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Mama Chang
Chinese
Peter Chang has quietly turned the D.C. suburbs into a Sichuan outpost, and Mama Chang is his tribute to the women of his family who actually did the cooking. The warm-wood dining room is upscale-casual Chinese, the kind where dry-fried cauliflower seems to land on every table without anyone admitting they ordered it. The New York Times and The Washington Post have both put it on their D.C. essentials lists, which for a Fairfax strip mall is a flex.
The awards strongest first
- The Washington Post The 40 Best Restaurants In and Around D.C.
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C., Right Now
- The Infatuation #14 · Top 25: The Best Restaurants In Washington, DC
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants Around D.C.
- Northern Virgina Magazine The 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia
- Washingtonian #81 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
One number, weighted & current 84
How we scoreThe dishes from the writeups
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Dry-fried cauliflower
“Dry-fried cauliflower seems to be on every table in the light-filled, warm-wood dining room, but lychee pepper chicken is just as much a standout for its sweet-tangy glaze.”
Washingtonian, 2026 -
Lychee pepper chicken
“Standouts include fish ball and lamb soup, lychee pepper chicken and a stew filled with sweet potato noodles, sour cabbage and pork.”
The New York Times -
Scallion bubble pancake
“Eat This: Scallion bubble pancake, Ganghood fried chicken, three pepper beef tenderloin”
Northern Virgina Magazine, 2025 -
Peking duck
“Then there's the peking duck, which serves as the centerpiece on the happiest tables in the room, and a powerful counterpoint to anyone who thought the Changians were crazy.”
The Infatuation
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The neighbors closest first
- Southeast Impression Southeast Asian Eat · 64
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