Monday, March 8, 2010

New Kam Fong, Wheaton

After hearing much hype about New Kam Fong in Wheaton, we decided to check it out with some friends on Friday night. The decor definitely lived up to the reviews: bright, large dining room with various poultry hanging in a glass display case by the bar. We had to wait about 10 minutes for our table; not bad at all for a weekend evening at 7:30. The service was quick and friendly. The alcohol selection was subpar but not unusual for a Chinese dive. A couple white wine options (both chardonnay), a couple red wine options, 4-5 beers, and no liquor as far as I could tell. At least they had Tsing Tao!

We ordered crabmeat fried wontons, wontons in hot oil sauce, and pan-fried vegetable dumplings to start. The crabmeat wontons were tasty but overloaded with cream cheese to the point that I barely tasted crab. The wontons in hot oil sauce were highly recommended in reviews but were underwhelming in flavor. The shrimp pieces were large and fresh, the wonton wrapper was perfectly textured, but the "hot" oil sauce was bland. I was expecting something spicier considering the title of the dish and the fact that it had a pepper icon next to it. The vegetable dumplings, however, were excellent. The dough was nice and doughy but not too much so. The filling had actual, visible, vegetables in it unlike the pureed mush I often find in veggie dumplings.

For our meals, we all shared Buddha's Chow Foon (sauteed wide noodles with mixed veggies and tofu), Buddha's Delight Boneless Duck, Lamb with Bean Curd Skin Casserole, and a chicken with crispy noodle dish, the name of which I can't remember. One of the diners is allergic to shrimp if you were curious why we ordered two "Buddha's" dishes. No shrimp in those bad boys. The chow foon was flavorful, if not a little slimy for my liking. The boneless duck was severely lacking in duck; there may have been 7 or 8 bite-size pieces in the entire thing. The lamb was served piping hot in a cast-iron pot. I enjoyed the combination of spices, but not everyone did. There were also little pieces of bone swimming in the sauce that were impossible to find until you bit down on them. We liked the crispiness of the noodles in the last dish, but that's about all I enjoyed in it.

The portions were great, especially considering how inexpensive everything was. The couple we dined with took home the leftovers which amounted to at least half of what we were served. They planned on reviving the food at home with a healthy dose of sriracha.

I want to trust the good reviews I've heard so I will give New Kam Fong a second chance, but my first impression was that the dishes were super oily with a lack of overall flavor and substance. Perhaps I don't know what "good Cantonese food" is, but if this is it I'm not sure that I want to eat it! Sorry to all those that love this place! Please suggest dishes I should try next time!

New Kam Fong
2400 University Blvd.
Wheaton, MD 20902
301-933-6388

2 comments:

  1. Bummer! You've read my reviews so you know what I've tried. I'd suggest trying other casseroles, veggie dishes (fried eggplant was awesome), and go with people who eat shrimp, because supposedly they specialize in seafood. Definitely give them another chance!

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  2. I definitely will, thank you!

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