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Peter Chang China Cafe, Szechuan Restaurant Chain Undergoing Expansion


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"The Wait Is Over: Peter Chang Returns to Northern Virginia on Saturday" by Tim Carman on washingtonpost.com

Of note:

1) "The Arlington restaurant, however, will not be a fast-casual concept, as previously reported, but a full-service operation."

* Good move - fast-casual would have failed there. Delivery of some sort is going to be key as well (use GrubHub if you need to).

2) "Instead, the partners will debut their counter-style business in downtown Virginia Beach, where they already have a full-service restaurant."

* This seems like a smart move to me - the name's already established there, the investment will be less, and you'll get a *lot* of seasonal business.

3) "Its regular menu will be exactly the same as others in the expanding Chang empire, although its seasonal and chef specialty menus will be pared down." 

* And a third wise decision. Do less things, and execute them well. Smart, smart, smart. My only recommendation is to up your bandwidth. :)

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We just got back from a long weekend in Williamsburg at Great Wolf Lodge. To escape the dining there, we actually did two lunches at Peter Chang's. While it was not the best food we had there, that title goes to Nawab Indian, we were thoroughly impressed by the breadth of the menu and much more interesting offerings than most restaurants in this area. While Peter Chang may not have created our meal himself, it was good enough to warrant a second meal to try some of the other items on the menu, plus they have 10% off coupons in the various tour books.

Day one we had a chicken with ginko wonton soup which was really good. Perfect comfort soup for a cold day. For other dishes we had lo mein, my dad has some sort of obsession about lo mein, fish filet with bok choy in clay pot, and shanghai bok choy with mushrooms. The only real complaint I might have was that the fish was a little too sweet.

On day two, we ventured into some spicier stuff taking the risk that the kids would be able to eat some of it. We started with standard steamed dumplings which were just OK. Also were a little cold, which is actually a plus when eating with kids who want to eat the dumplings right away and then proceed to burn their mouths. One of the days specials was king oyster mushrooms with szechuan sauce which was different from what we expected, but actually really good. It consisted of steamed but cold mushrooms, carrots, and zucchini to be dipped into a sauce that had a nice little kick to it.  The flavor of the sauce was really good. The best app was the crispy spicy pork belly. This was a perfect example of something that could be really spicy but have some depth of flavor as well. It combined a couple different peppers to get the heat. Both kids loved this, but then who wouldn't like pork belly, but it was surprising given the heat.

The spicy beef stew noodles was blazing hot, but again in a good way. We were all sweating after eating this, but still felt like we could taste our other food. It was balanced nicely by the very mild sauteed spinach, which while nothing special, was prepared nicely. The one miss out of all the dishes in my opinion was the duck with ginger and vegetables. The duck was a little chewy and dry, which marred what would have otherwise been a nice dish with lots of vegetables and generous slices of ginger.

While not the best Chinese I have eaten stateside, it was definitely good enough to make a second visit instead of trying another restaurant on our list. I'm sure we'll be back at GWL again so that will afford us more opportunities to try some of the other places too.

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We just got back from a long weekend in Williamsburg at Great Wolf Lodge. To escape the dining there, we actually did two lunches at Peter Chang's. While it was not the best food we had there, that title goes to Nawab Indian, we were thoroughly impressed by the breadth of the menu and much more interesting offerings than most restaurants in this area. While Peter Chang may not have created our meal himself, it was good enough to warrant a second meal to try some of the other items on the menu, plus they have 10% off coupons in the various tour books.

Day one we had a chicken with ginko wonton soup which was really good. Perfect comfort soup for a cold day. For other dishes we had lo mein, my dad has some sort of obsession about lo mein, fish filet with bok choy in clay pot, and shanghai bok choy with mushrooms. The only real complaint I might have was that the fish was a little too sweet.

On day two, we ventured into some spicier stuff taking the risk that the kids would be able to eat some of it. We started with standard steamed dumplings which were just OK. Also were a little cold, which is actually a plus when eating with kids who want to eat the dumplings right away and then proceed to burn their mouths. One of the days specials was king oyster mushrooms with szechuan sauce which was different from what we expected, but actually really good. It consisted of steamed but cold mushrooms, carrots, and zucchini to be dipped into a sauce that had a nice little kick to it.  The flavor of the sauce was really good. The best app was the crispy spicy pork belly. This was a perfect example of something that could be really spicy but have some depth of flavor as well. It combined a couple different peppers to get the heat. Both kids loved this, but then who wouldn't like pork belly, but it was surprising given the heat.

The spicy beef stew noodles was blazing hot, but again in a good way. We were all sweating after eating this, but still felt like we could taste our other food. It was balanced nicely by the very mild sauteed spinach, which while nothing special, was prepared nicely. The one miss out of all the dishes in my opinion was the duck with ginger and vegetables. The duck was a little chewy and dry, which marred what would have otherwise been a nice dish with lots of vegetables and generous slices of ginger.

While not the best Chinese I have eaten stateside, it was definitely good enough to make a second visit instead of trying another restaurant on our list. I'm sure we'll be back at GWL again so that will afford us more opportunities to try some of the other places too.

It's a shame for this fine post to get lost just because we hit a new page, so here it is again. :)

Dang, we crashed his website.

Ilaine, I'm going to hire you as my "Happy Coach!"

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ooh, i might not be able to go till sunday evening. do we think the man himself will be cooking then? or is going monday night a safer bet? i am really, really excited--i've had the food in charlottesville a number of times, and thought it was great, so i can't wait to have it when he himself is in the kitchen. And i do think a DR outing or $20 tuesday would be awesome.

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Well, we tried. Aimed to meet son and his girlfriend at 2:00. If we had parked closer, maybe would have squeaked in, but by the time we parked under Harris Teeter and wandered around, and finally realized it was in the space with the Chinese Gourmet sign outside, no dice. Did we have a reservation? Otherwise, come back at 3:00. No, website didn't have hours, nothing about reservations, no hard feelings, it's a soft opening. Son got miffed, went off for pizza because it's Pi Day. Impressions, definitely felt like a soft opening. Chef Chang was in the house. He looked very happy. The atmosphere was chaotic but exuberant. Smallish space. Menu looks the same as all the other Peyer Chang's. Front staff I've seen in Richmond and Fredericksburg. Nothing that appeared to be specials.

Had tortilla soup at the taqueria a couple of doors down, thinking I would be hungry at 3:00, but I wasnt. Went to Lebanese Taverna Market, then to Penzeys, then home. Forgot five spice powder at Penzeys, so maybe try again tomorrow, call first? Or plant peas and arugala, my original plan for Sunday.

Tentative conclusion, I don't see how it differs from the other locations, at least not from first impression. That's not a bad thing, just no point being uncomfortable standing around outside for something I've had many times already. Maybe that's just sour grapes.

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We went last night and it was great, but as the only other times i've had his food were from the charlottesville location when he'd left, i don't know how it compares to other places where he's in residence.

logistical notes--the shopping center wasn't as bad as I feared, and at 5 pm there was no line for a table, the place was only half-full. when we left at 7 there was a line about 15 people long.

They take reservations, which is nice.Its' still definitely a soft opening--no drinks, the wait staff while super nice and enthusiastic, are still learning the menu (they couldnt answer questions about many dishes, or weren't really sure which dish they were bringing to the table). the food comes out really fast, all at the same time, so next time we'll order apps, wait til lthey come, then order mains. portions of fried eggplant are much smaller than they are in charlottesville, but now they're actually an appetizer size.

The eggplant was of course great, especially when you added a bit of salt to it.

other highlights--grandma noodles were delicious--cumin, chili, scallions and the most schezuan pepper of any dish we ordered. mapo tofu was comforting, complex, and delicious, and not very hot at all, despite the many peppers by its menu listing. I didn't have any, but the cumin lambchops and twice fried pork belly recieved rave reviews.

They said the chef was in the kitchen and indeed the food was different than i'd had before--a lot more cumin, more floral aspects that almost tasted like cardamom, more numbing spices and both the numbing and the heat expertly managed so that while they were definitely present, they never overwhelmed or even dominated.

i'm excited to go again, soon. they start carrry-out on 3/18. The charlottesville location was great about substituting tofu for meat in any of their dishes, which i really appreciated. They said they aren't doing that here yet (because it's still so new) but they will eventually.

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Say hi next time.  We were there at 5 pm last night too, but did make reservations on Friday due to a large party size.

The big winner at our table was, suprisingly, a non-spicy dish -- the shredded chicken on hot iron plate (#51, original sauce) had flavors reminiscent of beef chow fun (i.e. hefen).  We definitely noticed that the heat and numbing levels of the spicy dishes were masterfully controlled, particularly on the eggplant appetizer and the house special flounder fillet (#34).  Also, the curry flavored broth on the seafood in stone pot (#31) went perfectly with rice.  Saucing was a big winner in general, including ones for dipping that came with the scallion bubble pancake and cilantro flounder fish roll appetizers.

I agree that service was enthusiastic and friendly.  One of the managers (if not the GM) came by and made friends right away with both our son and niece.  She also chatted for a bit with my parents about the Rockville location.  It's still scheduled to open next month.  Even though I'll always like my mom's Chinese cooking the best, we could easily end up coming back once a month.

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  One of the managers (if not the GM) came by and made friends right away with both our son and niece.  She also chatted for a bit with my parents about the Rockville location.  

Can't be sure of course, but my guess is that was Lydia, Chang's daughter.

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Tim Carman's piece in tomorrow's Post really fills a lot of the gaps in the Chang saga.  Very worthwhile read, especially for anyone who wants a clearer picture of what has been going on with Chang for the last 10 years or so, and in some aspects the challenges faced by the larger Chinese émigré community.

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Any advice on best way to approach this coming from DC?

Is it all reservation? Week nights best? Get there before whatever opening time by how much? Is he even likely to be there for the next few weeks every night?

Have had his food a few times and am a very big fan but won't go to crazy lengths. Usually that's not necessary with a little knowledge and advance planning.

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Is the restaurant open for lunch during the week?  Sorry for asking the question here, but the website's down, and the information doesn't seem to be in any of the usual places (and the restaurant's voice mail box is full...)

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Does anyone have the restaurant's phone number or other way to make a reservation? the site is down, they're not on opentable, and I didn't find reservation info anywhere else.  Thanks!

(703) 538-6688. Closed for a private opening celebration today - taking reservations for tomorrow.

TSchaad

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Does anyone have the restaurant's phone number or other way to make a reservation? the site is down, they're not on opentable, and I didn't find reservation info anywhere else.  Thanks!

Their number is 703-538-6688.

Went for an early dinner on Monday night. Place was almost full a little before 6pm. Started with shrimp dumplings and the dry-fried eggplant. Someone from the restaurant must be reading this thread because the eggplant was perfectly seasoned. Crispy-fried shell of batter with creamy eggplant inside. Peppercorns scattered throughout but my kids loved it. Shrimp dumplings were delicate and meaty. My 5 year old ordered a second serving just for him. Also got the scallion bubble pancakes which everyone ripped into heartily, dripping delicious curry sauce all over their new white tablecloths.

Kids chose Golden Mountain Chicken for their entree and it was a great choice for them. Not at all spicy. Sweet and addictively crunchy. Adults ordered the steamed, fried pork belly. I think there were 3 peppers next to this on the menu, but it wasn't very hot (though there were a lot of chilis visible in the dish). I thought this was delicious--unctuous and soft pork belly that had been stir fried but not exactly crispy on the outside. There was an herbaceous flavor that reminded me of basil though I didn't see any in the dish; very complex. My husband thought it was a bit rich; he was looking for something vinegary or acidic to balance it. And considering we forgot to order anything with vegetables (except for the eggplant), I can see his point. We needed some kind of relief from the richness. The table next to us ordered a shrimp and vegetable dish that looked amazing. Maybe we'll try that next time. Because there will be a next time!

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Keep calling if they don't pick up. My friend was able to get through and make reservations for Friday evening. This will be my first Peter Chang experience. Does anyone have any advice about what to expect in the spiciness department? I am curious about the numbing spices that have been mentioned. Sometimes I've enjoyed spicy dishes,  other times not -- for example, trying the papaya salad at the "Lao hot" spice level at Bangkok Golden nearly melted my face off.

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Keep calling if they don't pick up. My friend was able to get through and make reservations for Friday evening. This will be my first Peter Chang experience. Does anyone have any advice about what to expect in the spiciness department? I am curious about the numbing spices that have been mentioned. Sometimes I've enjoyed spicy dishes,  other times not -- for example, trying the papaya salad at the "Lao hot" spice level at Bangkok Golden nearly melted my face off.

I never found it overly spicy, keeping in mind that my better half is Korean and we eat a lot of Korean food.  I think the Szechuan food I have at another local restaurant is more ma-la.  On that note, I don't know what your tolerance is, so standard disclaimer:  YMMV.

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Looking forward to some Chang food after years in the Chang wilderness. I was always proud of the fact that I made it to China Gourmet/Szechuan Boy before Chang beat feet. In a happy coincidence, we are going to a bat mitzvah in Fredricksburg on Saturday and the reception is on Carl D. Silver Pkwy, down the street from Chang's Fredricksburg outpost, so I plan to grab some takeout.

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I understand that Peter's next restaurant is going to be called South China Garden and the specialty of the house is going to be fried chicken, grits, and black-eyed peas (and don't forget the collards with fatback).

that sounds really good!

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So I've been reading up on the most popular dishes, and I've found the dry fried eggplant, bamboo fish, and scallion pancakes on the appetizer menu. But I'm coming up empty handed on the main courses. I don't know if I see the fish with special sauce. There are a couple of fish dishes with pictures, but none of them looks like the one in the Andrew Zimmern vine posted a while back. And I suppose we can ask the server for recommendations for someone who wants to experience ma la for the first time, but recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!

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So I've been reading up on the most popular dishes, and I've found the dry fried eggplant, bamboo fish, and scallion pancakes on the appetizer menu. But I'm coming up empty handed on the main courses. I don't know if I see the fish with special sauce. There are a couple of fish dishes with pictures, but none of them looks like the one in the Andrew Zimmern vine posted a while back. And I suppose we can ask the server for recommendations for someone who wants to experience ma la for the first time, but recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!

My wife and I went last night. Started with the Scallion Bubble Pancake (we both loved it) and I had to try the New Zealand Lamb Chops. The menu offers three different preparations, from mild to three chilies - I opted for the Cumin version (two chilies), and they were perfect. Thin, pink in the middle and well spiced with Cumin and Szechuan Chili Sauce, onions, and what appeared to be fresh rosemary. My wife opted for the Kung Pao Shrimp, which she really enjoyed.

Tom Kliman posted this list of his signature dishes in his blog this week - Fish in bamboo, which is cumin-dusted fried fish in a bamboo basket. Cilantro fish rolls. Cumin lamb. Ma po tofu. Scallion bubble pancake. Hope this helps.

TSchaad

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So I've been reading up on the most popular dishes, and I've found the dry fried eggplant, bamboo fish, and scallion pancakes on the appetizer menu. But I'm coming up empty handed on the main courses. I don't know if I see the fish with special sauce. There are a couple of fish dishes with pictures, but none of them looks like the one in the Andrew Zimmern vine posted a while back. And I suppose we can ask the server for recommendations for someone who wants to experience ma la for the first time, but recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!

For something different, I recommend the Pan-fried Steamed Pork Belly  ($18) from the Grandmother's menu. The rice flour coating on pork belly is a dish my grandmother used to make and it's a nice homestyle dish that I don't see at restaurants in this area, even if it's made spicy here.

For fish, either the Peter's Volcanic Fish ($24) or the Boneless Whole Fish are good bets.

The pigs feet dishes look good too, as does the Three Gorges Chicken dish. Enjoy! I called yesterday and the lady who answered the phone said they were booked up this weekend...

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The pigs feet dishes look good too, as does the Three Gorges Chicken dish. Enjoy! I called yesterday and the lady who answered the phone said they were booked up this weekend...

I guess I'm coming from a skewed perspective, but ... people need to get out more. :)

This is sort of a variation on Restaurant Week.

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So I've been reading up on the most popular dishes, and I've found the dry fried eggplant, bamboo fish, and scallion pancakes on the appetizer menu. But I'm coming up empty handed on the main courses. I don't know if I see the fish with special sauce. There are a couple of fish dishes with pictures, but none of them looks like the one in the Andrew Zimmern vine posted a while back. And I suppose we can ask the server for recommendations for someone who wants to experience ma la for the first time, but recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!

We recently tried the new location, having been to the Richmond and Fredericksburg locations a few times.  We got most of the standard go-tos -- bubble pancake, dry fry eggplant, and bamboo fish (we let the mapo tofu go, to try on another trip).  All were very good, though I thought the eggplant was a bit weaker than I recalled from past trips --not as much seasoning.  We tried two new (to us) dishes, which were great successes.  One (for those looking for entrees) was flounder with eggplant and pickled peppers; great acid, plenty of spice but bearable.  Perhaps our favorite, however, was the grandma's noodles appetizer.  These deceptively simple noodles appeared dry, with a bit of oil, vinegar, and soy pooled below, and some chili dusted on top.  This was a truly elegant dish, with subtle floral notes and delicate acid, up against the simple palate of dry noodles.  

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went again yesterday and were very happy. as a note, we were there from 11:30-1, and the place didn't seem that packed, there was a very small line.

Overall, everything improved and i can't wait to be back. The dry fried eggplant was much better than last time, well seasoned,  the meal was well paced, (when we ordered, we emphasized that we didn't want all the food to come out at once) and they will now do any dish with tofu substituted in for meat. The favorite non-vegetarian dishes were the crispy pork belly and the seafood hotpot, which arrived dramatically bubbling and steaming. some people thought the shrimp in the hot pot a bit overcooked but apparently the flounder was fantastic. the vegetarian fave was the grandma noodles, which were just fantastic, and two orders dissapeared in a flash.

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Is the entire menu available at lunch? The website is a bit confusing: it has a one-page 'Lunch' menu that is very abbreviated and doesn't contain very many interesting dishes.

Yes, the full menu is available at lunch.

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Today at lunch (Monday) the place was humming and a line of eager patrons remained constant.  Realizing kinks on the service side will be worked out (confusion as to which table got which dish, repeatedly asking for water refills, trying to get a bill etc.), PC needs to be cut slack at this point.

Our experience with the food was just okay - not up to the crackerjack level others here have extolled.  Dry Fried Eggplant was indeed excellent as touted many times here.  Crispy pork belly app was interesting but we would not order that again as the taste became monotonous and bland. Still, it was an unusual starter especially with fresh cilantro.  Others near us seemed pleased with dumpling options & bubble pancake.

Mains were another matter.  A table of elderly Asians next to us loudly complained to staff about excessive use of salt which detracted from their many dishes, including several hot pot and soup orders.  I agree with their gripe.  Our three entrees had way too much salt and sauces for each dish muted other, more interesting flavors on the plate. Szechuan Double Cooked Pork had lots of leeks and black bean but the dish was a heaping mess vs one that could have offered multiple layers of flavor and heat between the pork and leeks.  Shredded Duck with Scallions had a paucity of duck mixed in with way too many sautéed sweet onions.  Kung Pao Chicken had all the makings a standout - boiled peanuts, freshly chopped red peppers, asparagus, lightly fried chicken...but the darn sauce was far too sweet.  That sweet sauce overpowered and detracted from the nicely prepared fresh ingredients.

Perhaps Peter C was absent, perhaps kitchen staff had to frantically crank out so many orders for lunch after a demanding opening weekend, perhaps that staff unwittingly doused dishes with too much salt.  I wish the new venture well and hope it finds its footing.  There certainly is strong interest evidenced by the positive comments here and full house at lunch today.

I hope our experience is different the next time we visit and we will return.  I give it B- but your mileage may differ. That grade reflects NoVa's anemic options for Szechuan cooking.

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It's anecdotal and purely my hunch but PC seems like one of the most indispensable chefs I've ever encountered. Of course also not sure whether that explains wristband's mixed report above but hard to imagine PC would be so off on salting. He may just be doing dinners for however long that even lasts. The difference in the food when he is or isn't there is usually significant and obvious.

All kind of concerning. A phenomenally talented chef who may just utterly lack the very different skills to be a multi-unit operator. We've seen that movie too many times before.

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I had lunch at the restaurant on Thursday and Friday and was told both days that PC was in the kitchen.  And it showed.  Subtle & complex flavors, expert modulation of heat, & impeccable seasoning in everything I ordered: dry fried eggplant, bamboo flounder fish, cilantro flounder fish rolls, and house special flounder fish filet (#34).  I've never had Chinese cooking with this much finesse here in the States.    

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I went on Friday night and Peter Chang was on the premises. It was definitely one of my better Chinese dining experiences in the DC area (not too difficult), but I can't say I was enlightened as to why this cooking has a cult following. We had no issues with the service.

The eggplant was the star of the show. And while everything else was good, I'm not sure I would call the rest of the dishes special or unique.

The scallion pancakes were nice. The crispy pork belly, too, but the quality of the frying probably stood out more than the pork itself. Likewise for the bamboo fish.

The biggest dud of the evening was the lamb chops, which we ordered with the level-two cumin spicing. (I had originally set my eyes on the boneless fish, but decided against that after a neighboring table commented that it was on the sweet side.) The meat was cooked fine, but unlike the other spicy dishes, all I could pick up was pure heat. I think it may have tainted my enjoyment of the other two entrees we ordered.

To sample the ma la cooking, we tried the duck in stone pot. This had a great and complex flavor, although I really couldn't detect any numbing sensations. It had a bit of a kick, but to be honest the most interesting spicing experience of the meal came from the eggplant. The mapo tofu was fine, but I can barely remember what it tastes like (possibly due to my mouth burning from the lamb chops).

The highs were high enough that I'd like to go back and try some of the other dishes, but given the crowds and the question of whether Chang will be in the kitchen, I'm not sure if it'll happen.

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The more posts that pop up here, the more this concerns me.  We've had (and loved!) his food in C'Ville and in Richmond, when he was there, maybe a half-dozen times.  Now, with him even closer to DC, the lure is strong though we haven't yet been.  In the near term, for dinner, it's probably a safe bet and totally worth the trip.  But, after a month or so, it's a real crap shoot.  Drive all the way out there, maybe wait on line and, if he happens to have that night off or be in a different location, it's a wholly different restaurant with real chance to be as disappointing as his cooking is so exceptional.  And, I really wonder if you call on a given day and ask if he will be in the kitchen that night whether they'd even tell you.

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As a general statement, Chang will be around this Arlington location until the Rockville one opens next month. Then he will be there for likely at least a few weeks getting it going.  So for the next several weeks your chances of being able to find him in the DC area are petty good.

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So, do they have official operating hours yet?

So, anyone have any information on their hours? Nothing on the web site and their voice mailbox is full when I try to call. Also, I assume they are doing carry-out now, but can anyone confirm?

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