Michelle’s Pancake

I just discovered that restaurant name has changed and theres new management! Normally, when they change management, its never as good.
My mom and I were really looking forward to going to Michelle’s last weekend and when we noticed that the sign Michelle’s wasnt there anymore, we got disappointed and were skeptical. We parked and walked up to their window to check out what appeared to look like an updated menu. At that time the sun was out and blaring so they had their shades down, but somehow a waiter spotted us and came out to greet us and handed us a menu eagerly. He informed us that it was still the same-​ish menu, same ingredients, but new name and management. He seemed pretty desperate to get some customers because he was immediately asking for how many were in our party. When we hesitated and said we were unsure and were waiting for some people and needed to ask, he was like oh thats ok, we can totally just seat you guys now. Come in!
Now this place is in the same plaza as another popular vietnamese restaurant. On their side of the parking lot, its pack as usual. At this end of the parking lot. not one car. It was quiet empty and deserted during 7:30 which should be the busiest on a weekend during dinner. My mother took it as a sign as them not doing too well.
Maybe I’ll get the courage to go inside and try it, but as for now eek! methinks not. I almost wanted to give it a lower rating, but I thought it was unfair to since I havent actually tried the new menu even though supposedly its the same stuff. Has anyone else been here since they got new management? I’d like to hear some new reviews.
Michelle’s is now called DaXingXue or something now. New name is super Asian in comparison to the old Michelle’s lol.

Michelle’s Pancake House was really good. Came here for lunch and especially liked the little round pancakes. The service was adequate and the restaurant was clean and nice.

I’ve been here a few times and most things here are average to me. The place is much nicer after the remodel but the service is still the exact same as before.
Recommended:
Jui Cai He Zi
Decent
Beef Roll — Decent but the meat was still cold last time I ordered this. I think 101 still has the best
Beef Noodle soup
Dumplings
Pancakes — Pretty good but I prefer Beijing Pie House
Not Recommended:
Shrimp Fried Rice: we only got 4 shrimp in our order and they barely put any other veggies.

Parking is tough in that plaza, so we parked on the street.
I came here for dinner and tried the following:
— Tomato and egg noodles: Asian-​style spaghetti with some egg and chopped tomatoes. Flavors were a little weak, but overall, a fun dish.
— Vegetable «pancake»: It’s kind of like a pan-​fried dumpling. The inside consisted of glass noodles and crumbly veggie bits. The outside skin was only slightly crispy, but mostly soggy.
Overall, a very middle-​of-​the-​road place — I wasn’t blown away by the food. However, I added a star for free tea, clean remodeled interior (with a window into the kitchen where you can see dumplings in action!), and the service. Waitress was nice enough, and at one point, a chef emerged from the kitchen with two additional vegetable «pancakes» because he said the dish comes with 8 and he only gave us 7. I hadn’t even noticed, but we really appreciated the gesture.
Also appreciated was the fact that nobody tried to bring us forks because a «Westerner» was at the table.
I would likely come back again.

What happened here?!
The first time I tried Michelle’s Pancake (recommended by my good friend Michele), this place was pretty darn good.
Disappointment = Their beef noodle was just sub par. The beef was not tender at all. The broth was incredibly bland.
PLUS = The beef pancake was still good, although I remember them being a bit bigger. Beware, the juices inside will cause a mess the moment you take that first bite. Use plenty of napkins and your company should expect to be squirted at.
PLUS = The LAMB POTSTICKERS are still freaking amazing, but again, much smaller than I remember. This was the only time that I came here and there wasn’t that nice crispy lattice style crust underneath the dumplings. This is probably the one thing thing I have to get every time I eat here. I miss that. I’ve ordered this every time I’ve dined here.

Oddly enough, I would have to say my favorite thing here was their Fish Dumplings. They had a very nice texture to them and were very flavorful. I normally don’t like fish dumplings since I like the pork ones better, but this one was definitely very good.
Service is excellent, but parking can be a pain. It is also a little hard to find since the restaurant is towards the back of the plaza.

This place is a great place for Chinese food and authentic steamed dumplings and fried dumplings. You know they cook it in front of you when you can see the chefs working through the glass mirror!
Their fried dumpling pancakes are so good! You can tell and taste their freshness and that they were just made through the hotness, steam, and delicious flavor of broth that seeps out when you take the first bite! There is broth inside the steamed dumplings and the fried pancakes. They’re so good and delicious and it’s like heaven melted in your mouth!
The pancakes are definately my favorite to eat here!!! I also like their frieddumplings and their steamed dumplings are only secondary to din tai Fung but still very good and enjoyable! The price is pretty cheap for the quality of the food
The restaurant is kept very clean and very nice! Decent furniture and atmosphere! I definately recommend this place!

Still 5 stars… even with the updated menu and remodeled dining room… they haven’t ruined a great thing!
What we had today:
Leeks, Egg, Shrimp Thin bean pancake (A1 on the menu)
Pork, Leeks Pancake (A8 on the menu)
Beef Roll cake (A10 on the menu)
The Pork Leeks Pancake and the Beef Roll Cake were sublime.
Just so you aren’t confused… these «pancakes» and «cakes» aren’t anything you could order at your local IHOP or favorite bakery… these are dumpling-​like or crispy rolled sandwich-​like objects of chinese cuisine… so freshly constructed that the restaurant proudly has a picture window in the dining room so that you can see into the kitchen with the staff busily at work.
If you bite into the Pork Leeks Pancake the wrong way, watch out… you’ll be spraying juice across the table. The safe way to eat it, is to bite into it, never taking your mouth off it and sucking in the flavorful juices until enough juice has been sucked out of it so that it won’t hit your fellow eaters nearby. The pancake is literally bursting with juice… so you have been warned!
No M.S.G. added!
Dip into your own mixture of their own legendary home made garlic sauce, hot oil, and other condiment/​sauces on each table.
Complimentary Kimchi appetizer is super delicious.
Staff is helpful and friendly.
The restaurant is located in a small shopping plaza that also houses Luscious Dumpling and the Hui Tou Xiang Noodles House… so competition is fierce with all of these places serving up superior fare.

So I have been craving for Beef Roll forever and since I was town, I told m parents I want me some beef rolls and pan-​fried potstickers… instead of going to 101 Noodle Express like we usually do when I want some Shanghai/​Taiwanese food… my mom suggest this place because I haven’t been here before and she said she heard it’s good… so I’m like alrighty! don’t mind trying out a new place!
At first, from the looks on the outside it looked like it would be a dinky place but actually it was pretty big on the inside. So this is what we ordered:
Beef Rolls of course!: well sadly it disappointed me in a huge way… it was missing an ingredient! it was missing the cilantro! usually it’s a beef mixture with chopped cilantro tossed in a hoison sauce wrapped in a crispy flaky pancake… but this was missing the cilantro! terrible! I tried it out anyways of course… and sure it’s crispy but it just lacked that one thing and it made a big difference. So I can’t say I like them very much here.
Braised pork noodle soup: it was pretty bland for a soup based type of noodle… the pork was definitely fatty which made it super soft and tender. and I like that they added a load of spinach to it. so it’s not the usual few dinky pieces of veggies.
Pan-​fried potsticker: ugh it was bad… because it wasn’t really potstickers. it was pan-​fried dumplings which there is a difference — if you have eaten enough of this kind of food you would know. they basically just pan-​fried the bottom part of a regular dumpling… the top was wet and soggy. It just wasn’t good to me.
Beef, carrot and onion pancakes: don’t be misled by the «pancake» it’s not really a flat pancake… it’s more like a bun actually… it’s bun filled with meat and veggies… so don’t expect flat pancakes please. I already knew it wasn’t pancakes. cause I have had it before but I notice a lot of people were expecting like american style pancake or something. Well it’s their signature dish… and welll it’s okay… I mean I have had better but it’s at least better than the other 3 dishes we ordered.
Overall this place is eh. it’s okay it’s definitely not better than the places I usually go to but it’s not super terrible that I won’t come here again. They were just okay.

Food was pretty amazing. We got the:
1. Onion Pancakes — Ok I realize that I always preface good restaurants and say the food was amazing/​good/​ridiculous and then tear the first item we ordered. But this one was whatever.
2. Pork/​leek dumplings — So freaking good. The juices just popped out and… yah… really good.
3. Lamb potstickers — Wow, the gaminess of the lamb along with the crunch skin was so awesome. The texture of the meat, along with the crisp of the skin and the hot juice exploding in your mouth…
Just keep in mind these bad boys are juicy. My friend texted me not to squirt while eating here, and I proceeded to bite into my dumpling and launch a jet across the table. Jeff for the win right?

When everyone’s rejecting to taking home the leftovers, you know what’s up.
Beef roll = already prepared beforehand (so it tastes) because it comes out cold, even though it looks as if it were toasted. Would have been a lot tastier if it was served warm, but ended up being dry.
Beef Onion Pancakes = the beef tasted way too gamey and/​or undercooked so it tasted bloody. I almost gagged when I attempted for my 2^nd one. At least, these came out warm. I’d say the only good thing about this dish is the broth inside.
Cold tofu & thousand year egg = no one in the group could stomach this and if you do, be prepared for indigestion for the next 1,000 hrs.
Smoked pork & scallions pancake = the only edible dish of the meal. The pancakes are on the thick side (think beef roll wrap thickness) and came out super greasy and oily. Isn’t this place’s schtick supposed to be all about less oil?
Parking: free parking lot

Came here on a Monday as my favorite dumpling place next door (luscious dumplings) was closed that day. I am so happy I came here as the food and the service both did not disappoint.
The menu focuses mostly on dumpling and pancakes. The Beef noodle soup was pretty good and I loved the Pork/​Onion Pancakes. The food takes time to come so don’t expect rush service. I love that they take credit cards, so you don’t have to worry about having enough cash.
Avoid parking in the lot as most the drivers here are CRAZZZZYYY. I have seen so many cars get dinged. Best thing to do is to park on the street (a block away), there is plenty of free parking and you don’t have to worry about someone scratching your baby when you are busy eating!
Overall, it’s pretty cheap and the food is pretty good. I am glad I now have a place to satisfy my beef noodle craving on Monday!

Homemade noodles and dumplings! And, no MSG!
The waiters were helpful with recommendations and explaining what some of the dishes were.
Enjoyed the texture of the homemade noodles and the dumplings were great as well.
Want to try their pancakes next time!
There’s a parking lot shared with other businesses.

We arrived on a late Friday evening and settled for Michelle’s because Luscious Dumplings was already closed. I’ve been wanting to try Michelle’s Pancake for a while; they are famous for their Chinese pancakes as well as their homemade dumplings and noodles.
[FOOD — 2.5/5]
Their cold plates are taken straight from their fridge and plastic wrap removed as it reaches your table, not a pleasant approach. The jellyfish was cut in odd shaped pieces (not uniform) and overdressed with garlic and other herbs, way too potent!
Their beef noodle soup was very plain and lacked flavor where many Taiwanese places have it down. The beef was stewed well, and the noodles were definitely fresh, but the soup was just warm! (
)
The fried pork and cabbage dumplings were ok, but the presentation was lacking. One side was fried enough, but the other side wasn’t. The sauces on the table made the dumplings taste 10x better!
[SERVICE — 2.5/5]
Like any Chinese restaurant, don’t expect the service to be spectacular or even peppy. It is what it is and you’ll be lucky if you can flag down when you need something.
I probably wouldn’t pick Michelle’s Pancake unless Luscious Dumplings, Vietnam House and all the surrounding restaurants nearby were all closed. That or I would just order take out for dumplings only.

Don’t walk into this restaurant expecting pancakes IHOP style, or you would be in for a surprise. You should walk into this restaurant thinking pan-​fried-​dumplings (or potstickers).
If you are like me, you are probably starving by the time they put a plate on the table, but make sure you don’t pick the «pancake» up immediately and take a big bite, because they serve them hot from the stove, and the juice might burn you.
That’s it. Carry on.

Went this past weekend for our Michelle’s fix and noticed a few changes & tweaks to the food.
Overall the food was even better than usual. Everything was piping hot and cooked perfectly.
Beef Roll — beef was more flavorful than usual and had a little bit more sauce on it.
Beef Noodle Soup — soup had a different flavor and looked different as well. Noodles also weren’t as thick as usual. This was the only dish we didn’t like as much.

Decided to try this place out since our favorite Dumpling place was closed on Monday. I’m glad we did. It was a pleasant surprise.
The beef noodle soup was delicious, as were the pork and onion pancakes. You get a lot of bang for your buck, and they take credit cards as well. The quality of the food was A+. Service was a bit slow, hence the 4 stars. Our pancakes took about 40 minutes to come to our table, but the soup came pretty quick.
One piece of advice, park far away on the street, my car got dinged in the parking lot pretty bad.

Michelle’s closed down for a number of months for renovation. The reveal was so remarkable that the chrysallis/​butterfly analogy actually came to mind. Gone were the spartan formica tables. The new space is twice as large and 10 times nicer with hardwood floors and new wooden tables and chairs.
The original menu still exists, heavily featuring dumplings and pancakes. It also added a variety of entrees and a few set menus. After scrutinizing the set menus, we determined that they would contain a carb overload, with at least 3 types of dumplings and two types of pancakes on top of noodles and everything else.
My favorites are the dumplings with pork, sea cucumber, and a million other unexpected things. They are juicy and moist and really good with the garlicky soy dipping sauce. The pork and pickled cabbage dumplings were just as good on the second try. I also really liked the pork and scallion pancake, served with a Chinese fermented cabbage. The vinegary bite of the cabbage really added the balance to the rolls.

I’m from the DC area and don’t normally get to witness hand-​pulled noodles being made right in front of me. This was a very unique experience. Ironically, what I came here for were not the noodles, but rather their beef roll and smoked, salted pork pancake. Beef rolls are basically braised beef, cilantro, and plum sauce wrapped in a fried scallion pancake. The same pancake is served with the smoked, salted pork, except that is more interactive/​not pre-​rolled. I would recommend you order these two dishes and another bowl of hand-​pulled noodles.
The service here is excellent. Servers are very attentive and the bathroom is probably the cleanest I’ve seen in a Chinese establishment.
I would come back again and again if given the opportunity.

They were already closed when we arrived, however, they were very nice enough to hold 3 orders of our beef roll pancakes until our group got there. Therefore, service wise they were great.
They put a sign outside that they don’t use MSG at all, but I didn’t think that was the reason I wasn’t a fan of their beef roll. It’s too dry in my opinion, they’re skinnier than the other beef roll we had earlier. However, they have plenty of pancakes variation to offer, I probably stop by here again when I’m around the area.