Hollywood East Cafe

Most of the best Chinese food in the area can be found in Wheaton, and a fair amount of that best can be found at this curiously named restaurant, which has quietly attracted legions of followers with its unabashedly un-Americanized cooking. The menu is longer than some phone books, and the specials board typically features a raft of dishes not likely to turn up anywhere else—anchovies, anyone? Those whose senses have become dulled by a stream of gloppy takeout generally welcome the adventure (crunchy, garlicky shrimp with their heads intact, slabs of crispy pig on top of rice, 10 or so casseroles) but even for the more timid there is a lot to choose from, including one of the best won-ton soups around (with dim-sum-like cellophane-noodle dumplings) and a juicy, savory Peking duck, available in either whole or half-portions. Add to that the fact that the place stays open until 1 a.m. on weeknights, 2 a.m. on weekends, and you have the makings of a mainstay in your eating-out repertoire.
—Todd Kliman, July 20, 2004