The D.C. are is home to many outstanding Chinese restaurants, but diners willing to travel outside the city limits will be rewarded. Places like Rockville, Falls Church, and Fairfax County boast seriously satisfying Chinese cooking, from fiery Sichuan noodles to savory soup dumplings. And although D.C.’s own Chinatown has only a scattering of Chinese restaurants remaining, the District maintains a few destinations for dim sum, dan dan noodles, and Cantonese barbecue.
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The Essential Chinese Restaurants Around D.C.
Where to order stellar dim sum, dan dan noodles, and more

Shanghai Taste
Shanghai Taste offers arguably the best soup dumplings in the area, with three varieties of the cult favorite (two steamed, and one pan-fried on weekends). It also serves an array of chef’s specials, pork with rice cakes, and more. The Rockville restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, offering call-in orders and curbside pickups.
Bob's Shanghai 66
Soup dumplings are also a favorite at Bob's Shanghai 66, where they’re filled with regular pork or with pork and crab roe. Other Shanghai specialities appear on an extensive menu that ranges from spicy pig ears to sizzling flounder. Bob’s Shanghai offers dine-in, takeout, and third party delivery (on Grubhub or UberEats) for lunch and dinner seven days a week.
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A&J Restaurant (Multiple locations)
Another Rockville mainstay, A&J is known for its noodles, dim sum, and Northwest Chinese food. Both the Maryland location and one in Annandale, Virginia, are open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, with a 9 p.m. closing time. Order contact-free takeout online here. Order delivery via UberEats from the Rockville and Annandale locations.
Joe's Noodle House
Joe's Noodle House has long been a standard bearer for Sichuan cuisine in the area. Spicy dishes like dumplings with red hot sauce, mapo tofu, and homemade bacon with leeks have brought diners in for well over a decade. Want it more incendiary? Just ask. The Rockville restaurant offers food for pickup and dine-in.
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Gourmet Inspirations
The spacious dining room at this Wheaton fixture is regularly filled with customers ordering har gow (shrimp dumplings), rice crepes, and beef chow fun noodles from rolling carts. Customers can also place pickup orders online for lunch or dinner until 8 p.m. six days a week (closed Tuesdays).
Hollywood East Cafe
Founded by Janet Yu in 1996, this Hong Kong-style dim spot in the Westfield Montgomery Mall has been renowned for decades. Hollywood East accepts online orders for takeout and delivery (within a five-mile radius). Indoor dining and patio seating are also available, with dim sum served all day. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
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Northwest Chinese Food
Cumin lamb burgers, spicy potato noodles, and cold skin noodles are among the popular dishes at this College Park restaurant that specializes in dishes from the Shanxi province. It’s open for dine-in, delivery, and takeout for lunch (11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and dinner (5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.) from Wednesday through Sunday.
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Queen’s English
This cozy, well-appointed Cantonese restaurant in Columbia Heights quickly became a destination for chef Henji Cheung’s modern, Hong Kong-style cooking and co-owner Sarah Thompson’s natural wine list. Cheung changes the menu frequently, sending out recent dishes like cumin pork jowl or homemade silken tofu in a fermented black bean. Reserve a spot indoors, at its chef’s counter, or covered dog-friendly patio, with creative wine tastings in the mix.
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Han Palace
Tysons Corner gets a new option for Cantonese dim sum with the opening of Han Palace. Made-to-order dishes rolled around on carts include steamed shrimp dumplings, baked barbecue pork buns, and sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves, along with a variety of crepes, noodle, and rice dishes. For dessert, there’s a deep-fried durian cake. Han Palace is also big on cocktails and Japanese whiskey pours. Chris Zhu, which also runs China Garden in Rockville, added more Han Palaces in Barracks Row and Woodley Park.
Panda Gourmet
This not-so-hidden-anymore gem for Sichuan cooking is inside the Days Inn off of New York Avenue. Dan dan noodles and ma po tofu are sure bets. Panda Gourmet offers online ordering for takeout.
Great Wall Szechuan House
Many D.C. residents turn to Great Wall for their carryout needs, especially when it comes to dishes like dan dan noodles and ma la wontons. Call for pickup at the Logan Circle restaurant, which dine-in for dinner, and delivery is also available via Doordash. Post-pandemic hours remain a little erratic, so call ahead to make sure they’re open.
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Astoria DC
Devin Gong, the bar manager behind trusty H Street NE cocktail bar CopyCat Company, opened this Sichuan restaurant in 2019 and taught himself to work the wok. Peppers imported from Chengdu go into dishes like mapo tofu, water boiled beef, and chili wontons. The basil eggplant is a sleeper hit. Reserve a spot at the bar, in the dining room, or at a small patio out front via Resy. To-go is no longer an option.
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Da Hong Pao Restaurant and Bar
Jerry Chen, the owner of Yum’s II carryout, has been in Logan Circle since 1988. Da Hong Pao, a high-end dim sum parlor, is next-door. Dine in, call in takeout orders for roast pork buns and steamed spare ribs, or get dum sum delivered through Postmates.
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Tiger Fork
This hip, late-night Hong Kong kitchen in Blagden Alley is known for its eggplant mapo tofu, peanut dan dan noodles, and char siu plates with barbecue pork and pickles. Saddle up to its hexagon-shaped bar for cocktails from beverage director Ian Fletcher, who’s known to mix in Chinese medicinal ingredients. Reserve a seat online or place takeout or delivery orders Tuesday through Sunday.
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New Big Wong
People determined to eat Chinese food in Chinatown should descend the steps into this standby to discover a deep selection of consistent Cantonese classics starting at 3 p.m. Heaping plates of dry scallop fried rice are specialties here. Call the restaurant for carryout dinner orders until as late as 3 a.m.
Peter Chang
Peter Chang’s first restaurant is one place fans can reliably find signature dishes from the well-known former Chinese embassy chef, whether it be dry-fried eggplant, bamboo fish, or giant scallion bubble pancakes. Sample the excellent chow fun that often appears on the specials list, or delve into other dishes like the crunchy golden chicken and the homey Grandma’s noodles. The Arlington restaurant offers carryout via phone orders or online orders on its website, with delivery via DoorDash.
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Chiko (Multiple Locations)
This combined effort from lauded chefs Scott Drewno, Danny Lee, and Drew Kim brought fast-casual Chinese and Korean dishes to new heights in D.C. Chiko has branched out from Capitol Hill with newer locations in Dupont Circle, Bethesda, and Shirlington. All offer online ordering for pickup or delivery.
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Hong Kong Palace
Sichuan fare is the focus at this Falls Church mainstay, including fiery twice-cooked pork and expert cumin lamb. Specials on the wall (in Chinese) reveal additional options. The American Chinese may not excite everyone, but the kitchen still churns out a mean General Tso’s chicken. Hours were recently expanded from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily, and the restaurant also offers carryout and delivery within a three-mile radius after 4 p.m. (try DoorDash and UberEats before then).
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Lucky Danger
This Arlington takeout from Tim Ma and Andrew Chiou started as a pandemic-era pop-up meant to honor the immigrant experience of their Taiwanese-American predecessors. The chefs mix family favorites, takeout classics, and fine dining techniques with dishes such as a duck fried rice with tea-smoked breasts and confit leg, orange beef made with real citrus peel, and homemade lo mein noodles. Order pickup or delivery online.
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Mama Chang
Fairfax got an edge with the 2019 opening of Mama Chang. While it’s part of Peter Chang’s mini empire, it offers a special personal touch, including family recipes spearheaded by the women in the family, Lisa and Lydia Chang. Check out the spicy flounder, dry fried cauliflower, and much more. Dine-in or order online for pickup on Mama Chang’s website. The restaurant is also on Postmates, UberEats, and DoorDash for delivery. The Sichuan flavor master planted his first flag in D.C. last fall with the opening of Chang Chang in Dupont.
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Peking Gourmet Inn
This historic Falls Church restaurant, a favorite of President George Bush and visited by countless other American leaders, serves up Peking duck, with leeks from its own farm, in an old-school white tablecloth atmosphere. Diners can round out a meal with dishes like black pepper beef or hefty egg rolls. To find even more duck, check out China Wok in Tysons Corner, where a Peking Gourmet alumnus is cooking up the iconic dish with particularly crispy skin. Call the restaurant for carryout orders.
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Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House
This Old Town restaurant serves up bright “comfort food” bowls with Mixian rice noodles and toppings like braised beef chunks, pulled chicken, fresh vegetables, and braised tea egg. A lengthy menu also includes crispy pork belly steamed buns, garlic butter crab dumplings, and a selectin of “night market-style” barbecue. A weekday bento box features six plates for $25. Order online for takeout or delivery via UberEats.
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