The 18 best Chinese restaurants in Washington, D.C.

Fans of Bob's are legion in the D.C. area; this Rockville, Md., spot is always bustling, so factor in a wait. We promise the lines are worth the payoff. Hope for a seat near the open kitchen where a flurry of chefs hand-wrap your shu mai and dumplings. Speaking of dumplings, you really can’t go wrong with any variation of them on the menu, especially the soup variety. Pierce the skin with your teeth, suck out the juice and finish the rest in one gulp. Repeat.

Time Out tip: Bob’s is cash-only and always busy, so use the wait time to find an ATM.

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Calculate the number of dumplings you’re craving and multiply it by three. That’s the number that you should order at A&J, where they don’t skimp on the dumpling meat and sauce. This strip mall gem began in Taiwan in the 1970s and has since expanded to a small chain of restaurants in Virginia, Maryland and California. The noodles are made in-house, and you’d be a fool (or a vegetarian) to avoid the spicy noodle beef soup. It’s prepared Szechuan-style, made with plenty of the mouth-numbing pepper of the same name.

Time Out tip: Head to A&J on a weekend morning for brunch. In addition to its normal menu, the restaurant serves traditional Taiwanese and Chinese morning dishes like scallion pastries and soybean milk. 

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A glowing Washington Post article from 2013 brought attention to Panda Gourmet, located in the lobby of a Day’s Inn, and the secret has been out ever since. Thrill seekers and adventurous eaters are all too happy to make the trek for dishes straight from China’s Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces. The dan dan noodles are a must—the noodles are made in-house and doused in a sauce made with tingling peppers.

Peter Chang, the former chef for the Chinese Embassy, is a master of Sichuan flavors who runs seven restaurants that bear his name. Expect the same crowd-pleasers that made Chang a household name in these parts, including the duck in a stone pot and the dry fried eggplant. (We can’t even type that without our mouths watering.)

Chef Tim Ma makes the best versions of American-Chinese takeout classics at this Arlington spot. Located in the Westpost at National Landing mall, Lucky Danger’s menu is filled with comforting staples like crab rangoon, smoked duck fried rice, and orange beef. 

Time Out tip: If you’re dining with a group, try the meat or veggie Family Style set dinner combo, which feeds two to three people for $48.

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Customization is the name of the game at Mala Tang, which is named for the spicy hotpot street food dish from southwest China. Choose from spicy or mild broth and cook your own meats, seafood, and vegetables at the table to craft your custom Sichuan soup. Try the mala dry pot, a pan-fried medley of meat and vegetables flavored with heady spice and oil. 

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Some of the best noodles around are made and served at Yunan By Potomac Noodle House, which lies across the Potomac in Old Town Alexandria. The stars of this menu are the well-balanced, complexly flavored broths and tender mixian noodles, a specialty from Yunan province. 

Time Out tip: Come during lunch to take advantage of the Bento Box deal, which includes six dishes (one noodle dish, one dumpling, and four Xiaochi appetizers) for $25. 

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If you’re having a hard time finding Full Kee in the cramped streets of Chinatown, just look for the ducks hanging in the window—they’re a tantalizing glimpse at the fresh Cantonese cooking that awaits you. Waste no time and order the shrimp dumpling soup made with roast pork and Chinese greens, arguably the restaurant’s best dish and certainly its most popular. Be wary of the lunchtime rush, but know that the wait staff (though sometimes brusque) are speedy.

Tiger Fork, a sceney restauarant tucked away in Blagden Alley in Shaw, deserves its reputation for great vibes and tasty food. A Michelin Guide selection, the restaurant serves Hong Kong-style street food and whimsical cocktails, some of which are crafted with medicinal Chinese herbs. 

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If you crave dumplings, head to Shanghai Taste. The Rockville gem, which opened in 2013, has mastered the art of crafting these pockets of joy and flavor. Order the soup dumplings and pan-fried bao buns.

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This fantastic Chinese restaurant—located on K Street in the heart of D.C.’s downtown—doesn’t quite fit in with the shiny corporate buildings that surround it. Sichuan Pavilion is large and decorated in over-the-top chintz, and multiple rooms make it a great option for a large party or business luncheon, which you see plenty of. Just about every dish is a winner, though Schezuan classics like mapo tofu and anything with cumin reign here.

Located in Seven Corners—the epicenter of international eats in suburban Virginia—Hong Kong Palace isn’t much to look at. But beyond the charmless façade lives genuine Szechuan cooking and lazy Susans galore. (Translation: This place is great for large groups.) Stick to the classics here, including the mapo tofu, served in a fiery bean-based sauce, and the dan dan noodles, a Szechuan classic. The cumin lamb is a sleeper hit and the fried chicken with chili peppers is a must. It’s so well-seasoned that it lingers on your tongue for hours to come.

Queen’s English is the spot for those nights when you want dinner to be an occasion. This Michelin Bib Gourmand pick offers modern takes on Cantonese plates in a tiny Columbia Heights space. Small plates are meant to be shared here, and the menu pays homage to the many flavors that emerged in Hong Kong’s food scene during its 156 years as a British territory. There are very few tables in the cozy dining room, though, so be sure to make a reservation to snag one. 

Time Out tip: Queen’s English has an extensive wine and cocktail menu that’s worth checking out, and runs its own monthly wine club. Sarah Thompson, Michelin’s DC Sommelier of the Year in 2023, hand-picks natural wines. 

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This straightforward stand-by has been holding down Chinatown with cheap eats and freshly prepared noodles and greasy-in-the-best-way sauces. For aspiring at-home chefs, China Boy sells take-away noodles. When you realize you’ll never make food as well as they do, head back for the beef chow foon and roast pork noodle soup.

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Da Hong Pao proves that some of the best dim sum in the area can be found within city limits. This buzzing Logan Circle enclave offers a massive variety of small plates that zing with flavor. Try the salt and pepper squid, egg tart, and shumai. 

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Don't let the unassuming exterior fool you—New Big Wong on H. Street has been a D.C. classic for about 32 years. Just steps from the Friendship Archway lies a den of Cantonese dishes galore. Portions are large, and the menu includes such staples as beef chow fun, walnut shrimp, and scallop fried rice.

Time Out tip: New Big Wong is a takeout mainstay partly because it stays open until 3AM—much later than most other restaurants in the District. 

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Don’t worry, vegetarians. Yuan Fu has plenty of satisfying options on its menu. This spot has served both plant-based American Chinese and traditional Chinese dishes for 25 years. You’ll find plenty of remixed classics here, like a plant-based Peking duck that's rich with plum sauce and veggie duck hotpot. 

This fast-casual Chinese-Korean fusion restaurant offers fresh takes on classics. Run by the team that operates Dupont Circle treasure Anju, Chiko has four locations scattered around the DMV and California. The menu is filled with fun, textural take on traditional comfort foods, like citrusy "orange-ish" chicken.