We had an Excellent meal here today #1 meal was cumin lamb Superb food and clean amazing ambiance read more

Yummy food, slower service (waiter dropped food off and didn't come back until we caught their eye to signal for the check). Busy at 7 pm but just a few minute wait. String beans with eggplant (四季豆茄子）didn't have a ton of flavor and the steamed buns (上海生煎包）were basic, but the other three dishes we ordered were very yummy. read more

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We had a great dining experience, and Marcia was wonderful. She was friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the meal. Her service was warm and professional, and she made us feel very welcome. The food was delicious as well. We'll definitely come back. Thank you, Marcia! read more

This restaurant has nice decor for a store front restaurant, lots of wood, nice hanging lighting and high ceilings. I was quickly seated at a booth. There were only 2 or 3 tables occupied at around 1:00 pm, probably because they don't have a lunch menu. I had a hot sour soup and the Spicy Tofu; they were both as spicy as you would expect at an authentic Szechuan restaurant. The tofu was extra firm with a crunchy crust and chewy inside, very nice. I will give it a try at dinner as it has Chef's Specials that are in the $20 - $40 range. read more

Chef Lee's Element - Hot and Sour Soup - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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Was going to go to another Szechuan location, but this popped up on my phone when I was looking at Waze. Saw it was near me so decided to check it out. Overall, very good and quite close to Montgomery Village, MD. It's a smaller place than the the really big Chinese establishments I've been to lately that have private rooms and large dining areas. The dining area here is far more modest, but do have 2-3 round tables for larger families. The ambience is more modern, but feels inviting and is extremely clean. As for the food, it can certainly roll with the big places. I had their hot and sour soup, dandan noodles, and also their wontons in chili oil. The first two were excellent, while the chili oil wasn't as flavorful as I was hoping for the wontons. The wontons, however, were excellent. Maybe it was an off-night for the chili oil. I'll need to revisit and try again. I decided to get the Mapo Tofu as a takeout so I could enjoy it the next day. The next day, I had it for lunch with rice, and the tofu was terrific. It was just spicy enough to satisfy me without me having to add anything. And, even after microwaving it, it stilled tasted great. I didn't feel that the taste or spices got diluted from storing in the refrigerator until the next day. Overall, if you're in the area of Gaithersburg/Montgomery Village, this restaurant is close by and makes terrific Szechuan-style cuisine. read more

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I think this place has improved since the last time I visited. We were passing by and we decided to give this place another try. Some dishes were good, some fell flat, but overall, the experience is better than the last time we were here. Love the updated interior and they have better seating and ambiance. When we were here, there were people in more intimate settings. It works and everyone seems to be doing their own thing. Service could be faster, but the wait staff had to deal with customers and to-go orders at the same time so they were running around a lot. I think it's worth a try. read more

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Great dining experience here. We made a reservation in advance for the party room because we had a large party. They only have one table available with some extra privacy though there are tables in the main area that could have seated all 10 of us too. The party room table is rectangular so a bit harder to share food as opposed to round table in the main dining area. The food was great. The service was fast. Ambiance was nice too ; I think it looked newly renovated. read more

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Great food, good ambiance, service was good too. It did start to get a little busy after we walked in but they were able to handle it. read more

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I only ordered a vegetables dish because I am a vegetarian... Very fresh, very hot cooked to order read more

Chef Lee's Element - Yummy, Wood mushrooms, vegetables have great taste - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

I was in DC for work, and on my last night, my brother and his family took me to their favorite spot. This is their go-to place for out-of-town guests, and I totally get why! We showed up just before 8 PM, got seated right away, and were greeted with a smile. The menu is impressive - tons of variety with proteins, veggies, starches, and flavor combos that make it hard to choose. Everything we ordered was amazing. The Szechuan flavors packed a punch without being overwhelming, and I loved that the menu clearly marked spice levels (super helpful if you're not a fan of too much heat). We went all in and ordered a mix of proteins: conch, frog, pork, chicken, and beef. My top picks? The Sliced Beef & Tripe, Chongqing Spicy Chicken, and the Green Beans with Eggplant. Absolute winners. The portions were massive - we left stuffed and still had plenty of leftovers to take home. Bottom line: great flavors, generous portions, and a fun spot to share with family. Next time I'm in DC, I'm definitely coming back for round two! read more

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Came here for some beef fried rice take out the other night. It was ok... nothing special. The fried rice didn't have any WOK HEI... it just tasted like something I can make at home. The beef portions were generous for the $12 price. But probably not going to be my go to spot for take out fried rice. read more

The food is amazing Having been going to this place many many times! And our server Marcia is responsible and kind!!!! read more

Chef Lee's Element - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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We always have enjoyed our meal here. Maggie and Marsha our waitresses are helpful and pleasant and always give excellent service. This time we had lamb in dry pot and pork with mushroom. We requested spicy for pork with mushroom : chilly and numbing peppercorn. Dishes are extremely tasty. Always walking out feeling satisfied. read more

Chef Lee's Element - Pork with mushroom - spicy and lamb in dry pot. - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

We dined at Chef Lee's Restaurant in Gaithersburg, and it was an amazing experience from start to finish. Highly recommended--you should definitely come and try it! The food was outstanding; everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. The service was truly high-class and made the whole experience even better. Special appreciation to Masha, our server. She was incredibly kind, always smiling, and very attentive to our needs. She made us feel welcome and well taken care of throughout our meal. We will absolutely be coming back again! read more

Chef Lee's Element - @ chef lees restaurant gaithersburg. - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Great menu, and great food but way too pricey. Nice place if you want to eat somewhere unique

We visited at the recommendation of a friend and overall was a good experience. The layout was not something we expected but was a nice modern style that was open with comfortable table and booth settings. Food was tasty overall and portions overall decent. We ordered some of our usual dishes to compare to other restaurants we patronize regularly. Some dishes were fine, but my barometer for the real Sichuan is MaPo Tofu. Just not enough of the numb oily spices and more of a brown flavorful sauce without much zip to it. 7/10 overall. read more

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Very authentic Chinese dishes with great wok hei. Fresh, flavorful, and well balanced. Highly recommend. Marcia is Good service ,Thank you! read more

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Great service and best food！Marcia and Remi helped a lot. I really like the pickle frog. Everything was fresh and flavorful. I would come back to and recommend to others. read more

Chef Lee's Element - lo 什锦捞面/Combination Fried Noodle - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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It's absolutely the top Chinese restaurant in the DMV area. Marcia's service is outstanding, and the shredded potatoes with salted egg yolk are incredibly delicious. highly recommend this restaurant to everyone. read more

Chef Lee's Element - the top Chinese restaurant in the DMV area. Marcia's service is outstanding, and the foods are incredibly delicious. - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

The food is of high quality as always. Been coming here for years. Absolutely love the appetizer sea snail dish! Service is also amazing. Maggie and Marcia are super friendly, helpful and considerate. read more

Chef Lee's Element - 粉皮牛腩煲/Beef Brisket & Bean Noodle Casserole, eggplant - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

If you're not Chinese or if you come with a Chinese partner prepare to be invisible to your waitress. This is not the first time dining here, unfortunately my wife likes this place so I have to grin and bear the invisiblity. Note they will never ask you what YOU want to order. They assume the Chinese at the table did it for you. They will never ask you how the food is, because you don't exist in their mind. But when it comes to pay - da lao ban - zhen de li hai ah! All the buttery comments because you hold the money. The "element" missing in this place is basic human manners. read more

The food was super authentic and delicious! Marcia was excellent serving us tonight! Definitely will recommend all my friends over again. read more

Chef Lee's Element - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Nice environment, great service from Marcia and Maggie, and super delicious food! Will definitely come back. If u want authentic Chinese food, u don't want to miss this one. read more

Chef Lee's Element - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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Top tier food, great atmosphere, the staff are so amazing here especially Marcia and Maggie they're the best! If you're looking for an authentic Asian spot this is it right here! read more

The service is best, the server called Marcia was amazing, so sweet. The food makes me feel like home.

Bought combination fried rice. Has beef, white meat chicken, shrimp. No pork. They gave a second fried rice with xo. Costs 2 dollars more. No clue what xo is. Restaurant is primarily an authentic Chinese restaurant with a few items for those of us who want American style Chinese. For example, they have fried pigs feet. Not a regular item in American style Chinese restaurants. The fried rice was pretty good. A 6.5 out of 10. Most restaurants are 4 to 5. They rely heavily on soy sauce. They have no shrimp egg rolls . Parking is hard unless you have handicapped tags, which I have . read more

Chef Lee's Element - Combination fried rice - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Today our family had an amazing lunch at Chef Lee's Element! Our servers -- Maggie, Marcia, and Janney -- were fantastic: friendly, attentive, and efficient. The dishes came out quickly, and the Sichuan flavors were truly spot-on and authentic. Every dish we tried was delicious. Definitely a place we'd come back to! read more

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Marcia was our server for a seven-people party. She did a great job introducing the signature authentic food. The food was great! Will come again. read more

We are happy customers at Chef Lee's. We've been eating there since before the restaraunt changed hands. The new owners are maintaining the high standard and we recommend the place to many people. This we ordered a spicy duck dish, a lamb and scallions dish, and dry fried green beans. As usual all were delicious, and goodly portions. The meal was enough to satisfy four adults (with soup.) Our server was called Marcia. She was excellent, as are the other servers we have interacted with. The new owners have redecorated and the new seating is particulalry comfortable. Can't fault this restaurant. :) read more

Chef Lee's Element - (left to right) Duck, delicious green beans, lamb with scallions. - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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This is my first time to come to this restaurant. The environment of the restaurant is very good and the dishes are rich. An amiable waiter, Marcia, served us. She recommended a lot of delicious food and signature dishes to us. The dining experience was very pleasant. Marcia's service was very thoughtful. I had a pleasant afternoon. I will definitely come again next time. Five-star praise. read more

Chef Lee's Element - 江北水煮鱼/Sichuan Spicy Boiled Fish 孜然牛肉/Cumin Beef 孜然羊肉/Cumin Lamb 干锅有机花菜/Dry Pot Organic Cauliflower - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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My husband and I went to Chef Lee's Element for dinner after their August renovation, and the place looked great. The place felt cozy with warm wood decor elements, soft lighting, and lantern-style fixtures gave it a relaxed, modern feel. We stuck to the Sichuan specials--Yu Xiang Pork and Minced Pork with Pickled Beans--and both hit the spot: deep flavor with just the right amount of heat. Service was excellent. Our server, Marcia, was friendly, quick with refills, and checked in at the right moments without hovering. All in all, a comfortable space, great food, and thoughtful service. read more

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Service has been off last three times there and customer is sometimes an inconvenience to the staff. Food is good but smaller portions than in the last few months. read more

I'm a huge fan of Mala spice and I chef lees does it really well! There's a large interior and nice booth seating. The staff is really nice but I will say they seem a bit understaffed and you definitely need to call them over if you need anything. The entrees are huge and definitely meant to be shared. Rice is also free of charge here. I'm unsure if it covers multiple bowls but everyone in our party only had one. Spicy cold noodles: a nice cold noodle dish covered in chili oil and smothered in a creamy peanut sauce. Super delicious and definitely recommend Sliced beef organs: this came a bit on the saltier side but was overall really flavorful! More soy sauce and chili oil forward as opposed to numbing spicy. They paired really well with the noodles Signature spicy chicken: this was so good! The chicken was nice and tender and came in small cubes. There was lots of dry chilis and fresh green chilis with it. It instantly numbed my mouth but I wouldn't consider it super spicy at all. Boiled sliced pork: omg the pork was so tender I have no clue how they got it to be so soft and juicy. The portion was huge and It comes with lots of Napa cabbage as well. We definitely didn't get to finish it but took it home for lunch the next day! read more

Chef Lee's Element - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Walked in, and was immediately greeted. Seating was pretty full but I was there for take out. I had some questions and the lady help me answer them and showed me how to order from the kiosk. I ordered egg drop soup, chicken & broccoli and the Yanzhou fried rice. Everything was delicious! read more

Delicious food and generous portions! The environment is newly renovated and very clean. Our server Lily was very patient and friendly. The dishes she recommended were all delicious and worth trying!The staff were super welcoming. I definitely recommend this place! read more

Chef Lee's Element - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Our server was Marcia and she was very kind. We go to Chinese places pretty often, and this is very authentic for Sichuan cuisine. Definitely recommend checking out! read more

Chef Lee's Element - Eggplant with garlic sauce, dry pot fish, 红糖冰粉/Chengdu Brown Sugar Jelly - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

It's my first time here. This is a Sichuan restaurant. The food is delicious and the environment is great. I highly recommend everyone to come here for dinner or gatherings. The service is great. There is a girl named Lily who is very friendly and introduces the dishes. In short, everything is good. read more

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this was my first time trying chef lee's and it did not disappoint! we got takeout, and pickup was fairly quick and easy. it's in a strip mall with a parking lot. there were a good number of patrons eating inside, which we took as a good sign. otherwise it's kind of a no-frills place. the food wasn't clearly labeled so there was a bit of confusion once we got home. we got sesame chicken and they served the sauce separately from the chicken itself which i'd never seen before... kinda nice you can sauce-as-you-like tho. the hunan chicken was definitely spicy! no soup crackers given w the hot and sour soup (sad!). the highlight for me was the shrimp and broccoli. the shrimp were huge, delicious, and perfectly cooked, and the sauce was flavorful. i would definitely come back and order the shrimp again! read more

Chef Lee's Element - shrimp and broccoli - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

I want to thank Maggie and Marcia for recommending and giving us such an amazing experience today! The food and the service is top notch! They have great knowledge on what we liked and even gave recommendations. We got the lamb dry pot and the stirred assorted veggies. The brown sugar jelly was SOOO good! read more

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服务员很nice，特地帮我们告知厨房都做成不辣的，食材非常新鲜，喜欢不辣的菜品也能做的那么出色的餐厅！每次都爱来这家！ 特别感谢Marcia，一直来询问菜品是否和口味，非常开心的体验！ read more

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