Five words to keep in mind when eating here: home-style bacon with leeks. Though this chaotic eatery filled with Chinese families has other rave-worthy dishes, this simple stir-fry is a knockout. Close behind are gingery pork dumplings, plump wontons in chili oil, and cumin-dusted flounder. To revel in those plates, get the Chinese menu—it’s translated into English. Otherwise you see a standard lineup of sweet-and-sour shrimp and moo shu pork. Still, Chengdu-style Kung Pao chicken is a world away from—and worlds better than—the usual takeout version
Also good: Dan-dan noodles; sesame balls; stir-fried slivers of pork and dried bean curd; snow-pea leaves with garlic; chicken with ginger and scallions.
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.
