and urine (thank god, only urine) in them. I decided to hold it in and just washed my hands. It's a miracle that place had a full bottle of soap and a working hand dryer, seriously. Now, I didn't remove a star due to the bathroom, nor did I remove the star for how the food tasted. I removed it due to the fact that the buns stuck so badly. Such a shame since they tasted great! It was also removed cause my wonton soup was weak. The broth and sesame oil were great, but they seriously went cheap on the meat. I had a total of 4-5 wontons in my soup and a total of 1tsp of meat between them all. I'm not joking. Not only did they skimp on the meat, my wontons were over cooked and separated so the tiny morsels of meat fell out. I'm sorry, I cant get over the amount of meat. They were smaller than marble pieces! But again, it tasted great. My sister ordered the fried pork soup. I wasn't a fan of the broth, but the fried pork was to die for and reminded me of my mothers chicharones. So, why not a 3 star? Because I will definitely be coming again. I didn't get the best items, but the price was right. Next time, I'll order some Yelper recommendations. Don't let me down A&J!
(4)Alex T.
3.5 stars...food was fresh and tasted good...coming here the first time - noticed the menu was quite different than other dim sum places ive been too....its very clean and great service
(3)Paul W.
2.5 stars. This place is not worth the wait. I've probably tried all of their most popular dishes and authenticity aside, almost everything to me is bland and completely unmemorable. The only dishes i enjoy here are the dumplings and the spicy garlic cucumber dish. For me this place is off hour standby for cheap Chinese in Annandale. There are just too many other really good Chinese restaurants in the area.
(2)Jenn B.
My girlfriend introduced me to this place, which we affectionately call the "Noddle House" and I've been thanking her for it ever since! I've never been disappointed with anything ordered. Service is super fast and friendly. I have a love affair with the Steamed Pork Buns and Scallion Pancakes. They are fantastic! Some faves to try? Spicy Beef Noddle Soup, Fried Pork Chop on Rice, Pickled Cabbage or the Radish Noddle Soup. An absolutely MUST have is the Bubble Tea! I order one with lunch and then one to go
(5)Mila S.
Yay for Taiwanese restaurants! I used to go here when I was a kid when I lived closer to the restaurant. Later, I had moved to a different area and kind of forgot about this place. But I rediscovered it a couple of years ago, and I'm so glad too! I love their spicy beef szechuan noodle soup, the fried scallion pancakes, and their fried dumplings. They're all delicious!This place only accepts cash too, so be prepared!
(4)Lance W.
First, A&J is not Taiwanese. It's simple northern Chinese comfort food. Too bad it's not that comforting. If you want Taiwanese food, go to Bob's Noodle. Even worse, the chinese food scene in the DC metro is lackluster so that A&J is perceived as a great place. The pot stickers are pretty good and the place is usually clean. That's about all the positives. I used to enjoy the beef noodle soup and pork chop noodle soup, but the soups are pretty bland. A&J's beef noodle soup is a very salty soy sauce based soup. You can tell it hasn't been cooked with a large beef shank in the pot to infuse it with meaty flavor. The prices are constantly going up but the quality of the product has pretty much remained the same. VERY IMPORTANT! This is a cash only joint. Really, cash-only in this day and age? It's definitely money laundering. Oh, and if you're in a party of six or more, they automatically include gratuity but the receipts are in chinese so you'll probably double tip unless someone in your party catches it. I was going to give it 3 stars but the shady business practices drop it to 2.
(2)Chunnu B.
BIG fan of this little place. I went there for my first dim sum experience last night after a friend suggested we eat there. I never would have found it on my own - A&J is located off of Little River TPK in this super tiny "mall" (not sure what to call it) buried in the back near a neighborhood. Service was good, quick, and friendly. They got our food out pretty quick and it all tasted good. Pork Dumplings I could go without, they were good but not amazing and I could easily go to H-Mart and buy a frozen bag of them to make at home. The fried chicken and rice, beef bun, scallion pancake, and ground pork on rice served with egg you have to get! Delicious! What's even better than yum food served quickly? CHEAP yum food served quickly! A lot of the dishes I saw were around $3-$6 and we spent about $25 for all that food - not bad! Now I need to go back to try out everything else - I'm very curious about the SPICY Wonton Soup! Just remember one thing when you go: CASH ONLY!!
(4)Stephanie L.
MMMM dim sum. Fast service. Rice congee for less than a dollar (quite a large bowl - fair pricing!). Bean curd and mushroom dish = delish. The seaweed dish was a must-have. We weren't so keen on the tofu + thousand-year-old egg dish, but I think that's more a matter of preference. My boyfriend got a beef noodle soup, which he seemed to enjoy. The place is pretty plain, but what do you expect from a small-ish establishment with low prices? Bottom line: a lot of vegetarian options. Cheap, quick food. 5 stars.
(5)Professor R.
I will not recommend this place to anyone,big rip off, very stingy attitude and they lied about MSG.
(1)Leon Y.
I'm trying to think if I should give it 5 or 4 stars...and decided 4 probably is fair. They have some pretty authentic Chinese dishes. The must have for me is the fried dumpling, beef pie/cake (so juicy), wonton (thank god for A&J, this is the only place serves wonton in non-Cantonese style) and plum juice. Other stuff is okay.. like the beet stew noodle really could have done a better job. Hunan Gourmet in Fair Oaks Mall beats it (or anywhere else for that matter) hands down. But I like it in general, I just tend to stick with the known good ones
(4)Kathleen M.
Like the vast majority of my Chinese food experiences (and hell, Korean and Vietnamese experiences as well), I've learned the way to go. Leave the menu alone, bat my big blue eyes at Kevin L, pout my lips out a little bit, and make him do the ordering. Yep, my only words to the waitress should be "yes, I'll have some tea" or something to that affect. This gameplan always serves me well. While I may not know exactly what I'm eating (and in the case of the chicken foot at Hollywood East, I may not want to know what I'm eating!), I usually end up with way too much tasty grub. A & J was no exception, while round-eyes Katie F and I were treated to a host of delicacies. I preferred the hot options to the cold, but I'm usually like that. I like 'em hot (temperature wise, not spice wise. Spice wise, I like things downright frigid). I'm still having dreams about the tastiness of the fried beef bun and the tofu dish we had was really great as well. Tea was wonderful, I believe I had 40 cups, and service was on the ball. The storefront was clean but small, so I can see this place getting pretty packed during peak hours. Be sure to come with someone who knows what they're doing... my vote is for Kevin L.
(4)angela n.
This hole in the wall has my favorite Asian food in the area - superior to anything you can get in DC. Not your typical Chinese menu - there's no chow mein and not much rice, for example. This is mostly Taiwanese and northern Chinese small plates. I like coming with a group so we can taste lots of dishes (But be prepared to wait for a table, and make sure your dining companions are adventurous. Occasionally my pickier friends have hated this place). Highlights: - Kao Fu: Dark spongy vegetarian gluten, bursting with savory broth. Its texture is almost meaty, and it's amazing with mushrooms. - Ma La Huang Gua: Cold cucumbers and sliced fresh garlic with peppers and hot chili oil. The cool crunch is wonderfully refreshing. - Mao Do Bai Ye: Pungent mustard greens and fresh soybeans stir-fried with thin tender bean curd skin. - The tapioca bubble tea. Comes in several flavors, I esp. like the light green honeydew. My carnivorous husband loves the Niu Ro Niu Jin Mian: Szechuan spicy beef tendon noodle soup. He said the beef and noodles taste very fresh, and the broth is dark and bold. Dishes that haven't been huge hits are the Pi Dan Dou Fu (thousand year egg with bean curd) -- my friends and I found it a little mushy and weird. The Dan Dan Mien (a big noodle bowl with hot spicy sesame and peanut sauce) can be uneven - Sometimes I love it, but sometimes I find it not nearly spicy enough. Cash only.
(4)Foodie C.
This is authentic as it gets! This is like a Chinese Tapas bar. All small plates Foods are extremely fresh and quite tasty and not 'Americanized' Remember this is more Northern Style and very different from other regions of China so it may be different than some Yelpers expect Very small seating area so go on off peak times Tip Stay away from the Rest Room down the hall 'SCARY'... Report Card Food A- Service B- Cleanliness C-
(4)Jen T.
Love this place! I come here all the time for brunch or dinner with my co-workers. The scallion pancakes, pot stickers, and beef noodle soup are by far my favorite. The thousand layer pancake is tasty but not all that exciting. Personally, I love the dan dan noodles but they aren't for everyone. They are spicy and heavy on the oil. The cucumber salad is also delicious.
(4)Steph L.
3.5 stars. Man, I had such high expectations for A&J. I have to say, I was a little disappointed. The boyfriend and I ordered almost all the supposedly must-get items. Nothing was bad, but nothing stood out either. The good: -Vegetarian with gluten, dry bean curd & mushroom - taste just like it would in China, gluten was soft yet has a nice chew. Would've liked a little more woodear mushroom though. -Spicy sliced pork ears - a good amount, sliced thin, nice texture, but definitely not spicy. We added a ton of chili paste to it and it was quite delicious after that. -Cucumber salad in hot garlic sauce - spicy and garlicy, just like it should be, cucumbers fresh and crunchy. The meh: -Dry bean curd, peanuts and cilantro salad w/hot sauce - bland, bland, bland. -Scallion pancakes, potstickers and beef bun - all had a nice crispy outer layer/skin, but were also all VERY greasy. The highlight was the soup in the beef bun, it was hot and savory, made me say "mmm...umami" when I drank it from my soup spoon. -Steamed spareribs with five spice powder - bland, not sweet or spicy like it should be. The saving grace was the sweet soft squash at the bottom. Granted we didn't have any of the noodle dishes, which are supposed to be very good, and the zha jiang mian other people ordered did look the most authentic out of all the ones I've had in the few area Chinese restaurants that offer it. I will definitely give the noodles a try and hopefully give it a higher rating next time.
(3)Alex K.
I don't get what's so good about this place. I've been coming here for at least 6 yrs, and a year ago I would be saying what everyone else is. However, the past 2 yrs A&Js has increased it's prices and the quality of the food has gone down drastically. It's sad really, I used to love this place. To be honest, my whole review is just based on the noodles. The spicy beef especially. They changed the soup base and now I can never eat it. It tastes horrible compared to the old one. I think in general, they are making the soup base a lot more watery. The bubble tea is also way overpriced. The bubbles themselves have been undercooked the past THREE times i've been. Never again will I get it from here. Maybe it's unfair because I am comparing to the old, spectacular A&J's, but noobies beware; this place is wayyy hyped up by other reviewers. I hope they go back to the old A&J's.....
(3)Michael F.
A&J is a Chinese restaurant where someone accustomed to General Tso's Chicken and Sweet and Sour Pork will have to re-evaluate what they thought Chinese food was. None the less it is an unpretentious lunch spot where someone of that sort would not feel intimidated. Additionally, there's plenty of dishes that they would not be frightened by such as the fried chicken soup and smoked chicken, right along side Sezchuan style tendon and tripe, which would appeal to more adventurous eaters. Their soups are almost enough for two people, so if you order soup, you might want to hold off on ordering a lot more food. The rest is served dim sum style, so figure on at least two dishes per person. The prices her are exceptionally competitive and you receive excellent value.
(4)J L.
Yup brought cash, thanks yelpers Got the Spicy Beef and Tendon Sch Style Soup, Pan Fried Pork Buns, Cucumber Salad, Beef Tripe in some kind of sauce, and Bubble Tea (A little different variety than the kind you get over at Eden Center). Overall I would say it was ok, it will fill you up for a reasonable price and maybe remind you a bit of home, it's funny because out of all the stuff I ordered I actually liked the cucumber salad the best (and that is like the easiest dish to prepare, even someone who burns their food in the microwave could make that!). I don't know if they dumbed down the soup for me because my friend was white or because I didn't say anything in Chinese... not sure but i can say that when I asked her for a "Chinese Hamburger," she looked at me as if I was retarded... which after asking the question I did feel slightly embarrassed, but i read a review on here that said that they did serve it but i guess not..? Also I wasn't really a fan of how close the two people tables are, I could literally just start eating food off the table next to me.. too close for comfort.
(3)Michele D.
After hosting an UYE with Kevin, Brian, Tony, Thuy, Brendan and his lovely sister, I still have to give this place 5 stars. In all the times I have been, service has been consistently good and fast, and food has been consistently good, cheap, and damn good. The only thing that's not always consistent would be the pan fried beef buns. Sometimes they are just right soupy, and sometimes they are too oily. On this last visit, they were right in between. Two dishes I tried this time that I hadn't had before were the beef tendon with garlic sauce and the sliced beef marinated and cooked with bean paste. At first, the idea of having tendon was completely uninteresting to me. After hearing Kevin rave about how tender it was, I gave it a try. WOW, was I glad I kept an open mind, because it was very, very good. The sliced marinated beef was also very tasty and I would recommend it as an order. Very tender, not fatty, and the bean paste gave it a nice salty flavor without it being too salty. It's always good to go family style, as we did. We had all the usual orders, and I think Kevin and I were the ones to finish the last bites of everything. Were we too full to have a little dessert? Wait. Have you seen us eat? Yeah, ok...you *know* we all went for dessert despite the big meal we just destroyed.
(5)joe w.
This place seemed like an excellent value for the money that is hard to beat. I recommend the spicy beef thin noodles or alternatively beef w/ cilantro and wide noodles--these are hot dishes. We also tried bean curd and mushrooms followed by bamboo shoots and mustard greens--these are cold dishes. The turnip pastry was tasty too. The guava bubble tea tasted sweet. We visited when the nearby grocery store was closed so there was plenty of parking on a Sat. evening. Our out the door tab for two people was around $35 or $17/person which was more than $ rating but still extremely reasonable. Restrooms are shared with all the businesses in the complex so borrowing a key is required. If value for the money is a criteria, this place is a good as it gets. Well worth the drive in my opinion.
(5)