Famed Chinese chef Peter Chang just opened a high-profile restaurant, Chang Chang, his first in the District. But there’s another new Chang venture in Fairfax flying under the radar with a semi-secretive name: Lu Wei Peter Zhang, which quietly opened in September (thanks to Tyler Cowen’s guide for tipping us off).
The fast-casual venture is a separate operation for Chang and business partners; daughter and business partner Lydia Chang nor chef Pichet Ong is not involved like at Peter Chang, Q by Peter Chang, and NiHao.
Like the “Chang-Out” part of Chang Chang, the Fairfax restaurant is designed mostly for takeout with ordering via tablets and only a handful of tables. The concise menu includes traditional dishes like salt-and-pepper pork feet, marinated beef tendon with pancakes for wrapping, and hot pots with assorted meats. “Lu wei” nods to dishes that are braised in liquid and spices. The menu is largely made up of stir-frys, noodles, soups, hot pots, and cold marinated meats and tofu. Don’t expect a lot of the famed Changian twists, though cumin lamb makes an appearance in shank form, and there’s kung pao tofu for vegetarians.
Lu Wei Peter Zhang. 10728 Fairfax Blvd., Fairfax.
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.
