100 Very Best Restaurants: #14 – Mama Chang

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About Mama Chang

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cuisines
Chinese
Location(s)
3251 Old Lee Hwy
Fairfax, VA 22030

Peter Chang built a following at his chain of eponymous Chinese restaurants. This newest venture pays culinary tribute to the Chang matriarchs—talented home cooks in their native Hubei, China—and his wife, pastry chef Lisa Chang. (Daughter Lydia manages the business.) Scallion bubble pancakes, mouth-searing hot pots, and other Chang hits are here. But it’s also worth exploring such home-style treasures as a creamy tomato-egg-and-shrimp scramble, green-pepper pickled pork, and sesame shaobing flatbreads. Splurges such as jade noodles with whole lobster are best matched with a glass of wine from the curated list. Moderate.