I would not recommend dining here. Last night, my husband and I had dinner at Chef Yan. Toward the end of our meal, I noticed a white residue on the inside wall of my hot water cup. It was sticky, had a certain thickness, and could be scraped off easily. Since I am 8 months pregnant and cautious about hygiene, I called the waitress over to find out what it was. The waitress took the cup away and returned, saying it had been washed and that the chef and dishwasher claimed it was oil. However, I pointed out that it didn't have the texture, smell, or appearance of oil. My husband and I spent about an hour there trying to figure out what it was; most of the time, they just left us alone and kept us waiting. The manager refused to come because it was late but called to say she understood my concern and asked me to go home and contact her if I experienced any issues. Meanwhile, the waitress was very rude, impatient, and even aggressive, asking if I planned to file a lawsuit or what I wanted to do. On top of this, two of the dishes we ordered had an odd oil smell. The next day, both my husband and I experienced diarrhea. After sharing this experience on rednote in Chinese, within an hour, six other people commented, saying they had encountered dirty tableware or experienced stomach issues, including diarrhea or gastroenteritis, after dining at this restaurant. read more

Chef Yan - Residue on the inside wall of my water cup - Chinese Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

We LOVE Chef Yan's Chinese food. By far our favorite Chinese since China Star closed several years ago. This is always a 5-Star rating from us but tonight it was 4-Stars. The flavors are all varied, which is great. But when you order Soup Dumplings you expect the to be filled with this Chefs wonderful broth. Someone isn't checking quality in the kitchen as 3 of our 5 dumplings were punctured with no broth, so they were pork dumplings not SOUP dumplings. Overall the food is fabulous so we will continue to come back. Overall, great job Chef! Chi Chi read more

Chef Yan - Pork Soup Dumplings punctured so soup ran out of three of the five in our order. - Chinese Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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I ordered to go. I just feel recently their Sichuan food is not so authentic. It is a little bit too sweet, for example the yuxiang pork.

very good experience. I ordered takeout and chef Yan let me try their new spicy appetizer. They were very tasty and good match with rice. The restaurant was very clean, and the take out packaging was also well done. read more

Chef Yan - Perfectly match with rice - Chinese Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

Ambiance: 4/5 The seats width was too big Service: 3.5/5 we needed to call them to refill water Food: 3/5 Braised pork belly, food was in the pool of pork fat. Taste was below average. There was no wow effect. Steam dumplings, the filling was small amount. Skin was too thick. Price was too pricey for being just 5 dumplings: Over all experience: 3.5 read more

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The best Chinese food we ever had in Virginia!! All dishes we ordered are so delicious. We like the beef and the soup most. If you like spicy food, this is a must try Chinese restaurant. Highly recommend! read more

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Great place for authentic sichuan food! Service is great and this place is so comfort to enjoy your food! read more

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Really good Chinese food for sit in, takeout, or delivery. It was my first time eating here, and ate with a party of 7. We were seated at a large table with a lazy susan which was very helpful to eat family style. It's not a fancy place, and they use plastic table cloths but the servers are really kind. Prices aren't bad either so you get good value for a nice dinner! Also not that crowded so we were able to enjoy our food at the table for over an hour and not pressured with a certain time limit. They take credit card! I thoroughly enjoyed the szechuan dishes like the Braised fish, the Hunan shrimp and mapo tofu. The rice is fine, a bit dry but good to eat with the dishes that have generous sauce. read more

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This place used to be known as China Star. We have have our credit card information stolen on multiple occasions here. First with the website when ordering to-go meals. Then, we elected never to pay by the website and to pay only in person at the restaurant for take-out. Then it happened again! This really is a bummer because they have pretty good Chinese food... but they can't be trusted with your credit card. They've permanently lost my business. read more

Great food and service. Highly recommended spicy flavor roasted fish:) They are able to bring the food quickly too! read more

Chef Yan - Really good spicy flavor roasted fish! Highly recommended:) - Chinese Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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The crispy, golden-brown fish was perfectly cooked, fried and seasoned. The staff promptly brought out peanuts and radish appetizers free of charge which is a kind gesture. The portion size is very generous, and the rice was fluffy and delicious. Been coming back for many years and I am still very impressed with the consistent quality of the food at Chef Yan, especially with the new decor, upgraded tables and seats, it feels a very upscale dining experience. Conveniently located next to Fairfax city and woodson high, would highly recommend to anyone looking for a delicious and authentic Sichuan / Szechuan meal. read more

Chef Yan - would highly recommend scallion fish to anyone looking for a delicious and authentic Sichuan / Szechuan meal - Chinese Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

Our server gave us a dish meant for another table. Even though we ate some and there were half bitten pieces, they scooped it from our plates and served it to the other table. Sad but I don't think I can come back again after this read more

Chef Yan's offers some of the best Chinese food in Fairfax The flavors are bold and fresh, and the portions are generous. The service is friendly and attentive, making for a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Highly recommend it to anyone craving delicious Chinese cuisine read more

Really delicious meal - top floor, fantastic service and food in a beautiful setting.All ingredients are fresh.I look forward to coming back and dining in. read more

Chef Yan - Chinese Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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Too bad. China Star is not the same. I wonder when it changed. In the past one month or so, I did carry outs and noticed the difference in some of the Sichuan dishes, that are, cucumbers with mashed garlic and Spicy Wonton. They are not prepared the same way any more. The hand written (in Chinese) special menu on the wall near the entrance door has gone. Dry Hot Pot dishes were my favorite. So sad that I cannot get the very authentic spicy wonton any more. Where did the chef go? I hope you are cooking somewhere in the area and hope I can get to the delicious spicy wonton again. read more

Chef Yan - Take out only. Nov 15, 2020. - Chinese Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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I come here every week.This is the best Chinese restaurant in DMV area.Big portion and wonderful service!Nice and Clean!

I've tried so many chinese restaurants in the local area and most of them are all mediocre and indistinguishable. This one stood out! We ordered kung pao, sesame chicken, chicken fried rice, and shrimp with snow peas and all were tasty, properly seasoned (not overly salted and not overly greasy). Only critique was that sesame chicken tasted more like orange chicken. All signs point to this being our new local chinese restaurant! read more

This is my go to Chinese spot! The Szechuan chilling chicken is the best and so are the spicy beef noodles! The staff is friendly and prompt and the service is always amazing! read more

Delicious food prepared promptly (I like to get the sesame beef, but everything I've tried has been great), comfortable seating, and friendly service from people who genuinely care about the quality of your experience, even remembering your order from one visit to the next; Elena has taken excellent care of us time and again. Dining at Chef Yan is a rare treat, and one I'd recommend wholeheartedly to anyone! read more

I have tried the egg drop soup, steamed dumplings, crispy beef, and the lo mein. This place is what you are looking for in a staple Chinese food place. The egg drop soup is great not that like light colored crap. The steamed dumplings have that plump noodle that is really delicious and the filling is a pretty decent pork mixture with lots of green onion. The crispy beef is pretty good, and their prices are pretty good. Great take out location! read more

Originally called China Star, I don't know if it is under new ownership or just a change in the name, but the menu is similar. Dine-in menu has a few new dishes to include hot-pot. NOTE: The take-out menu has more options, just like the previous restaurant. Updated interior is definitely noticeable. Much cleaner and has a modern feel to it, pleasant when dining in. Modern Hits music was playing in the background, somewhat loud, almost like you were in the club. Food was plenty, and I feel it was reasonably priced. Highly recommend Spicy Szechuan Chili Chicken. read more

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We called at 11:30am to make a reservation of 1pm for 3 people. The person (male) told us it wouldn't be too busy so no need to make any reservation. When we arrived at 1pm, there were two medium tables vacant and the receptionist (femaile) didn't allow us to get seated. There was a party of four people who arrived later than us, but they got immediately seated to one of the those medium tables. Apparently, this restaurant followed the "protocol" very strictly. I will never come back again. read more

Finally stopped in here after years of driving by, and it was not bad at all! It's not the biggest restaurant- pretty cozy and not much in terms of decor. But the food was really solid and the staff was really friendly, especially the one older lady who took our orders and served us. Really recommend the Braised Fish (really good) and Mapo Tofu, and their more American Chinese dishes like Fried Rice and General Tso's Chicken are not bad as well. Prices are pretty affordable so a good value for a nice lunch or dinner! read more

Chef Yan - Mapo Tofu - Chinese Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

Nice. Very close to authentic. This is real Szechuan food and I highly recommend if you're in Fairfax read more

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Not like before. The food is very bad I have ordered two days ago . The meat lots power you don't feel eat meat . read more

Chef Yan - And beef is cut so big . Some very small - Chinese Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

A very nice restaurant, has very good decorations and very clean. It has very good food, and we would probably come again next time.

We ordered garlic eggplant, Dan dan noodles and braised pork belly. The taste of food was okay. However, both my husband and I got diarrhea afterwards. And we have never got food poisoning at same type of food before. Wouldn't come back again. read more

China Star offers authentic Sichuan food in a no frills casual dining experience. The restaurant is clean and uncluttered and usually has tables so no need to reserve. The staff are friendly but very much "fresh off the boat" so I encourage everyone reading my review to remember three rules: 1. They're not stupid. Respect them, even if they can't speak well. Slowly and clearly speak if they don't understand. 2. Keep your requests simple and short. 3. If all else fails you can try Google translate. Just make sure to explain what you're asking. Dishes to try: Fried eggplant Fried pork belly Wontons in hot oil Twice cooked pork Chengdu Spicy Chicken (La zi ji) Lion head meatball I cannot speak to Cantonese/Fujianese specialties that are more familiar to white people takeout but these dishes are amazing. Go with the expectation that they will be best at dishes from Sichuan which are usually oily and spicy. No fountain beverage, cans and bottles. No bar, no liquor, no milk. They require a credit card up front for big orders. read more

Everything is great! The Chinese food is so nice and the environment is also great! Five star definite.

They changed their interior, and the name of the restaurant. I went back after 2 years and their service is amazing. Their food is amazing and I am glad my favorite Chinese restaurant is back! Every time I come here, this place is always full and smells amazing. 10/10 read more

Food tastes really good, one of the best Chinese restaurants in the DMV area. There's both spicy and non spicy food and a variety of options. read more

Chef Yan - Chinese Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

Just had a lunch with family today. The restaurant offers good food, good service and specifically, the environment is quiet and clean.

I work around here, and the lunch combo at Chef Yan is a great deal. The portions are large, very satisfying with rice, and the price is affordable--under $12. It's perfect for a business lunch. read more

Chef Yan - Chinese Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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After three time visit, I decided not to go to that place anymore. I think they added too mush MSG. The food price was also high.

We come to this place frequently. Authentic Sichuan food! Highly recommended! Service is also good.

I would say this is just a standard Chinese restaurant! I'd rate it more like 3.5 because I think people should give this place a chance and curate their own opinions. The hot and sour soup was just standard- I do wish they had more toppings in it. They lacked the stufffff inside the soup. We also got the beef ho fun and that was really yummy!! I would def order this again sometime. I do want to try their Szechuan items in the future but unfortunately my boyfriend likes the very very standard dishes like sesame chicken heh read more

We used to visit this place frequently before it changed names, but our recent experiences have been disappointing. Although we've only ordered takeout on both visits, we had no issues with that in the past. The service is notably slow unless you call in or order ahead. Previously, a lovely woman handled our orders, but now a gentleman seems overwhelmed and disorganized, struggling to manage hosting, takeout, and preparing orders. Our last order was particularly disappointing: there were no fortune cookies, the crispy beef tasted like over-fried sugar with what seemed to be no actual beef, and the ribs were dry. So for now, I think we are done unless there are more reviews about how good this place is again. read more

Worst Hot n Sour I have had so far.... Egg Foo Young wasn't cooked right. It is hard to cook Not right. Gravy is bad as well... read more

Have to down star it after rename, I think the chef must have changed too. Our go to dishes taste different. More American and less authentic. Super bummed as this was one of our favorite Sichuan restaurant. read more

I'm glad there's still the authentic Chinese. The menu seems to have expanded more to the authentic which is good. More things to try!