Some of DC’s best Chinese food is in a . . . Days Inn? In fact, the oddball locale has become part of the charm for Szechuan heat-seekers. Fish filet with silky tofu hides under a cover of chilies and numbing peppercorns, while bright chili oil punctuates dumplings and dan-dannoodles. But spice isn’t the only trick in the kitchen. The Chinese beef “burger” is enlivened with cumin that you’ll smell before it even hits the table. Also good: Pita soaked in lamb soup; cold wood-ear mushrooms; cold steamed noodles with sesame sauce.
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.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
