The first thing you see near the front doors is the bank of seafood tanks. In the big dining room you might catch a Chinese wedding party or other celebration—often a banquet that lasts for hours.
Much of Fortune’s menu is devoted to what’s in the tanks: lobster, crab, geoduck (also known as king clam), and sea scallops. There’s also conch, squid, cuttlefish, oyster, clam, abalone, shrimp, and sea cucumber. This last, sautéed with baby Chinese vegetables, is as fascinating as it is rewarding.
Pay attention to anything “salt baked”—a classic Cantonese preparation that Fortune uses for chicken, pork chops, even frog.
Dim sum is served seven days a week from 11 to 3; arriving early is recommended on weekends. But curb the impulse to reach for the first things that come by—the dim sum menu features around 70 items. Three you shouldn’t miss are the salt-baked geoduck, baked sausage bun, and pan-fried turnip cake.
Open daily for lunch and dinner.
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.
