Why go: More than a decade after its debut, this storefront beloved by wine guru Robert Parker remains a standard-bearer of Hong Kong–style Chinese cooking—from the crackling-skinned Peking duck and marvelous lacquered roast pig to a dizzying array of soups, seafood dishes, stir-fries, and esoteric treasures such as sea conch with yellow chives.
What to get: Shrimp-and-pork wonton with brown vinegar and red chili sauces; Peking duck with plum sauce, scallions, and pancakes; salty beef short ribs with chili and garlic; sesame jellyfish; beautifully stir-fried greens such as mustard and watercress with or without tofu; steaming noodle soups.
Best for: A dish-sampling brunch, lunch, or dinner with friends to take advantage of one of the big lazy-Susan tables.
Insider tip: To signal that you want more tea, leave the lid of the teapot open; we like the chrysanthemum tea. If you’re not up for a half-hour wait, avoid peak lunch, dim sum, and dinner hours.
Open daily for lunch and dinner.
See all Cheap Eats 2008 restaurants
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.
