Panda East - Damascus

We were very surprised to find this authentic Chinese restaurant without having to head south toward Rockville as we usually do. It’s located directly off Rt. 27 at the corner of a bland, unassuming strip mall. The exterior is not exactly inviting, but you have to overlook it and get inside. Don’t judge the book by its cover, right? This is a hidden gem. The interior is spacious and clean, decently decorated. There are framed vintage photos on the wall, and a masterpiece calligraphic mural in Chinese which says “Heaven’s way: hard work shall be rewarded.” A great motto for the staff. The menu is really nicely done despite a prominent typo on the cover. It’s hard-bound, with pictures of featured dishes professionally rendered. The selection is vast, ranging from Americanized dishes to Thai curries. But if you’re here for the real [authentic] deal, skip straight to the second-to-the-last page!! Listed there are the classic Chengdu cuisine, their real specialties. On top of the list is C19 – Chengdu Spicy Chicken – a definite must. They use so much dried red chili pepper that the heat permeates through the tender juicy diced chicken. It’s a dish to die for! On the same page we also tried Cumin Beef, we all loved it as well. Other dishes we had on this visit: Pork with Shredded Bean Curd, Tofu with Vegetable, and Fried Rice. They are all good, notably not overly salty. I also love the fact that complimentary rice was provided on a big bowl. With so many appetizing dishes, I never had to worry about running out of rice. Service was superb. Staff were very friendly and polite. We were asked how we liked the dishes, tea was refilled promptly, and even the complimentary rice was refilled without being asked. I later found out that the chef was an award-winning chef back in Sichuan. Now it makes sense why the restaurant name in Chinese has his last name (Xie) on it, must be his trophy nickname. Anyway, that’s all the more reason for me to go back and check out more (Chengdu) dishes! A+

Very good Chinese food. I can’t say enough about how good the food is or how nice they are. You’ve got a loyal customer in me!

This is our family’s favorite Chinese restaurant for a relaxed and delicious dinner. Everything on the menu is fantastic, from their fried rice and noodles to the kung pao chicken (which we received for free as part of a promotion for orders over $50) and their pad Thai. The egg rolls and more are also excellent. When you call to place an order, it’s ready, fresh, and delicious in just 30 minutes. The restaurant is well-run, and the staff is friendly, efficient, and wonderful. Thank you so much, Tasty 68! We will definitely keep coming back!

Check out the reviews regarding the authenticity of this place. While I can't personally judge the authenticity due to my Korean heritage, my two Chinese friends assure me that the food is genuinely representative of its origins (Chengdu style). We ordered more than eight dishes, and everything was outstanding. The crispy beef, crispy chicken, pork with peppers, and beef with peppers were all amazing. Even the General Tso's chicken was impressive—lightly breaded and made with real chicken. I would gladly drive 30 minutes out of my way to come back here.

The MaPo Tofu is the best in the Damascus, Ijamsville, Mt. Airy, New Market, and Urbana areas! It is outstanding! This was my first time ordering from here, and I was very pleased with the service, the prices, and the food!