this was my first time trying chef lee's and it did not disappoint! we got takeout, and pickup was fairly quick and easy. it's in a strip mall with a parking lot. there were a good number of patrons eating inside, which we took as a good sign. otherwise it's kind of a no-frills place. the food wasn't clearly labeled so there was a bit of confusion once we got home. we got sesame chicken and they served the sauce separately from the chicken itself which i'd never seen before... kinda nice you can sauce-as-you-like tho. the hunan chicken was definitely spicy! no soup crackers given w the hot and sour soup (sad!). the highlight for me was the shrimp and broccoli. the shrimp were huge, delicious, and perfectly cooked, and the sauce was flavorful. i would definitely come back and order the shrimp again! read more

Chef Lee's Element - shrimp and broccoli - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Great food and friendly service! Marcia was smiling all the time and responded to our requests in a professional manner. Highly recommended! read more

Chef Lee's Element - Gan Guo Frogs - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

See all

Came to dinner with husband and the experience was great! Maggie and Marcia were amazing servers. They recommended delicious plates and took great care of us. Decided to come a second day in a row because of how good it was. The place is really nice with great ambiance. Will be recommending to friends. read more

The food is very delicious, the service is great! Marcia is friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend this place read more

Chef Lee's Element - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

The place is decent and the food is even better! Marcia and Maggie did a good gob serving us. read more

Chef Lee's Element - Chinese food - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

4*Steamed Fish Fillet 清蒸鱼排: light and healthy. 3.8*Dragon Eggplant 盘龙茄子: the eggplants were cut like a dragon, it was amazing. The dish tasted sweet and greasy. read more

See all

Been meaning to try this spot, and when I had visitors from California that enjoys schezuan, that gave me the excuse to come by! Coming in on a Saturday night, the restaurant was fairly busy, but we were immediately seated. The table next to us had a very rowdy group with several young kids. They kept running back and forth to the bathroom, and locking themselves in. Minor annoyance where I wish the restaurant would have stepped in. This also occupied the only restroom as well. We ordered green beans and la zi ji (mala chicken). I've taken the Californians to a few other Sichuan places, and they rated this one as one of their favorites. Specifically the la zi ji. read more

Chef Lee's Element - Mala Chicken - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

We went there based on a friend's recommendation, and I think they literally are up to the high expectations set for us. The food was absolutely amazing, and the environment is good, clean, well lit with great service. I will always recommend coming to this place for dinner if you are into spicy Chinese cuisine! Besides our servers, Lily and Marcia are super nice too! read more

Chef Lee's Element - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

My family and I came here before but the restaurant has had a beautiful renovation. The wait time was very short. We had delicious ChongQing spicy chicken, spicy braised/grilled sea bass, and cold chili oil noodles. The wait staff was very good and Marcia helped us out--she was very helpful! This is our favorite restaurant and we will definitely come back! Satisfactory. read more

Chef Lee's Element - 重庆辣子鸡/Chongqing Spicy Chicken, 藤椒烤鱼/Grilled Fish with Sichuan Peppercorns - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Having grown up in the area, my family was always keeping track of which of our favorite Chinese restaurants changed owners or chefs. Restaurants would move up on our family's favorite spots list and sometimes disappear altogether. Chef's Lee Element changed owners a couple years back and we decided to come check it out for Christmas dinner (interestingly enough, we had gone to the prior iteration for Christmas dinner 2 years ago). Going to any Chinese restaurant in the area for Christmas is a bold move and Chef Lee's was no exception. The place was PACKED! We luckily made a reservation for 6 PM but we kept seeing endless streams of people coming in to pick up food or wait for a table. The food here was great! We feasted on a medley of foods: eggplant, stir fried pea shoots, pork belly with abalone, two different types of fish, lamb, shrimp, and tofu. It was all really good! Great flavors, not too oily, good portion sizes, and just what you would want for a nice group dinner. Food took a little longer than usual (by Chinese restaurant standards), but that's to be expected given how crazy packed it was. The service was friendly and responsive! All in all, we had a great time and Chef Lee's Element has earned a spot high up on our go to dinner spots list! read more

See all

We paid Chef Lee's a visit after seeing our Yelp Elite friends Amy S and Carroll had visited! The food was fresh and flavorful. We started with the blueberry and mashed yams. It was unique as we had never tried something like this before. We are so happy we ordered the Flavored Cauliflower after Amy's glowing recommendation. My husband loved the Kung Pao Chicken and I enjoyed the Pork with bean sauce and steamed buns. The portions were large and prices affordable. The service was great and they packaged up our leftovers to take home. Nice decor for Lunar New Year. read more

See all

Food is very authentic and there is a lot to choose from on the menu! The setting is very relaxing and the staff is very attentive and communicative about the dishes. Thanks to our server Angel for providing excellent service. We will definitely be back! read more

Great food and wonderful service from Marcia!! I love the dessert here, and also all the fish and beef dishes are very good! read more

Chef Lee's Element - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Ironically, even though I'm Chinese, I don't go to Chinese restaurants as frequently as one would expect. However, I'm happy I came here with my family because it was a good time. We had to wait for about 15-20 minutes to get a table, as it was a Saturday evening (12/30 actually). However, once we got seated, everything was super smooth. I really wish that I knew the English names for a lot of the dishes we ordered (I know their Chinese ones), but I've attached some pictures of everything we got below. Honestly, it was all great and the portions were also super filling. read more

See all

normally I love chef Lees. my carry out delivery was very disappointing. my granddaughter refused to eat her favorite chicken wonton soup. I order it with no chili oil. It came with a thick layer of chili oil. the chili oil flavor overwhelmed the chicken broth. the chili oil also soaked & flavored the wontons. skimming the chili oil off took 15 minutes. she had the remaining broth with plain rice. the bok-toy to was as ordered with extra garlic. came exactly as ordered. perfect. tried the sizzling beef for the 1st time. not what we expected but was still very tasty. very nice but oily sauce. overall disappointed read more

Chef Lee's Element - carry out order for review comments. - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

My husband and I come here often, since this is our first choice for authentic Chinese restaurant in our area. We had tried many dishes and so far all were good. Renovation was done beautifully. Congratulations ! read more

See all

Finally had a chance to get Chef Lee when the shut down is over. The restaurant environment is very good after furnishing. The food keeps the same high quality and good taste. Waitresses, like Maggie, are super nice! read more

Chef Lee's Element - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

See all

Great experience! We came here today and the food was amazing. Not only that, but the service was amazing. Maggie was so nice and attentive, she was always there when we needed water or anything else. We had the sizzling beef which was surprisingly good and sweet. I would recommend braised eggplant as well. Highly recommend this place! read more

Enjoy eating here, weekly must come lunch location, love the food and service, always feels home, very friendly and welcoming staffs, Angela is such a funny character, recommend to everyone who loves Chinese cuisine. read more

This has been on my list of restaurants to try. The reviews have been mixed, but I had to try it for myself. It exceeded my expectations. My only complaint was that they were not very accommodating. Any requests for a deviation from the dish, it was a short and quick "No!". However, all three dishes that we ordered were excellent. Kung Pao Shrimp- delicious but a little on the sweet side. It was like eating candy. Spicy Tufo- very fragrant. Delicious. Flavored Cauliflower- AMAZING. Must have. Overall, great food. Looking forward to trying other dishes. read more

See all

highl recommended, this restaurant has great food and great service. Maggie's service was superb. She was patient with every customer, and I really liked her.will be back soon . read more

The best Chinese food in the Gaithersburg and Germantown area is Chef Lees. Angel the lady with glasses is always so nice and helpful. Helps with suggesting new items on the menu to try out. Fang is helpful too. Glad Chef Lee's is back with the new restaurant redesign, missed them for a few months during the renovation. read more

I heard about this restaurant and thought I'd give it a try. While some of the food were quite tasty, the high prices, inconsistent quality and taste of the dishes, and the questionable integrity of some of the staff and unpredictable nature of when the food would arrive ultimately leaves me not wanting to come back again. I ordered 9 dishes for a lunch party. First I called ahead the night before to place my order and was told they don't take future orders, and for me to call back again the next day. Strange since this implied my business wasn't important to them, but I went with it so I can try the restaurant out. The following day I placed a mobile order on their website ~9:30am for pick up at 11:45am. I get a text message at 11:05 am telling me my order is processing and it will be ready by 11:50 am. I get to the store ~11:45am and was told my order is not ready yet, which I get. Upon asking how much longer it would take for the food to be ready, I was told ~20 minutes. I was shocked and asked for more details. I was told the restaurant opens at 11:30 am and even though my order was 1st in line, they are cooking as fast as possible and only made 3 dishes. Later I learned this was just not true as other carry out orders were ready and waiting to be picked up. I also saw several people arrive to ask about their carry out order, only to be told it will take longer than what was promised. From talking to some of the staff I learned that delayed orders are a common practice at this restaurant, and the owner knows it but doesn't want to do anything about it for fear of the chef leaving for another restaurant. I did get compensated with a free drink and some soup, so it was nice to see the staff try to make some ammends. This could all be overlooked if the food was spectacular. Unfortunately, it's not. Most of the dishes were average with some notable highlights, both good and bad. Let's start with the bad: the Kung Pao chicken tasted bland (I can get a better Kung Pao chicken at Panda Express), braised pork balls did not look like the photo at all and were too soft and mushy, and Green Beans with Minced Pork did not have any minced pork and were cooked too soft. Now the good: the Sauteed Diced Chicken is very good - I highly recommend it if you can overlook the high price and ridiculous wait, and the Crispy Pig Feet is worth a try - but be warned portions are tiny for the exorbitant price, and the sauteed fish fillet was cooked nicely with decent price for a fish dish. Overall I think this is an overpriced chinese restaurant that tries to be like Peter Chang but fails to deliver. read more

See all

This was really delicious, Schezuan food. Fresh and delicious. My favorite was the Schezuan green beans, but everything was good. They have lots of tables, and many are round with turn tables. All of the other diners were Asian. We came right at 11:30 for lunch, and it did fill up very quickly after. The servers are really friendly. read more

I'll definitely recommend this place to my friends. The food was fresh and beautiful. We ordered garlic pork ribs, mapo tofu, and pickled chill frog. But my favorite one is the dessert, brown sugar rice cake, its sweet and tasty, nothing could be better than having a bite after a big meal. The atmosphere was cozy and welcoming, I especially want to compliment Lily, our server who was friendly. She made sure everything was perfect and recommended some delicious dishes. Will come back here again. read more

Chef Lee's Element - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

I had an amazing meal here! Every dish was absolutely delicious. The dry pot tofu was crispy on the outside and tender inside, full of flavor. Love it! read more

See all

Wow ! Is Amazing the costumer service is wonderful!!! In especially Marcia and Janny are very good person and excellent service! About the food is excelent taste is very good we used to come here we love it!! read more

My first time dining in at Chef Lee's Element as I usually do carryout. Food is decently priced with good portion size, most items are sized to feed multiple people. The service was good as well and food came out fast. The food tasted good and was cooked well, I would highly recommend the Tofu as it was fried very well. I ordered General Tso's chicken which was okay but I found it funny that they added Veggie Straws as a "garnish." I don't know why they would add that but I noticed it as soon as they dropped the plate on the table. They also serve beer here as well. The hot tea was very good here as well. I would recommend eating here either for dine in or take out. read more

See all

Just went here today. Walked in around lunch, place was decently busy, and I was greeted immediately. The man I talked to helped me with some selection paralysis on a dish and overall was very helpful. I ordered pan fried dumplings, pork belly, beef and green onion, and signature spicy chicken. Pork belly was delicious, nice brown sauce and onions to cut the fat. The pan fried dumplings were good, and the portion was more than I expected (love that, guarantees I go back). The beef was exactly what I hoped it would be! But the chicken! They warned me it would be spicy, but man was it spicy! SOOO good! I plan to go again soon. I want to try everything! read more

See all

I just gotta say this and I know I have said it before. Chef Lee is so good and I just keep going back for the delicious food. I love the cauliflower it's has a nice spicy to it and it's so good. The pork knuckles was one another one of my favorites. We can't forget that the whole place is so nice to just sit down and seat and eat with friends. The staffs are so nice especially Lily. She was out server again and she is so nice and very helpful when I didn't know what to pick. Go check them out read more

I work close to this restaurant and eat there regularly. The food and service has always exceeded my expectations and I always hate going back to work after eating at Chef Lee's Element. They recently renovated the restaurant making it very welcoming and comfortable. The food is outstanding and the portions generous. I am not familiar with some of the dishes on the menu so kudos are in order for Marcia and the wait staff there who are always willing to guide customers, make suggestions or help in anyway they can. Great food, great environment and great staff - what is not to like. read more

It's quite an experience everytime we ear our with my sister in law and fam. They have the greatest taste in Authentic Chinese food. Since she's chinese. And this one hits the top 5 list of good restaurants we have been to. We ordered quiet a few dishes. But i have certain favorites i want to mention. The cold chicken with chili oil was fire though. It was full of flavor that red spicy chili oil was such a treat on a winter day. It made me sweat a little bit. The shredded pork was also another favorite. It was tasty, spicy and just right for my tastebuds. All the flavors mingling together. Yum! The spicy chicken nuggets will always be a top tier appetizer/ entree. So Much flavor packed in those nuggies, The eggplant dish was so good too. I love eggplant but this takes the top spot of all the orders we made. We ate everything. The staff was friendly and accommodating and the food came quickly. For a Monday night. It was very busy. And it's full of locals and mostly chinese people so you know its gonna be great. Would highly recommend! read more

See all

We arrived to a line of people at the front of Chef Lee's. Patrons were mostly young Asian Americans, and I was secretly hopeful that it's going to be a pleasant discovery experience. Once seated after about 15 minutes, we quickly ordered some of their specials - spicy fish (asked less spicy), squid, conch, cauliflower, and eggplant dishes. The conch was on point - pungent, fiery spicy, and a good amount of spring onion to lessen the strong taste. I was glad that the waitress brought out the rice early to accompany the appetizers. The squid was a letdown because it was bit more fishy than I'd have liked, but it's got potentials to be a great dish. The spicy fish looked great - served on a sizzling grill, mixed with a floral of authentic Chinese sides, e.g., wood ears. But it's like my essay - lots of adjectives and no content; Because they used tilapia, and it tasted too earthy (kinda like eating cat fish). The cauliflower dish ended up being the best of the 5 we ordered. The meal was certainly a discovery but I'm not sure if it's a repeat. I give it a 4 star because of their service, fairly priced dishes, and potentials. read more

See all

Visited during Saturday lunch hours. It looked like all of the area Chinese family came to eat inside. That's a good sign, I thought. Every items I got to taste was delicious. If it wasn't for my best friend, I wouldn't have known what to order because honestly, I didn't think anything looked appetizing. I am not usually a big fan of Szechuan food. Not because they're spicy, but I find them kind of.....bland. I know. I am a weirdo like that. I am also not a big fan of the peppercorn. I find them smell and taste too similarly to star anise and I am not fond of either of their flavors when it's too strong or prominently presented. My personal favorite was the eggplant dish and the fish soup. The spicy wontons were delicious as well and had more than 10 inside. The cold sesame peanut noodles were delicious too. I personally wouldn't recommend getting their pan fried dumplings. The skin was too gummy and the filling meager. One complaint? I wish the servers wouldn't throw the used dishes so haphazardly and loudly into the bucket. It was jarring and completely made me startled and got nearby babies cry. Otherwise, the person who was taking care of our table was lovely and attentive. read more

See all

10.5.22 Food: -Baozi with Braised Pork in Sauce: I wanted to try this, but they didn't have it as the cook who makes this is on vacation so it was unavailable. What a bummer! -Sauteed Shredded Pork in Sweet Bean Sauce: I was indecisive what I wanted so our server suggested this. It came with 6 pancakes and a bowl of rice. The sauce was indeed sweet, but I really enjoyed my entree. The pork was cooked perfectly. It was hearty to me. I only finished half so I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. -Beef with Ginger and Onion: My friend ordered this and thought the flavor was good, but that the beef was chewy. I tried a piece and agreed. -I appreciate and found it helpful that the menu has photos as sometimes it's hard to go off of a description. Parking lot: It is pretty packed at lunch as it's in a strip that gets busy. Service: Our server was friendly, but we thought she could have come around once or twice to check on us. Since I was making rolls it got messy and I could have used more napkins. On a positive note, when we asked for boxes, she offered to package it for us. I also had a hard time understanding our server and had to ask her to repeat herself several times. Final thoughts: They have common Chinese menu items and several items that are unique to me such as the Mashed Blueberry and Yam. The food was good that I would come back, but not rushing as I have a long list of other restaurants to try first. read more

See all

Food is very tasty, new renovation is very nice, the service is friendly, recommended! Thank you to Marcia for her nice service!

Absolutely authentic Chinese cuisine! The service is exceptional, and the venue is warm and inviting. I visited five weekends in a row, trying different dishes each time, and every order was a delight. Kudos to the talented chef and the wonderful team! read more

We came here the first time and had ordered a bunch of dishes. But I guess we missed the signature dish. Review will include all of the dishes I tried so far. I have to say the spicy kick here was rather tame compared to the szechuan restaurants in Rockville, which I attribute to the region differences, it's not a bad thing. Sour cabbage fish: this dish was reviewed often, I would definitely agree and highly recommended as the must get dish. Soy/scallion Steamed fish: two whole fish fillet steamed with soy sauce, scallions and a dash of hot oil it was fragrant, fresh and subtle. Spicy fish fillet: numbing spicy fish fillet it was a good dish and was not very spicy. Cold spicy mung bean noodles: light spicy but was on the saltier side and also lots of oil. Overall a good dish but I had better ones. Cold spicy chicken: also light spicy but tasty. Not my top fav version Whole Squid: it looked fantastic but was so chewy at each bite to separate the meat, and did not smell very fresh. Stir fried Cauliflower: using Chinese cauliflower it was nice rather hard to find the Chinese cauliflower stirred with numbing spices. Normally it would be browned or garlicky. read more

See all

Great Chinese food with big portions. I ordered twice-cooked pork，super authentic and delicious. Lily's service was amazing -- friendly, patient, and really attentive. She made great recommendations and made the whole experience even better. I'll definitely be back to try more dishes! read more

This place used to be the best around for authentic Szechuan Food. When they first opened, we were there once weekly and then frequented it often for the first half year. It was where we could show off authentic ChongQing cuisine. I haven't been back as much since the Chef left but I guess now they changed ownership too. I ordered takeout yesterday - 2 appetizers, 4 soups, and 3 entrees, including one of their giant shareable dishes. Not only are the flavors watered down, the portions were downright pathetic. At first I thought my Door Dasher ate half my food Heartbreaking for a place that had such potential! It's one thing if they maintained the quality, but everything is just sad now Don't go. Go to Rockville, Yu Zhou, or the new Fish Hot Pot place in Montgomery Village. read more

Chef Lee's Element - Half full soups - Szechuan Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

See all