Get your chopsticks ready! Though NoVA’s reputation as a bastion of Korean fare is well-earned, our Chinese cuisine has improved exponentially in recent years. You’ll find some classic locations on this list, but also the Chinese food from these newer restaurants is sure to get your tastebuds tingling.
Chili Wok
The juiciest soup dumplings we’ve found in NoVA are at this ultra-casual new Chinese food restaurant. Get them along with a raft of Sichuan greatest hits. Strange Flavor Cucumber Salad and dry-fried cauliflower make even committed carnivores happy to order vegetable dishes. If you must have meat, the complexly spicy lazi chicken and mala dry hot pots will win your favor. 335 Maple Ave. E., Vienna
Dumpling Queen
Hard-to-find Northeastern-style dishes, some of which feature the Chinese equivalent of sauerkraut, find a home at this longstanding favorite. But the menu’s assets stretch far beyond a single region. We love the hand-pulled cha jiang noodles as much as the pillowy-light fish-and-cilantro dumplings. 13942 Metrotech Dr., Chantilly
Han Palace
Though there are newer, better-reviewed Han Palace locations in DC, we still have a soft spot for the elegant, avian-themed dining rooms at this Tysons all-day dim sum restaurant. Delicate steamed scallop dumplings provide a scrumptious preview for feasts of imperial-style Han Dynasty dishes like sticky-rice-stuffed whole duck. 7900 Westpark Dr., McLean
Hot Peppercorn Asian Cuisine & Bar
Some of NoVA’s best Sichuan cuisine is hidden in plain sight at this spot in a Springfield strip mall. A sizzling lamb dry pot tastes as fiery as it looks — and sounds. Don’t love the mouth-numbing heat of Sichuan peppercorn? There’s handmade dim sum, too. 6396 Springfield Plz., Springfield
Mark’s Duck House
Miss the pre-pandemic days of dumpling-filled pushcarts? The wheels are still chugging through the dining room at this stalwart every weekend. Point to the taro puffs, steamed pork spare ribs, and egg custard tarts, and get ready to be impressed. Busy during the weekend? There’s still a small menu of dim sum, along with laudable Peking duck, during the week. 6184-A Arlington Blvd., Falls Church
Mim’s Food
We’re lucky to have any Uyghur restaurants in our region at all, let alone several excellent avatars of the Northwestern-most Chinese cuisine. This is the very best, with outsized flavors that define the food of the Muslim people of Xinjiang. Be sure to start with cumin, chile, and sesame-seasoned lamb skewers, then share the ropey noodles of spicy big plate chicken with someone who deserves some edible love. 9990 Main St., Fairfax
Nanjing Bistro
Comforting Jiangsu cuisine deserves more of a following in the United States, but eat here and consider it your little secret. Be sure to order the gingery, crisp-bottomed pork buns, then run amok through the large menu on which practically every dish is a treasure. That said, we can never resist the oversized Nanjing-style meatballs, served over slick glass noodles. 11213 Lee Hwy., Ste. C, Fairfax
Yu Noodles
What started in Rockville has now grown to include locations in Fairfax, Herndon, and McLean. It’s understandable that the Sichuan-fusion menu here has attracted a devoted fanbase. Even the soup dumplings have a bit heat, thanks to the presence of the pink-skinned spicy pork version. Save room for the Yibin Spicy Dry Noodle, a meaty cousin to dan dan noodles. Multiple locations
Feature image of chicken and sour cabbage with rice noodles at Dumpling Queen by Alice Levitt
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