My family comes from Guangzhou and we are Canto. So when my in laws sent me Queen's English, I was a bit skeptical. I've had a ton of new interpretations of traditional Chinese cuisine before and have definitely been unimpressed and burned before. But Queen's English delivered. I made reservations about a week in advance for a Friday night and didn't have any issues. They do charge you $25 per person for the reservation upfront, but it's refunded if you actually dine. We showed up about 20 minutes early and they were able to seat us no problem. Since it's family style, we split 5 dishes amongst the 4 of us: - Crispy Pig Ear - Scallion Pancake - Daikon Fritters - Drunken Duck Noodle - Bobo Chicken First, drinks. I had the Wang Cheung Tonight, which has bourbon, bonal, pei pah koa, and angostura. I was actually super interested in this drink because pei pah koa is... a herbal supplement that I continue to take as an adult whenever I have a sore throat. Tbh, I didn't really taste it in my drink, but it was a good drink. Super strong. The food, everything was great. I wouldn't say it's traditional, and with some dishes, even remotely Cantonese. But if you just forget those aspects, and just try the food, the food itself is very good. The Scallion Pancake with mapo octopus and bonito flakes on top were genius. I've never had a scallion pancake with toppings before, but I'm going to do this at home now. The Daikon fritters, which is just basically law bak go, was inspired. They put pork floss on top of it and topped it with kewpie mayo and a sweet & tangy sauce. X loved this, and he normally does not care for turnip cake. The Bobo Chicken was tender and juicy - definitely get rice with this. It's a bit pricey, but nothing insane. I think for 4 people, with 6 drinks, 5 shared dishes, 1 dessert, and tip, it came up to just shy of $300. So $75 per person roughly. Service was attentive and on point. They did send over a ground of dessert shots because their bartender was so swamped that night and we waited a while for our drinks. That was extremely nice and generous. read more

Three stars based on just the food as the service was lovely. Everything we had was just not memorable. Glad we tried it but would not come back. Based on the price vs value/flavor it just isn't justified. Nothing we had except for the cauliflower was memorable Chicken- seemed almost undercooked and texture was soft and mushy Duck noodles- barely noticed the duck and more extras in it that noodles itself. We asked for it spicy and I tasted no spice. Flavor was subpar Lamb- tasted like chorizo taco and I don't understand the popcorn. They said for different texture but the popcorn was soggy. Scallion pancake- more like pita bread and the flavor of the whole dish relied on the sauce but not a lot of flavor and not memorable . I felt for the wine they tried to be cute with the "flavor profile" but some of the descriptions made me not even want to try the wines because the describing words were just gross like ham and cheese. Put more effort into the food and creating more memorable flavorful dishes. read more

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Five stars. What a great experience. We sat at the chef's counter for dinner; the right choice for me!! Can't want to do it again. Great service and hospitality; interacting w/ our server was a blast. We ordered baijiu to drink; straight-up & in an off-menu daiquiri per our server's recommendation; great!! Loved it. Then I moved on to a perfect blend of vermouths after asking our server to surprise me. So fun and good. Dinner was a delectable mix of plates; curry shrimp croquettes (wow @ the curry flavor; hot, delicious, delightful), scallion pancake (perfect; delicious; the onion; the egg; thin and crispy; love), truffle dumpling (like savory beignets......from heaven...oh my goodness; never before had anything like these; the stuff food-dreams are made of), charred broccolini (perfectly cooked; perfect texture; delicious; great way to incorporate some veg to our meal), temple street octopus (also...delicious; precut to bite size, so less time cutting; more time eating; great preparation), daikon fritters (dense, comforting, flavorful). Everything was great... (I know; Ive already said so multiple times...) Love this place. Ambiance is cozy; intimate. ...Go w/ ppl you know you like. read more

Small cute Hong Kong inspired place! Our servers were so sosoooo nice and fun!!! They were all very attentive and welcoming. So glad I got to finally try this place out. It did not disappoint. We even bought a merch item at the item: their tote bag! Some of my favorites dishes were Spicy Jellyfish + Cucumber, Mouthwatering Rock Shrimp, Truffle Dumpling, Cripsy Whole Brazino, and Bobo Chicken! All were so flavorful and delicious. Honorable mentions were Mushroom Mushroom and Octopus Pancake. The Daikon Fritters and Drunken Duck Noodle were a miss for me unfortunately. The White Rabbit ice cream was not bad! I do think they rotate ice cream flavors. read more

Phenomenal experience! Everything was absolutely delicious. I would absolutely highlight the mushrooms, daikon fritters and pancake scallions - the latter being one of the best dishes I've tried in DC. The cuisine takes a nice twist on Cantonese cuisine with contemporary and other East Asian as well as European influences. Our server was great and gave us excellent recommendations. The Nebbiolo was good but the food recommendations were even better. The place feels cozy and warm. The only negative note is that the noise level is pretty high and is hard to speak and listen to your guests. Overall, I'd highly recommend this place! read more

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Not great. I wanted to love this place. Vibe was nice and cozy, and our waiter was friendly but professional. The prices were surprisingly high. The $8 tea was a cup, not a pot, and it was just tea bags, so nothing special. Food items were similarly pricey, but I kept an open mind. Here's what we got: Green beans $21 - 5/5 - great start. Big portion, lots of flavor and texture Scallion pancake $16 - 3/5 - quite heavy and starchy, really needed the sauce it came with Charred broccolini $24 - 2/5 - very sausage heavy, and soaking in sausage oil. The large pool of sesame sauce didn't do anything to balance it out. Would have much preferred the broccolini with just simple garlic oil Vegetarian drunken noodle $22 - 3/5 - kind of dry and boring. Really needed sauce Daikon fritters $21 - 2/5 - no flavor and off putting texture. The stuff on top was the only good part House sauces $2 each - 4/5 - they were very good but tiny portions considering the food really needed them. Plus they changed our plates half way through, so we lost what little sauce was still on our plates. They should offer to bring more sauces when they change the plates. I get running a restaurant has become very expensive, but we think there's better bang for your buck elsewhere. Try Han Palace in Woodley Park. It's similarly nice vibes and much better food. read more

Would probably not come back again due to subpar food. We got the duck noodles, pig ear, beef cheek, and foie gras shu mai. Portions are small, the food balances out to average at best, but the prices are high. The duck noodles were meh. The duck was dry and there wasn't much flavor to the actual dish. There also weren't that much noodle for the dish. The pig ear salad was interesting and I enjoyed it. The ear is crispy and tasted good with the sauce and greens. I did not enjoy the flavor of the beef cheek. You wrap the beef cheek with a lettuce leaf and put an onion piece and basil leaf on top. The beef itself isn't packed with flavor, and onion, basil and lettuce certainly do not add any flavor so overall it was, IMO, a subpar dish. I could not taste the foie gras in the shu mai, which kind of defeats the purpose of paying a premium for the foie gras shu mai. read more

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Queen's English is a modern Hong Kong-style café in D.C.'s Columbia Heights, I really liked the Croquette's and Bobo chicken. The price point is pretty high for what you get though, but it was still good. read more

I didn't know what quite to expect when coming to Queen's English. First off, the service was absolutely five stars. We were well taken care of. The staff, from the hostess to the servers were exceptionally friendly. The servers were also knowledgeable about the menu and came by quickly to gather any finished plates and ask if there was anything else we needed. The space and lighting was inviting. The food tasted great (Bobo Chicken was my favorite). All the food was very flavorful and creative. Presented beautifully with unique ingredients but still tasted wholly Chinese. Growing up in a Chinese household, the food, especially the red snapper brought back nostalgic memories of my mothers cooking. That being said, at least for myself, most dishes even though they did not look like something I've eaten, it tasted like something I've had many times. It was a wonderful experience, I would definitely return to try more of the menu for a special occasion. read more

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Wah wah wee wah, what a meal. Queen's English is the real deal. We followed the recommendation of prior Yelp reviewers and started with the crispy pig ears. Divine swine indeed. We also ordered the truffle dumplings, which we inhaled before taking a picture. The corn sauce they came with was one of the best flavors of the evening. The scallion pancake and drunken duck noods were first class. The staff were kind and attentive, and the restaurant had a great vibe. read more

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Went there for an anniversary dinner and we ordered crab & asparagus, green beans, truffle dumplings, branzino fish, and chive pancakes and we loved them all (although we would pass on truffle dumplings as tasted more like dessert). Service was spot and only downside is it can get super noisy inside making it very difficult to hear a conversation. We'll be back many times for sure!! read more

Homely atmosphere, nice service, and delicious food. Above all, its ruffle dumpling is a killer. Can't wait to visit this place again !

It's located near Columbia Heights in DC, a 30 min drive (without traffic) from Northern Virginia if you live in the area. Made the reservation the same day and they held a refundable $25 per person deposit. Took a while to find street parking, which is standard in the city. We sat at the chef's counter. The place is cozy with some artsy Chinese decorations. Lights dim, it can be hard to talk with the music and large crowds. We ordered a Taiwan beer and several entrees. The service was superb. The dishes were delicious, our favorite dish was the egg noodles. The dessert did not disappoint either, the panna cotta tastes right with red bean and coconut mix. If you are coming for a reasonably priced meal that fills up your stomach, this is not the place. But if you are coming for a nice experience or celebrating for special occasions, this is definitely the place for it. The ambience with flavorful food choices will make the visit worthwhile. read more

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A true 3. This place has been on my list for a while and I was eager to try it after it made it to the Michelin Bib Gourmand list. Highs: The favorites of the group were the daikon fritters and the silkin tofu. The daikon fritters were very unique and not like anything I had had before. While the tofu was good, it also tasted like something I could make at home if I'm being honest. Another crowd favorite was the duck drumettes. Super tender and fall of the bone. The tartare was wonderful as well. But the presentation wasn't very convenient for sharing and the portion was literally teeny tiny. Lows: I thought the shumai was good but I was expecting to be wowed. Didn't taste much foie gras or chicken. Just tasted like ground beef. The noodles were also decent but a tad on the salty side. I did like the variety of mushrooms. The scallops, I would skip on. While a very unique combination of ingredients, no one was wowed by it. Cocktails: I got the wan chai sour and did not like it. It was recommended by the waitress. I found it just overly sweet and was really expecting a flavor experience. My friend got the club Rangoon and also said it was very sweet. Very much pimple inducing cocktails. Closing thoughts: I appreciate that the waitstaff was very knowledgeable of the menu. She recommended for a group of 4 that we get 10 items. We went with 7 which I thought was perfect. She didn't come by often so it was hard to order more items and drinks. The ambiance feels quite intimate. I like that they give the perfect number of items of food per plate depending on the size of the group but if I was just in a group of 2 I might've felt a little scammed. Overall it was pricy and just not worth it in my opinion. Some of the portions felt reasonable but some of them felt like barely anything. I think this place is overhyped. I'm not sure if any of the flavors were super innovative or anything and I think I would've been happier going to a hole in the wall Chinese restaurant. read more

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A cozy and lovely restaurant. Attentive service, dark and intimate atmosphere. Delicious modern Hong Kong food. I got the hamachi to start--delicate citrusy and fresh. Was perfect! Next were the crispy pig ears (my absolute favorite dish! So addicting and crunchy like crunchy bacon. Has a slight sweet tangy flavoring. Definitely was fried so a bit on the greasy side). Then the chicken foie gras shumai. This was just okay, nothing that really stood out in my mind. The foie gras was pretty underwhelming, and I couldn't taste it. Still solid though. Dinner was paired with a white bubbly (crisp and slightly dry, went well with the dish)! read more

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Excellent food, drinks, service and ambience. We truly enjoyed the truffle dumplings, lobster salad, wang cheung and house-made strawberry soda. A wonderful spot to add to our DC dining rotation. Thank you to the team at Queen's English and look forward to our next visit. read more

It was great to be able to walk to Queen's English and explore a new restaurant - they really need to be checking the bathrooms and monitoring those regularly as it was gross when I went to wash hands. The food is very good, though very overpriced for what it is. Very well presented, and upscale - just need to ensure pricing matches the amount of food and what it is. We ordered the fish, and the server brought out some rice to eat it with- delicioso! The persimmon and lobster appetizer was very very good as well- would recommend that the restaurant increase the portion size by half for said pricing. Don't do Natty Hour- extremely overpriced, $20 more across the board on wines and spirits than what you can get on market, and advertised as a deal- don't do that to customers. It's not good. People are also tipping on top of it so it's just a bad look. When coming here, I would recommend keeping it strictly to dining- the drinks are overpriced and will rack up an unreasonable bill. Phenomenal ambience- themed, intimate, and a fun experience. The personnel are all so courteous and service driven. Because of pricing, we won't be returning, though food is very good. read more

Queen's English - Crispy Whole Branzino filleted, and good, but pricey - probably wouldn't order it again because of it. - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We sat at the chef's table for our anniversary. It was so fun watching the kitchen create everyone's meals. And, the food was incredible. Food is served family-style, and we ordered Lo Sui Egg, Scallion Pancake, Truffle Dumpling, Drunken Duck Noodle, Bobo Chicken, and Rabbit in a Clay Pot. We had the sesame ice cream for dessert, and it was absolutely phenomenal. I typically do not like ice cream or sweet things, and it was one of the best ice creams I have ever had. We also had a bottle of wine unlike anything we have ever tried before that tasted of blueberry--and we used to live in Europe where we attended wine conventions, so we have experienced quite a lot. We were gobsmacked that a wine could surprise us. And, they gave us complimentary champagne with our dessert for our anniversary. We cannot wait to return to try the other items on their menu. read more

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It's easy to say "incredible food." But that's not really just it: Queen's is very uniquely incredible food. These tasty Hong Kong bites, has almost no resemblance to what you think of Chinese food; the dishes are inventions, crafted to be eaten without rice-- although i get rice. If American Chinese food is the FURY, Queen's English is the carefully crafted FINESSE. read more

Queen's English - Hip. - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

tl;dr - Some of the dishes we got were fantastic, but almost every dish we got felt slightly to moderately off. Overall, I'd say this is more "Canto-fusion" rather than true Canto flavors. My fellow Canto friend and I weren't impressed and I personally wouldn't recommend Queen's English for Cantonese food unless your expectations are low and you're OK spending a ridiculous amount. First of all, Queen's English is popular, so definitely make a reservation here. My friend and I made a reservation this past Wednesday for dinner, which we made a few days in advance. Initially, both of us were super excited to try elevated Cantonese food. Given that we're both Canto and the lack of Canto food in the area, we've craving a taste of home. The plates are small/street food style that are sold at regular-size entree pricing. SMH. To note, Queen's English updates their menu quite regularly, so some of the items mentioned in this review may not be available depending on when you stop by. DRUNKEN DUCK NOODLES - 25 This was my friend and I's favorite dish. The flavors were more "Canto-fusion" than Canto - definitely not something I've had before. The duck was tasty and flavorful - some pieces were a bit dry, though. The noodle texture was perfect! It was seasoned well and garnished with lots of chives and marinated in a delicious sauce! We'd recommend giving this a try. DAIKON FRITTERS - 19 This is "lo bak go" fused with pork sung and mayo (the classic pork sung bao without the bao) topped with lots of spring onions. Flavor wise, this was my favorite because I love the fusion of two very delicious Cantonese foods. The shrimp and mushrooms in the daikon base were so tasty. It would have been nice if there was lop chiang (Chinese sausage), but that's just a minor critique. However, my friend and I were unimpressed by the texture of the lo bak go as there was way too much flour and not enough daikon! There was none of that satisfying crunch or texture that you'd find normally from lo bak go at a dim sum restaurant. FOIE GRAS + CHICKEN SHUMAI (2 PCS) - 14 First of all, what the heck is a CHICKEN shumai???? I've never had chicken in my shumai before since it's traditionally made with shrimp, but my friend and I were curious about the foie gras. However, when it was brought out, we were surprised to see how big each piece of shumai was. Shumai is normally bite sized, but the shumai we were given needed at least 3-4 bites to consume. In general, this was probably our least favorite of what we ordered in terms of taste. We don't eat foie gras very often (might have been our first or second time ever) so we were disappointed that we weren't able to fully enjoy this delicacy since it was meshed with chicken. Overall, we both wouldn't recommend this as it was expensive and it just wasn't that good. PEPPERCORN BEEF CHEEKS - 35 I'd have to say that the beef cheeks by itself really hit home in terms of flavors because it reminded me of the braised beef stew my mom would make at home. My friend and I both wish this came with rice because it was so saucy and rich which would have been perfect with rice. Instead, this came with napa cabbage "holders" (some of these were bitter and overall, kind of weird), shallots (these were tasty) and watery hoisin-like sauce on the side (that we both could do without since it didn't add more flavor to the beef cheeks). I guess the idea is like roast duck + bao but instead, this was beef cheeks and napa. Overall, really rich with great flavors. I wish there was rice to scoop up all the sauces that were left over on the plate that ended up being wasted, SAD. While this was good, there were a few quips we had about this, so I can't say I'd recommend this dish. (Not on the menu) Pumpkin spiced mochi with coffee whipped cream & merengue - 11 This wasn't on our menu, but our server told us this was an option. The mochi reminded me of nian gao. My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed this dessert and enjoyed the fusion. The merengue was top notch and the coffee flavored whipped cream was A+. The cons: None of the entrees came with rice and it doesn't seem like a side of rice is available on the menu. I'm sure we could have dropped $5 for a bowl of white rice we could make at home for less than 50 cents, but we didn't want to spend more money, LOL. We felt like it would make sense to have rice to scoop up some of the excess sauce/flavors that were left on the plate and given that some of the dishes were pretty salty, rice would have been a great cushion. My friend and I wanted to try the red snapper but $65??? Hard pass. Queen's English wasn't worth the hype for us. I guess it was worth the try so we weren't curious about it for any longer. read more

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Came here on a double date on a weekend and even though the food was good, it was exorbitantly overpriced for what it was. The white rabbit ice cream was my favorite thing we ordered. We sat outside under heated tents, but it was still a little chilly. It was a little difficult to track down our server at times. Won't be back, but don't regret trying it out! read more

Queen's English - Oolong tea - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Lovely spot with excellent service. The abalone temporary special was divine. Just a perfect balance of sea saltiness, luscious salmon roe pearls and smokiness. The bone marrow was also exquisite and must be eaten with the accompanying veggies. The fried fish was also tasty and perfectly cooked. Beautiful white fish. I would pass on the desserts and the mushrooms though. Overall a wonderful dining experience. Would come back again. read more

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WOW! What an amazing dinner. The caviar scallion pancake and the Shumai were two of the best things I've ever eaten. Both huge and full of crazy good flavors. Our waitress was so wonderful. She gave us great food suggestions and gave us a sample of one of the orange wines just to try without us asking. One final thing that made QE so great, was the fact that all the neighborhood dogs run up to the hostesses to ask for dog treats. Made for a very entertaining dinner. Can't wait to go back!! read more

Queen's English - Shumai - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Queen's English is probably my favorite restaurant in DC. We've been many times since 2020 and every time has been a delight. Their staff go above and beyond to make it a memorable experience for every guest. From making sure they know it's your birthday or anniversary to their suggestions around favorite dishes, the service never disappoints. They have some of the best cocktails in DC. The Wang Cheung Tonight is a staple for us. Their wine list is small but full of really unique, carefully curated wines. You can't go wrong...especially if you lean more towards natural wines. The food is the other star along with the staff. Some of our current favorites include: - Numbing Steak and Egg -- Probably the tastiest dish I've had there - Octopus Pancake -- Think your typical scallion pancake re-invented - Drunken Duck Noodle -- Just makes you feel warm and happy :) On top of all of that the space is super cute and cozy. If you are a lucky group of four you'll get to experience one of their window booths which is the perfect place to catch up with friends or family. read more

I arrived at 6:30 pm in a Saturday solo and, without any reservation, bar and tables were packed. The hosts was sweet enough to placed myself in a table, I had an hour to eat, since that table was reserved for the next customers. The restaurant is nice and inviting, service was good, however you have to place an order only once, ( according to my server), I hade to order drinks, appetizer and main course at the same time, my entree came first than my appetizer. The way they make you order it isn't an ideal, the food was delicious, but away too pricey for what was served, menu is also too small, my server was pretty good I doubt that I would come back here read more

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My friend and I had dinner at Queen's English a few weeks ago, and I've pretty much not stopped thinking about it since then. Absolutely blew me away. So the food. We started with the beef tongue and spicy jellyfish (with aged grady and Tijian chile oil). Y'all, this dish made me close my eyes and scrunch the area between my eyebrows. How can this dish - THIS dish of cold beef tongue and jellyfish - be SO good!? The tongue was sooooo tender, what you hope for when you order tongue. I mean, I just can't describe this dish any further, because I don't understand how they did it or why I loved it so much. It was food magic. ORDER THIS. We also had the Superior Broth (shrimp and tobiko gnudi and crispy ginger), which we loved (my friend was obsessed with the broth and I was obsessed with the gnudi). Then we had the lobster egg custard (with Hirosaki turnip, Thai basil, and lobster bottargo), which was a delight (that perfect custard jiggle, and it was actually a very delicate, beautiful dish)! Then the daikon fritters (with baby shrimp, shiitake, and pork sung). We liked this dish (nothing during our meal was less than delicious), but we thought we would have enjoyed half the portion better (there were four pieces, and it was just two of us - one each would have been preferred since it's fried and a slightly denser dish than the others we had). Then the dry aged squab (Peking style with mandarin and five spice). Delicious. Seriously. The meal had been pretty much perfect, so we got a dessert - a coconut lychee panna cotta (which was charmingly served in a takeout container). It was good (and I can be an obnoxious panna cotta critic)! So, we've established that I LOVED the food. But I also loooooooved the drink menu: cocktails, baijiu, beer, wine, so many choices!!! We got a really special glass of wine (Pignatello-Cattarrato 'Fanino" Pantelleria - aged in a 400-year-old amphora), a great skin-contact wine by the glass, and a glass of makgeolli made in Brooklyn. How did we end up ordering PERFECTLY? We cannot take full credit. We made our reservation for the chef's table. And who was there for our service and made it absolutely 100% wonderful? Queen's English Bar Manager Tracy. She was helpful and generous and wonderful. We were on the fence about ordering the beef tongue dish and Tracy said: no, you should get it. (And omg the thought that I could have eaten here and NOT had that beef tongue - what an awful thought!) She pointed out special dishes and beverages (like the special wine that is rare and we might not see it again). She absolutely made our experience a five-star one. The food and drinks themselves were spectacular, and the service just made it even more perfect! I'm running out of characters now, so I'll just say: decor (gorgeous), business concept (4% wellness fee), patio (for good weather days). There's nothing about this restaurant I didn't love. LOVED. Will be back soon. Will be eating that beef tongue again. read more

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Food was good, not great, and absolutely not worth the price. This restaurant is exorbitantly expensive, easily a $100+ meal per person for small portions. Will not be coming back. If you're in the area and looking for a great meal and experience I recommend El Chucho across the street. The food is far better and you could have four meals there for the same price. read more

Chill yet elegant: Hong Kong fine dining and New York City spirit come together at Queen's English. An immaculate menu of flavorful and thoughtful dishes served in a intimate room evocative of an upscale tea parlor. Despite using luxury ingredients such as foie gras and saffron, nothing is excessive and every element is purposeful. The steak tartare has subtle flavors and textures to each bite with a thin, honeycomb-like plum cracker covering a delicate layer of saffron egg yolk and an oregano-based seasoning all on top of the tartar. The braised duck drumette is perfectly tender, moist, and falls apart with your fork. The daikon fritters (really more of a gooey pancake than fritters) meld shrimp and pork with umami flavors and a hoisin based sauce that was not at all overpowering (as hoisin often is). The foe gras shumai melds seamlessly with ground chicken (although this was my least favorite as I'm not a big fan of ground chicken). And the mushroom egg noodle was the best dish of all: with a tangy XO sauce, large delicate whole mushrooms, and a perfectly cooked house-made noodle - a dish to remember. Everything was balanced. The luxury ingredients used with restraint highlights quality in each bite. It's always great when you are impressed by each element of design in a restaurant - and that's exactly the case here. The walls have a beautiful silver wallpaper with pink roses that glow in dim lighting. The beautiful plates made the colors of the food pop. And the chique French lounge music set the vibe: chill yet elegant. Hands down one of the best restaurants in Washington, DC. Completely deserving of their Michelin Bib Gourmand, Chef Henji and wine-curator Sarah - the married owners - built this place with tangible passion. I can't wait to go back. read more

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I'm going to start off with, you will be tempted to order every item on the menu...and you absolutely should! I have now been back twice (becoming a staple of my DC trips) and it is worth it every time! When you walk in, you immediately feel like you are walking in for a home cooked meal. The staff treats you like friends and family and the restaurant is ornate yet casual and welcoming. Our waitress excitedly comes to welcome us every time and usually has something new for us to try (either wine or a recommendation on the menu) For food, we get the same thing every time - it looks like a lot but I promise it's the perfect amount of food for a group of 3-4: - mouthwatering hamachi - crispy pig ear - Chinese broccoli - scallion pancake - chicken + foie gras shumai - daikon fritters - drunken duck noodle (this is the crowd favorite along with the crispy pig ear) Can't say enough great things about this place! read more

Queen's English - Semi-sparkling orange wine - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Delicious Cantonese food with a modern twist. Some of the dishes we tried were the paddlefish caviar, Daikon fritters, peppercorn beef cheeks, and chili noodles. All had great flavors. And surprisingly pretty filling. Nice imitates setting with a lively atmosphere crowd. Place was fully booked so reservations are recommended. Also note that it is pricier than most traditional Chinese restaurants due to its concept. Overall a good experience. read more

Would recommend but read to set the right expectation before you go. Food: Price: It's a unique boutique restaurant focusing on Hong Kong inspired food. It sits between traditional cooking and upscale dining experience. BUT the price is at the upscale level. I would still recommend definitely go try it yourself before deciding if you will go again because it's cool to see how Asian American chefs make their own twist on flavors and materials that are part of their life experience and memory. Some serving staff were rushy. They would take your plates away without asking if you don't pay attention. I would appreciate if they give a short intro to dishes they serve, i.e. what's in the superior soup, because it tastes great and if customers understand what it takes to make the clear broth so delicious, the price tag might be justified. We are people who tend to ask servers about dishes but the restaurant has crowded, table-to-table seating arrangement, which makes interactions with servers difficult. read more

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Stopped in recently to check out Queen's English, and overall enjoyed the meal. Lots of interesting dishes and great flavors here, along with a few mediocre ones. Service was good, restaurant is cozy, we sat at the table right in the window which I enjoyed. For food - favorites were the tartare, soy braised enoki (ugh so good), twice cooked lamb rib (fall off the bone), cauliflower (delicious and crispy anchovies were amazing), and drunken duck leg (pull apart, good portion size). The stuff I wouldn't order again - mapo octopus (sold to us as being a standout, but this dish does not vaguely resemble mapo for me, and the octopus is chewy), stuffed tofu skin (not terrible, just not interesting at all). The in between - chili clams, puffed rice salad, and hand cut noodle. Another thing that others have pointed out - they charge for rice (after the first cup), which have to be the smallest rice cups/portions I've ever seen. As someone who grew up eating a ton of rice with every meal, that annoyed me. read more

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This is a brand new place (opened about 6 months ago) with stylish decor, subtle Chinese/HK design themes, small dining room with polished black round and square two tops against the side walls, two window alcove tables for 4, chef's counter and a big round which can be (and was) used as a communal table. Limited menu offering interesting dishes with complex ingredients and flavors that work well together - we had the cauliflower with sausage and crispy tiny anchovies, chili clams with tasty minced meat and anaheim peppers, dry fried (5) large head-on shrimps covered in scallions and garlic flakes, tofu skin wrap - all delicious, the last was the only one that fell a bit short - came in one chunk with a rather bland filling. Three out of four dishes being excellent was pretty good, but then we made the mistake of ordering the only dessert they had - described as a rice dumpling with caramel sauce, sesame and cashews - I was expecting it to have a sesame filling, but it turned out to be just a flat glob of plain mochi drowned in a sticky sweet sauce sprinkled with cashews. You will need to really love any mochi unconditionally to like this dessert (at $12 it was also the most overpriced of all the dishes). Granted I'm not a big fan of all mochi - I like less sticky rice cakes but this one is the heavy glutinous kind that tends to not get digested easily. As desserts tend to be a weak point at most restaurants I knew I was taking a chance ordering it but didn't expect it to be this disappointing. However excluding the dessert fiasco this is an impressive new foodie destination in DC - nice ambience, good spacing, not too noisy, excellent service with knowledgeable but not overbearing waitstaff, and judging from the packed dining room it's very popular (by 7 pm on this weekday almost completely full with a mostly non-Asian crowd) despite being on the pricy end (we averaged $50/pp before tip which is probably minimum if you go with the 3-6 dish per two recommendation with drinks). read more

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Come with a group of friends! I went with six people and we were able to get several plates to try and share. We were very full by the end! I recommend the oysters, shumai, and mackerel but all of it was delicious. It's small so make a reservation if you're coming at a busy time. read more

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Small but absolutely beautiful space. Make reservations in advance!! The food went beyond my expectations- it's tapas style so be prepared to spend $$$ (avg $20 per small plate) but definitely worth it for a special night out. Each one of the dishes were unique and just enough to have you satiated with the strong flavors. Would finally recommend at least 2 dishes per person and share one big platter (would get the duck noodles) since the main stars are the small dishes. read more

Queen's English - Bone marrow - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came here this past Friday night. Think I had to make a res a few weeks out so not a place you can just walk into on peak times/days. I'd call the food Chinese-inspired--normally I like OG Chinese only, but I was okay with this. We got cocktails before. I had the 欢乐谷 happy valley and my husband got the vegetal one, the Clearwater bay 清水湾. They recommend 4-6 dishes I think depending on your hunger level for 2 people. The size of the dishes go from smaller to larger or less filling to more filling from top to bottom. We ordered the cucumber with smoked trout roe, wagyu tartare, stuffed tofu skin, water spinach, squid ink noodles, and crispy fried rice. I though all the dishes were good. Didn't love the sauce on the squid ink noodles but I liked it overall--better than other Asian-inspired places where too heavy on sauces that are sometimes to sweet. With dinner we got the orange wines. Husband got the Turkish one and I got the Chilean one. Both were great. The Chilean one almost tasted like a sour and the Turkish one was very smooth. Nice interior/ambiance. It has these Chinese throwback/intentionally kitschy flairs and mid century modern chairs/tables. Would recommend. read more

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Friends who live in the area brought us here to DC Eater's July 2019 number one nominee on their Top 15 List. ATMOSPHERE: The cozy spot can dine about 35 souls. We got seated at the bay window, others dined at the bar and on low tops, with the kitchen in plain view to all. It got pretty smoky inside as the kitchen vents couldn't keep up with the chefs. MENU: Nothing British about this place with its arsenal filled with shareable, Asian-influenced dishes. BEVERAGE: Happy Valley - $13.00 My first whisky drink as I'm usually a vodka guy. Delish! Perfectly strong blend of sweet and citrusy. FOOD: Celtuce & Cucumber - $14.00 I couldn't find any celtuce (Chinese lettuce) in the dish, just lots of thinly-sliced cucumbers dressed in a light soy-vinegar sauce and topped with trout roe for a triple hit of freshness, salt and tang. Salt & Pepper Blowfish - $16.00, four pc. I'm sure this is a non-poisonous variety as there weren't any disclaimers on the menu. The small, headless fish were lightly battered, simply seasoned with salt, pepper and a sweet drizzle, with meat similar in texture to trout. The tails were crispy enough to eat too, and the only bone you'll find is the spine. Recommended. Chili Clams - $15.00 The clams were too small to be noticeable, so the majority of the dish seemed like ground pork with empty clam shells. Pass. Soy Braised Enoki Mushroom - $15.00 A pool of sweet and savory sauce enveloped each mushroom, topped with a poached egg and what I thought to be chicharron was actually a crispy tapioca. Mushroom lovers will rejoice. Sizzling Asparagus - $17.00 My least favorite of the night. The dish did not arrive sizzling, no biggie. Oddly, I couldn't detect any taste of asparagus in the mishmash of sweet and tangy flavors. Pass. Naked Dumpling - $14.00 Void of any shell, spongy cushions of mashed up seafood made for an unusual twist on the traditional potsticker, instead transforming it into fishcake. I passed on the spicy paste and ate it plain as it seemed overly hot by others reactions. I'll take a conventional dumpling and dipping sauce any day. Twice Cooked Lamb Rib - $16.00, 4 pc. Fork-tender, subtly seasoned and finished with a seared, black crust that was surprisingly not bitter. Daikon Fritters - $16.00 I had to taste the pork sung (meat product) topping separately as it looked so interesting, like dried moss on a rock. It tasted just like shredded beef jerky. The mashed up daikon could've passed for fishcake, with the radish's earthy notes marrying well with the creamy/oyster sauce drizzle. Recommended. Bok Choy - $14.00 Whatever the salty meat stir fried with the Chinese cabbage was, made the otherwise boring vegetable pop with life, creating an appetizing combination of flavors. Typhoon Shelter Shrimp - $22.00/five Definitely crunch on the legs and battered shell to garner the seasonings with every bite. Hand Cut Noodle - $21.00 I've never seen noodles with bi-colors of black and beige before, which is perhaps where the squid ink comes in. Bits of tender squid gave this dish subtle notes of ocean-y and savory. Recommended. Crispy Rice - $16.00 Easily my favorite dish of them all. Every grain of jasmine rice was coated in bold flavors of savory and char and enhanced with chicken, peas, catering and earthy shiitakes. Not your average fried rice. Highly recommended! DESSERT: The official name escaped my memory, but it was essentially Japanese-style mochi drizzled with caramel and dusted with sesame seeds and chopped peanuts. Gooey, sweet and nutty. SERVICE: Our waiter was very attentive, patient and professional. Drinks were never empty and we were checked on numerous times throughout our meal. TIP: No reservations are taken. We walked in without issue at 6:30p on a Tuesday night. OVERALL: Intimate menu, a bit pricey for the portion size. That crispy rice will be on my mind for a while! read more

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3.5/5 I would give Queens English a solid 3.5/5 dining experience. We were celebrating our anniversary and the restaurant we were originally supposed to dine at had a broken frier. We decided to stop at Queen's English instead as they have been on our list for some time now. I asked the hostess if they had any walk-ins available for outside. She said "a table is leaving shortly. We can have you wait inside and then move you outside once we clean up the table." She was super kind and approachable. We waited inside, where our waiter poured us water and we placed our dinner order with him. Service (3/5): Finally, we were moved outside after waiting for about 20 mins. We had a new waitress take over. In all honestly, she didn't really pay any mind to us. She was very talkative to the surrounding tables around us so I can't help but think that maybe its because we only ordered 4 dishes and no drinks? No acknowledgment of our special day either. A server plays a big part when it comes to having a great dining experience. Food (3.75/5): We ordered the Hamachi Crudo, Salt and Pepper Sweetbread, Head on Prawns, and Foie Gras + Chicken Shumai. Our favorite dish of the night was the Salt and Pepper Sweetbread, the lemon mayo paired well with the saltiness of the bread. The prawns were also pretty good, however they were super messy! They placed the xo sauce on top of the shell so be prepared to get your fingers dirty. Our least favorite dish was the Foie Gras + Chicken Shumai as the taste of the sour cherry was very overpowering. Needless to say, their portion size is quite small and for someone with a small appetite I was still very much hungry after my meal. In addition, we spent $100 (before tip) on four dishes so be prepared to spend money. Overall, this place was solid! I would definitely come back and try other dishes on their menu though. read more

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I don't even know where to begin with this place...we ended up here after our original dinner reservations fell through and it was such a blessing in disguise. If this tells you anything: our experience was SO good that we literally came again the next night to try the rest of the menu. The whole staff welcomed us back with open arms the second night and it really warmed my heart. Chef's counter is where you want to be. Full view of the wok action and right near the bartender, Sam. Who let me tell you, made our experience fully 5/5 stars. Sam was friendly, fun, knowledgeable both about wines/cocktails and the food preparations. Sam gave us the best bartender experience I've ever had. Never let our cups go empty, also had excellent to-a-tee drink recommendations when we gave him vague inklings of what we felt like drinking. It was such a great experience as food lovers to be like "oh these noodles are so chewy and we've never had anything like it" and have him tell us a name origin story and a story about how the chef and his wife (co-owners) discovered it while traveling abroad; or say "I want to bathe in this broth because it warms my soul" and have everyone behind the chef's counter understand what you mean. If we were curious about any of the preparations of the dish or mind blown by any flavors, they would explain it and chuckle at our awe. That being said -- everything was top notch delicious. Reading the menu and seeing familiar items like silken tofu, shu mai, beef tongue, pork jowl, sweet and sour sauce -- my head automatically goes "ok, these are familiar flavors I have an idea of what these should taste like in my mind." But everything we had was elevated or presenting with a new flavor profile that pleasantly surprised me with every dish. Jealous of my sister in law who lives in DC and gets to be a regular here because this is definitely my type of spot. Definitely on our go-to list whenever we visit! read more

an inventive take on Cantonese Cuisine, and Drinks. Recommend reservations if the restaraunt doesn't know you.