So, I enjoy the dishes I have ordered so far like double cooked pork, chicken hot pot, ribs, string…read morebeans, bok choy w/an exotic mushroom....all superb! But I made the mistake to order the Sichuan shrimp, it was totally disappointing and the shrimp were soft and chewy tasteless as opposed to succulent and firm. I mean very disappointing compared to the other dishes. With that said, I would avoid the seafood dishes perhaps. The double cooked pork is a real winner and very authentic.

My experience was not the best here. This place is located in a small strip mall and has it won…read moreprivate parking lot. They have a huge dining room that has an old vibe. They could really use some modernization and/or renovation. I should have known something was wrong after I got there during peak lunch hours and no one was there. It was completely empty. Needless to say, I did not have the best experience here. Service here was lacking. My server never checked on me, never refilled my water and I had to track her down to get a box and my check. She spent most of the time yelling at people on the phone. They have a huge menu with a wide assortment of classic Chinese food. I ordered the sesame chicken, which came with rice. y food was ready in about 5 minutes. I will get right to the point. It was avergae to below average. I could not even eat it in one sitting and had to take half of it to go. I really did not like the flavor and the chicken just tasted weird to me. There are few places that I will not return for another meal. This is one of them. The service was subpar and the food was bad.

I really enjoyed my experience at Toki Underground!…read more Toke Underground a small bar and restaurant in the H st corridor which seems to be most well known for its ramen offerings. We got there nice and early on a Friday to enjoy the happy hour which is available from 4-6 on weekdays. As a part of happy hour they had several cocktails and small bites for $10 or less. I had the pumpkin spice spritz and an order of the fried chicken bites - both were really really good. I'd order both items again. For awareness, they limit dining in to about an hour and a half - because the restaurant is fairly small, they want folks to make their seats available for other guests pretty quickly. They weren't rude about enforcing this time limit, but they definitely tell you up front and quickly gather your orders/plates to help move you though the meal quickly. This is a nice date spot - it's coziness would make for the perfect ambiance in you're looking to grab a bite with that special someone. Pro tip: Be careful not to walk past it! The signage outside isn't the best, so it's very easy to miss the door completely (as I did).

TLDR: would recommend, decent ramen. Appetizers are great and the drinks are well made. Definitely…read morenot good for a large party size due to restaurant size. Servers are very attentive and come by very often. Must Try: Shrimp Naruto Atmosphere/Setting: very small place with dim lighting. This isn't the place to have your birthday celebration with a Partiful of 20 people. It's moreso catching up with a friend or having a good meal after a long day alone. Food: it's a ramen spot but honestly I've had better ramen but this one is pretty good. I think the appetizers are moreso the star of the show ! Appetizers : Shrimp Naruto (10/10) , Brussels Okonomiyaki (8/10) , Yuzu Rootbeer Wings (6/10) Shrimp Naruto is phenomenal , literally my favorite. I wanted to like to e wings but they were too soft for my liking. If they were fried harder or had a bit more of a crunch I'd rank them higher because the flavor is there. Drinks: both drinks were great !

LOVED the dinner I had at Maketto the other night. I'd heard about this place for years and only…read morenow did I finally stop in while grabbing drinks at another spot on H street. First things first did you know that Maketto has been around for 11 years! That's amazing, especially for a small business. And I fully understand why, because this place is a gem. Maketto is a Cambodian, Taiwanese blend restaurant that is surprisingly open from 9 am- 10 pm most days. I love the vibes, the exposed brick, the food, drinks, and the bartender was super friendly. So my friend was telling me that the restaurant used to be half retail store and half restaurant. I'm sure I would've wanted to come in here just to browse all the time because they're definitely trendy and in tune with the culture. Now to my experience. I tried their fried chicken wings and the lo mein. Both are medium plates and large portions. Between my friend and I we were stuffed at the end of dinner and still took some food to-go. All of their dishes come family style and they are not skimping you with the portions. The food was all fresh and soooo flavorful! Kudos to chef Erik, who also owns/created Providencia up the street. I'm so excited to come back to try more because everything sounds delicious. One little word of advice is to check if the restaurant has a private event booked before heading over. I recently tried to go for an early dinner on a Saturday and there was a wedding getting ready to happen. BRAVOOO Maketto, I will be supporting frequently :)

I liked all of the savoury dishes but most surprised by the noodles - so tasty with the added…read moreflavour alongside the noodles themselves. The brisket also was unique with the buttery tasty. I saw this place was known for their fried chicken, but it wasn't anything amazing to me; worth skipping. I didn't really like the matcha banana tiramisu, not sure about the banana flavour and texture. I did like the mochi beignets!

Really impressed with the variety of textures and attention to detail that was in the Sichuan Beef…read moreNoodle Soup. Without a dedicated restaurant, I'm glad they are delivering a traditional menu inspired by noodle street stalls and flavors you would find in Chengdu. The noodles in the soup may not be from their hand-pulled series, but they were still perfectly cooked and bouncy while being in the hot broth. It was also a good length, so chili oil and broth shouldn't splatter a lot. It is pretty important to consider this when you may have portable eats and there isn't a guaranteed sit-down area in Union Market. The broth was aromatic with spices (of course pepper corn, but a really distinct sweet anise) mixed together with stewed with unctuous cuts of beef. I am happy to see with the combination of lean cuts and tendon. When those things break down, it thickens the broth with collagen which makes it very hardy. Admittedly, this is one of the more expensive side of offerings within Union Market, but in this case, I see why. They are just offering a more complete meal that likely takes hours of prep. If you're looking for something that doesn't feel like a quick hand held snack, this is a place where you can come to Union Market and walk out full. There was a generous portion of bokchoy, and I especially liked the sprinkles of cubed pickled vegetables. It was a nice bite in between the richness of the broth. Also noting that although Sichuan food has existed for quite some time in the U.S., folks are still unfamiliar with the cuisine. Their menu does an exemplary job at explaining the ingredients and flavors you would expect, so its very accessible for new eaters. Its a good entry point to expanding your palette. I read that their restaurant began in 2019, and its very honorable to see that they stuck to their roots and survived through the pandemic. Its good to see a restaurant with this variety of regionally specific ingredients retain its popularity within this new food scene. I would look forward to trying more things on their menu. I'm pretty sure it would be of the same quality from this one I tried, good job!

I stopped in because they offered their titular noodles vegan with tofu. It was an interesting…read moredish, but not large for the price; as others have noted the food hall economy means you're paying more than you would have for takeout without getting any kind of service or even a seat. The flavor was strong, but the rendition was oddly soupy. Even having discarded some extra broth at the end I was still hit with a ton of sodium. I'm rooting for quality Chinese cuisine to become more common in the District, but I wasn't persuaded that this was it.

Food: I tried Gaji Bokum & Dak Jjim. They both were well seasoned and delicious. Dak jjim is a bit…read morespicy. Just a heads up. ;) Service: I received an incorrect order by an accident, and when I went back, they fixed the mistake quickly. Staff were friendly even though I arrived there after their closing hour. Ambiance: there is a bar area, left side when entered the restaurant, and a dining area on the right. Both parts are well spaced out to have a meal comfortably.

I've been to Mandu a few times over the years and I'm sorry to say my most recent visit didn't hit…read morethe mark. I visited on a Friday around 6:30 PM and sat at the bar to catch the end of happy hour (Mon-Sun 5-7 PM). The bar was empty at the time, but a few other people showed up later. The dining room had a handful of tables occupied. In short, easy to get a seat. Drinks were good. I like the Somaek ($6) which is a small beer and a shot of soju. Beer ($7) was beer. We got some beef and pork mandu (dumplings) that were pretty good. 6 pieces for $10 on HH. We got two entrees, the Ddukbokgi ($28) and Yukgaejang ($29), which came with four banchan. Ddukbokgi is chewy rice cakes, gochujang, onion, and bulgogi. We thought it was only ok -- we've had better, including at Mandu in the past. Yukgaejang was a new dish for me. The menu described it as a "spicy beef stew, brisket, noodles, shiitake, bean sprouts, and egg." I expected the brisket to be sliced and recognizably brisket, but it was pulled -- it looked and tasted more like pulled pork. The dish also didn't have any noodles in it. I didn't like it. The banchan was seaweed, bean sprouts, kimchi, and cucumbers. It was okay. Service at the bar was fine.

We dropped by after my wife was in the mood for ramen. I am glad we did. We arrived at 6:00 pm…read moreon a Tuesday before it got crowded. Most of the tables were taken but we were seated right away. We ordered the Edamame and House Smashed Cucumber. The Cucumber had the right amount of tanginess. The Cheng Du Spicy Wonton stood out. The spicy sauce that they came in was an excellent accompaniment. We finished off with the Reren Signature Ramen. It really hit the spot. The ambience is very casual. We were tourists but it seemed a lot of locals were eating there too. We would definitely come again.

We always enjoy our meals at this casual Georgetown spot. Located on the second level, we like…read moregetting a spot towards the front window so we can look out at the action of Georgetown. Service is okay. It is really hit or miss. We have come here over the years and it's not a very local experience. It's definitely more of place where they have local students managing the place. That's fine, but will give you some perspective on the experience. When we come here, we enjoy the dumplings, and edamame. It's a perfectly nice spot. My favorite? Not so much, but glad we have a totally non corporate experience in the DMV area.

I came on Tuesday which I realized is Dim Sum Tuesday where they have discounted items from their…read moredim sum menu! I'll have to try that next time, but this time I got the Ceviche Nikkei, Lucky 12 (4pcs of 3 different types of siu mai), and the Aji de Gallina. My favorite was the ceviche nikkei; it was so refreshing and the tuna was the perfect texture! Out of the three types of siu mai, the siu mai tradicional was my favorite. The pollo siu mai has like a salsa in it that was very unique but not my favorite. The Aji de Gallina was very hearty and comforting. The chicken pieces themselves were fine but the stew was so delicious. The real star of the show was the dessert: ponderaciones de kiwicha! The banana ice cream it comes with was phenomenal, it pairs so well with the cocoa powder! I would come back just for dessert! The ambiance is really nice! Decor is super cute, the light fixtures are really cool! Service was great!

Fun little concept of Chinese and Peruvian fusion food as the name suggests…read more I was eating by myself so I tried passionate fruit juice and the lomo saltado, unfortunately not the Chinese fusion food. The drink and food I'd say is pretty standard. The Lomo Saltado dish, however, I'd say that it's just a bit too salty, and the beef steak is slightly overdone, but only slightly. So I'd still give it a 4/5. Overall, I thought it's a beautiful space and nice dining experience and I'd still recommend it to others, just not on the top of my list.

I've ordered from here several times since I moved to PG county February 2025, but keep forgetting…read moreto make a review and take pictures of what I ordered. I love me some fried rice just like everyone else, but decided to try some lo mein and the combination when came with shrimp, chicken, and beef. I always make it spicy because that how I like it! Just so I have some veggies I ordered a side of edamame. Now the prices are not cheap and I can't say it's only because I ordered from door dash or Grubhub. We know for connivence prices on these sites are more expensive. Maybe one day I'll take a stroll into DC to check out the place. I just hope it doesn't disappoint and makes me not want to order from them again. It was cinco de mayo so the service was very slow over an hour to get our food. But when it finally arrived it was surprisingly still warm enough for me to dig in to check out the flavor. It was some good lo mein not too greasy and has enough of all three proteins. What I wish they would have added more veggies and a tad bit more garlic and spice. But other than that it was a good amount of food. I will definitely order from them again...this time actually go into the restaurant.

One of my favorite Chinese Food places is called Fortune China located in Owings Mills. Naturally…read moreas someone living in the DC Metro I simply can't justify venturing off to Baltimore County for Chinese food. As I hunt for great Chinese I stumbled upon New Big Wong and I gotta say it's up there for best Chinese in DC Metro. I always judge a Chinese food place by their portions and beef and broccoli (my go to dish) but I also tried the dumplings, egg rolls, and crab rangoons. The crab rangoons are huge and while I wish there was a little bit more crab they were a great side dish. The egg rolls wee massive and I enjoyed the fillings, the dumplings were great! Well seasoned. The beef and broccoli was solid. Not better than Fortune China but not terrible! Overall would try this place again.

I really hate to give 1-star reviews, especially when all I want is to support my fellow AAPIs, but…read moreI just did not like the food here at all. Outside of the owner being nice and answering my partner's many questions, I can't find anything else positive to say. We ordered Dan Dan noodles and the 13 spice scallion oil stir fried noodles, and both were disappointing. They were SO salty from the get go and the saltiness just kept building in our mouths as we ate. The noodles were also over cooked and didn't have that chewy QQ texture. I couldn't taste any sesame flavor in the Dan Dan noodles, as it was pretty much just sitting in a bath of oil, and the minced pork was just salty too. Meanwhile, I couldn't taste a single spice in the 13 spice noodles, though I could see the peppers in the dish. Everything just tasted - you guessed it - salty. I also feel like the ratio of meat to noodles was way off LOL it's weird to complain that there was too much meat, but this dish really needed more carbs to balance out the flavor. And these prices are just outrageous. I know it's DC and it's Union Market, but if you're marketing your food as "street food" then it shouldn't cost $15-20 per dish. The shrimp wonton egg noodle soup was so jarring to me at $18.50 - even in San Francisco of all cities, this dish costs no more than $11 at Hong Kong cafes (don't get me started on how it was under $5 when I was a kid). Or at least if it's gonna be expensive, it should taste good too. I'm genuinely sad to leave such a negative review for an up and coming Chinese business. As a native Californian and someone who visited family in Taiwan every summer growing up, I love and have very high expectations for Chinese food, but this just wasn't it for me. I hope that it was an off day, but even so I probably won't be coming back.

Ordered from their place at Union Market. I only got one dish so I don't think this review can…read morereally be considered a full review. If you're trying to decide whether to order from here, check out other reviewers that tried several of their dishes. As for me, I'll have to come back to experience more from this restaurant before truly throwing my weight behind a set rating. What we got: Pork bao bun - 2.5-3* the size was really fun, the overall taste, not so much. The bun on it's own was pretty standard. The meat inside the bun was very disappointing. It was pretty dry and did not have much flavor. The best part of the dish was their dipping sauce, it is amazing! While it can't quite save the sad state of the bao, it did enhance it slightly. I would love to try dipping other items into their dipping sauce to see what else it compliments.