Chinatown Garden

Good food & attentive service in a somewhat dated decor located very near Chinese gate & Metro stop. The area feels a little sketchy but the subtle police presence was appreciated. The numbing spicy Szecheun tofu was very delicious but the soft texture was a turn off to several in our party of 7. I eat out 3 times a week throughout the US and the eggplant 🍆 dish was spectacular, one of my best dishes in years. Again the texture was not appreciated by some. The sesame chicken was a hit with the 2 kids. The 4 different dumplings were good, not great. I would certainly return, although Han Palace by Zoo is the best Chinese I've ever had and I've been to hundreds of such restaurants in NYC, Boston, DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Miami, Tampa,etc. Affordable $190.

I have come here several times after a Washingtonian article identified this as one of DC’s secretly super vegan friendly restaurants. There are two columns of vegan dishes in the menu: one column is tofu-based mock meats, the other is traditional tofu and veggie dishes. We got the Szechuan chick’n, eggplant in garlic sauce, and general tso’s tofu. The eggplant was great—always get the eggplant! The chick’n was very good with a hint of spice; each chick’n strip was narrow and thin almost like a short stubby noodle. It was seasoned really well and had a good chickeny texture. I wouldn’t get the general tso’s again…it wasn’t bad but didn’t come the way I typically like it with a crust around the tofu and a rich sweet & tangy sauce. The portions are large here: three dishes was too much food for three people. I recommended we order two entrees and an app, but that plan was thwarted when the only vegan app they had was a solo spring roll. Hopefully they expand their appetizer list in the future. This restaurant has big round tables in the back; I’ve been here with larger parties and it works well for that.

This is a decent place to eat in Chinatown. It’s located a quick walk away from the metro and Chinatown sign. The menu has a nice selection to choose from and includes vegetarian options. The portions were great and there was plenty to take home after. The service was good and the food tasted great. There wasn’t anything special about the restaurant but it’s a solid place to get a nice meal. There is an automatic 15% gratuity charge to all dine-in orders! This isn’t told to the customer directly but there are signs posted on the walls.

So don’t let the outside of this place keep you from coming in. The food is so good and they don’t mind special orders. I haven’t been here in years and I remembered a dish I loved on their old menu and they still made it for me. I love shrimp & eggplant with just a little heat. It was better than I remember. And with a cold Tisngtao, it was absolutely divine! But don’t take my word for it, go see for yourself.