Chang Chang

Great for groups - with several stand-out dishes and good cocktails to enjoy --- Capped-off a long work week with dinner at Chang Chang with two buddies. By 7 PM the restaurant was packed, but the tables are very well spaced out and the ambiance feels bright and relaxed. The service when we arrived was quick and friendly. We placed orders for drinks, and then throughout the night placed a couple orders for a series of shared dishes. I really enjoyed my mezcal-based cocktail. They used a licorice-based liqueur, which while normally I dislike in cocktails, was perfectly blended and subtle enough that it didn't over power the drink. Overall I enjoyed all the food as well. There were two standouts in particular: the Dan Dan Noodles and the Sesame Tofu. The Noodles were a substantial portion, and in my opinion the perfect ratio of Noodles and Sauce and Meat and Toppings. While it could have been an entree on it's own, was better as a compliment to the rest of the meal. My friend hyped-up the Sesame Tofu, and we ordered it the same time as the Golden Mountain Beef. The beef was ok, but the tofu blew it away. Even for a meat-lover like myself, you can't help but appreciate the flavor of the sauce and how well prepared the tofu-was. We also ordered pork dumplings, the bubble pancake, and the beef. Dumplings were good, especially when dipped in the chili sauce they came with. The pancake was a solid accompaniment as well. The beef was fine, although quite plain and a bit tough relative to the other excellently-prepared dishes. We capped the night off with an evening, specialty tea. The food left us all stuffed and satisfied, and (with drinks) still came to under $50 per person! I'd be excited to come back again, and would recommend this to restaurant to anyone looking for good, fair-priced food.

Very decent Chinese restaurant. Was expecting more classical Sichuan cuisine but appreciated the diversity in the menu and family-style service. The staff were friendly (particularly as we were there on Christmas Day for dinner!) and knowledgeable about the menu. We were seated right by the door which wasn't an ideal location as a lot of cold air was blowing in as people walked to be seated. The vibe of the restaurant is fine but the lighting could be improved. Would recommend, but there are better places in the city (like Astoria) to go. The Peking duck also wasn't anything special, I was expecting them to carve tableside.

I wasn't impressed. I liked the atmosphere, and the service and staff was great, but the food was inconsistent. The pork soup dumplings and the golden mountain beer were very tasty but not particularly exciting or novel. The Sichuan Lazi chicken had little flavor and the lack of any sauce made it feel very dry. The Kung Pao vegetables also had very little flavor - the Kung Pao at the Chinese restaurant I grew up going to was exponentially better. If you're looking for flavor you're better off finding an authentic Sichuan restaurant.

Visited Chang Chang for dinner before a comedy show. I don’t eat Chinese food much, as I find it very unhealthy. However, I decided to try Chang Chang -and was pleasantly surprised. The spicy chicken nuggets are very good. The spice is a slow creeper that tingles your tongue-not an overly hot burning sensation. The eggplant is absolutely delicious. I also had the duck-ordered the half duck-was pretty small-tasted good-but nothing that stood out above other Chinese restaurants. Sadly, their restaurant is not very clean. Their floors are filthy-from the door to the bathroom-sticky and slippery. Food all over the floors-they should clean after every table leaves-sweep and mop underneath and around the tables. They should place attention to cleanliness.

Disappointed for the food quality here. Not for Asian’s taste. Dan Dan noodle it’s too salty. String beans have strong pepper spice that stay in the mouth after tasting. Chicken lettuce wrap - chicken it’s not fresh and has strong smell covered with sauce. The only thing here worth the visit it’s the interior design and decoration.

This replaced a rather popular Thai restaurant in the prestigious DuPont circle area - one that is famous for exclusive dining. The competition is severe and the clients picky. This was my first time there and I liked what they did to the decor. The previous place had a conventional layout will columns of booths in a rather dark, gloomy setting. Chang Chang has decided to do the opposite. The have created an open, faux unfinished look with wooden trusses giving the impression that construction is in process. Their tables are wooden given a barn feeling and perhaps a little incongruously is the silver plated cutlery. So we decided to try their fried cauliflower as an appetizer and Ma Po Tofu and Eggplant. Firstly their quantities are very generous (surprisingly the dishes do not come with a typical side dish of rice). Secondly, they are really tasty. They have the warning chili 🌶️ signs for hot but they are really not that hot (at least for me). The Ma Po tofu had a four chilies 🌶️ and I asked them to make it extra extra hot. Yet it was no where as hot as the one made by Sichuan Palace. Our waitress was very helpful and stopped by every few minutes to check on us. Service is prompt and always with a smile. Prices ain’t cheap, the three dishes cost us more than $70 and they have one of those credit card systems that kind of gratuity “shame” you since the waitress is standing right over you while you press the conveniently provided 20% Box! But all in all, the quality of the food, service and decor makes it worth it. Recommend!

With all the hype and fanfare around Peter Chang, I was unbelievably excited when my coworkers recommended that we celebrate the end of our project with a dinner at Chang Chang. Our reservation was set for a Friday evening -- the restaurant was virtually empty when we first arrived at 6 PM, but by the time we left a few hours later, it was bustling. The restaurant itself was gorgeous, with delightful wooden / bamboo booths and an all-around light, cheery ambiance. The service was all-around incredible and super friendly, although one piece did throw me off a bit at the beginning of our meal -- we had ordered Chang Chang's famous duck 4 ways dish in advance as a part of our reservation. Given that the dish takes 45 minutes to prepare, I would have assumed that they would begin cooking it slightly ahead of our arrival, or at least once we had sat down. That, however, was not the case -- they didn't start preparing the dish until they took our initial food orders (not even during our drink orders) ~20 min after we had already sat down. I can understand why they wouldn't want to start cooking before we got there, as there's always a risk of a no-show (despite the cancellation / no-show fees on the reservations), but it feels like a miss to not start preparing the dish right when we arrived. Even so, we were able to fill the time with a flurry of small plates -- we ordered the Shanghai Ribs, Wok Charred Eggplant, and Black & White Cauliflower. I can't speak to the ribs (as a pescatarian) but the eggplant and cauliflower were delightful. I'm a sucker for anything with sesame, so the slightly charred cauliflower crusted with nutty, aromatic black / white sesame seeds was right up my alley. It was also paired with goji berries (which our server accidentally called raisins ), which provided a beautiful burst of sweetness. The eggplant was also lovely, although a touch too heavy-handed on the oil; the egg whites on the sides were a fun touch, although definitely threw me for a loop. We also ordered the steamed branzino, as I wouldn't be able to partake in the duck. This was definitely my favorite dish of the night -- the branzino was perfectly tender. It was coated in fresh chilis and herbs, which added much-needed brightness to the meal. And, as if a whole branzino wasn't enough protein, the fish was also sitting on a bed of soft tofu, which soaked up all the lovely juices and sauces the fish steamed in. By the time we had basically finished our other four dishes, the main star of the show, the duck, finally arrived. It was quite the operation -- as the name implies, the duck was prepared in 4 different ways: a duck dumpling for each person, a duck breast paired with roasted pears, duck drumsticks, and a confusing creation including black rice and puff pastry. According to my coworkers, the duck breast / drumsticks were surprisingly sweet, and the puff pastry concoction, while creative, was far from what they were expecting. It was also oddly sweet, and the combination of black rice, duck meat, and puff pastry was not as lovely as it sounded. Although it was a unique experience, it did not feel like it was worth the $120 price tag. All in all, if you aren't looking to spend top dollar or are looking for classic, authentic Chinese cooking, then Chang Chang might not be the right place to go. If, however, you're looking for something fun, modern, and creative while still relying on traditional Chinese flavors, then absolutely give Chang Chang a try -- just make sure you're feeling especially adventurous if you decide to order the duck (and make sure you tell them to start cooking ASAP).