Sampan Cafe

3.4 (326 reviews)

ModerateDim Sum, Seafood

Open • 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

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Sampan Cafe - Shrimp Fried Rice - Dim Sum Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Sampan Cafe - a table and chairs in a restaurant - Dim Sum Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Sampan Cafe - too many great selections to choose from! - Dim Sum Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Sampan Cafe - @foodsinmyheart - Dim Sum Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Sampan Cafe Popular Dishes

10 Photos21 Reviews

7 months ago

I recently came here with a few friends. Ive never been to a spot like this, but we absolutely intend to come back. For those who may also be unfamiliar with a dim sum place like this, they come around with carts of small plates of dim sum items and you just tell them what you want. Most plates have 3-4 of the item that you are ordering, so its perfect for passing around and sharing (which is the point, of course). Everything was made fresh, the dough was chewy and satisfying, and it was just the perfect place to go on a cold day.

Honestly, everything we tried (and we tried a lot) was delicious, but the pork buns, soup dumplings (the best I have had), turnip cakes, and scallop dumplings were my favorite. The service was also friendly and super quick! They were...

about 2 years ago

They have Cantonese BBQ of roast pork (char siu), roast pig with the crunch skin, spareribs, and roast duck. I have on occasion picked up a half roast duck from this establishment. I decided to eat in on this occasion. I ordered the...

8 Photos14 Reviews

12 months ago

From the lunch/dinner menu, we ordered the seafood fried rice, fried walnut shrimp in mayonnaise sauce, seafood combo in X.O. sauce, and the stir-fried snow pea leaves. From the dim sum menu, we tried the fried shrimp balls, shrimp...

rice rolls, salted egg yolk buns, and the stuffed eggplant. Everything was DELICIOUS! The prices were extremely reasonable, the portions were generous, and everything is served family-style on a lazy Susan, which made it perfect for sharing. The staff were wonderful!! They were friendly, attentive, and made the whole experience even better. *I would had pictures but the food was devoured too quickly.

almost 4 years ago

I live their chow fun and seafood fried rice. Service was good and friendly atmosphere! Will go back anytime I'm in the area.

8 Photos17 Reviews

7 months ago

I've also started ordering some dim sum to start, namely eggplant in black bean sauce (it's stuffed with cshrimp) and crystal shrimp dumplings. Simply delicious!

over 2 years ago

Made a delivery order of 5 dishes, 4 dim sum items and 1 appetizer. Delivery took over an hour. I called after an hour and the person who answered the phone told me it was on the way and it arrived a few minutes later. The packing receipt accounted for between 15-20 minutes on delivery, so my assumption is either they are slow cooking or they messed up something and had to fix it. Despite the long wait, the food when it got to us was still borderline warm but by the time we stopped eating was borderline cool. This heavily impacted my review. SO said that the food here was authentic and they seemed to use quality ingredients. Without the long wait and with this in mind I might have given 4*. Perhaps on subsequent orders they can improve, we'll see. Person who took my phone order took food, address, phone number, credit card and tip. I have not ordered any chinese food since pre-pandemic but I've never given tip in advance. After I had to repeat my card number 3 times, I was left wondering why I didn't just order online. The food was mostly in styrofoam containers (for anything that didn't have a sauce). Even the rice was in styrofoam (PS: not sure if intentional but for this reason it was much easier to serve than any other place I've gotten delivery from; 5* on white rice if you care about that). Items that had a sauce came in the plastic reusable tubs (black plastic, not currently recyclable in Alexandria). Spring rolls came in a bag. Food came with fortune cookies (5) and soy sauce packets. No duck sauce, no hot mustard. * Fried Walnut Shrimp in Mayonnaise Sauce (commonly known as "Honey Walnut Shrimp"): Had a good mix of shrimp and veggies (mostly brocolli). It did not skimp on walnuts but also didn't have a ton of them. The sauce came seperate (in a small plastic tub) which I thought would be good but it's a very thick sauce so was not easy to mix. I give this 3* tho I would probably not get it again as delivery because of the sauce seperation (which I realize was for my own good=)). I also don't like to have to work for order in, it feels like I could have just cooked. Also didn't reheat especially well. * Chicken w/ Cashew Nut: 4.5* this had a great number of cashews, the chicken was good and there was a good ratio of veggies/mushrooms as well (the latter a surprise). * Roast Duck: 3*. This dish was the main impacted most by the delay. I tasted bursts of hoisen and wondered if this was the dish they messed up (and caused delay) because I believe Peking Duck has hoisen. SO theorized this may have been reheated. Anyway, roast duck from every chinese restaurant (dim sum and non) is fatty and boney. This was no exception (but also can make the dish great). Despite the cooling temp was still quite crispy. It came with a sauce (soy?) which I didn't use. * Beef w/ Bitter Melon: 4* (SO wanted this, agreed on rating). When we ordered it, the guy told me to hold on. SO said they might have been confirming they had bitter melon. I tried it and it was very bitter :) The beef was super good though so I'd look forward to trying another beef dish to see if that carries over. * Stir Fried Chinese Brocolli: 3.5*. I would have liked the pieces to be a bit more cut up. You can cut it obviously, but it's work and a pain to dish up if you don't. Taste/texture was there though. It was salty but like the duck I knew what I was getting in to. * Steamed Pork Dumpling (Xiu Mai): 4*. Good though got colder. I've had better in person so suspect it didn't travel well. I had a brief hit of onion/chive tho I don't think there is any. Also didn't reheat especially well.

* Steamed Shrimp Dumpling: 2*. This suffered from the delay and travel I think; the noodle wrapper was fairly tough. Innards were good but could have just gotten Deep Fried Shrimp Balls for that. Also didn't reheat especially well....

* Pan Fried Turnip Cake: 4*. Somehow despite the delay these were still crispy and warm with the perfect amount of "char". I've had better before; of note after the first cut into, it sort of collapsed. [Observant people will note this is just 3 dim sum not 4; I didn't eat the 4th at all so not reviewing it] * Spring Rolls: 1.5*. I don't want to put 1* because it wasn't inedible but the middle was super mushy almost like whatever they put in there was lightly mixed together with a blender. Somehow the outside was still crispy but it didn't redeem it. Overall, I'd order from there again but would order much earlier or make sure I was ready for a delay. I'd also like to try in restaurant (or carry out) and see if it's any better and the atmosphere. Given the dim sum and proximity I will but I've definitely also been to chinese resturants with better individual dishes. On a closing note, I had a menu from them pre-pandemic (back when they were doing mailers) and it's entertaining (in a sad way) to literally see inflation (everything $3+ more now, soup dumplings was nearly double the price). But that's the world we live in.

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SAMPAN CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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Moderate noise

Casual

Good for kids

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Justine B.

Still my favorite Cantonese restaurant in the area! This time I tried the salt and pepper lobster. While you can't go wrong with Cantonese stir fried lobster ever, I still prefer the Hong Kong style lobster with the dried crispy pork bits and fermented black beans. I've also started ordering some dim sum to start, namely eggplant in black bean sauce (it's stuffed with cshrimp) and crystal shrimp dumplings. Simply delicious!

Mike L.

This is an old Chinese Restaurant. My parents have been going here since the 80's. They have a lot of authentic dishes that can lost in the sea of Chinese American dishes. We got a variety of dishes and it was all very good. The roast duck was on the small side and you would be better off going to Peking Gourmet Inn for Duck but everything else was well made and tasted really good. The crispy beef was good and the lobster was well made.

Jens J.

Sampan Café is now clearly our favorite dim sum eatery. The staff are so friendly, attentive and patient. Really about the best restaurant staff anywhere. Almost all dishes are not just good, but really tasty. On our last visit the custard egg yolk buns were spot on, a great dessert! The pork buns have a fluffy exterior and have a great just a little bit sweet pork sauce tucked inside. The ribs are really good. Same for the shrimp balls, they have a great flavor! The Chinese broccoli is certainly a healthy option. This just my own personal preference, but I like my broccoli more cooked and with less garlic. The sticky rice is an interesting tale of two cities. The sticky rice in the toasty warm banana leaf was really good. But the pork in the center was pretty musky. And yet, in the sticky rice was one li'l Chinese sausage that was really delicious! Comfortable atmosphere with plenty of tables.

Jessica S.

I was here 2 weeks ago for a friend's birthday party . I love the food , service . It's just small location somewhere in Franconia . Quiet place . But I'll guarantee this one . Ur gonna love it

Hannah H.

Sampan Cafe is located in the Franconia Center, and they offer an extensive menu that includes apps, soups, congee, lo mein, chow mein, beef/pork/chicken/seafood/vegetarian platters and dishes, chow foon, Hong Kong style BBQ and noodle soups, and an all-day dim sum menu. We came here for an earlier lunch, and we ordered: +Dry Stir-Fried Beef Chow Foon - this was pretty good, as it had a nice wok-fried taste and of a generous portion; don't forget to add some soy sauce and chili oil +Steamed Shrimp Dumpling - aka, har gow; the skin was a little sticky, but I liked that it came out piping hot +Zha Liang Noodle Crepe - the crepes were just okay +Beef Rice Noodle Crepe - the crepes were just okay +Chive Dumpling with Shrimp - the exterior skin was a bit too sticky and tore easily; the filling was a little lukewarm +Scallop Dumplings - the exterior skin was a bit too stick and tore easily; wasn't a fan of this filling, as it was bland and had a weird taste to it Staff were welcoming, friendly, and efficient. I was surprised at how large this place was, and could see how this place fills up on the weekends. There were locals coming in to pickup orders throughout our dining experience. Plenty of parking in the large lot. +good chow fun +friendly service +located in the Franconia Center +ample parking

1/2 ginger chicken with enough sauce for one piece NO RICE!

Bill T.

Everything looked ok until I ordered to go 1/2 ginger chicken. Chicken was very cold, skin was rubbery and they made the cardinal sin of chopping it up so I have to find the splinter bones. The ginger scallion sauce was weak in flavor with enough for one piece of chicken and too top it off, NO DAMN RICE!!! What Asian establishment serves any entre without RICE!! Thumbs down for me and I will never be back.

9. Steamed Chicken Feet W. Black Bean Sauce 9.

ida s.

Came to Sampan around 1:30pm on a Saturday afternoon. It was about half full when we arrived so we were seated right away. I think this is a relatively kid friendly spot. We had no issues getting a high chair and saw one other baby/toddler in one. My son was hangry with it being passed his lunch time and having been active/playing in the park before. Dim sum was therefore perfect because the food arrived right away--you just pick the containers off the cart. The chashabao pork buns were good. My 2 year old had 4 of them we had to order another one. I got chicken feet and beef tripe it was bringing me back! I ate those both on my own because my husband is white. Jokes aside though Everything we had was pretty good. They have soup dumplings that were juicy with good filling and dough. We also got beef tendon noodle soup. I think all the noodle soups are hong kong style. Soup arrived piping hot which is a good thing for me. The owners seem like they could be cantonese. But this is just a guess. The shrimp rice crepe pretty good as well. They have lots of different types of shrimp dumplings and balls. Where my prawn fans at?! I did not get pics of everything we ordered because i was focuses on eating while the food was still hot. Verdict is we will return.

Buonarotti G.

This place has excellent authentic Hong Kong Chinese food. Some people may not like that. It's too authentic but trust me. It's really pretty amazing in there. Seafood is the best including their lobster and crab plant. They prepare a special way.

Leichardti F.

Pretty good spot for closer to authentic Chinese food. The anytime dimsum is a plus! However everything was missing that added touch of green. Whether green onion, scallion, or cilantro. They add a distinct flavor and although it's for visual effect they greatly alter the taste of everything. So sad, everything would have tasted much better with a few sprinkes... except for the dry beef chow fun, that was definitely missing scallions as a main ingredient!

Jimmy L.

Came here for an early Easter dinner. It's been maybe 7 years since I last ate here. It looks like they may have gotten newer tables and chairs, and some new paint on the walls compared to when I last ate here. I will probably be another 7 years or more before I come back. So my mom and I ordered three things: 1) seafood noodles, 2) pork, and 3) snow pea vegetables. The pork came out first, and was really good. The seafood noodles took forever to come out, and the most disappointing thing is that a family who came in after us and ordered after us got their seafood noodles delivered first! Like a good 15 minutes before ours finally came out at the end. So the pork and rice is something that I can bring home, but the seafood noodles really shouldn't be because the sauce would make the noodles too soggy. Bad order for the food to come out and terrible that the other table got theirs first! The snow pea vegetables were not fresh (too hard) and the flavor was lacking. Sorry but I'll be going to Full Kee more often than this place.

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Shai S.

205

5 years ago

Stopped in on Thanksgiving again for a wonderful lunch with family/friends. I arrived a little late due to a work conflict but that was soon but I was sure to make up for the lost time with an entourage of fresh seafood and fried fish until it was time for dessert. The food was amazing. If you want real Dim Sum this is a must try venue. I recommend gathering a group of your loved ones and reserving a private room for a wonderful dining experience and a Lazy Susan glass center on the table to turn your way to a full belly today! read more

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Megan S.

6 years ago

Perfect staple delivery restaurant. Their food is great and it is slightly different every time you order it in a good way.

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Zak R.

5 years ago

Chow fun was mind-blowing. Solid dim sum too.

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Michael H.

9 years ago

Attended a tasting there that included some old and some new menu items. The beef, chinese broccoli and walnuts was excellant(nice spin on tradition). The surprise of the night and new to the menu was a mango puree presented in a egg shell with caviar. It looked just like a soft boiled egg. read more

Sampan Cafe - Dim Sum Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Benny A.

238

12 years ago

Pros: food tasted decent (shumai, bbq pork buns (char siew bao), chow fun noodles, sticky rice (lo mai kao)). Cons: way under staff. 2 workers for the entire restaurant. Thus the service was slow. Came here for the dim sum and they werent even pushing the cart around. It stood at the exact same place for the entire time we were there. Overall: i feel like someone else supplies their dim sum and they just heat it up. The dim sum used to be mediocre here but not anymore. The regular food is pretty good. If its dim sum alone, this place would be 1/5. But since im puttong the regular menu food with the review, its 3/5. read more

Sampan Cafe - Dim sum... tasted ok but it is not visually attractive - Dim Sum Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Sampan Cafe - The infamous dim sum cart. I think its glued to the floor - Dim Sum Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Brianna H.

340

4 years ago

We got served water and then waited 10 minutes with waiters tending to tables round us, going in and out of the kitchen 5+ times, but nobody ever came to check back in. We ended up leaving hungry to find another place to eat due to the disappointing lack of customer service. read more

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David L.

550

10 years ago

Living around the area, there are not that many good chinese restaurants to eat at. Moving from New York, I did not expect the food here to be authentic or close to what I normally eat. To my surprise, Sampan offers authentic chinese cuisine which rivals what I normally love and remember from authentic restaurants in New York. My favorite dish is the Beef Chow Fun. The normal chow funs I get from nearby restaurants usually either has too much oil or lack of flavor. Sampan offers a generous amount of food and is served by a group of friendly and hard working staff. I definitely recommend this to people who are looking for good authentic Chinese food. read more

Sampan Cafe - authentic Chinese food - Dim Sum Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Gary J.

8 years ago

The Peking duck made me believe. The crispy skin peeled away as I took another gluttonous bite. It hanged across my mouth in desperation. The porkbelly turned me out. It had a crsipy skin that I can't compare to. And with that, I am a Chinese food buff. read more

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Debra F.

4 years ago

We were missing dim sum and happily found Sampan! This is the real deal with a good selection!

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Reema K.

176

128

9 years ago

Food looked so sus... I'm mad bc I ate half before I'd realized the "shrimp dumplings I had ordered. The sesame chicken looked like general tso or orange chicken ... BBQ chicken if I didn't know better. The chicken and broccoli... cold and looked like pork to me. Pew read more

Sampan Cafe - Shrimp dumplings - Dim Sum Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Richard K.

5 years ago

We ordered 5 different Dim Sums and a fried noodle. Food came out hot and fresh, extremely good, and authentic. Service was a little slow but very friendly. They seem a little short staffed. Will definitely go again. read more

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Steve L.

Elite 26

125

311

779

12 years ago

The lobster is really damn good. It's a flash fried and then steamed from what I understand. Since the lobster is fresh, the meat is tender and falls off the bone nicely. The sauce that comes on the top of the lobster is delicious. The restaurant is located in a non-descript strip mall but don't underestimate this place! read more

Sampan Cafe - Triple delight - Dim Sum Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Sampan Cafe - Ginger lobster (Cantonese style) - Dim Sum Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Smoke H.

6 years ago

The food is ok but it is very fast. The spicy pork and jumbo shrimp are great. The rest of the menu is traditional..

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Susan J.

Elite 26

448

163

8 years ago

Ok. I think I discovered it. It's pretty decent Americanized Chinese food to go. Not so decent Cantonese food to eat in. Got it, yall? Now, I can't speak of their dim sum. The mother actually likes this place for dim sum saying the prices are decent and also b/c she lives 5 minutes away...ok, maybe 2 minutes? Gen Tsao and Lo Mein were actually pretty decent with generous wok hey. Alright, this is def my go to Americanized Chinese take out. read more

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Kim D.

508

12 years ago

I've probably been here more than any other Chinese restaurants combined! The service here is excellent! The owners are super friendly and the waiters take good care of you. As for the food, it is pretty authentic and the portions are huge! They can be a tad bit oily, but c'mon, it's a Chinese restaurant! The best part is if something is too salty or sweet for your palette, they are willing to adjust it for you. To top it all off, free dessert soup at the end of your meal! :) I almost always get either wonton noodle soup, eggplant in garlic sauce, seafood fried rice, crispy beef, or their fried tofu. read more

Sampan Cafe - Seafood fried rice - Dim Sum Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Sampan Cafe - Fried tofu - Dim Sum Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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John L.

5 years ago

Ordered some veggies recently and found many black spots in my broccoli. Had tummy ache afterward despite picking out the black parts. Will not return here again! read more

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Michael Z.

4 years ago

Great food the best place to go for authentic Chinese. The staff was nice and courteous and the prices were reasonable.

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Tracy R.

5 years ago

This place used to be so good, but quality isn't what it was. This is what you get for sweet and sour shrimp for $14.95. They're also not filling containers for other items anymore. Will stay away for awhile. read more

Sampan Cafe - Sweet and sour shrimp - Dim Sum Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Angela N.

4 years ago

Love this place. I'm not a fan of Chinese but everything here is fresh and tasty. Prices are decent. I recommend this place for a family dinner. Brought our NY in-laws and they loved it. Back rooms have mahjong tables and you can have private dining. Sunday is dim sum and also very good. This place is a hidden gem. read more

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Chris S.

118

7 years ago

Delivery man saw a dog in the living room when I opened the door, -- he apparently is terrified of animals and freaked out, started yelling NO NO and repeatedly smashed the door closed violently on my head. Very Painful. (The dog just continued sitting on the couch....) This was extremely painful for the next hour or so. Only order delivery if you are prepared for an ER trip. I am considering filing charges for battery. read more

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Joshua S.

4 years ago

The pork fried rice portion is generous and very good; duck bao was perfect. Would recommend and will order again.

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Matthew H.

481

7 years ago

I ordered from them recently on Grubhub. I got two spring rolls ($3.25), a can of Coke ($1.95), beef with mixed vegetables ($13.95), and a slice of mango mousse. The sales tax was $1.36 and the driver's tip was $4.80. There was no delivery fee. The serving sizes were generous. As I recall the mixed vegetables were onions, bok choi, green peppers, red peppers, mushrooms, and carrots. The ingredients were fresh and the meal was thoroughly cooked. The driver was friendly. The meal got to my place on Franconia (halfway between Rose Hill and Telegraph) in maybe 45 minutes. The mousse was good; it had the consistency of cheesecake and a mango flavor. No complaints. read more

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Yvonne M.

4 years ago

Great food but just a little tip, expect a little wait for the dim sum because they make it fresh. So order it all to cut down on wait time. However, it's worth the 20 min wait. read more

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Gillia S.

8 years ago

Been their customer for years. I love Dim Sum, but not theirs because it's always JUST little warm never hot! Wish over the years, Dim Sum can be hot, yet still disappointed :-( I tried fried fish this time and it's good, just a little over salty. read more

Sampan Cafe - My first Dim Sum. - Dim Sum Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Tyra S.

5 years ago

Okay seriously guys this place is the BEST!!! That Peking duck is to die for and it's a must to get dumplings every time. Everything is so authentic and props for this restaurant being the only one who's food actually looks like the pictures and tastes amazing :) read more

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Jennie S.

6 years ago

Best fried rice I've ever had. Order the Chef special seafood fried rice and you will not be disappointed. So so good, as are the other Cantonese dishes. Delivery is quick and efficient. read more

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Steve J.

8 years ago

Recently had dinner here. Ordered the Beef Brisket with Noodles for around $8. Can't beat the quality and bargain price. Would've loved more variety of Chinese dishes though. read more

Sampan Cafe - Beef Brisket with Noodles. It's great to be able to get out of the house anytime that I want! - Dim Sum Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Jasmine R.

Elite 26

336

211

247

8 years ago

Ordered takeout from this restaurant last night. The egg rolls were good, the sesame chicken was mediocre at best, and the almond cookie was delicious. I ordered the pork bun as well and it was greasy and disgusting. The delivery got to me in less than thirty minutes and even though the delivery guy was a bit rude, the free spring roll that the restaurant sent to me was appreciated. I'd only order from here again if all of the other local Chinese restaurants were closed. Defintely nothing special. read more

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Adele C.

6 years ago

This is the best Chinese food in the DC area -- and that says a lot b/c I am from NYC.

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Diana F.

4 years ago

Super authentic Chinese foods! I live their chow fun and seafood fried rice . Service was good and friendly atmosphere ! Will go back anytime I'm in the area . read more

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Christi T.

150

202

4030

8 years ago

I've been here about 20 times with my family. I love how the owners have multilingual workers or Chinese, English, and Vietnamese. It makes it easy to communicate for my family. We always go here when we can is because is fairly priced and the food doesn't have msg. That's one of our favorite things. My mom is allergic so we gotta stay away from MSG. And we're happy they don't have it. We always order about 5 for more dishes. They have very good steamed vegetables, and meat and fish. It kind of sums up what you need in your daily diet. I would recommend this place to anyone and everyone I know. If you like good Asian food I would come here. It's also kid friendly. They have alcohol or tea if your into that kind of stuff. read more

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Eileen G.

Elite 26

224

173

237

9 years ago

I went there once on a weekend to have dim sum and another time during weekday evening to have seafood dinner. Dim sum was good and authentic but lacks variety. The lobster with ginger sauce was really good and satisfying. Peking duck is good as well. Ambiance is a typical Chinese-themed restaurant. It has big round tables for big family gatherings. read more

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Sylvia B.

6 years ago

This was our families first time trying this place - We've never had it before. We ordered the combination friend rice, general Tsos chicken and lo mein. That was amazing. I love how they added mushroom to the carb dishes - both were very tasty. We also ordered Crab Rangoon and triple delight. The crab Rangoon tasted like vinegar - very sour. I am not sure if it was sitting out for too long. Also the triple delight has a strange taste to it. Also a little sour. I was so disappointed. read more

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Tiffany P.

8 years ago

I had a wonderful experience . The service was great and the food was amazing. I'm glad I got to try three new dishes in such a comfortable space. Also I got there before 6:30 on a Friday and was the only person eating in. As time passed more dinners came in. To ensure a great experience with hot fresh dishes come in before the rush. I'll definitely be going back on a Friday around the same time. I ordered the fried pig intestines, aka chittlins ( I spelled it how it's pronounced by my people ), the chicken feet, and steamed roasted pork Buns. I left full and satisfied. I may even go back tomorrow. The prices are great as well and I would recommend this place to other food explorers. read more

Sampan Cafe - The delicious chicken feet. - Dim Sum Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Sampan Cafe - Steamed Roast Pork Bun - Dim Sum Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Joshua C.

7 years ago

Food is authentic and flavorful. Really love the fried rice' smoky oil flavor from a super heated wok. Compliments to the chef! Been here twice and will come back. This restaurant has dishes that I couldn't find at some other restaurants. Worth a try if you've been looking for certain dishes. read more

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Alexis K.

Elite 19

584

451

504

10 years ago

Dim sum about 5 minutes away from my apartment? This is probably too good to be true. My boyfriend, his father, and I strolled in on a Saturday afternoon and there were no customers. Literally no customers. This was kind of discouraging, but I was starving. We ordered a variety of things: shu mai, hargow, chicken feet, tripe, glutinous rice wrapped in banana leaves, dan tat, fried taro, and more. I can say that the food definitely lacked freshness. I felt like I was eating something that had been out for a few hours...or perhaps frozen at some point in time. A pretty sad, disappointing meal, but when you're hangry anything is better than nothing. Good dim sum in the DMV area is hard to come by, and there definitely isn't a whole lot of dim sum competition around Sampan. I don't see myself coming back here for dim sum - maybe their dinner menu is better? - Dim sum is served cart style, but you can request specific items and they'll bring it out from the kitchen - Fast service read more

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Brooks C.

7 years ago

We decided to try a new place tonight and used the GH app to order Sampan. It arrived promptly... and went downhill from there. The steamed pork buns were somewhere between spongy and gelatinous, with minimal meat filling. The pan fried pot stickers were actually pretty tasty, but not any better than the ones we get from Costco. The vegetable fried rice was just... ugh. It was way too heavy on the soy and I thought it tasted a little burnt. My wife says "it tasted like the cook was smoking and ashing his cigarette into the rice". I thought it was gross, my wife thought it was gross, and both of my kids thought it was gross. It promptly ended up in the trash. We also got kung pao chicken. Disappointing. There were minimal veggies in it and they were all mushy. The chicken had decent flavor, I guess, but they were clearly using less than desirable cuts of meat. There is a 0.0% chance we'd eat here again. read more

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Carlos M.

8 years ago

I have been ordered many times from this restaurant and this time when the order arrived everything was wrong, I called them and the answer was " WE NEVER MAKE MISTAKE", they're very rude and I don't recommend this restaurant to anyone. read more

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Mariah G.

104

9 years ago

Plus points for having authentic, non-Americanized Chinese. However, food is not that great. Some dishes were good, but others were just below average. I guess if you do not want to go all the way to Falls Church, where there are several delicious Chinese-Cantonese restaurants, this will do. However, do not get your hopes up. The dimsum was not good at all, the fried rice and peking duck were the things we enjoyed the most among the stuff we ordered. Not coming back... read more

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Natasha S.

Elite 23

383

1690

948

16 years ago

NEVER will I come here again! First off, the dim sum here is just MEH. Everything is mediocre in terms of taste and quality. While eating a sesame ball, I found an extremely LONG, COARSE and DUSTY hair INSIDE. It wasn't just laying in the inside, but was actually embedded in the mochi part. While I know most Chinese establishments aren't known for superb customer service, I still felt the need to let the manager know of my findings. He came over and I showed him the hair. He then yelled "WHAT!?" and the server behind him yelled "HAIR!" He then proceeded to point at me and imply that it was my hair. I showed him that it was embedded. He then just walked away with NO acknowledgment. On top of that, the service was extremely slow and they overcharged us on a dish because we had to have it modified. And they were very rude when we were ordering with them. They also never refilled our water or tea, even after we asked twice. So we decided to go with no tip. As we were leaving, we were approached by a server who yelled "NO TIP?!" My friend looked at her and said.... 'Yes... no tip we were unsatisfied.' in a calm and cool voice. She proceeded to scold us and demanded to know why we didn't leave a tip. She explained that we were ignored entirely when showing the manager the hair, and we felt that it was unsatisfactory. She followed us to our car and continued to scold us. Yeah not worth all the trouble! read more

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Page 4 of 9

6116 Franconia Rd
Alexandria, VA 22310
Directions
(703) 971-5404
Call Now
Order Takeout or Delivery
Start Order
Visit Website
https://www.sampancafealexandria.com

Full menu

Hours

What time does Sampan Cafe open?

Sampan Cafe opens at 11:00 AM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

What time does Sampan Cafe close?

Sampan Cafe closes at 10:00 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Mon-Sun 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Payment methods

Does Sampan Cafe take Bitcoin?

No, Sampan Cafe does not take Bitcoin.

Does Sampan Cafe take credit cards?

Yes, Sampan Cafe takes credit cards.

Food & Alcohol

Does Sampan Cafe have catering options?

Yes, Sampan Cafe does have catering options.

Does Sampan Cafe have a happy hour?

No, Sampan Cafe does not have a happy hour.

Does Sampan Cafe serve alcohol?

Yes, Sampan Cafe serves alcohol. Full Bar

Indoor Amenities

Does Sampan Cafe allow dogs?

No, Sampan Cafe does not allow dogs.

Does Sampan Cafe have TVs?

Yes, Sampan Cafe has TVs.

Outdoor Amenities

Does Sampan Cafe have bike parking?

No, Sampan Cafe does not have bike parking.

Does Sampan Cafe have outdoor seating?

Yes, Sampan Cafe has outdoor seating options.

Does Sampan Cafe have parking?

Yes, Sampan Cafe has parking options. Private Lot Parking

Other Amenities

Is Sampan Cafe wheelchair accessible?

Yes, Sampan Cafe is wheelchair accessible.

Does Sampan Cafe have free WiFi?

Yes, Sampan Cafe has free WiFi.

From the Business

Specialties

We choose our ingredients carefully and use only the freshest and natural ones to prepare every dish, and cook them in a healthier way to provide the most nutritious food. Much attention has been made to ensure you a cozy and inviting ambiance where you can enjoy not only the great meal but also the authentic atmosphere. The owner and all our staff in Sampan Cafe will greet you with the warmest welcome, whether you are a regular patron or it's your first visit. We have made painstaking efforts to create the tidiest and cleanest dining place, and guarantee you friendly and timely service. All your needs will met and you be cared for in our restaurant. Sampan Cafe now features Happy Hour, Monday through Friday, 3pm-9pm and Saturday and Saturday, 11am-5pm. The Happy Hour at Sampan offers the best prices in the area and includes appetizer specials. See yelp check-in for more details regarding appetizer specials.

History

Established in 1977.

Gary Zhu acquired Sampan Café, a faltering gaudily decorated pink Szechuan style restaurant in 2002. Even with all of its hideous shortcomings he saw a jewel in the rough and went in with full knowledge "that success is the outcome of confidence and lots of hard work." He immediately set out to find ways to improve the business and after much research and thought he set forth plans to develop a Cantonese style restaurant. There were many Chinese restaurants in the area but no other Hong Kong style restaurants. He first removed all the pink items along with the gaudy decorations and cheap etched glass. They were all replaced with warm calming rosewood; apricot tiles soft table clothes. The bright lights were replaced with three different styles of mood lighting to enhance the ambiance and give you a warm and inviting feeling. When it was done he had created wonderfully sensual to the senses, smooth and elegant dining room where one can immerse themselves in a total dining experience.

Meet the Business Owner: Gary Z.

Sampan Café originally opened in 1977 with different owners. In 2002 Gary Zhu acquired the restaurant and began its transformation into the magnificent restaurant that it is today. Earlier 2005, Mr. Zhu acquired another restaurant that originally had opened in 2001. Even though both are based on his basic philosophies they both have their own unique characteristics making each a unique dining experience. Most of the time, Mr. Zhu is kept busy between his two restaurants, six automotive shops and his latest endeavor; the "AYT Institute", a truly different type of automotive training school. With that type of workload you would think that there would not be any time for family life however, he reserves every Sunday for "family day". Sundays are spent with his wife and their children on different outings, dining out, or playing games. He enjoys "family day" very much, and he tries to always balance his work and family time as much as possible.

More Info

Health Score

Ask the Community - Sampan Cafe

Do they bring the food to you on cart?

Saturday and Sunday.

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Is it dim sum all day every day or are there specific days/hours for it?

You can order all day everyday from their dim sum menu.

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Explore benefits

Green Basil Dimsum & Pho

Tried a few items for take-out as we have family who are very picky about dim sum since they lived…read morein NYC for many years. Great ha gow (shrimp dumpling) - large, think skin that didn't break, packed with shrimp. Very good steamed roast pork bun - the bao was fully and the filling was not too salty or too sweet. Deep fried dumplings with pork were very good too - nice chew from the rice flour and good size. We would like to try other items in the future. I would have ordered the rice noodle crepe but it was not on the online menu. I wish they would put beef chow fun on their menu - then it would make my entire family happy.

I am visiting from southern California so I know my way around a good bowl of pho. I just happen to…read morerun across this place on instagram and decided to give it a try! I usually am skeptical of instagram places BUT this surpassed my expectations! I got their classic green basil pho and it was really good!

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Steamed Pork & Shrimp Dumplings|Xiu Mai (4pc) ($6)

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Eggplant

Hong Kong Pearl Seafood Restaurant

It's a huge restaurant , big enough to hold weddings of hundreds of people…read more The service was efficient and friendly. The food was Cantonese style with generous potions We had fried Salt and Pepper Fish, and Pork Flakes w. String Beans. Both were mild flavors.

Went here with 4 of my friends right when they opened. Waited a little before being seated. Before…read morewe even sat down we were bombarded by servers telling us to order the food with super rude attitudes. Honestly we thought that was funny and didn't mind it. We were like the food must be good lol When we got our food it was pretty cold. Which is weird cause they just opened. During our meal we hear screaming. It was 2 employees yelling at each other. My friends are Vietnamese and were saying that they were yelling about gambling money. It was pretty annoying and I could tell my friends were uncomfortable. But at the end is where it got really uncomfortable and awkward. The food and service was not good. So I tipped 15 percent. I should have tipped nothing but that's not me and I was in the service industry so i understand everyone has a day off. The, I assume manager or owner came up to the table and told me I'm required to tip 18 percent. I said where does it say that? He says on the receipt. I told him that says suggestions not required and that I could give him 0 tip. He proceeds to make a huge scene about the 2 extra bucks I need to pay. I finally cave because my friends were very very uncomfortable. As we leave my friend said the guy was a talking shit in Vietnamese to his employees about us. My recommendation is to go somewhere else. This was the worst restaurant experience I've ever had and all over 2 dollars that they didn't deserve. I see why they have a low yelp review.

Photos

A temple to bring good luck to the restaurant.

Beef Rice Crepes

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Chinese spinach in garlic sauce

Hot Peppercorn Asian Cuisine & Bar

We came here for dim sum since we heard they had changed chefs a while ago. Very old school Chinese…read morerestaurant decor along with the paper placemat with Chinese zodiac printed around the border! Yall know what I'm talking about lol! Ordered a large variety of dim sum, a salt and pepper pork chop dish, and a whole Peking duck! Everything came out hot and fresh so no complaints there. Let's talk taste though... Peking duck was just ok, very dark in color and did not have that authentic taste. I would not recommend this place for their Peking duck. Even the wrappers had a weird taste the fried salt and pepper pork chops lacked both salt and pepper! The dim sum was again just ok, like if you need your fix and didn't feel like driving too far, then here is fine. Service was great and food came out pretty fast. My one star off is for taste and authenticity, prob a non Chinese would find this place great.

With a name like Hot Peppercorn, I was expecting some fiery Sichuan food for dinner. The dumplings…read morein hot oil were more like dumplings in mildly spicy water. The sesame noodles were just lo mein noodles with a tiny drizzle of sauce and a few sesame seeds, no real flavor except dough. The Chongqing chicken had some pieces that were refrigerator-level cold, the chiles had just been dumped on top and not stir-fried with the chicken, and there were zero Sichuan peppercorns, so not mala at all. The chicken fried rice and the scallion pancakes were overcooked, and there was no sauce with the pancakes. Asked for utensils and hot oil, received neither.

Photos

Wonton in Hot Chili Oil

Salt & Pepper Pork Chop

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General Tso's Chicken

Kungfu Kitchen

I order delivery from here a couple times a year and its always outstanding. Portions could be a…read morelittle bigger though.

Very clean establishment with located in a shopping center with plenty of parking. Very light crowd…read moreon Sunday around noon. Very authentic Chinese food. I LOVE the cucumber salad but it seems a bit steep at $10. I found the soup dumplings to be too oily but I haven't had too many soup dumplings before. The Chongqing chicken was fried perfectly and served with tons of chili flakes and cilantro. Extremely flavorful. Great for solo dining or with friends.

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Crispy Sweet & Sour Pork

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Crab & Pork Soup Dumplings

Han Palace

great vibe nice service the food was great and dim sum…read morewas great too will come back visit soon

We went here on a Saturday around noon for dim sum. The food was okay. The pork siu mai and the…read morefried sticky rice dumplings were fine, nothing remarkable. The shrimp dumplings were good. The beef ribs were really difficult to eat and the meat was not tender at all, it was much more tough and stringy than I expected. The steamed beef rice noodles also had no flavor, definitely would not recommend this dish or the beef ribs. The space was nice, there were a lot of larger tables as well as smaller tables for parties of 2 to 4. It wasn't too crowded when we went, a few larger groups and some young families. As other reviewers have noted, the service was sorely lacking. I noticed some of the servers were pleasant, but the lady who was serving us was pretty unfriendly and inattentive. She did not check on us even once to see if we needed more water. She just seemed annoyed and like she couldn't be bothered to do her job. There was another lady that did check on us near the end of our meal and she was very friendly, asked us if we needed any boxes, and offered to refill our water glasses for us. I guess your experience just depends on who you happen to get, but in my opinion, if you're that rude to customers, maybe you shouldn't be working in customer service. They do validate for parking in the lot and there's a garage that is for you for the first two hours. Overall, the prices at this restaurant are higher than is typical for dim sum. The space is nice, but for these prizes, I would expect a higher quality of food and definitely a higher quality in terms of service. I don't think that I'll be back to eat here.

Photos

The Bar

Too much fat for the roasted pork

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D8. Coconut Pudding

Tiger Dumplings

I though hard on this, and it's tough to justify anything less than 5 stars, especially for the…read moreprice point for the all you can eat brunch option. I visited with 4 friends, and we had a private booth. The food kept coming...and coming...and coming! I was genuinely surprised how fast the turn-around between ordering a dish and it arrived at our table. We visited on a Sunday so they had $1 mimosas. Yes-please-thank you! All the dishes were good-to-great. I don't recall a single one of us complaining about anything we tried. And if you don't like something - order something else!

Was walking with family and we're looking for somewhere to eat for dinner. We stumbled upon Tiger…read moreDumplings and was able to get seated immediately. Not too busy inside but a good amount of people for a Saturday at 7PM. We ordered a Thai Tea, Passionfruit Iced Tea, Scallion Pancakes, Crystal Shrimp Dumplings, Pork Shrimp Shu Mai, Cucumber Salad, Shanghai Soup Dumplings, Tiger Signature Dumplings, and Pork Chive Dumplings. Food came out as it was ready. The teas were ok, the Passionfruit was the best. The soup dumplings were disappointing. You can't avoid them breaking but there was hardly any meat, was lukewarm, and mostly fat. The Tiger Signature and Pork Chive dumplings were better, but not too much flavor. The amount of filling in there were ok. The Shu Mai and the Crystal Shrimp Dumplings were solid, not too bad at all. The Cucumber were refreshing and also a little spicy. The Scallion Pancakes were fine, nothing special. Food was ok overall. The staff is nice but it seems that they were a little slammed despite the restaurant not being too full. Hard to get the server's attention at times. I wouldn't go out of my way but I might come back if I'm in the Clarendon area again.

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Inside

T03. Coconut Mini Sago

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Chili Oil Peanut Noodles

1983 Chinese Cuisine Restaurant

3.7

(120 reviews)

7.2 mi

Tried out this place after hearing such great things about it. It is located in Arlington and the…read morebest place to park would be the street parking or the parking lot behind the restaurant. The interior is nicely decorated and high end looking. We ordered around 10 dishes for 12 people and everything was very good. I will say that it is pricey and expensive. however, the dishes were very good.

Ambiance: Absolutely beautiful. It is modern, clean looking, with the most beautiful decor. That's…read moreas good as it got Service: Slow. We had to call someone to get our orders. Granted, there was only one bartender and one waitress in the entire restaurant. Not sure if there was a callout. The waitress did apologize for the wait Food: The duck was too salty and the skin was not crisp. The Mongolian beef was full of onions and not enough beef. The soy sauce noodles had barely any sauce in it and it was just hard noodles. The yu choy was good but nothing to rave about. The dim sum platter was good but should not be called a platter since there were only four dumplings. The clay pot chicken was probably my favorite thing. Granted, we only went for dinner so maybe their dim sum is better. Drinks: I got the lychee drink. It was sweet but good. My friends seem to enjoy their drinks. The One Night in Hong Kong was a big hit. Overall, it was a very pricey experience with subpar food.

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Entrance to restaurant

Hot Chili Oil

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Mark's Duck House

Great dim sum for the DMV. They still use the carts which is fun and feels more authentic. Food is…read morefresh. Servers are fast and efficient. The duck skin is crispy and the meat is juicy. Good har gow and sui mai.

Used to be my favorite dimsum place for years! But last few times I feel like it's going down hill…read more Most the food on the cart is cold. But I do get seated faster, not much of a wait like before.

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Inside the restaurant

Peking Duck

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Soy sauce noodles

Dimsum Palace

This is definitely one of my favorite dim sum places. They have an incredible variety of options,…read morebut I am super particular to the steamed pork buns and the baked pork buns. Those have really deep childhood memories for me and this place makes the best ones I've ever had in Maryland. The service is wonderful and the restaurant is warm and welcoming.

If you're craving dim sum a this is a good place to checkout!…read more We ordered a bunch off of the all day dim sum menu - I recommend the stuffed eggplants, noodles, crystal shrimp and green beans. I would not order the rice - lacking in flavor and highly do not recommend. Great dim sum though shrimp heavy!

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Rh Bistro

4.0

(102 reviews)

7.6 mi

Gave Rh Bistro a chance and not sure if we will go back. We were shown to a table that had an ipad…read moresitting on it for ordering. When I picked it up I realized it had a pretty dirty screen with some greasy fingerprints. Not a comfortable feeling that I had to order thru the screen that previous customers had used. Dishes we ordered included the scallion pancake (tasty but quite greasy), Tibetan cumin lamb (very good flavor for the lamb but ordered mild and it came loaded with hot peppers), braised eggplant and green beans ( the best of the four items ordered, seasoned nicely and the green beans were cooked the right amount to be slightly chewy and flavorful), and Vegetable chow fun (came in a substantial puddle of soy sauce after we checked the box for less soy sauce!). Our service person seemed to be the only person serving all the customers in our section of the restaurant. Our third entree followed the other two by at least 10 minutes. Only after I could find our server and could inquire did we learn they still had it in the kitchen and had not brought it out. Also, we never did get a refill of our water glasses.

I can't remember the last time I had crab and pork soup dumplings this flavorful. The traditional…read moreway to eat them is to carefully transfer a dumpling to your spoon, poke a small hole in the xiaolongbao, slurp out the soup, drizzle a little black vinegar over the dumpling to cut through the richness, and then eat the rest. They are very delicate, so often, the soup will spill. We also ordered the sizzling beef with onion, braised eggplant with green bean, snakehead fish filet with pickled vegetable soup, and spicy beef tripe. Every dish exceeded our expectations. My mom, who's notoriously picky about eating out, even gave the meal her stamp of approval. We were a little thirsty a few hours after the meal, which isn't uncommon with more heavily seasoned dishes. Even so, it was worth it. They also offer a discount if you're Tsinghua alumni or if you pay in cash. Also, the interior was stunning!

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Main seating area on other side of bar

Veggie Low Mein

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Dry Pot Chinese Cauliflower

Vola's Dockside Grill and Hi-Tide Lounge

The food was great and our service with Tiffany C. was amazing! She was kind and helpful!read more

Even though it was super busy, we were sat quickly and the service was phenomenal! Carlos was quick…read moreand very professional. The food was great all around as well. We had the salmon, lobster bisque, bacon cheddar burger, shrimp and oysters. We left fat and happy!

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Beautiful newlyweds celebrating at Vola's!

Crab dip, OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER, Grilled CHICKEN WINGS

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CHESAPEAKE CRAB DIP

Ada's on the River

Service was wonderful! Drinks and food delicious. Only wish we could have had a window table as…read morerequested in my reservation. I will definitely return!!

I cannot say this enough, we had the BEST experience at Ada's by the River!! Bryan, our waiter,…read moregave our party of 8 an amazing evening!! The food was unbelievable, service incredible. The crab cake was huge and full of flavor!! Thank you Bryan for making this experience wonderful.

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Founding Farmers - Alexandria

My husband and I enjoyed our first time visiting Founding Farmers Alexandria. The decor was nice…read moreand the restaurant was clean. Our server Aaron was friendly and professional. His customer service was outstanding! He also provided us with good food recommendations. I ordered the Half chicken, mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. It was delicious. We will surely return.

Danny and Kayley were awesome as our server and bartender here! Food was phenomenal and service was…read moreamazing. Would come back!

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Dining room with yellow floral chairs, globe lights, arched cloud mural walls, and a framed American flag at Founding Farmers.

The Farmers Trinity -- Brisket, Spareribs, and Jalapeño Cheddar Beef Sausage -- served with mustard potato salad, coleslaw, pic...

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A metal BBQ tray with Sweet Heat St. Louis Spareribs, white bread, coleslaw, pickled vegetables, and Joe's BBQ sauce, served ...

Matt and Tony's All Day Kitchen Bar

Hands down probably the best restaurant I have eaten at so far this year…read more Amazing food, friendly service, and a nice ambiance. The place can get quite busy so I would highly recommend making a reservation first. We ordered some cocktails which all tasted amazing, I enjoyed the espresso martini the most. Our table ordered the baked oysters and tuna tartare to start. The oysters were seriously so fricking good, I wanted to order another round! The tuna tarate was refreshing and tasted really good as well. I highly recommend ordering the fish curry or their scallop entree. I also got to have a bite of the chicken & waffles and the steak pasta but I would skip on those. Super excited to come back!!

This was not what I expected to write after looking forward to lunch at Matt and Tony's for quite…read moresome time. But someone has to say it: the king isn't wearing any clothes. My wife and I arrived around 1:20 p.m. on a Thursday. The lunch crowd was still going strong, which only reinforced that we had picked a popular spot. Unfortunately, the experience went downhill almost immediately. When we walked in, there was no hostess to be found. After waiting about four minutes, she finally appeared and offered us a choice between a small table in the corner or one by the bar. Given how busy the restaurant was, we took the table by the bar. About seven minutes later, someone finally came by to offer us water and explained that our server was busy, but she would help us in the meantime. No problem. We ordered the Avo Goddess Salad and asked that it be split so we could share it. A few minutes later, our server arrived, introduced herself, and we let her know we had already ordered the salad and were ready to place our lunch orders. She was very helpful in guiding my wife toward the Old Bay Shrimp Burger. I was excited to order the Shrimp and Grits until I learned it contained Andouille sausage and, according to our server, couldn't be prepared without it. Since the restaurant highlights that everything is made from scratch, that surprised me. I ended up ordering the Ahi Tuna Salad instead. So far, so good. Then came the frustration. We spent the next 20 minutes slowly picking at our salad, growing increasingly hungry and confused. You know something is wrong when guests who were seated after you begin receiving their meals before you. Finally, at 2:10 p.m., our food arrived: my Ahi Tuna Salad and a Pulled Lamb Sandwich for my wife. Except my wife had ordered the Shrimp Burger. When we pointed out the mistake to what was now our third server, she quickly assured us it would be corrected. A few minutes later, our original server returned and took full responsibility. She explained that the lamb and shrimp items are next to each other in the POS system and she accidentally selected the wrong item. She assured us the Shrimp Burger would be out in two minutes and suggested we enjoy the fries that came with the lamb sandwich while we waited. Unfortunately, another ten minutes passed before the burger finally arrived. Here's where things became truly disappointing: the top bun was still cold--almost frozen. My wife ended up removing it entirely and eating the sandwich with just the bottom bun. At best, the Shrimp Burger was decent, but certainly not worth the wait and frustration. As for my Ahi Tuna Salad, it felt like something I could easily make at home, especially considering the $25 price tag. I'm also not entirely convinced the tuna was particularly fresh. I can't bring myself to give Matt and Tony's one star because the atmosphere is genuinely cool and inviting. So I settled on two stars--mostly for how I felt before the experience unraveled. And listen, I get it. Mistakes happen. We're all human. But as someone who eats out frequently, here's one piece of advice: when a restaurant makes a significant mistake with a customer's order, consider taking that item off the bill. Sometimes that gesture is the only reason a guest decides to come back.

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Matt and Tony's

Steak & Eggs

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TO-GO Chicken & Waffles

The Majestic

Order yourself the delicious Mama Majesty, refreshing wizardry concocted by lovely Ali!…read more It is perfect answer to 104 degree temps on this July 4th weekend.

Great food and service!…read more We came here for lunch with our 2 kids. Ally was our server and was super friendly and helpful. The food was delicious. We have been coming here for years but the food this time was exceptional. The kids menu is perfect and portions are great. The drinks here are also excellent but we didn't order any during lunch. Highly recommend for lunch or dinner!

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Girl Dinner served during Majestic Hour. Mon - Fri | 3pm - 7pm at the bar

BEEF CARPACCIO aged balsamic dressing, black garlic aioli, toasted almonds, capers, arugula, crostini

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Josephine

Great ambiance!!! Loved the food and our waiter Jacob! Such a lovely dinner and fantastic drinks…read more Would definitely come again and would definitely ask for Jacob to serve us.

Josephine's is the perfect spot for every occasion. I went to catch up with a friend and our server…read more(Jacob) was attentive and knowledgeable. I had the strip au pouvre with pommes puree, best steak I've ever had! The cocktails were well balanced and Jacob recommended we finish the night with an espresso martini, which was the perfect night cap. We can't wait to come back, and sit with Jacob again!

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Between the first and third floors

Steak tartare

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Martini Service

HomeGrown - Alexandria

Came here with my mom before I had to drop her at the airport. We both got a green juice and then I…read moregot an iced coffee. The juice and the coffee didn't arrive until well after our meal did. Our server was also absent and took about five - ten minutes to greet us after we sat down. We ordered our food and our drinks at the same time to try to streamline everything. I got the breakfast chilaquiles with a poached egg and my mom made her own breakfast plate with two eggs, poached bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, fruit, and an English muffin. My mom had also ordered an iced tea that still hadn't arrived when the rest of our food and drink had arrived so she canceled it. They sourced a lot of their food from local purveyors, and you can really tell it in the flavor of everything. The sausage was some of the best I've had. Because of all the hiccups, the manager came over and profusely, apologized and even comped part of our meal to make up for the issues. It really felt like they actually cared, and that this was a fluke rather than a regular occurrence, which I really appreciated. Everyone can have an off day.

We wanted to like this place, but it's a big fat meh for me. Place was dirty, the meals we ordered…read morewere okay, I got the pork verde and my wife got a biscuits, my dish was pretty good but the potatoes were too salty. The gravy for the biscuits was like warm. Otherwise the food was okay. Service was good, the host was especially friendly. What knocked this one down for us was the unprofessionalism of the staff. Servers sitting counting their cash while the host was busting her tail off, that wasn't cool. Busboy clearing the table has the buspan on the seat so my wife ended up sitting in a wet spot. Not good. We won't be back. Not worth the money

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Seating 2

Cranberry French Toast $14.75 Homemade apple pound cake battered, griddled, & paired with cranberry compote, two eggs, & a choice of meat.

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Bloody Mary

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18 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Jennifer Z.

937

7 years ago

I live in the West Coast now but whenever I'm home I always go to Sampan. 1) it's conveniently down the street from my neighborhood and 2) it's super authentic so it feels like home Some of my favorites for dinner are: - Ginger Scallion Lobster: I like to eat lavish when I'm home... so I always ask for the lobster. Go crazy on this one, you won't regret. Super flavorful :) - Beef with Vegetables (special sauce): Not the typical take out Chinese restaurant, this one tastes much more home-y - Seafood Fried Rice: fresh as heck. We always order this for catering as well. - Spicy Pork Chop: all you need is white rice and the meal is complete. This is a crispy and salty dish that's goes really well with rice or by itself. - Spinach with garlic?: idk what it's called but I always order a vegetable dish and you can never go wrong with this one!! - steamed tilapia: just get it!! Dim Sum: - Shrimp Crepe: always my go to growing up so I'm biased. Love when it's fresh out the kitchen. - Chicken feet: tastes better than it sounds. Americans don't typically find this appealing but for me this is a childhood favorite too!! - Ha Gao: my parents love this. Wasn't my favorite in general so I never order it but my family demolished it every time read more

Tracy Z.

Elite 21

5 years ago

A childhood gem This place is legit where I go to feel warmth and at home. There aren't many Cantonese style restaurants around Virginia in general and if there are, they're usually low quality - I literally refuse to try any other chinese restaurant! Where can I start: my go to always is the walnut shrimp! Sweet and well cooked shrimp Ah , consistent every time I order Peking duck: there are places that "specialize in Peking duck" but this place out beats them all. I love the buns they provide and the duck is so well cooked tender, moist, &flavorful with the crispy skin! Ginger lobster: talk about another consistent dish that never disappoints. The lobster was so tender and juicy with the perfect combination of flavor Dim sum!!!!: The shrimp crepes are my absolute favorite with the sweet soy sauce it comes with- best ones I've had ever honestly ! The texture is perfect (not grainy like other places ) The spare ribs with flat noodles, the siu mai, the pastry buns was(pineapple bun 10/10, the egg yolk bun absolutely delicious ) The staff is welcoming and make sure they get you what you need and also giving you time to talk and enjoy with your party which I appreciate! read more

Liam Richard N.

4 years ago

Great food!! My favorite dishes were the spicy crispy bean curd and the chive dumplings. We also got stuffed eggplant, scallop dumpling, string beans, bean curds, salted egg yolk, Shumai, and the sesame balls. Lots of vegetarian and pescatarian options. The dim sum prices were very reasonable (~$5 for each small plate w three pieces). read more

Lucy H.

11 years ago

If you looking for good Chinese food here you are. I always order seafood tofu, black pepper beef on hot plate, and some time steamed fish, the food always good, fresh. My husband always have a mai tai,( drink). some time i order noodle soup. price good. clean and service are good too. good place to get your chinese food. read more

Gary Z.

14 years ago

I live in west Virginia and am often in the metro area. Recently I went to sampan cafe to try out the food sense I was in the area. I found the food was great as well as the service. Best Chinese I have had in a while. Try the hong Kong menu while your there it was the first time trying it found that it was very good. read more

Christy Patron P.

399

1 year ago

Sampan Cafe is a hidden gem! The food was amazing, with generous portions and authentic flavors. The cozy ambiance added to the experience, with warm lighting and traditional decor that made us feel right at home. The service was friendly and attentive, making our dining experience even better. read more

Mandy L.

9 years ago

I love the fried rice here! I don't really eat anything else so I'm not really sure about the rest of the menu, but the fried rice here is definitely up to par with Miu Kee. read more

Jacqueline M.

9 years ago

Pretty clean, to bad you can't sit and eat there, hey have good food, specially on the beef chow fun. I never try one like their, Fried rice....mmm,yummy!!! read more

Lam N.

3 years ago

This is first time I have to post this place thay are very bad customer service and the food very bad too .this is fired rice we can not eat ... read more

Keira L.