Chinese Restaurants in Howard County 2010

This post started a few months ago as the question: "Is there any Chinese food worth eating in Howard County?"

I wrote up Chinese restaurants in early 2009, but the truth is that we rarely eat the stuff around here -- opting for other cuisine or driving a little farther to check out better restaurants.  A horrific dinner at Hunan Legend and some takeout failures made me expect glop on every plate, and I wondered if there was anything worth trying.

The answer: "Yes."  But, to get the food that I want, you have to ask.

To get the Chinese food that I want, you need to find restaurants with a separate, authentic menu -- and you need to really emphasize that you want the authentic version.  This frustrates some people, and it really frustrated me when my Hunan Legend waiter lied and denied that the Columbia restaurant had a separate menu of authentic dishes.  But that led to a wonderful series of posts where Wai provided and translated the Chinese menu, then other people like Warthog used it enough that the restaurant put out an official version.

I have decided that Chinese restaurants are just different from other places.  My Chinese-speaking friend said that Chinese people are very aware that foreigners can be put off by their food, and he said people seemed surprised that he wanted real Chinese food -- even in China where he had clearly made an effort to speak the language and live there.  My friend joked that Americans assume that everyone in the world wants to eat a hamburger and commute in their own car, but Chinese people are so aware that foreigners might be put off by spices or flavors or ingredients that they often just don't want to risk making you unhappy.

The flip side is that they can be very happy if you try.  Noodles Corner in Columbia invested the time to translate its second menu of authentic items, but the managers were still visibly surprised when we ordered authentic dishes.  They confirmed twice that we wanted Chinese versions.  We did.  They smiled.

But, with that said, I totally respect people like Little Audrey who points out that she can get terrific tacos at R&R Taqueria without knowing a secret password.  She likes Hunan Legend for a quick kung pao, but she doesn't want to prove her worthiness to order authentic stuff -- so she drives the extra miles to Grace Garden.

You should drive there as well because Grace Garden tops my spots for local Chinese.  I'm a complete novice, but I know where I have found fresh, interesting dishes that make me think you can get several provinces of special meals if you know where to ask:

Grace Garden in Odenton:   Chef Chun Keung Li serves luxurious flavors in a Spartan room. This is a place for people who want to explore, who want to drive a little extra to enjoy tea-smoked duck, sliced pork belly, steamed whole fish, and fish noodles.  Grace Garden stands out because of its skills and becomes it welcomes everyone.  Ingredients familiar to anyone who eats Chinese -- chicken, fish, vegetables -- become stellar meals, and the exotic touches are there for anyone who wants to try.  I understand that the menu tends towards southern Chinese cuisine.  Check out my posts and search Chowhound or other local food blogs.

Red Pearl in Columbia: This authentic menu at this new lakeside place runs to spicy Szechuan food.  Lunch at the Red Pearl was a hit for me -- a dry kung pao that was delicious and different than the American variety, a special vegetable (Chinese broccoli) that was crisp, and the Red Pearl posts have some detailed recommendations and comments, including ColumbiaJ who recommended potstickers with hot oil and flounder with soft tofu.  (Update:  Red Pearl added dim sum, which I think is absolutely delicious.)

Noodles Corner in Columbia:  This is our newest find, and our single takeout meal wasn't enough for me to offer even my uneducated opinion.  Apparently, this authentic menu is heavily Taiwanese, and I recommend the shredded pork appetizer, the asian chili wrap, and the pan-fried noodles with beef, chicken and shrimp.  I was turned onto Noodles Corner by people like Wai, Jade's Mama, David P., Little Audrey, and William.  From those folks, I have a "to do" list of fish fillet with XO sauce, black mushrooms with bok choy, the seafood or beef hot pot, and the northern Chinese noodles (even though Wai would like them spicier and saltier).  William also recommended the tea -- no giant pot in the back; they put tea leaves into the pot that they serve to the table.

Hunan Taste in Catonsville.  Although it's not Howard County, the extra miles are worth checking out the Hunan menu.  This is the place that really got me excited for authentic Chinese because dishes like preserved sausage with smoked bamboo shoots were a revelation.  New flavors.  New combinations.  I thought it was a tasty, classy, casual place, although you can get cultural clash with your meal.  Several comments describe food that they didn't like and management who didn't seem to care.  Another got great food at lunch, then watered-down takeout soup the next day.

Hunan Legend in Columbia:  This is an odd recommendation because my only meal here was terrible.  But that was off the American menu, and other people really love Hunan Legend's authentic dishes that trend Cantonese and Malaysian.  People like Warthog convinced the owners to give the translated Chinese menu to everyone, and the Hunan Legend posts include lots of comments that recommend specific items.  Also, Warthog sparked a long Chowhound string that lists dishes and discusses the whole stereotype that Americans don't really like Chinese food.

Asian Court in Ellicott City:  This is for lunch-time dim sum -- rolling carts on the weekend and from the menu on weekdays.  We think this matches the famous places in the DC suburbs, and we'll go again and again for steamed BBQ pork buns, steamed dumplings, sticky rice, and even for desserts like coconut jelly and sesame balls.  You can explore beyond into chicken feet, head-on shrimp, and bitter melon rounds stuffed with shrimp paste.

That isn't to say that you need to worship authentic Chinese.  That's my taste these days, but Chinese restaurants make people happy every day with dishes that never saw China.  A single kitchen could serve "authentic" to one customer, "comfort food" to another, and just give you a bag of takeout on a night when you can't face the stove.

• Jade recommended the Lucky China Inn in the Oakland Mills village center in Columbia -- especially Szechuan lo mein, orange chicken, and mu shu chicken.
• Anonymous recommended Hunan Express in Elkridge -- especially the steamed dumplings that come six for $4.
• Anonymous recommended ChopStixx in Elkridge -- really for pan-Asian noodle dishes like pad thai.
• Jake recommended Hunan Legend in Columbia -- for a friendly atmosphere, steamed dumpling and the kung pao triple delight.

Jake's recommendation brings me back to the Big Three because no discussion of Howard County Chinese could be complete without the established trio of Hunan Manor, Hunan Legend and Jesse Wong's Asean Bistro.  When we lived off Rte 108, Jesse Wong's American-style dishes were our go-to takeout, and the pretty ambiance still makes it a nice place to take people for a casual, but classy night.  Hunan Manor has been a family mainstay for people like Kevin of Kevin & Ann Eat Everything, and some people even swear by Hunan Legend's regular menu.  These are places that serve memories along with the food, although there are disputes with all three about whether they have declined over time.  Two years ago, I would have held Asean Bistro up against any other kitchen, but I don't think that anymore.  For now, I would rather explore my six places than go back to the old standbys.

What do you think about Chinese food in Howard County?  Are there places that you recommend?  Specific dishes?  I think the most-useful advice is a description of a few specific dishes so a newcomer can start off with something delicious.  Are there other places with Chinese menus?  Other places where you love the American versions?


Specifically, has anyone been recently to Garden Gourmet in the Long Reach Village Center in Columbia?  There is a 2006 Chowhound string between Warthog and Elgringoviego that makes me want to try their Szechuan food.  Both those guys are thoughtful writers, and I wonder if Garden Gourmet still has special dishes.

This is an update to the "What I Learned" series of posts from 2009. They're a bit out of date by now, but they link to many other posts. They're organized in rings. See below to continue on the ring about different cuisines. Or click to switch to the posts about shopping in Howard County or posts about areas and ideas.

PREVIOUS: Mexican Restaurants in Howard County 2009
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Mexican Restaurants in Howard County

You can get good Mexican food in Howard County. For great Mexican, you you need to fly to Houston or LA, but you can get everything from groceries to fast food to nice casual dinners around here.

Start with the groceries. Lily's Mexican Market off Dobbin Road in Columbia is a true local treasure -- the class of the Mexican markets and the equal of any ethnic market around. Down those aisles, you can buy the Latino packaged and canned goods, along with baked goods, cheeses, frozen meals like arepas or tamales, and a nice array of produce. (Lily's is the place for ripe avocados when your supermarket only offers hard ones, and it even has some unique items like cactus.) Then, in the back, there is a butcher with fajita meat, Mexican and Salvadoran chorizos and more. If you're cooking Mexican food (or just looking for a snack), Lily's is the place to go.

Then, move onto Mexican fast food. By "fast food," I mean tacos and similar fare served either takeout or in basic restaurants. Last fall, Lily's added a takeout counter with tacos and chickens. Until then, the best tacos were strung along U.S. 1 -- the El Nayar restaurant in Elkridge, then the Pupuseria Lorenita's truck near Rte 175, and Pupuceria Y Taqueria Los Pinos truck in Laurel. Tacos cost about $2 at each place -- a little more at the actual restaurants. Two is a great meal, splitting the beef or pork filling among the warm tortillas. Lily's is the top of the class (especially with the horchata), but they're all great spots to stop between errands. (Update: In early spring 2009, the Pupuseria Y Taqueria Las Delicias truck started offering delicious fajitas, ribs and side dishes on U.S. 1 as well.)

But then, some nights, you want to take someone out for a nice meal. I learned the hard way that a woman expecting date night will notice that El Nayar has the ambiance of a Chik-fil-a. Again, we have basic Mexican restaurants round here, mostly Tex-Mex with some authentic Mexican items and some inspired specials. But when you want table service and a good meal, these are some of the joints at the top of the food chain:

• El Azteca in Clarksville. Classic suburbs -- anonymous storefront facing Rte 108, but pretty inside with tile, decorations, and a small bar. Good Tex-Mex. Some upscale entrees. This is a place with a strong local following, and I like all these places for tacos al carbon -- that charred steak that I'm not skilled at making at home.
• La Palapa in Ellicott City / La Palapa Too in Laurel near Columbia. Tex-Mex with some special entrees like El Azteca. Mrs. HowChow enjoyed the chicken mole. I wish the beans and rice at all these places were a bit less bland. But I'm drawn for the ceviche appetizer served on the weekends. Tangy chunks of fish. Salty chips. Order a beer, and I'm happy. Order a beer at La Palapa Too's outdoor seating, and you enjoy the true HoCo Rivieria -- sun, food, and a view of your car. You can't get that at Charleston!
• Mi Casa in Ellicott City. I actually haven't been here yet, but it gets rave reviews in emails and the comments. People talk up the burritos -- both crab and vegetable. They also say that the owners are really friendly.

Other people have talked up Frisco Grille's Southwestern food, which I think of as more California than Mexico. I have also heard about Pachanga on Rte 40 and Zapata's at the Harpers Farm village center in Columbia. In the right column, click the "Cuisine - Mexican" link to read about all the restaurants and shops.

In addition to all of those spots, true explorers may want to check out the food at the food at the U.S. 1 flea market. The market caters heavily to folks from Latin America, so the vendors offer up a variety of foods, including tacos and arepas like the fast food trucks. Plus, there are often people selling snow cones or fruit salads topped with salt and cayenne.

This is part of the "What I Learned" series of posts. They're organized in rings. See below to continue on the ring about different cuisines. Or click to switch to the posts about shopping in Howard County or posts about areas and ideas.

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Asian Restaurants in Howard County

I already posted about Chinese and Indian food, but Howard County offers a half world of Asian restaurants that range from Korea down through Vietnam.

These are casual restaurants that I love because I can't cook this stuff -- bulgogi, tom yum soup, sushi rolls, etc. Most are reasonably priced, and all have English menus so you can explore all you want. If you're new to these cuisines, these are great places to start. If you're experienced, they're all good enough to be worth a drive. For some reason, the Asian spots are clustered in the center of the county -- Korean restaurants along Rte 40 in Ellicott City and much of the rest in Columbia.

• To me, the best Korean restaurants are Shin Chon Garden and Bethany Seafood Retaurant. The renovated Shin Chon offers a pretty location, but both places on Rte 40 offer Korean barbeque, stews and the panchan that make a Korean dinner such fun. For takeout, check out the Lotte supermarket right off Rte 29. (I'm sure there are others in Ellicott City. I also like Mirocjo, which is across the parking lot from Bethany Seafood.)
• The best Thai restaurants in Howard County are among the best restaurants around. To me, nothing around beats Bangkok Delight, which delivers absolutely authentic cuisine beautifully balancing hot peppers and spices. Great curries. Delicious drunken noodles. It's a cute place, perfectly nice for a date or taking out visitors. Other people love Bangkok Garden in Columbia and Thai Aroma in Ellicott City.
• The best sushi in Howard County comes from Sushi Sono or Sushi King. Although the two Columbia restaurants aren't jointly owned anymore, they each specialize in unique rolls that make them worth the trip. Try the standard Japanese menu, if you must. But go for the rolls -- like Sushi King's "eastern shore" or "pretty in red" or Sushi Sono's "hurricane eye" -- even though they can be a pricey night. (Update: I also recommend Hanamura in Columbia, which serves fresh, imaginative rolls -- including many at lower prices that the Sushi K's. So you can try more variety and leave with a smaller bill. Get the mochi ice cream.)
• My favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Howard County is An Loi Pho in Columbia. Great pho, and the fun of both salted plum sodas and Vietnamese coffee. I admit it's a pretty bare spot. If you want something slightly more decorated, go up the block to Pho Dat Thanh, which also has a slightly broader menu as well.

I'm still enjoying the search for new places. It's hard sometimes because I always know that the places above are good. But I'll get out because of recommendations like Chris lauding the sushi at Hanamura in Columbia ("better than Sushi King") and Dan talking up the Little Spice Thai restaurant near Arundel Mills in Hanover ("better than Bangkok Delight").

This is part of the "What I Learned" series of posts. They're organized in rings. See below to continue on the ring about different cuisines. Or click to switch to the posts about shopping in Howard County or posts about areas and ideas.

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Burgers in Howard County

In my book, Victoria Gastropub sells the best burger in Howard County.

I want there to be more competition, just like reviewers seem to want Victoria to be a super-star that competes with their downtown favorites. Mostly, I want a Five Guys, which serves up a burger and fries that I'd often take over Victoria. That treat -- especially the fries -- is worth a drive to Laurel or Arundel Mills or Security Square.

But, within our fair border, Victoria's upscale burger -- with a nice bun, good fries and delicious beef -- really has no peers. I love biting into a burger with real taste, with the juice that comes from fat but the flavor that comes from meat. My grill and a home-grown tomato make the absolute best hamburger, but Victoria is the place that I drive when I'm too cold or tired to do it myself.

(And this is all just their normal burger. The kobe beef tasted different to me, but not better and therefore not worth the extra money to me. But be firm on the fries. The last time I went for lunch, the fries were overcooked and hard. I should have sent them back.)

What are the other options? Victoria isn't a burger you can grab while you do errands, and it's not the affordable treat that I used to have in my favorite bar in Massachusetts. Eggspectaction used to draw me in, but my last burger there tasted frozen and plain enough to send me across Rte 108 to Victoria. That leaves me with Fatburger's upscale fast-food, Five Guy's delicious basics, and the Red Robin off Snowden River that got some justified praise in past comments (but which can be excruciatinly loud). I wouldn't turn down any of those three, but I feel like the drive would pass by other cuisines -- a quick pho, some Mexican -- that I'd actually prefer.

This is part of the "What I Learned" series of posts. They're organized in rings. See below to continue on the ring about different cuisines. Or click to switch to the posts about shopping in Howard County or posts about areas and ideas.

PREVIOUS: Kabobs and Barbeque in Howard County
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Kabobs and Barbeque in Howard County

Where should a carnivore got to dine?

You can get meat at any restaurants (except Great Sage), but some of those balance the meal with vegetables. Burgers come with fries. Korean bulgogi comes with an entire table of kimchi, seaweed and pickles.

Sometimes, you don't want to be distracted by anything green. My travels say that you can visit three types of joints for meat-lover experience -- barbeque, pit beef and kabobs.

• For barbeque chicken, pulled pork, or ribs, my place is Kloby's Smokehouse in Laurel. This is Johns Hopkins Road where Laurel, Fulton and Columbia come together. Very convenient off Rte 29. You order at the counter. You take away or sit at the casual tables. In comments, other people have talked about Bare Bones and Pig Pickers on Rte 40 in Ellicott City.

• For pit beef and other barbeque, some people really like Canopy on Rte 40 in Ellicott City. I enjoyed Uncle Grubes off U.S. 1 in Elkridge. Nice beef with a charred edge, served with surprisingly good coleslaw. You order at a counter and can eat outside. But the real champion in Pioneer Pit Beef in Woodlawn -- a shack with just enough room for you to step inside, order a sandwich and step back out with . Pioneer is the real deal -- that flavorful cut of beef, grilled and then sliced so thin that you bite them like it was filet mignon. It's just north of Rte 40 and great to pair with grocery shopping at the H Mart.

• For kabobs, my car heads on its own to Maiwand Kabob in Columbia. Ironically, that's as much for the pumpkin and other appetizers as for the kabobs. The complete Afghan experience at Maiwand Kabob is just one of my favorites overall. If we're just talking grilled meat, you should also check out Mimi's Kabob in Clarksville (also Afghan) and Parsa Kabob in Elkridge (Persian).

If you're cooking meat, the most unique experience is J.W. Treuth and Sons in Oella. Or check out the upcoming "What I Learned" about meat markets.

This is part of the "What I Learned" series of posts. They're organized in rings. See below to continue on the ring about different cuisines. Or click to switch to the posts about shopping in Howard County or posts about areas and ideas.

PREVIOUS: Indian Restaurants in Howard County

NEXT: Burgers in Howard County

Pizza in Howard County

If you want to search for hidden gems, then pizza is a tasty item to make your gustatory grail. It's not that expensive. It is offered in almost every strip mall from Columbia to Ellicott City, and joints offer up an endless number of styles and atmospheres.

As I'm updating this in April 2009, my favorite pizza in Howard County splits between Pazani Trattori in Elkridge and newcomer Coal Fire in Ellicott City.  You need to know that I'm a thin-crust, thin-cheese kind of guy. 

Pazani Trattori serves a crisp, greaseless crust with exceptional, unusual toppings. Too many pizzas taste like canned sauce and bland toppings -- where you couldn't tell if that was

mushroom or chicken with your eyes closed. The flavors at Pazani Trattori are fresh, and they taste like someone picked out deliciously-salty olives and sauteed the peppers there in the store. The restaurant -- which is almost impossible to stumble across but very convenient from Rtes 103 and 100 -- also serves pastas, desserts, etc.

Coal Fire opened just off Rte 108, and it immediately leapt to the top because it pulls off the basics so perfectly.  Thin crusts with slight chars and crisp bite.  Cheese that looks like melted balls of mozzarella, not the shredded stuff you get in a bag.  And sauce that provides the real flavor, especially the sweet and spicy "signature" sauce.  Mrs. HowChow picks Coal Fire without a second thought.  She values crust and sauce over any flashy toppings.  I love the new place, but I'm still holding out for Pazani because I remember some vegetable toppings that tasted so unusually fresh.

Either way, this is an excuse to try those places and to continue the search.  Your tastes may run Chicago-style or exotic like "Peking duck pizza," and there has never been a consensus when people leave comments. For example, I always enjoyed Luna Bella Ristorante in Columbia, although the toppings and cheese can be so thick that slices are actually difficult to lift. I would love more comments because there are just too many HoCo pizzerias to try them all. Highlights in the prior comments included:

• Gateway Pizza in Elkridge off Rte 108 for a soft, thick crust and mild, gooey cheese. An anonymous poster said it was the best pizza he had had outside of New York. I had to visit. I actually went that same day, and the pizza was perfectly described -- and the white pizza with chicken was a really nice pie. Now, I already said that I like crispy crust, but the poster is right that Gateway makes a uniquely soft crust with good toppings.
• Bella Mia in Ellicott City on Rte 104 has had fans every time that I ask. I haven't been yet, but it first came recommended by Nina of Yet Another Food Blog. Last week, an anonymous poster touted the chewy crust and the buffalo chicken variety.
• Trattoria e Pizzeria da Enrico in King's Contrivance also gets recommended. I thought it was nice, and it certainly makes a great warm-weather night out with an ice cream at Rita's. Thin-crust as noted by the most-detailed poster, who also wrote  "The sauce is tasty, a little sweet with an herby aroma. The cheese is very flavorful, a bit on the salty side. They've got a decent-sized list of toppings but don't offer anything exotic like pineapple. I particularly recommend the sausage, which is crisp slices of a spicy Italian sausage instead of bland lumps of pork."

Is there deep dish anywhere near? The Baltimore Beer Guy talked up Uno's. I haven't had pizza there in years, although my nephew loved making his own pie the last time that we went.

I'm still exploring to find pizza worth driving past a half-dozen strip malls -- places with pizza on the level of the best burgers or best Chinese. Based on comments from prior posts, my next stops look like Chef Paolino's, Bella Mia and Vennari's.

If you're looking for more about local pizza, check out the Howard County reviews from the Pizza Blogger -- and look around that site for reviews and tips on making your own pizza.

This is part of the "What I Learned" series of posts. They're organized in rings. See below to continue on the ring about different cuisines. Or click to switch to the posts about shopping in Howard County or posts about areas and ideas.

PREVIOUS: Indian Restaurants in Howard County
NEXT: Barbeque in Howard County (and Kabobs!)

Indian Restaurants in Howard County

Columbia offers more variety for Indian food lovers than for pretty much any other kind of cuisine.

Mango Grove and House of India are my top two, but the truth is that there are a half-dozen good options for people who like Indian food.

For the traditionalists, you can start with the northern Indian or Pakistani cuisine. These are the naan, the curries and the tandoori chicken offered by the majority of Indian restaurants. House of India in Columbia is my current favorite because it delivers both the basics and unusual dishes like whole fish and a bhel puri appetizer. But both Akbar and Bombay Peacock have their backers, including Mrs. HowChow who loves the kheer (rice pudding) at Akbar. (Update: In 2009, Royal Taj opened on McGaw Road in Columbia (briefly as "India Delight" until it chaged its name), and it serves a terrific lunch buffet -- along with a white tablecloth menu for dinner.)

For southern Indian food, you must try the vegetarian food at Mango Grove in Columbia. The broad menu has the standard vegetarian curries like baigan bartha and palak paneer. But Mango Grove offers the masala dosa of southern India, along with a dozen other of the crepe-like dosas and the rice and lentil pancakes called oothappam. This kitchen also does spectacular specials. Never pass up the jack fruit if it is on the menu. An unripened fruit cooked down to a tender texture and the spicy flavor that can only come from talented chefs.

Next door to Mango Grove is the fusion alternative -- Mirchi Wok. Chinese food has travelled to India and come out new on the other side. Mirchi Wok serves up the standard meat dishes unavailable at the vegetarian restaurant. It also serves up fusion dishes like a rice bowl cooked with chicken and spice. It was almost a jambalaya, almost a biryani. Really something different and a way to excite anyone who has been bored by too many meals of tandoori chicken.

All of these restaurants serve takeout. Except for Bombay Peacock in its commercial development, they're all the classic Howard County shopping center restaurants -- casual, friendly, but not dressy. The most-dramatic is House of India, which dresses up its space on Snowden River to the point that I was shocked to walk inside. Your guests will think they were in a city spot if you just blindfold them and drive them there in the trunk of your car.

For the post about the best restaurants in Howard County, click here.

For all posts about Indian food, click here. For Indian groceries, check out the full list of ethnic groceries or focus on Desi Market in Columbia or Apna Bazar in Laurel.

This is part of the "What I Learned" series of posts. They're organized in rings. See below to continue on the ring about different cuisines. Or click to switch to the posts about shopping in Howard County or posts about areas and ideas.

PREVIOUS: Chinese Restaurants in Howard County

NEXT: Pizza in Howard County

Akbar Restaurant
9400 Snowden River Parkway
Columbia, MD 21045
410-381-3600

NEAR: This is on Snowden River Parkway south of the Home Depot. That is between Rte 175 and Rte 32. It's on the west side, so you need to be southbound to enter the shopping center.

Bombay Peacock Grill
10005 Old Columbia Road
Columbia, MD 21046
410-381-7111

NEAR: This is just south of Rte 32 off Eden Brook Drive. It's actually very easy to reach, although it is tucked into a commercial development without much chance to see it from the road.

House of India
9350 Snowden River Parkway
Columbia, MD 21045
410-381-3844

NEAR: This is on Snowden between the Home Depot and Broken Land Parkway. It's one shopping center closer to the Home Depot than Akbar. If you are coming from Broken Land, you reach both of those centers by passing them on your left and then U-turning on Snowden.

Mango Grove & Mirchi Wok
6365B Dobbin Center
Columbia, MD 21045
410-884-3426
www.themangogrove.com

Near: On Dobbins Road just south of Rte 175. It is in a outbuilding of the Wal-Mart shopping center next to the McDonalds and the Chik-Fil-a.

Chinese Restaurants in Howard County 2009

Columbia is the ideal habitat for mundane takeout Chinese, but a few delicious options have evolved from the mass.

Anonymous shopping centers are the perfect place for anonymous Chinese counters or small restaurants. Most are named "Hunan" something. Most mirror the greasy joint where I discovered fried wantons during middle school. Please post in the comments about the good ones, but the truth is that I don't explore the "Hunan Whats" because I can choose Chinese food -- American-style, authentic Chinese, or boisterous dim sum.  (Update: 2010 update on local Chinese.)

• For the Chinese food that has become traditional in this country, you should start at Jesse Wong's Asian Bistro. This is the place for dumplings, lettuce wraps, hot-and-sour soup, Szechuan green beans, chow fun, basil chicken, General Tso's chicken (renamed for Chef Xu). But the Asean Bistro goes far beyond your normal shopping center fare. First, the restaurant is beautiful, and there is live jazz on weekends. Second, the menu goes far past the Chinese-American staples and serves up excellent seafood, Thai and Malaysian-inspired dishes, and some unusual dishes like the spicy Duke Chicken that Mrs. HowChow and I enjoyed in December. This is a classy-but-casual place that lends itself to large dinners where you can fill a table with interesting food.

• For truly authentic Chinese food, the trendy choice is a drive to Odenton. Grace Garden is a diamond in the rough -- literally. This is a family-run restaurant where chef Chun Keung Li -- formerly of Hunan Manor in Columbia -- serves up authentic Chinese flavors in a Spartan dining room. This is a place for people who want to explore, who want to drive a little extra to enjoy tea-smoked duck, sliced pork belly, steamed whole fish, and fish noodles. Everything is on one of the two menus, and everything is well-described and easy to understand. I savored everything that I tried, and I will drive an extra five minutes for unique dishes, for the expert way that everything was cooked, and for the adventure of something new. Mrs. HowChow enjoyed her meal, but Asean Bistro's food and atmosphere are enough to keep her in HoCo. As I noted in my original post, you should read the blog posts that I collected. If the posts interest you, then you'll love the food.

• (Update: I'm overly proud that you can also get authentic Chinese food off the "formerly secret" menu at Hunan Legend. After this post went up originally, I got a great comment from Wai -- who talked about a Chinese-language menu at Hunan Legend. Wai said that the dishes off that menu were authentic home cooking. Then, she translated the Chinese menu so that anyone can order from the secret dishes. By summer, people were requesting the menu from me, and people like Warthog were flourishing the hand-written translations, ordering Chinese and Malaysian dishes, and really getting to know the owners. Warthog posted on Chowhound about his experience. By fall, the owners trusted Americans enough to offer their own translated version -- typed and available to anyone who asks. Definitely check it out.)

• For dim sum, check out Asian Court on Rte 40 in Ellicott City. They serve a Hong Kong-style dishes from a menu on weekdays and from carts on weekends. Grab a yellow dim sum menu even on weekends so that you can pick favorites and wait for -- or even request - your favorites. Everything from basic shu mai and spicy rice to authentic tripe and chicken feet. Save room for dessert because the coconut jelly and the fried sesame balls were the best dessert that I have ever had in a Chinese restaurant.

And if you can't decide what you want, go to Fortune Star Buffet in Jessup for a little bit of everything. This is an all-you-can-eat exploration. The food doesn't match any of the places above, but you can try a little of everything. I filled several plates with good options, and the best dishes were things that would have been my second choice if I had been ordering from a menu. But check out the comments on my original post because opinons range from "FANTASTIC" to "RUDE! and . . . substandard."

These options ignore one of the places that most locals seem to love -- Hunan Manor in Columbia. I like Hunan Manor, and I carry out from there, recommending dishes like the pickle appetizer, the Chinese broccoli and chicken in Oyster sauce. Honestly, the food is better than Fortune Star. But it remains second to Asean Bistro in my mind because every few times that I explore, I end up with a package of heavy, flavorless food that I don't really love.

Look on Chowhound, and you'll see eloquent posts about Hunan Manor and Hunan Legend and about Gourmet Garden at the Long Reach Village Center. (Every post by ElGringoViejo appears nuanced and based in experience, so I'm going to try Gourmet Garden eventually.) They talk about ordering authentic entrees off the menu, but I had a horrible meal at Hunan Legend where I asked about specials, etc. and got gloppy American-style food. Ironically, that was what sparked my whole Hunan Legend "secret" menu fun.

(Update: I am writing a new Chinese restaurants overview in July 2010.  Please post your comments about Howard County Chinese places there.)

This is part of the upcoming "What I Learned" series of posts. They're organized in rings. See below to continue on the ring about different cuisines. Or click to switch to the posts about shopping in Howard County or posts about areas and ideas.

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NEXT: Indian Restaurants in Howard County

Guide to Howard County Restaurants and Food

Without much planning, HowChow has become a de facto guide to restaurants and food in Howard County. For me, this is an inspiration to check out new places. Much of what I learned has been mentioned before in reviews or blogs or Chowhound, but this is centralized enough that some people stumble on the site and click around to read more.

For several months in 2009, I'm writing a series of thematic posts about "What I Learned," linking back to prior profiles and trying to summarize little things that I have learned. Where is great Chinese food? Where can you find Mexican groceries? The best take-out tacos? The best bread? This builds on the Best Restaurants in Howard County post, which people seem to enjoy.

Help me! Occassionally, I'm asking for advice on the upcoming subjects. I'll even update existing posts to incorporate good advice. Click here to see where you can make suggestions. Or browse through the existing posts in the three planned "rings":

Ring One: What I Learned -- Restaurants

• Chinese Restaurants in Howard County
• Indian Restaurants in Howard County
• Pizza in Howard County
• Barbeque in Howard County (and Kabobs!)
• Burgers in Howard County
• Asian Restaurants in Howard County
• Mexican Restaurants in Howard County
• Coffee Shops in Howard County
  

Ring Two: What I Learned -- Shopping

• Bakeries in Howard County
• Seafood Markets in Howard County
• Vegetable Shopping in Howard County
• Meat Markets in Howard County
• Organic Shopping in Howard County
• Ethnic Shopping in Howard County
• Asian Grocery Stores in Howard County

Ring Three: What I Learned -- Ideas

• Beer in Howard County: The Sudsy Triangle
• Cheese in Howard County
• U.S. 1: The Foodie Frontier
• Why I Want Wegmans in Columbia
• Great Takeout in Howard County
• Ice Cream For A Summer Night