To be honest, I was not impressed with Peter Chang's when we ordered takeout from the establishment, but this is the Chinese restaurant closest to us, when we were ordering in, this had been the default. However, my opinion changed when my wife and I dined in the restaurant for the first time. It will not be our last. What drove me to dine in was the ambience I observed when I picked up a previous takeout order. It was a really nice place, with neat décor, plenty of seating, and a serving staff that was obviously attentive. This remained my impression when we came here for the first time recently. Contrary to our takeout orders, the food blew us away when it was fresh from the kitchen. Perhaps this was because we ordered different things, or perhaps because what we ordered to-go (e.g., fried eggplant, Szechuan chicken) did not travel well. Whatever the case, but this was some of the best Chinese food we have eaten in a long time. For appetizers we ordered the puffy scallion pancake, which was fun to tear and share, and came with some very nice curry sauce or dipping. We also ordered the pork soup dumplings, which were everything you could want in a soup dumpling - piping hot with a warm, soul-soothing broth inside (but which does not travel particularly well in takeout orders). For our entrees, my wife ordered the duck fried rice. I am not the biggest fan of fried rice, but this was some of the best I ever had. The duck favor was prominent but not overwhelming and the pineapple was the best integrated I have ever experienced in a savory dish. I had leftover for lunch today and it was still quite good. I ordered the fish in chili oil, a bubbling, soupy dish covered in peppers. This was phenomenal, an excellent balance of heat, numbing, and flavor. And there was plenty of fish in the dish, as well. I will be hard pressed not to order this every time we come here in the future. We split the fried green beans (solid - crisp and well spiced), which I ate for breakfast over rice with some of the leftover fish. Again, it was still good. As my previous comments imply, serving sizes are large. read more

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First time eating at Peter Chang's after a friend raved about the food. Previously had ordered delivery and enjoyed the Peking Duck a lot. In person we ordered Mongolian beef, chili fish, cumin lamb, Szechuan chicken, a crispy pork belly dish that I can't remember the exact name, and kids broccoli fried shrimp. Loved everything but especially pleasantly surprised by the crispy pork belly dish. These dishes were way too spicy for me, should have heeded the warning when there are 3 chili symbols on the menu: chili fish, szechuan chicken. read more

Moved to the DMV for half a year and came to this restaurant close to 10x already with family. Food: the food in this place strike a perfect balance for both native Chinese and Western palate. Their highlight dish for us is the fried eggplant which are 10/10 for both me (native) and my family (non-native) and is a must everytime we go. My family is vegetarian and they find a variety of good options to come back time and time again. Service: everyone has been nice and cordial. My family even joke that one of the waitress is so friendly that she's like a "mom". Ambience: this is not a upscale Michellin vibe nor a hole-in-the-wall. It's somewhere in the middle and is spacious and well-maintained. Perfect for a restaurant of this genre. I can't believe my eyes when I see this restaurant only got 3.6/5 on Yelp, and feel the need to share our love for this place. We believe this place is easily in the 4.5-5 range. It's definitely not Michellin or Michellin-like, but is definitely an affordable "daily driver" restaurant, with delicious food, that you can come several times a month. read more

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Was pleasantly surprised! The restaurant is located in a shopping mall where and by no means will you have to ponder whether the food is good or not. It is...HELLALICIOUS!!! I came here with a fellow coworker for lunch. We decided to order several dishes to share and not one dish was a disappointment. We ordered Shrimp and scallops dish with deseeded green beans, and red peppers ---EXCELLENT! A Fish Pot stew dish that was sooo good, flavorful, spicy and loaded with white fish and veggies in a broth to die for! --- STAR DISH OF THE VISIT! Chicken Lettuce Wraps ---GOOD & STANDARD SALT & Pepper Pork Choprs --DOUBLE THUMBS UP! Everything was delicious, fresh and superbly cooked. The small plates and some of the mains are also nothing to scoff at....portion wise as well. You definitely won't be leaving here still hungry. This being sort of a 'celebrity chef' chain restaurant, I did not expect much at all. But, I must say I was impressed and recommend this restaurant for sure. It definitely won't have tourist appeal, since only locals dine here... but if you're anywhere near the area, I would not overlook it! 5 Stars across the board!! read more

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Ordered takeout and all of the food was ready on time when I arrived. I got the chicken fried rice and pork lo mein. I really enjoyed the flavor of the pork. At first I thought it was definitely a bit more on the pricey side but the portions were HUGE! so it was definitely worth it. I got 5 solid meals out of two dishes read more

Peter Chang - Chicken fried rice and pork lo mein - Szechuan Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I got takeout here and it was ready quickly. While there are a number of Peter Chang restaurants, they all have slightly different menus and ordering from them is all slightly different. Notably, this one made it clear that getting rice would be an extra charge. Which I'm fine with. At least I got my rice by checking the right box. The menu could be a little bit clearer for special dietary concerns but if you look around, you can figure out that they have a solid vegetarian variety. I ended up with a mouthwatering stirfry tofu dish with a sort of basic garlic brown sauce that is hard to resist, plus a variety of vegetables that I was able to eliminate broccoli from by checking in other box and which worked well. I made multiple meals out of it by adding some springy noodles with a chili sauce, as well as a shredded tofu salad, and some dumplings. Overall, it costs a little bit more than the lower end Chinese places, but the result is worthwhile. read more

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Peter Chang's was some of the best Chinese food I have ever had. The portions are large and the pricing isn't outrageous. Service is great. Our waitress was very attentive. The ambiance is nice. Lots of tables and space. We went on a Sunday night. I had a reservation, but there were plenty of open booths. read more

Peter Chang - Seafood Fried Rice - Szechuan Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I like the tapas concept that allows you to try multiple different dishes. We ordered the Cucumber Salad, Tofu Skin Roll, Mongolian Beef, Kung Pao Chicken, Twice Cooked Pork, and Soup dumplings. The Cucumber Salad appetizer was fresh and crunchy, the Mongolian beef and Kung Pao chicken came out hot and were both super flavorful. I don't really recommend the Twice Cooked Pork as the sauce was a bit goopy and lacked flavor, and the Soup Dumplings were decent but I don't think they were worth the price- $9 for 3. The interior was nicely decorated, clean, and spacious with a lot of seating. I came on a Wednesday evening and the restaurant was surprisingly full, but the service was still good. I hope to be back to try more items. read more

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I'm on a mission to try as many Peter Chang restaurants as possible and this most recent trip brings me to their Arlington, VA location. I was in the area and decided to stop in for some carry-out to enjoy for lunch the next day. The restaurant is very nice, clean, and modern. All Peter Chang joints are nicely decorated and kept up nicely, not like the typical "ethnic" restaurant with poor hygiene and care, this one was just as clean and nice as the others I've visited. Placing my to-go order was quick and easy with the host. He said it would take about 10 minutes for the food to be prepared, but it really took only 5 and it came out piping hot and packed for the trip home. The food when I heated it up the next day was EXCELLENT!!! So flavorful and tasty! I actually ordered beef lo mien with jalapeños, which tasted great and wasn't too spicy, but had a nice flavor to it... definitely something I'll be ordering in the future! I also got their chicken with Szechuan peppers and that was incredibly flavorful!! Overall - Another excellent Peter Chang restaurant that must be visited! read more

Peter Chang - Beef Lo Mien with Jalapeño added - Szechuan Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Serving sizes are BIG, and they don't skimp you on takeout either. The fried rice was yummy! The sesame noodles weren't what I was used to (not really saucey or peanutty), so I didn't really care for those. The king pao chicken we got level 3 spicy and they actually made it spicy!! I'm so used to Chinese food never being spicy, but they know how to bring the heat here! We ordered takeout so it was quick and easy to place it online! Solid Chinese food, excited to try other menu items read more

Peter Chang - Beef fried rice, sesame noodles, kung pao chicken - Szechuan Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Peter Chang is your iconic, small town Chinese restaurant with big flavor and decent service. I enjoy the spicy Szechuan dishes with the numbing peppers. I have dined here a couple of times and had a number of dishes, including the spicy chicken, beef, and fish. The double cooked pork includes a delightful, mild savory flavor this is worth a try. What is great is you have standard Cantonese American offerings that most diners can enjoy. This is great for both hardcore Chinese food aficionados and casual diners alike. read more

Peter Chang catered for a recent event that we had, and, honestly, I was a little apprehensive, as my experience with PC restaurants were more of a miss than a hit. We ordered: +Veggie Dumplings - filled with tofu, cabbage, carrots, wood ear mushrooms, and sesame oil; these come steamed +Pork Dumplings - comes steamed +Wuhan Sesame Noodles - supposedly a signature favorite; tossed with Chinese pickles; didn't really see or taste any pickles, but the sesame/peanut-buttery flavor was strong, and it had a nice kick; would need to consume right away, as it does become a bit dry and gummy +Kung Pao Chicken - chicken breast cubes in a vinegary-spicy-soy infused sauce, with raw whole peanuts, served on the side +Sweet & Sour Chicken - wasn't really a fan of this, as this was a bit more on the bland side +steamed rice Out of all the items, I did like the Wuhan Sesame Noodles the best. Service was friendly, and ordering was a breeze. +Wuhan Sesame Noodles +friendly service read more

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Delicious! Beef tenderloin with Thai peppers and onions with brown rice. Came out on hot plate sizzling. Sauce was tasty and rice soaked it up nicely. Not sure why rated 3 stars...food was delicious and service attentive. Nice atmoshphere for stripmall location. Ill b back read more

The DMV doesn't have great Chinese food compared to other states, and while the food was fine I found Peter Chang to be extremely greasy and slow. It's slightly more upscale than takeout Chinese. read more

Although the ambience is fine and the service good, It's unfortunate that the quality of the food has suffered. On our last visit, we ordered several items from the menu. Most were quite average in flavor. Of particular disappointment was the Peking Duck. It was a bit overcooked and lacked freshness. Not sure if a future visit is in our plans. read more

Authentic Chinese food with smaller portions. Highly recommend the tofu skin salad and sweet and sour pork ribs. Mapo tofu, lion's head, and dry hot sesame noodles were average, but I was very satisfied nonetheless. Warm interior with extremely quick service. read more

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Every December, I book a get‑together dinner with friends at Peter Chang's. It's been a bit of a tradition for us, and one I've always looked forward to. The food has consistently been good, and while the service can be hit or miss depending on which server you get, it's generally been a reliable spot for a nice evening out. Tonight, December 19th, I learned something that genuinely surprised me: the menu has changed, and now you have to pay for rice. I understand that the economy is tough and prices everywhere are going up. Their food quality is still good, and I get that restaurants need to adjust. But what really threw me was the charge for rice. In all my years of going to Asian restaurants, I've never been charged separately for a simple cup of rice. Some people might say I'm being petty, and maybe I am. But if you're already raising menu prices, charging extra for rice feels unnecessary. It's a small thing, but it's also something that leaves an impression. I've been to plenty of other Chinese restaurants that are just as good as Peter Chang's, and they don't nickel‑and‑dime customers on basics. I know this one complaint won't matter much in the grand scheme of things, but I do think that if you want people to keep coming back--especially long‑time customers--a cup of rice should be included. The food is still good, but the experience doesn't feel quite the same without the old menu and the little touches that used to set this place apart. read more

This was not as good as our first Peter Chang experience in Williamsburg, VA, but still very good. The big difference was we couldn't find the original golden mountain beef that we had ordered that time that was so good! This was still very good though and a good value. The portions are so big that you might just order one "small plate" to share with 2 people, and each order your own rice to put the small plate dish's food on. Overall, quick and friendly service, and good food for a good value. read more

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Thoroughly enjoyed the experience at Peter Chang and eagerly awaiting the next time I return. Having been to a number of his restaurants in the past and enjoying takeout from this location, I wanted to experience dine-in at the Arlington (really Falls Church) location and visited yesterday with a group of friends for an early dinner. Located in a pleasant strip mall, we were quickly sat and placed our order. We got the Dry Fried Eggplant, Chicken in Hot Numbing Sauce, and the Cumin Lamb for our meal; rice must be ordered separately. Since there were only a couple of other tables waiting for food, or meal came pretty quickly and did not disappoint in the least. The Eggplant, my personal favorite dish, was crispy and crunchy, the perfect contrast to the chicken and lamb items. The lamb was excellently cooked and the cumin flavor was really special. The chicken was also a hit, as were the variety of vegetables that it was cooked alongside. For the main dishes, be aware that they are numbing spicy; we didn't struggle too much but those who are unused to the sensation should opt for a two chili pepper rated dish before graduating to a three chili pepper one. We specifically came for these Szechuan options and every dish was excellent. Split between 3 people, the bill including tip came out to something close to $30, which we all felt was very reasonable for a meal this filling and tasty. This was one of the best restaurant experiences I've had in the DMV this year and probably my favorite Chinese restaurant in the area. If you're looking for Szechuan food, this is the place to visit. read more

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Very delicious food. Pretty good service and great ambiance. We did go on a Sunday night when it was pretty slow as I know it can get pretty busy. The puff pastry appetizer was the highlight for us. read more

Peter Chang - Szechuan Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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After experiencing the sharp decline in quality at the Peter Chang restaurant on 19th Street in DC, I was a tad anxious when I realized that the place my Thai-Chinese brother-in-law had chosen for a meal in Arlington was yet another one of the growing Chang chain in the DC area. But tonight's dinner was pretty good. We began with a soup, the Fish Soup with Pickled Cabbage, which was excellent, and a set of appetizers: the pork soup dumplings (just OK, mine had already opened and spilled its soup when I grabbed it; beef shank salad, and wonderful Grandmother's Noodles. Main dishes of of stir-fried pea shoots and handtorn cabbage rounded out my meal; others were happy with the basil eggplant and beef chow fun that were ordered, but I did not get any. I was out off by the fact that tea could only be ordered by the individual cup. I was mollified somewhat by the fact that the cups could be refilled with hot water (with the same tea bag) but the downside is that the heat in the tea water dissipated quickly in the wide cup, and I prefer to drink my tea always hot. All in all a good meal at the reasonable $30 per person price including tax but not tip read more

Since writing one of the first reviews for this restaurant years ago, I've been back countless times, and have visited many of Peter Chang's newer restaurants in the area. There's no doubt Peter Chang suffered from some consistency problems as he tried to expand too quickly, but he is an outstanding chef, and he's finally figured out the operations end of things, and after a renovation and menu "clean up" last year, this original Arlington location is in top form and remains my favorite of his restaurants. Please take the mixed reviews with a grain of salt. People can be idiots. It pains me to look around this restaurant and see table after table ordering Lo Mein, Fried Rice, Bang Bang Shrimp, and spring rolls -- all Americanized items Chang added to the menu to satisfy the myriad requests from takeout diners who think every Chinese restaurant menu is the same. Don't be that guy. Order the chef's specialties. Get a soak in Chang's amazing hot and numbing sauce. Get shredded tofu skin salad. Get a beautiful braised fish dish. Get dry fried eggplant. If you don't order what the chef is known for, you have nobody to blame but yourself. read more

Peter Chang - Excellent Szechuan Hot Pot (Vegetarian). Lots of ma la flavor. - Szechuan Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Second visit just as good. Somewhere between American-Chinese and authentic Sichuan. I'm wondering if white-people tastebuds are so used to Panda Express, they don't know what good Chinese actually tastes like. #notsorry The half duck is fairly decent! It is cut into nice strips, which make for easy pancake building. Pancakes are nice and thin, nicely steamed. Don't bother going to Peking Gourmet. Their star has long since faded. read more

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Quick service and the food was good, remember the serving are small but order everything at once. The brunch price was on point. You get to try a lot without over ordering. Parking is very limited read more

Peter Chang makes some of the best, most authentic food in the area. This is much more of a sit down place than some other restaurants, but is worth it to enjoy old favorites and try new dishes. For those that also like spice, you won't be disappointed. read more

Crispy fried eggplants (with chili) is delicious and unique Cucumber salad is good though creamy (not like traditional Chinese style cucumber salad) Three-cup chicken is not quite Taiwanese style but good Salt / pepper prawn is chunky (and generous portion) with spices We got takeout from their own website which worked well (there's the convenient option of paying at the restaurant). Food was ready and well packaged when we arrived (and prepared fast). read more

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Ordered takeout here twice now. Both times we thought it was overpriced and mediocre. Never been to a Chinese restaurant where rice wasn't included. Won't be back. read more

It used to be better. We loved going to this restaurant- it is our "go-to" for delicious Chinese food. This time, we tried their AYCE dimsum. The food tasted salty. Not sure if it was just our timing. Overall, it was still a good experience, service was great- they were very attentive & made suggestions. read more

Five of us went for dinner on Friday night. The place was not packed, and we were seated quickly. The waitress was curt, but not rude. We had a few dishes, and some rice. They forgot to bring the rice. When we reminded the maitre d', he was quite rude. We have been to Peter Chang quite a few times, although it has been a while. This left a bad taste in our mouth, and we're probably not going back. The food was fine by the way. They have changed the menu fairly significantly since we last went. read more

Great quality takeout , generous portions , vegan vegetarian options , duck eggrolls are welcome change to the average restaurant eggroll read more

Very disappointed by the food when we went yesterday. They have changed the menu recently, and a lot of favorites are no longer there. Also, they moved one of our prior favorites, Golden Mountain Chicken, to being a small plate only. In any event, we ordered the grandma's noodles, golden mountain chicken, fried eggplant, and a seafood and tofu hotpot. The grandma noodles were probably the best of the dishes we ordered, though, the noodles were over cooked and not that nice Al dente bite that they usually have. The golden mountain chicken was over cooked and, unlike in previous outings, it seemed like there was no chicken, just bites of fried strings of breading. It may have been that the chicken was there but so over cooked and dry we couldn't taste it (or see it when we broke it open to look). The eggplant in the past has been a combination of delicious savory fried strips of eggplant that were not oily and seasoned well. This time the eggplant was dripping in oil and way overseasoned. The hot pot was terrible. It is now made with swai fish, which we found to be mushy and tasteless (the fish in Hong Kong Palace's fish and bean curd with spicy sauce is infinitely better) - we each had one bite and that was it. The sauce was a gelatinous mostly tasteless mess. It also is not served in a hot pot (like we expected based on the name and our previous experience with other hot pot dishes). Would never order again. (I read online that swai is a cheaper alternative to other flaky white fishes, but given that this dish cost $28, I think they should go for a better quality fish). They also now charge for rice, but that was also over cooked and mushy. Overall, a really bad (and pretty expensive) lunch. We were very disappointed and probably won't return. Too bad as this used to be a family favorite. read more

Peter Chang - Seafood & Tofu Hot Pot - Szechuan Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

This is a solid experience and frankly, I'm surprised that this place is so mediocrely rated. The grandma noodles are my favorite szechuan style chili oil noodles. The perfect numbing, the perfect crunch from cilantro, and the perfect bite from Al dente noodles. Bang bang shrimp and golden mountain chicken, a little too sweet but exactly what I wanted! I'd order one or the other to be honest but not have them together. A bit redundant. Veggie lo mein is not something I go for but had to check as "the control experiment" and it did NOT disappoint. Well done. The least enticing of all the dishes were the steamed pork dumplings. A bit lackluster and basic with a sauce too salty. Maybe next time I'll try them fried. read more

Peter Chang - Szechuan Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

My first visit to one of Peter Chang's restaurants was a big disappointment. Of the four entrees we tried, only one (a chicken with some sweet red sauce) was tasty. My River Crossing Fish sounded interesting, but somehow it managed to be very bland and a bit spicy at the same time. The service was fast, but except for one busser the servers seemed like automatons. Ours kept rushing away before we could ask a question. She also told us that "everything" could be made gluten free, when on questioning she meant they could just leave soy sauce out of everything (since they didn't offer GF soy sauce anyway, I guess). The decor was warehouse-like - just a big room with tables and small booths. read more

All dishes were good and the numbing spices were not overwhelming and all the spices blended so perfectly with all the dishes. It was shocking to me that rice didn't naturally came with the dishes we had to order rice separately nor do we get a teapot of tea but a cup. read more

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What a gem! I'm so happy to finally have come here. I came on Lunar New Year with reservations and the restaurant was definitely busy but service was still great. I came with one other person and for $88 (so lucky!) we were able to eat far more than our fill and had delicious leftovers to take home. Some favorites of mine are the scallion pancakes with curry sauce and the sweet and sour chicken. The fish in chili oil was delicious too! I absolutely loved it and can't wait to be back. read more

Peter Chang - Scallion Bubble Pancake - Szechuan Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Went here with my boyfriend for the lunch AYCE dim sum and it was amazing!!! We had about 10-12 dishes. Stand outs were the soup dumplings, cold noodle, sweet and sour ribs ( these were my favorite). Scallion bubble pancake that came with a curry sauce and the hot and sour soup and the cucumber salad!! We 100% plan on coming back and trying even more from the AYCE menu. Service was fast and friendly our waitress was lovely. The restaurant was modern and clean. read more

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The reputation is well deserved. Some of the best Chinese food in the region! My meal was Spring Rolls, Wonton Soup, and Cumin Lamb. All were delicious! The service was superior as well. Overall, a great option. read more

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Looking for quick bite before an appointment. Staff is very friendly and excellent service. There was a slight mixup with my order which was quickly resolved. The spring rolls were excellent and very tasty Bang Bang Shrimp. This a very popular place with families. Nice comfortable seating and good for groups. read more

Peter Chang - Szechuan Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I absolutely loved the sesame noodles. The beef in the beef chow fun wasn't amazing, but the noodles were great. Overall I was pretty happy at dinnertime that night. read more

Peter Chang - Beef chow fun! The noodles were tasty, the beef was ok. - Szechuan Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Solid Szechuan cuisine! I've wanted to come here for a while because of the famous chef who opened this space! We came here and it was not too busy, but there were a lot of to-go orders ready for pickup. We ordered Szechuan Dan Dan Noodles and Dry-Fried Eggplant, and those were delicious! The Dry-Fried eggplant were like fries lol, and the dan dan noodles had the flavor I was looking for with the nutty sesame as well as the szechuan spice. read more

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