Why go: In a pinch, sure, you can make do with the oily stir-fries and murky saucing of the corner takeout joint. For all other times, there’s this 13-table, Hong Kong–style bandbox, a vivid reminder of how good Chinese cooking can be. The soups, casseroles, and glazed, roasted meats are fresh, authentic, and irresistible.
What to get: Sizzling beef hot pot (the real-deal pepper steak); shrimp-dumpling soup; shrimp and rice drenched in a light egg sauce; deep-fried, five-spiced-spiked pork chops; Cantonese honey-roasted duck and chicken, cleavered into strips and bathed in soy sauce.
Best for: Going with a group and taking advantage of the round tables with lazy Susans.
Insider tip: Don’t count on a cold Tsingtao beer—the place doesn’t have a liquor license.
Open daily for lunch and dinner.
>> See all 2009 Cheap Eats Restaurants here
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
