Chinese restaurants in D.C.?
 

Our goddaughter will be joining us for a day in Washington, D.C. and like us she is a big fan of Chinese food. I'd love to have restaurant recommendations in the downtown area. Thanks.

CHINA BOY on 6th near H street.

How about Chinese-ish? Brunch at The Source is fantastic and I hear good things about the regular menus. The Source is just off the Mall by NGA.

There are several places in DC's "Chinatown" -- really just a block or so on H St. NW, roughly between 6th and 7th; I wouldn't recommend any particular one, nor would I advise against any of them.

You might consider China Chicano, which serves an interesting combination of Chinese, Peruvian, and Japanese cuisines:
http://chinachilcano.com

Any places specializing in dumplings?

DC's best Chinese food isn't downtown but instead found in VA or MD suburbs. Which is where many of the residents of DC's Chinatown went in the early 80s when arrival of the Metro and the Verizon Center changed the face of the neighborhood.

As stated and as you may have surmised, The Source and China Chicano are not traditional Chinese food restaurants although both have a couple of traditional offerings on their fusion menu's. Both places serve excellent food. Definitely book ahead for China Chicano.

For dumpling possibilities, Da Hong Pao is a new addition to the 14th Street corridor of restaurants and serves dim sum daily from 10-3. You mentioned on another thread staying one night at Mason and Rook -- this place is around the corner from M&R. I haven't tried this place but it is on my list.

I wouldn't necessarily pass on the above mentioned China Boy or another place on 14th Street, Great Wall Szechuan House, but both tend to be hole-in-the-wall places good for take out but lacking on the in house dining experience. Probably not a source for good dumplings.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...rs-should-try/

I haven't been to Great Wall in ages, but it sounds as though it's as good as ever. An interesting list, as well. Bon appetit!

Da Hong Pao sounds just like what I'm looking for at lunchtime--thanks.

Our goddaughter has now decided that Indian food is what she most craves; so we have a booking at Bombay Club for dinner on the night she'll be staying over with us.

Re: Indian food. I've eaten at the Bombay Club, and thought the food good, if overpriced. I've also eaten at Rasiki (Penn Quarter), where I consistently find the food extraordinary. Reservations are essential.
http://www.rasikarestaurant.com/pennquarter/

Rasika is my favorite of all time, either location. We go to DC once a year, and it's the only place we always go to.

As an unrelated bystander, I just wanted to remark that these are such useful and helpful responses and you guys are great.

Bombay Club is a little pricey but it's in the white tablecloth power politico/K Street mold. Food is excellent. Underhill will do fine there. I like Rasika more too but bookings are harder to come by at either Rasika location for hours that aren't 5:30 or post 9 pm.

Rasika's chef, Vikram Sunderam, just opened Bindaas, a smaller place in Cleveland Park on Connecticut Ave. No curries, all street food -- a variety of chaats, kathi rolls, small kabobs, uttapam and naan. Smart cocktails, busy and loud place. Great food, Rasika quality. We slipped in the second week they were open. Looking forward to returning.

The Bombay menu has several dishes that really appeal to me, and they're not on the Rasika menu. But hey, we just might try both. A 5:30 time would be fine for us, being Older Folks.

Ooh, Rasika is amazing! I tend to slightly prefer the West End location just because it's a bit more relaxed but I'd eat at either one every day. I could live off the palak chaat alone.

Oh my god, the palak chaat is insanely good!! That is the dish we get every time, two orders for 4 people :-D

We usually eat lunch at Rasika for no particular reason. If we're at a museum on the Mall, we go to the original location, otherwise the West End one. I have never reached the point of being tired of Indian food, so why not try both??

Just ate at Bindass and agree it is great! Already hard to get reservations after being open only 3 weeks or so.

NewbE, my husband and I were just discussing our next trip to Rasika- we're each having our own palak chaat!

Hobbert, I understand completely!

We will be at the Mall; so the original Rasika will be a good option. Thanks.

If you are planning dinner at Rasika, be sure to make a reservation. never been at lunch so dont know how busy it is then.

Lunch. Will check about a reservation, but I don't really want to be tied down to a specific time while we're wandering around the Smithsonian museums.

Depending on where you are when you decide to take your lunch break, you might want to consider the cafeteria at the National Museum of the American Indian, Mitsitam:
http://www.mitsitamcafe.com/home/default.asp

IME, Rasika is often busy at lunch, too. You might want to make sure you have a back-up plan.

I've heard good things about the Museum of the American Indian (what happened to Native American?) and hope to sample Navajo fry bread. Unfortunately, the menu section of the museum doesn't seem to be working; I'll keep checking. We can always head to the underground restaurant at the National Gallery as a fall-back plan.

Here's some info on the history of the terminology:
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/aihmterms.html

All I got after a quick glimpse was an ad that wouldn't go away.

google "Native American vs. American Indian"

Will do.

I guess it's piling on at this point but Rasika lives up to the hype and the palak chaat is soooooo good. I love Indian food so I was happy but not expecting anything extraordinary when my friend suggested it. It's amazing and is not your usual food at all so well worth the prices to me.

We'll give it a go for lunch one day.

I wangled a reservation for lunch on one of our museum days. For the other it will be lunch at the Museum of the American Indian, if we can get in.

I wish I could re-title this thread, as we've moved far from Chinese food.

Lunch at Rasika? Awesome! :-)

Mitsitam, at the Museum of the American Indian, is a large cafeteria -- I would think you should be able to get in as long as you pay attention to the time and leave yourselves a bit of latitude.

Let us know what you think!

Not sure why you woul dhave any trouble getting into Mitsitam esp in October -- never heard anyone having trouble.

You won't have trouble getting into Mitsitam, as noted, it's a a food court setting. Gauge your expectations though. It's better and more interesting than most museum cafe fare, but it's not elevated dining.

<i>We can always head to the underground restaurant at the National Gallery as a fall-back plan.</i>

If that happens for whatever reason, stop by the Garden Cafe on the main level. It's a bit nicer setting than the Cascades place downstairs. The menu is occasionally changed to coordinate with one of their major exhibitions. Jose Andres designed a tapas menu there a during a large Miro show a few years ago.

We had a fine French meal at the Garden Café a few years ago, coordinated with the Degas exhibition, I think.

<Gauge your expectations though. It's better and more interesting than most museum cafe fare, but it's not elevated dining.>

I'm so glad you said this! Sometimes you just have to eat in a museum cafe, and the Garden Cafe, Cascades and Mitsitam are always my go-to's, but they are still museum cafes (or cafeterias). Mitsitam has unusual dishes, so it makes for a nice change.

Glad you said that too, obx. I have never understood why people rave about the Mitsitam food. I think its different, but of the caliber of most museum food. I agree that the food that is coordinated with the NGA exhibits does have some good meals to offer.

I've been readng the restaurant in the son to be opened African American Museum is supposed to be good -- we'll see!

Gotta be better than the McDonald's at Udvar Hazy! (Actually I've eaten at Mitsitam and liked it, but as everyone said, liked it "within its genre").

I think I'm the one who mentioned Mitsitam first on this thread, and I never meant to suggest that it was anything other than what it is -- a decent in-museum option for people on / near that part of the mall when they decide they want lunch. Sorry if I somehow gave the wrong impression!

Or the McDonalds at Air & Space which has long lines and is ghastly!
How are you SF?

Mitsitam calls to me for the possibility of finally experiencing Navajo fry bread.