I originally rated 4 stars, but after tonight, you lost two stars. Hair in my water, on my napkin/utensils, and in my cup. No joke!! Must've gotten hair did today or something. THEN.... you rush me when I'm still eating?!?! Clearing table while I'm still eating, don't bother refilling my water, and just dropping the check?? You know that's extremely rude right?! Don't care how good food may be if your service is shit. This place needs to learn some customer service skills. read more

Outstanding! We went here on Christmas Day because...well...where else are you going to go? The pepper beef hot pot was delicious, and although I'm not usually inclined toward seafood in Chinese restaurants, Full Key had a sampler platter with some of the freshest most artfully prepared seafood I've eaten since being back on the East Coast. My only complaint is that Full Key is a bit far from home, but I suppose I'll just have to lump it and make the trip up to Wheaton. I mean...what else can I do? I live in "not-there-yet-worth" and don't have any intention of trying the ubiquitous chicken-ribs-chinese-seafood joints that populate my 'hood. read more

Very authentic duck, love this place. The service is quick, food is tasty. They do offer frog legs so sometimes the place smells like.. frogs. Lol. read more

Yeahhh, Full Key is just unparalleled in terms of flavor. I've been coming here a few times per month every year since I was about 7. I'm 24 now. A few of my favorites: Seafood Chow Fun is perfect, nicely steamed vegetables and a delectable, delicately tasty gravy. Their roast duck is always delicious, and their soy sauce chicken is amazing. You must try the chicken. You might think "eh it's just chicken", but honestly these little grannies can COOK. The chicken is succulent and marinated in a soy sauce base tjat just gives it juicy flavor throughout. The Baby Clams with Blackbean Sauce is a must. The shrimp wonton soup with egg noodle is my go-to, something I always always order everytime I go. Their snow peas are perfectly sauteed. Seriously, the food here is at a level you can only attain after years and years of cooking lovingly prepared authentic dishes. My ALL TIME FAVORITE is the Deep Fried Squid with Spicy salt. I literally have searched far and wide, and have never found any dish to rival it. The "batter", if you can even call it that, is so light and crisp and always fried to absolute perfection. It's more of a crunchy, salty shell that lightly blankets the squid really. No soggy thick pancake batter here. People complain about the size (hole in the wall), parking and crap, but honestly, for food this good, I'd drive miles (which I do) and walk some for it. As for customer service, the four little old ladies who run it are usually sweet, but they can just as easily be Tiger Grandmas if you're annoying. Don't be rude, but don't be so easily offended either. Just come for the food! read more

Holy yum. The char siu was awesome, as well the shrimp dumpling soup. Excited to return soon. Very quick service. Only bummer was no liquor license, so no beer with dinner. The parking is a pain with people constantly hovering for spots. read more

Not bad, NYC Chinatown quality. Duck is a bit pricy for the quantity, my wife was complaining about them including the duck necks. Congee was great so are the typical wanton noodle soup. Parking was a bit busy, we were lucky to get a spot at this busy strip mall. read more

The food is good, but the waiters and waitresses act weird as a fiddle. They almost never look you in the eyes, they almost never smile. A little friendliness goes a long way. Most well-known here is the roasted pork and duck. The roasted pork is a little greasier and tender than other restaurants have, which I like. Everything else I've had here is very good. The food is always consistently good. Nothing that will blow your mind, but you'll always leave content. read more

Ok, first off, the food is mediocre compared to Oriental East. We found ourselves wandering over there after I had picked up a prescription at CVS which was coincidentally where they are at. I had planned to have Mexican that day but since my son was hungry PLUS it was the day where he got his first paycheck, he decided to treat me to some Chinese. The food was a tad salty for my taste especially the sauce they had poured over the rice. I had the soy chicken with rice. As I said, it was ok but no great shakes. The worst part of the meal was when it came to the bill. Since my son was the one who was paying, I wasn't mindful as I was replying to an email I got from a co-worker when I suddenly heard an obnoxious loud voice directed in my direction saying, "Is there a problem with the service?" The bill was for 35 dollars and my son had put the tip at 2 dollars. He spoke to me as if I was paying the one paying the bill. As I looked up from the email I was composing, I was met with glaring eyes from this OBNOXIOUS manager with Oscar the grouch eyebrows who rudely added that they did not pay their employees and the standard for tipping was always 15% which they were expecting. Normally, I don't pay heed to whether or not a person gives great service to warrant tips anymore because tipping came naturally for me. Apparently it is different for the typical 17 year old kid who isn't used to tipping (as I pay for our food all the time). This "assness" made me realize that indeed tipping has become so over rated that people think they can use it to their advantage even if the service was given was perfunctory and not exceptional. Even to the point that they do not pay their employees wages. Being Chinese myself, I know how most of these people supposedly operate their business. They get in poor relatives or relatives of friends to work for them for cheap, sometimes food, board and lodging, if not for free and sometimes even are not lawfully present in the country and from what he says I assume earns from tips otherwise why work for no wages at a small out of the way Chinese restaurant/carry out? Problem is that the service was standard, she did not go out of her way and just did anything customary of what was required of a restaurant server. There wasn't even small talk. She came and brought out food and dished it out. That's all. Why would a restaurant hire servers or waiters in the first place? It's a good thing that my son would even leave a tip in the first place because if you think of it, she was just doing her job. Nothing more, nothing less. For OSCAR to lay the guilt trip on my son or to me for her not receiving the right amount of tip because she is not being paid is wrong and don't go to the bull of saying don't eat out if you can't tip. This is just your average restaurant. If they don't pay their employees that is their problem. Even if my son left a two dollar tip, who is he to say that he wasn't being contentious with his money? After all it was his first paycheck. I wasn't in a combative mood (lucky for him) and I wanted to see how my son would react. He didn't as he was a nice kid and I just shrugged my shoulders and Oscar left mumbling in Cantonese.. This particular manager who also declined another yelper the simple use of a space in their ref for a cake has gotten too big for his britches given all the stark reviews given by others. Good reviews and good sales does not mean that you have the right to be an ASS. He also is too big to know that fiasco, he has lost a customer but he doesn't care. Otherwise, he would have just let it go. If Seinfeld has a soup Nazi, Oscar is the tip nazi. Never before have I encountered an ass like this. Making customers pay for his unfair labor practices. SMH. For a second I wanted to get back that credit card receipt on the guise of wanting to alter it and then erase the 2 but then I let it go. IF 'tips' are not optional, then they are not tips. Gratuity has two functions: it is thanking another person for being EXCEPTIONALLY attentive to YOU, and it is a recognition of the fact that this type of employment is usually BADLY paid but is still paid. What comes around goes around Oscar. Be thankful I was in a good mood that day, otherwise lun yeung would really have a piece of my mind. The ones that can't be written on here. ^_^ Oriental East. Best place to go to and I'm not a plant mind you. Yelp it. read more

I've been coming here since I was a child and never truly appreciated it until I became a foodie around my teenage years. I used to be forced to come here with my parents as a child and we never go out to eat for anything but Chinese, so it got real old after a while. While now that I am older (definitely) and wiser (I hope...), I love going to this place on my own terms! The restaurant is pretty small - about 3 or 4 booths on two sides of the room (can fit up to 4 people in each) and a bunch of tables in the middle (probably fits a total of 20-25 people in the middle). Anyway, who cares about size? It's all about the food. The wonton noodle soup is out of this world here. The wontons are large and the broth is ridiculously flavorful... And best of all, it's only like $6.95! Quick, cheap, and satisfying meal for two for under $20. WHAT? That's why I have gone twice in the past week ha! The service is very mediocre but I have never been to an authentic Chinese restaurant where the service was great. They're mostly family owned and don't know much about the American standards of service. I think they think that as long as you have food and drink, all is good. So don't expect 5 star service because you won't get it here. And that's okay with me. read more

Had the privilege of dining at Full Key this weekend. I can say without a doubt that this was by far the best dining experience i have ever had in all my years of eating solid food. The restaurant itself had a very similar style to those me and my family enjoyed throughout our travels in Asia. The service was excellence as well and identical to the style you would receive in China. The food was top notch. My family and I sampled roughly 8 items from there menu and it seemed each was better than the last. I have hated clams my whole life. Normally I would not even try them but after much persistence from my beautiful wife I gave them a shot......all i can say is Awesome! The duck was also top notch. My favorite item by far though was the Cod. I could spend all day writing about it and I still could not do it justice... just go there and try it. My 4 and 8yr old kids also enjoyed everything they tasted and can not stop talking about this place. So in summary; delicious food, great atmosphere, friendly service. My families new favorite restaurant. read more

Thanks to MicG for setting up a UYE here. It has been quite a while since my last visit. When I arrived, LesterK and MicG were already in the middle of a full table of entrees. I ordered a couple more entrees to add to the variety.. and also because Lester was giving me the eye for arriving late and I think he already called dibs on everything. In any case, I was graciously permitted to sample some very tasty roast duck and roast pork. The duck had just the right balance of fat and crispiness on it. The roast pork was just as good. The deep fried seafood platter I ordered was a bit on the salty side, but went well with a cold beer. The schezuan pork had a nice complement of vegetables that managed to slow Lester down a little bit. He had to stop chewing to voice his complaint about too much veggies which allowed Mic and I to catch up. Alas, we all ate to our fill and were not kept wanting. This is one of the better Schezuan spot in the DMV and you need to get here early if you want some roast duck, because they tend to go fast. read more

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. This is a Cantonese restaurant, so don't come expecting really spicy food. It's often full (of Chinese people) and they run out of BBQ all the time, so that tells you something. My favorite dish is the congee with the preserved eggs and pork. I also love the BBQ (chicken, pork, and duck). The congee is the best I've had in the area, and I really like the flavor with the preserved egg. If you like food with a lot of umami, then you'll like the congee. If you think it's a little bland, try putting in a little soy sauce. I saw a Chinese friend do that, and I've been doing it ever since. I've also really liked their fried rice, and they're generous with the meat and trimmings. The pepper beef is seriously bland, so don't get that. The BBQ duck is really delicious but it is overpriced. Full Key charges $30 for a whole duck. If you really want duck, go to Peking Gourmet Inn. It's $35, and you get the trimmings, the fanfare (they carve it tableside), and the fine dining environment. You can lessen the pain of the duck price by saving the bones and making broth. You can even make your broth with half duck bones and half chicken bones (say from leftover Peruvian chicken), and that will be really yummy. (I'm a big fan of bone broth, it's like taking turbo charged supplements for very little money). I also gave some to my dogs and they won't leave me alone now, and trust me - they're spoiled. The pork is the best value - $12 a pound, and it's really tasty. The ambiance isn't great, so consider getting takeout. read more

This is probably my favorite restaurant ever. My family comes here so often they know our order, and I'm pretty sure they recognize our voices when we call for take-out (or maybe my Chinese is distinctively terrible). Their shrimp wonton soup is PERFECT. The soup is flavorful (although it may be tad salty for some people) and the wontons have just enough give- chewy, but not too chewy. It's pretty good with noodles too. My favorite dish is the beef and egg over rice. I think there's other variations of this on the menu, except with shrimp, pork, etc. Full Key does this dish better than any restaurant in the area. The beef is so tender and delicious, which is what really sets it apart. They also add scallions, which a lot of restaurants don't do. Other great dishes: -Beef chow fun (it's so good here!! But I don't get it as often because you can still get decent versions of this elsewhere) -Pork and pan fried noodles (I think that's the name- it's crispy noodles with hot sauce poured over it so some of the noodles soften. Again, they do this better than anywhere else) -Fried squid/salt & pepper squid- a pretty typical Chinese dish that's well executed here, although it's not that much better than other restaurants -Duck- not sure what it's called, but it's duck served cold with some clear yellow sauce. I personally don't like duck, but my parents love this here. -The fried rice here is phenomenal. I know, it just fried rice, but I've never had anything like it. I think it's the "young chow" fried rice on the menu, not the combination one. It has shrimp, roasted pork, lettuce, fish/chicken (not sure lol), and it's just wonderful. This is always one of my go-to take out dishes because it reheats especially well. If you're ever looking for great Chinese price at a decent/cheap price, you have to come here!!! I HIGHLY recommend! read more

When I'm in the area, this is one of the Chinese restaurants I very much enjoy! This is what I call, authentic Chinese food.

Th food at this place is simply delicious! I come here all the time, although a 30 mile drive for me since I live in Virginia, but totally worth it. I can't get Chinese food from anywhere else because this place is simply the best. Everything on the menu is delicious. I love me some duck noodle soup, combo fried rice, and salt and pepper squid. My only prayer is that they open a location closer to me so that I don't have to keep burning through gas and tacking on mileage as currently do to get here once a week. But like I said, for the moment, it's totally worth it! Yum! read more

This hidden gem was shown to me by some friends. I think we ate through the whole menu. It moves to the top of the list as my favorite Chinese restaurant in the Baltimore/DC area. All the roasted meets, duck, pork chicken are fantastic. Crispy birds nest noodles are great. In fact there was nothing I had that wasn't great (and I had a lot). Parking can be an issue and so can the restaurants size. Be prepared to wait. Patience it is worth the wait. read more

In at 12:20pm 12:21pm: Walk in and sit: 12:23pm: Grouchy waitress wants our order. We quickly scan and order. 12:27pm: Food on the table. 12:29pm: Grouchy waitress fills the water. 12:45pm: Grouchy waitress wonders why we're not done yet. 12:50pm: We put our utensils down for a break. 12:51pm: Grouchy waitress runs over and asks us if we want to pack. Response: ok 12:53pm: Grouchy waitress brings the packed food and check. 12:54pm: Felt rushed, paid and left. What can I say? Ya just can't factor rating service in any Chinese Restaurant. It's culture. The more rude, the better food. The more nice, something sure ain't right! With that said, my fried noodles WAS DAMN GOOOD!! read more

I have been going here for years. My complaint has always been the old vinyl decor. Actually, they have made significant improvements in the last year. It would be nice if they did change the tables, and replace the hot sauce on the tables with some fresh hot peppers. Having been under the weather recently, I just had some fish ball noodle soup. It is always excellent here and very hot (temperature). They are very generous with the fish balls, and green onions. I would prefer if they had some fresh spinach and bok choy in the soup, but it is excellent. The wheat noodles are the better choice here. I love the specialty dishes here like duck, roast pork, soy chicken, or baby shrimp and egg over rice. The cantonese chicken chow mein, and beef with bitter melon are two of my favorites here. This place is a real bargain for Cantonese food. read more

I mainly come here for the congee (rice gruel/porridge). It's authentic and they have different kinds, mostly involving pork. There is fish, pork with squid and peanuts, pork skin with pork and thousand year old egg, and the menu says minced beef, but it's actually pork if you ask them. I highly recommend the fish or pork and thousand year old egg congee. I don't really dig the pork/pork skin, but that thousand year old egg is good stuff! If you're not into congee, I recommend: Beef chow foon Shrimp and scrambled egg sauce over steaming hot rice Pan fried noodles covered with with brown sauce, meat, veggies duck or chicken from the hanging selection If you like salty stuff, they have wonton soup (I personally don't like this, but I think it's one of their specialties) Again, highly authentic and good food. The service is fine, I never noticed anything bad about it before. read more

If you're looking for Cantonese food and good wonton noodles, this is the place. I'm only going to talk about the noodles, which is the only thing I go there for. The wonton and shuijiao are as good as the ones you get in Hong Kong or SE Asia. The roast pork, roast duck and soy sauce chicken are also amazing. My only complaint is the lack of vegetables, which you can add on with extra cost. Service can be slow and the place does get really crowded, but the waitresses are generally friendly. There is something really touching about seeing an old man devoted to his craft of making good wonton noodles, preparing every bowl that comes out of the kitchen. read more

There's something to be said of a Chinese restaurant where 90% of the customers are usually Chinese. That being said, I love this place. I usually order the same dish when I visit (so much so the young guy who works there knows what I'm going to order). Pan fried noodles w/ seafood and meat, oyster in black bean sauce, and soy sauce chicken. I'm not a huge fan of duck but my friends have raved about their amazing duck. *Shrug* I wouldn't know cuz I haven't tried it. The interior of the place is a bit run down and it's not very spacious inside but I don't go here for ambiance. When I want some good, no fuss cantonese cooking, this is my usual go to place. read more

Heard the roast duck is good here so decided to try it as carry out. Charged about 15 for a half duck. Took the take out Home only to find no rice came with the duck. Was surprised given that whenever I order duck from another place I typically order from I always get rice. As noted by another reviewer I thought this was also mostly bones and also a lot of skin with fat. The sauce was ok but wasn't super impressed overall. read more

I really like it here! =) We ordered the wonton soup with veggies (for an extra $1). The soup was pretty good. A little more bland than other wonton soups I've tasted, but my husband says it's because this place generally uses less MSG. The shrimp/pork dumplings in the soup are delicious. Filled with meat and really tasty =) We also ordered the salt and pepper seafood which consists of shrimp, scallops, and squid - battered with flour and lots of seasonings. It was really good! Probably one of my favorites =). It wasn't too salty and it had a little bit of a kick because they did add some jalopeno peppers on top. And lastly, the roast duck. Maybe i'm just not a huge fan of duck. It wasn't bad at all. I just like the the skin to be crunchy and it wasn't in this case. But my husband says that it's not supposed to be crunchy when it's roast duck so there you go. Bottom line, I will definitely hit up this place again because of my great 1st experience =) YAY! read more

i have been to many chinese restaurants and this has THE BEST LO MEIN I HAVE EVER EATEN! everyone i introduce this restaurant to agrees! the shrimp are always fresh....the noodles are super thin with a great flavor....they even have actuall spring onions in the lo mein....unlike the greasy spoon carry outs you normally get lo mein at! great service and they are quick! read more

Best authentic Hong Kong style around the area! We went a few weeks ago with a large group of 12 and they were nice enough to accommodate us last minute! Best dishes were the Hong Kong style duck. Pork pan fried noodles and short ribs. Staff was very friendly as well as the place was small but cozy. Food was so good me and my husband went right back a few days later. read more

FYI and PSA Paul Key was shut down due to a health department health inspection where they foudn roaches and rat infestation. in August 2009. Due to my former complaint after finding a roach "swimming" in my egg roll sauce. ENJOY! read more

Four words: Roast duck noodle soup. That is all I have ever ordered there and is probably all I will ever get. The duck's skin somehow stays crispy in the hot broth, which is flavored with plenty of scallions. It's up there with pho in terms of Asian comfort food. I come here almost any chance I get, as does most of my family on the East Coast. If you're looking for a good bowl of noodles, try this place! read more

I go out of my way to get the roasted pork from this place. The soups as someone else mentioned, are the best. A deep weekend staff cleaning party would not hurt the place. read more

Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum. Where do I even start. Roast duck noodle soup. Wonton noodle soup. Deep fried spicy tofu. Salt and pepper shrimp with head and tail. Snow pea leaves sauteed with garlic. ...and the list goes on and on..... We've been eating here since I was a little child and for years, this has been my favorite Chinese eatery in the DC area. Try it for yourself! read more

I usually just come here for one thing and it's always great. Hong Kong style noodles with roast duck and Chinese broccoli. It's perfection. Especially on a cold day. Broth is nice and flavorful, noodles have the BEST texture out of any other place around there, and the roast duck is always perfect; the fat is always rendered which is so important. Tip: get a little side plate and mix some soy sauce, red vinegar, and the chili oil to dip the duck in. Hits all of the taste buds. Parking sucks but oh well. You can't win it all. read more

"wonton soup wit da nudu" is awesome lol (wonton soup with the noodles)

I went there last Friday. The food was good but the service was the worst ever! The waitress was rushing us to order even though we told her we need a few more minutes, but she kept staring at us and coming back less than a minute like 3 times! Also the way she talked to us was very rude. When we were done eating, she stared at us again. Even when we were giving tip, she kept her eyes on us like how much we would give her. When we put the tip(cash) at the table, she didn't even wait for us to leave, she came grab it right away. What a rude waitress! If I want Chinese food, I'll eat takeout only. read more

When you come in to this restaurant, everyone stares at you. I have never been to a restaurant where everyone likes to stare at everyone who walks in. I even become one of those staring people once I sit down. The door opens and someone comes in and it's like i'm a kitty cat following a laser light. One of these days I'm going to start scratching the walls since I don't like the wall paper. Anyway, I like the duck egg congee here. It's chock full of delicious broth, yolk and green onions. When I smell it, it is as if a delightfully fragrant duck egg flower that has bloomed all over my bowl. The sour cabbage and squid is good too. The cabbage is crunchy and savory and the entire dish is sour and sweet. I even meowed and licked my plate when I was finished. read more

I won't settle for half key again. I tried this place because of the great reviews it got on here and I'm glad I did. Everything was good. Sort of felt like i was dealing with the soup nazi over the phone, but once i went to pick it up he warmed up to me. read more

This place is just so great, NEVER lets us down. They are open pretty late too. The hubby and I usually get the same thing every time we go. Calm with black bean sauce, egg noodle soup with shrimp dumpling, watercrest with garlic sauce, and the cod with sweet soy sauce. This place has about 10 tables so if you come at dinner time on the weekend be ready to wait. BUT TRUST that it is worth it. WE came, WE ate....WE will be back. read more

I'm a fan of the food...BUT.......Absolutely Can't Go Back: After 3 years of driving past this restaurant, I finally decided to give it a try 3 weeks ago. I loved the roast duck and chicken with scallops and veggies. Then today, I decided that I would go back and try the soy chicken, more duck and salt pepper shrimp. However when I arrived at 11:30 am, the restaurant was empty; but, I was greeted by a nose-picking cook. He was sitting at the booth closest to the restrooms. I kept looking and him to the point of staring in hopes that he would recognize what he was doing and STOP. But to no avail he kept on going then proceeded to wipe his nasal waste under the table of the booth. Then he kept on picking and picking. When the maitre d/owner asked me what I would like, I in-turn asked him if the gentleman at the booth was the cook . The maitre d/owner looked at the (still nose-picking) cook and said "yes...may I take your order". THESE ARE THE SAME COOKS THAT HANDLE THE DUCK and CHICKEN WITHOUT GLOVES!!!!!! At this point, I was not only disgusted by the cooks openly unsanitary behavior but also by the apparent dismissal of the maitre d/owner as though he saw nothing. I simply said "no thank you I have to go". So disappointed, but my conscience will not allow me to ever go back. However, if judging by food only...I give it 4-5 stars. read more

The food is so good. Definitely the best black bean clam dish I have ver had, and I've been to Taiwan and China! I can't wait to try their roast duck and pork next time. They were out by the time we got there. The waitress was kind enough to tell us that we could reserve a duck by calling ahead of time. Great service, delicious food, a definite must have! read more

Top notch Cantonese style Chinese food. As you can see by the vast majority of the reviews (and Washingtonian Cheap Eats review) you cannot go wrong here. Always look at the two white boards in the front of the place, as they note the authentic specials (and in English! unlike some places). Items not to miss - Shrimp and Scallop with Black Pepper, Rice Noodle Singapore, the large Wonton and Shrimp Dumpling soups, Lotus root and vegetables, and any of the roasted and carved meats (careful, the duck and chicken are on bone with some shards). No beer and wine though... read more

A very hungry group wandered in this no name place from out of town to find friendly staff, delicious wonton soup, sweet and sour shrimp, sesame chicken, beef lo mein, and combo fried rice. Everyone at the table agree that this was hands down the best Chinese food in Maryland, so far. I'll eat here everytime I'm in the area now. read more

Full Key is a Cantonese restaurant that has been in the Wheaton for some time. I learned about it from a Cantonese friend. The restaurant is not too big, but it is relatively clean. I was very happy that the waitress correctly conveyed my order to the kitchen given my dietary restrictions. The order came out tasting good and importantly fitting my dietary restrictions. As a vegetarian, sometimes I am disappointed when a dish comes out and has a strong seafood or meet taste because the pan was not washed before cooking the vegetarian dish. But here, I did not have a problem. It seemed that the kitchen understood when I asked for a strict vegetarian dish. Overall, I was satisfied and will come back. read more