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Chen's Gourmet Restaurant

3.5 (77 reviews)
InexpensiveChinese
Closed • 4:00 pm - 9:30 PM

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H11. Kung Pao Tofu Dinner
Sophie C.

This is the most bland Chinese food we've ever had, unfortunately. Ordered Kung Pao tofu and General Tso tofu...both somehow "watered down" and lacking flavor. Kung Pao didn't have any spicy ness at all! Do not recommend! $15 for an entree like this is ridiculous.

Spinach and Bean Curd Soup
Maya B.

Although I have yet to experience the full array of options (including a fake meat option for pretty much every standard Chinese restaurant dish--very exciting for someone who does not eat meat!), what I have tried is great. The General Tso's vegi (fake) chicken ($12.50 dinner) is definitely one of the best faux-meat dishes I've ever had and might fool even the most savvy carnivore. Con: not as spicy as I would've hoped. The veggie prawns, however, are not quite as convincing as the faux meat...If you eat shrimp, avoid them (they remind me of gelatin). If you are a veg-head, give em' a shot! That being said, the Vietnam spicy shrimp and broccoli with basil and jalapenos ($10.50 dinner) offered just the kick I was looking for! Pro: it was packed with large shrimp (unlike a lot of Chinese takeout that tends to disappoint once one realizes there really were only three shrimp in the whole container). My favorite so far: the spinach and bean curd soup (and yes, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it)! It is uncomplicated, comforting, and chalked full of spinach and thin slices of tofu in a mild yet tasty clear broth. Absolute perfection and great if you're fighting a cold. It gets better: it's only $2.50 for a pretty decent container! The portions are large and cheap (about $6.50-8 for lunch and $8.50-12 for dinner) Another upside: despite being a carryout spot, they actually have several tables inside and a nice, but still small, raised outdoor seating area that is actually quite cute.

A little outside seating!
Quenton B.

Not bad at all...I told them I wanted a lot of green veggies and chicken with spicey sauce. The chicken tastes real and they did all of this for $7.75 including tax with a bottled water! nice

Szechuan eggplant and steamed dumplings
Vivian R.

Whenever I try a Chinese restaurant for the first time I order the same set of anchor dishes to test if I'll return: braised eggplant, Szechuan string beans, and vegetables with tofu. I enjoyed everything I ordered from Chen's, and will be back to try more of the menu. Dishes were flavorful but not overly sauced; some dishes use more oil than others but it was all appropriate for the style of cooking. I was especially excited to see an extensive vegetarian menu including mock meat options - I usually have to go to Rockville for this! I ordered for pick up and my food was packaged nicely and right on time, piping hot still when I returned home. The restaurant space is small, just a few tables inside and outside that would seat 2-3 people. The woman I picked up my food from was very sweet and noticed that I was new to the restaurant, which was a lovely personal touch. Food 4, Service 4, Ambiance 3

Would not recommend the Pad Thai
Rich T.

I am granting Chen's three stars solely due to one dish: their Pad Thai. Now I am no connoisseur of Pad Thai but the mediocrity of this dish was heavily apparent. Heavily. The noodles were dry and generally flavorless. I needed an ample dosage of Sriracha just to make them edible. What is more, the noodles had a strong fish flavor, implying they put a little too much fish sauce in their Pad Thai recipe. This comment may be out of left field but their kitchen also looked abhorrently dirty. I nearly lost my appetite from one glance inside of the kitchen. I am not sure whether or not I will come back to Chen's but I know one thing for sure: do not get their Pad Thai.

Singapore noodles

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11 days ago

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2 years ago

Have never eaten in this place but ordered many times and have been happy with order and quantity.

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6 years ago

Food smelled off and tasted even worse. One star for adhering to social distancing guidelines.

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13 years ago

I am not loving my take out chicken pad thai. It lacks flavor and yet the fish sauce tastes too fishy. Not sure I would try them again.

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12 years ago

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Ask the Community - Chen's Gourmet Restaurant

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Peter Chang - Pork Soup Dumplings

Peter Chang

3.6(671 reviews)
2.8 mi
•$$

Okay, I have to update my previous review. While I do still think the food is overall good, it is…read morequite strange that they use habenero peppers for a lot of the spice. The flavor profile doesn't quite work. Still, I do like the food as an easy filler. I recommend getting a fried rice with two 'small plates' which will be more than enough for two. Or... you will have to choose a single dish with a couple sides of rice.

Not sure what is going on here. Both the front and back of the house have dulled…read more This almost seems like déjà vu at this Peter Chang. We have gone through times where everything works well and others where the experience is as crisp as a soup sandwich. I clearly ordered a starter and stated I wanted the two entrées to arrive after that. The starter (crispy pork belly) and an entrée seafood pan fried noodles (entrée 1) were brought together. A little irritating but for the price point not end of the world,even though we purposefully pair these two entrées together for their contrast of heat to balance out the course. We finish the pork belly and seafood pan fried noodles and wait. Then we have to followup and ask where is our second entrée (stir fried chili beef). It had clearly been waiting in the kitchen. It was barely warm. PLUS there was NOTHING hot about the stir-fried chili beef. Something was clearly janky in the kitchen because we have had this dish before at this restaurant and liked it for the spice. My toothpaste had more spice than the dish we were served. The restaurant was not busy and was staffed well. I could see both in the kitchen and saw plenty of front of the house staff, so I can't give a pass for that. My recommendation is stay away for a while and HOPE things get sorted. If you do go, we had a starter, two etnrées, two white rice, a glass of wine, and a beer. Total price with 15% tip was $116. When (if) service and cooking improve, it could be a good value. I'm hoping....

Photos
Peter Chang - Interior with cool artwork

Interior with cool artwork

Peter Chang - Pork fried rice

Pork fried rice

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Tiger Dumplings - D15. Chicken Shiitake Pot Sticker

Tiger Dumplings

4.3(575 reviews)
2.7 mi•Clarendon
•$$$

I was in town for an expo! Tried out this place! The plates are well served. 2 can eat of an…read moreentree. Depends on how hungry you are. But it did not disappoint. Very fulfilling. Place is beautiful and clean. Waitress was really cool her name was Bella Ordered the kung pao plate

I've had Tiger Dumplings bookmarked for over two years, so I was happy that an opportunity…read morepresented itself to finally check this restaurant off my "want to go" list. A friend who is a novice to this type of cuisine, was interested in sampling a variety of Asian style dumplings, and this place definitely fits that description. The spot can get busy during the prime time 6-8pm dining segment, so I'd recommend making reservations to guarantee seating. Located in the heart of Arlington at the intersection of Wilson and Clarendon Blvd, parking can be a challenge but if you're willing to walk, there is usually availability in the surrounding neighborhoods. The interior is beautifully decorated. Tile flooring is complimented by blonde hardwood ceiling and wall accent pieces, while bamboo lighting fixtures provide soft illumination. The menu is rather extensive and runs the gamut from soup based, fried, and steamed dumplings. There are also appetizers such as scallion pancakes, tofu with perserved duck eggs, and dim sum ...but we decided to stick with the more traditional style steamed dumplings. A pot of hot jasmine tea arrived to share and we appreciated the refills of hot water through out the meal. Pork soup dumplings - or xiaolongbao (XLB) - arrived first and I provided a brief primer as to how to enjoy this dish. XLB are delicate steamed dumplings filled with seasoned pork and a rich, savory broth that bursts with flavor when you take a bite. My recommendation was to nibble off a corner, and then allow the contained broth to drain into the soup spoon. If you bite directly into the dumpling first, it will likely make a big mess as soup squirts everywhere. We agreed that the pork broth was extremely flavorful and not too salty. I also suggested making a dipping sauce of the black vinegar, chili oil, and just a tiny splash of soy sauce. Dipping the XLB into the sauce amped up the spice and enhanced the flavor. The other two dumplings arrived a few minutes later. Of the two, the chicken and shitake was preferred. Seasoned chicken and earthy shiitake mushrooms are mixed and then steamed to bring out an umami-rich flavor. This was quite good. I grew up eating this type of pork/cabbage dumpling, so while it was solid, to me, it was quite "boring." The pork dumplings needed the dipping sauce for sure. Service was fine. Dirty plates were removed when appropriate while water glasses and the tea pot refilled when necessary. My only observation, and not a complaint, is that I can understand why some reviews say this place is "expensive." I don't necessarily concur with that assessment since I think the food is quality. However, paying $11-$15 for a plate of 5-8 dumplings can add up quickly. Still, for a restaurant where a diner can try a variety of different dumplings in one spot, I think the prices are reasonable. Dinner for two adults - a pot of tea and three entrees - with tax and tip came to about $61.

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Tiger Dumplings - T03. Coconut Mini Sago

T03. Coconut Mini Sago

Tiger Dumplings - Chili Oil Peanut Noodles

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Chen's Gourmet Restaurant - chinese - Updated November 2026

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