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    Magic Gourd Restaurant

    3.4 (122 reviews)
    ModerateChinese
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    MAGIC GOURD RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Good for kids
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Magic Gourd Restaurant

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    Sesame Chicken

    We enjoyed the Pu Pu Platter with wonton soup and sesame chicken! Very good overall, great service from a local restaurant.

    Dinner before a Yelp elite event!
    Taj M.

    The most impressionable aspect of this place is the prompt no nonsense service! If you are in a hurry or on a schedule. Come in here! This place is moderately busy on a Thursday evening. Glasses of water provided and came back to see if we are ready to order. Which we were. The food came out quick also. The food overall was average. But the price is also average when looking around that area finding a reasonable price location is hard this Chinese food is pretty standard Chinese food. The ambience of this place essentially is made up of locals and college students. Which I particularly liked because I gave it a neighborhood feel. One weird thing was that there was no salt and pepper or soy sauce on any of the tables. The food could use a little extra salt, but kept on forgetting to ask for soy sauce.

    Manhattan cocktail was not served in a tumbler and was difficult to sip.
    Jacob H.

    I went to this place because it was close to the Kennedy Center, and I got my fill of decent Chinese food. I ordered the beef chow fun, which was on par for most Chinese restaurants. They used red onion, which tasted pretty good. My wife ordered shrimp chow mein, and somehow, that turned into a rice dish with shrimp, cabbage, and onions. Flavor was good. As for the drinks, they were a bit overpriced and served without fanfare. The major setback is the decor and lack of air conditioning. I was sweating due to the humidity and heat. Also, the furniture looks like it hasn't been refreshed in a couple weeks of decades. If you're in the area and need a quick bite at a decent price, this will save you some cash. If you have time, look elsewhere.

    General Tso lunch special
    Albert W.

    Walking from the Lincoln Memorial towards my hotel, this place was the closest option available for some lunch not out of a food truck. A bit expensive for Chinese American fast food (12.10 after tax) for lumch specials, it was however prepared well. General Tso was legit spicy but sweet sauce tames it a bit. Rice perfectly cooked. Did not come with soup as advertised (summer afterall), but came with a spring roll (thin skin dim sum type).

    people sitting at tables
    Sarah S.

    We've ususally gone to another convenient place before a show at the Kennedy Center on a Thursday evening. When that was too crowded, Yelp told us this place was close and that we could expect a good meal. This is a huge space with asian decor and chandelliers. The furnishings/carpet are a bit tiered, but it is clean and the service is prompt. We each had Hot and Sour soup. It was tasty. We shared an order of Singapore Rice Noodles. The portion was enough that we were both full. They are not kidding with the "hot" monitor. So, if you don't like spicy, pick something else. I had a Mai Tai, which was a "generous" drink in all senses of the word. The alcohol was noticable and a good size. It was delicious too!

    general tso's bean curd
    Aditi K.

    the food is quite good, nothing specifically to write home about, but hits the spot and is pretty affordable. i really enjoyed the general tso's tofu; i've also had the tofu drunken noodles, which were great as well. i've never dined in here, but takeout is always quick, and the best part is that everyone who works here is so nice. the first time i came in, the lady who owns the place wished me luck on my exams and pointed to other cheap menu items she thought i might like, which was so sweet of her. this is definitely my go to chinese spot in my neighborhood - live love magic gourd!

    a chandelier hanging from the ceiling
    Bob T.

    What a great find! We wanted to grab dinner before a show at the Kennedy Center. Yelp told us this place was close and that we could expect a good meal. As we've come to expect, Yelp was dead on, on all counts. The Hot and Sour soup, my bellwether dish for Chinese restaurants, was delicious. We shared an order of Singapore Rice Noodles, which were very tasty and more than enough for the two of us. Their cocktails were ample, both in overall size and amount of alcohol. The beer was cold. If I had any complaint, it was that the service was a bit too quick. The main course was set on our table while we were still enjoying our soups. Prompt service aside, it's nice to have a reliable place only a few minutes walk from the KC for our upcoming visits.

    Two spicy fish dishes. One simple chili, the other a sort of spicy Kim-chee flavor
    Geoff A.

    Solid choice for Chinese Ambiance: Kind of an odd mix inside - not quite fine dining but definitely way better than any regular Chinese joint. Was fairly empty the night we went Service: Friendly, and happy to help with advice on a few off-menu specialties. Not so informed on their own wine list though. Food: Excellent. We had a couple of Szechuan fish dishes (see photos) not listed which we kept getting warned would be very spicy. They were, but just what we were looking for. Huge portions and unique flavors which were a cut above any regular Chinese dining around town. Price: Very good. I'll be going back, perhaps to try a few of their more better known dishes.

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    5 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Excellent food - long wait. The staff was great and tried their best, but they were clearly short staffed. The food was delicious, though!

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    1 year ago

    Food is very authentic, price is reasonable, owners are kind. Go to place for good Chinese food.

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    3 years ago

    The staff and owners are so nice and helpful! Service is quick, food is delicious. Recommend ordering the boiled dumplings in hot sauce!

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    3 years ago

    Great food and quick service. The staff was super nice and kept our waters full.

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    3 years ago

    Great food, great staff. I recommend getting the boiled dumplings in hot sauce and the spicy green beans!!!

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Magic Gourd Restaurant

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    Chang Chang

    (268 reviews)

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    Absolutely beautiful restaurant, true to Asian heritage which shines through the decor…read more We went early in the day and while our bartender was good, service provided was painfully slow. Hard to believe because there was nobody at the bar for HH but I'm not sure why everything was moving at a snail pace. Aside from that, the food came out in great time! HH-they have a very limited HH drink list and the better options were the HH bites. I'm not sure if that's intentional but we were hoping for more HH drink options. HH drinks: I ordered the only cocktail on the menu, the Golden flower. This drink was very satisfying and light. A perfect mix of gin, pineapple juice, and Montecristo. My boyfriend ordered a beer, Tsingtao. He said that it was tasty and smooth. HH Bites: Pan Fried Pork Dumplings- Absolutely scrumptious but the paired sauce was overpowered by salt. We had to stop using the sauce in order to enjoy the dumplings. Char Siu Bao- Star of the menu! This was SO good! The Bao was soft and sweet in taste while the meat inside packed a surprising taste in each bite. Such a delectable dish. Dan Dan Noodles- the spice on this dish is powerful but the flavors are SO good! I'd rate the spice level a 9, be prepared to chug water after each bite. This dish was spicyyyyy but not the kind of spice which overpowers the food, you could still taste all of the other fresh ingredients added for a bite of culinary balance. I probably won't return for HH but would definitely come back for their weekend brunch and likely dinner. I think both of those times might offer a little better experience and it's clear that they know how to prepare some delicious food so why not return.

    Dear Yelpers, I woke up last Sunday with a craving for dim…read moresum, so I drove into DC to try this place because they offered an unlimited dim sum menu. Overall, I do not think I will be coming back here for dim sum. And they dont have the dim sum ladies that pushes the cart around. To me this place did not give me the real dim sum experience. See my review below. Food: Their unlimited dim sum selection is very tame. They do have some signature plates, but I felt it was lacking in many areas such as veggies, pastries, and other dumplings. The taste overall was just okay. I've honestly had better elsewhere, probably because it was unlimited. It didn't taste fresh, and everything was very greasy. The food came out neither hot nor warm. It was room temperature, which was disappointing. Nothing on their menu really stood out as different for me. Also, you have to ask for sauces and other condiments that are often placed on the table during dim sum service (e.g., chili oil, soy sauce, vinaigrette). Dim sum is part of my upbringing, and the food was definitely catered to Western palates, which contributed to it tasting just okay to me. Price: I believe it was $36 or $38 per person for their unlimited dim sum. We ordered a pot of tea that cost $12, which is insane to me. I do not believe the total price we paid matches the quality of food we received. Service: The service was pretty good. The staff were attentive and checked in throughout our meal. They were quick with our requests for sauces and refills of water and tea. Everyone was very nice, and they cleared finished plates pretty quickly. Ambiance: This place offers a quiet environment for dim sum. It felt light and airy, calm, and without a lot of hustle and bustle. This is very different from the kind of environment I am accustomed to when going out for dim sum. It is usually loud, and everyone is yelling over each other. That, to me, is the real dim sum experience.

    Sichuan Pavilion - Hot & Sour Soup

    Sichuan Pavilion

    (1k reviews)

    $$

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    Fantastic food, wow!…read more Sweet and Sour whole fish is crunchy out and moist tender in. The sauce is divine. Noodles with meat sauce is a must. Wonton soup is spiced perfectly. This is my new favorite Chinese restaurant. Perfection. We will definitely be back.

    Sichuan Pavilion is something of an institution, providing solid Chinese food to dine in or carry…read moreout to generations in Downtown. The challenge of the menu is its size: it includes old school standards that your father may have ordered, yet has some much more interesting and tongue-tingling szechuan options also. So it behooves the diner to take time to read through thr long menu carefully and to order selectively. Service is efficient and special requests are handled with grace, rather than the eye rolling of their peers. We first ordered crispy beef, which wws well executed with the beef shreds still juicy despite their crackle coating. The sauce had a mild bit of chili heat and subtle sweetness, and was generously salted with a medley of julienned veggies. Our second dish was General Tao Chicken, which is more commonly known as General Tso. It was again, a very well executed version of what has become a popular classic, with perfectly coated and fried nuggets of tender chicken breastfeeding in a sweet and spicy sauce served with broccoli and chili peppers. Sichuan Pavilion is very snug, amd something of a "rabbit warren" with a series of rooms connected by tight pathways. Tables can be small, so try to book in advance. Also, some of the best dishes are the more traditional szechuan style, do take the time to ask your server about them and be prepared for some heat.

    Reren - Reren Signature Lamen

    Reren

    (235 reviews)

    $$

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    It was the perfect spot for a quick bite to eat! I got the edamame and the handmade chicken…read moredumplings. Both so delicious! The restaurant itself was really cute and very clean. I definitely recommend coming here if you love dumplings! I'd love to come back and try the soup dumplings.

    After spending the afternoon with my friends in the area, we decided to try this place out for…read moredinner. Everything started out good. We were sat down quickly since it wasnt crowded for a sunday evening. The servers were helpful with the menu. We ordered about 10 minutes into our visit. We ordered appetizers to include Taiwanese popcorn chicken, spicy wontons, and cucumber salad. We also ordered our meals, too. A beef lamen, pork soup dumplings, crab and pork soup dumplings, and I originally wanted the fried chicken curry lamen but he talked me against it due to spice level and I opted for the sake chicken, per his recommendation. The soup dumplings came out abt 15 min later at which I was told that the cucumber salad was sold out and asked if I wanted anything else. I passed since I had ordered the popcorn chicken already. My friend wasnt a fan of her pork soup dumplings and didnt finish them at all. She stated a severe lack of flavor. The crab/pork ones were a hit for the other friend. I cant eat pork nor beef, so I was still sitting and waiting for my popcorn chicken appetizer to hold me off a bit. About another 20 minutes passed then the beef lamen came out for one friend and then an order of the curry lamen. We were confused on if this was our actual order until he realized that he wrote down the wrong dish for me after I explained that he told me to get the sake chicken instead. He apoligized but by this point, I hadnt had food in roughly 6 hours, I was starving and asked to keep the wrong order, please. He refused and said he would get me the correct item because it's just in the back. Keep in mind that the spicy won tons were still missing and so was my popcorn chicken. About 10 minutes later, the spicy won tons finally made it and she enjoyed them more than her pork soup dumplings. Then the other server comes to tell me that there is more cucumber salad. Im not sure how we go from sold out to availability nearly an hour later but I still refused since I was ready for my main entree at this point. The other friend ended up ordering it instead. She said it was good. I didn't try out of frustration of how this experience was unfolding for me. My entree finally came out after another 15 or so minutes, which meant it acrually was NOT sitting in the back and ready. Im exhausted. Im starving. Ive sat here and watched my table eat while my orders were fumbled for some odd reason. The sake chicken was okay. Its really like katsu chicken with a ton of yum yum and eel sauce over a bed of rice. Best way to explain it. I probably would have enjoyed the original curry dish more. About another 10 minutes later, my popcorn chicken arrives, which beyond upset me because I asumed this order wasnt put in at this point. It had been over an hour! I gave it to my friend instead after trying one and not enjoying the flour-heavy taste. I'm not sure if this was an off night or what but I cant say that I will return just from the sheer time it took to get our orders! An hour and half was beyond ridiculous when the place wasnt even full. No one explained the delays nor came to give us updates while we were waiting, either. I gave them a star for the food being half enjoyed by some of my party and another for pricing because it really wasnt expensive, which was a plus. If you have hours to spare and dont arrive hungry, check this place out!

    PLANTA Queen Washington DC - dish

    PLANTA Queen Washington DC

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    I finally had the opportunity to try Planta Queen in Dupont and it did not disappoint. I'm not a…read morevegan, but I was genuinely impressed by the food, ambience and drinks. The atmosphere was lively and welcoming, making it a great spot for dinner. We decided to sample a variety of dishes, and everything was deliciously presented. Drinks: Cherry smoke show and Emperor's old-fashioned. Food: We ordered the bang, bang, broccoli, thousand layer crispy potatoes, beef, and broccoli, spicy tuna roll. Sweet ending: The sticky toffee pudding Moriah, our server was friendly and attentive, adding to the overall experience. Definitely a good time.

    I came back to attend a birthday dinner and it definitely redeemed itself from a couple years ago…read morewhere they didn't have any other other things that I wanted to eat so then I picked something that I ended up not really liking. This time was a little different. I had the red dragon roll and I couldn't quite tell it's vegan and not actual dragon roll of some sort. And then I also tried the thousand layer potatoes, which was nice, but I don't know if I liked it that much. And I got the Unagi eggplant which was really really good. I also really like eggplant at baseline. Other people got the sprig and run drink (it's under free spirits and it's a mocktail) and they loved it. Two of my friends got the udon and mushroom - they loved it (clean bowls). So I enjoyed it but only for special occasions. It's not very affordable to come to Planta regularly you see (or maybe I just need to have a better paying gig hahah) ... a roll and a nigiri plate came out to be over $30 ... which is somewhat typical in the expensive city of DC. In the end, we all concluded Planta Bethesda has more options whereas this one is more Asian fusion type of food (which I love). But I'm still dreaming of that miso salmon tofu from Planta Bethesda (now a year later? Also higher end prices for me and can't afford to go too often). They do only have two bathroom individual stalls and for some reason it took a while for my friends to use the restroom (she said one person was trying on outfits in there?!) and it can get a little messy in there with the trash bin, but it probably isn't consistently so...

    Magic Gourd Restaurant - chinese - Updated May 2026

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