Chinese Cuisine Specialist, Beltsville’s ‘Da Rae Won Restaurant

At Da Rae Won Restaurant, a typical serving of handmade noodles for 3-4 people only takes about 3 minutes to cook. In the past, many Chinese restaurants used the method of stirring the noodles in the air to pull them apart, but Da Rae Won Restaurant often pounds the dough on a cutting board to achieve a chewy texture. They would slam and stretch the dough, folding it in half and repeating the process until the dough magically transforms into thin, long noodles. The pulled noodles are thick, white, and uniform in thickness, without the need for baking soda. They are made from a dough that has been pounded until smooth. The freshly stir-fried vegetables and meat are cooked in a hot wok, resulting in a flavorful sauce with a fiery taste. The vegetables taste exceptionally fresh.

Da Rae Won Restaurant’s jjamppong soup also has its unique flavor.

In most Chinese restaurants, jjamppong soup is traditionally made by boiling chicken wings, which makes the soup quite greasy. However, Da Rae Won Restaurant prepares their soup without chicken wings. Instead, they use vegetables like onions and a special broth base.

The Washington Post even praised Da Rae Won Restaurant, saying, “The hand-pulled sujebi noodles and jjamppong soup are truly delicious.”

Da Rae Won Restaurant’s Kkanpunggi (spicy garlic fried chicken) also sets itself apart from traditional Chinese restaurants. The owner, Mr. Kim, stated, “Traditional Kkanpunggi tends to have a strong starchy sauce, resulting in a somewhat slimy taste and appearance. At Da Rae Won Restaurant, we grill the chicken until crispy, creating a unique flavor.” They use a minimal amount of frying batter, so the dish may even appear to have only the meat.

As generations pass, the tastes of customers seeking Chinese cuisine have changed. Mr. Kim mentioned, “In the past, Chinese food was dominated by dishes with lots of grease and spiciness, but nowadays, many customers are concerned about their health.”

Da Rae Won Restaurant has been in operation for over 20 years since its opening in 2002.

Da Rae Won Restaurant has also received coverage in local American media outlets, including Gazette, and has attracted a significant number of non-Korean customers. The ratio of Korean to non-Korean customers is approximately fifty-fifty.

Their handmade dumplings, where both the dough and filling are made from scratch, are also highly popular and receive high customer satisfaction.