Chinese Food Outside Chinatown: Washington DC

If you think great Chinese food can only be found in Chinatown, you'll miss out on some of Washington DC's finest Chinese restaurants.

Meiwah
1200 New Hampshire Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036

There's a reason Bill Cosby, Hank Aaron, Robert Duvall, and politicians from across the street and around the world go to Meiwah: they know it's the best Chinese food in town!

What seems like a small venue when you enter the door opens out to a multi-level dining area with space for intimate dinners or large parties. Even the pickiest eater will be accommodated at Meiwah, which serves both Hunan and Szechuan Chinese cuisine, as well as a large sushi menu and dishes from Mongolia, Thailand, and elsewhere. There is a very diverse cocktail menu as well, and you can choose from a variety of Asian beers.

Vegetarians (like this author) will find few selections here, but they are nonetheless enjoyable; my favorite is the Kung Pao Tofu. Just don't expect to catch a table if a bigwig is dining - Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton have all been here, and the Secret Service takes a lot of tables!

City Lights of China
1731 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington DC, 20009

Wait...where's the restaurant? Ah, it's just down those stairs! City Lights of China makes excellent use of its basement location, hiding away a large dining area in what looks like a narrow storefront.

Vegetarians who were disappointed with the menu at Meiwah, look no further: City Lights of China, despite having the same owner, has a very different menu and makes a point of including vegetarian specialties. (Your author's favorite is Mr. Katz's Crispy Bean Curd...but who's Mr. Katz?)

Meat eaters will also be enchanted by the menu here, which includes everything from Kung Pao Squid to Szechuan-style Lamb. And don't miss the asparagus menu in late spring!

The one downside to City Lights of China is its age. Although it has been renovated several times, it's still a fairly old facility. But as long as you're not there to marvel at the decor, you'll find wonderful Chinese food and friendly waitstaff.

Fortune
6249 Arlington Blvd
Falls Church, VA 22044

The best dim sum in the Washington area isn't even in the city proper - you'll have to take the 4A Metrobus from Rosslyn to the Seven Corners Shopping Center.

You can go to Fortune any time of day to get great Chinese food, they have an outstanding menu and you can order dim sum dishes. But if you want a traditional style dim sum, delivered on carts, fresh as can be, arrive at 11am sharp on the weekend.

From what this author has seen, every imaginable dim sum dish is served here. And if you don't see it on a cart, you can just ask for it - it will arrive within minutes. Vegetarians would do well to request a plate of Singapore-style noodles, and then watch the carts for the frequently-delivered "greens" (Chinese broccoli) and garlic string beans. Meat eaters can just pick off the carts any time they want - all of the dim sum servers speak English, so you can easily ask what something is if you're not familiar with it!

Fortune may seem far away for someone staying in the city, but it's so well known that people come from an hour away on a weekly basis - why not give it a try from downtown?