Astoria continues to be one of my favorite spots in DC. While the service can occasionally be a bit…read morespotty, the food and overall vibe are exceptional. Every dish I've tried has been mouthwatering, consistently flavorful and generously portioned. Some of my current favorites are the dan dan noodles and the garlic eggplant, but honestly, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. If I could, I'd eat here once a week.

Astoria is known for their Sichuan-style food and drinks, and we decided to come here for an early…read moredinner as a group. We knew it was stone crab season, so we were excited to include this in our eats - we ordered the Mala Lobster, which was prepared in fermented chili sauce with ginger garlic scallion; we also ordered the Pea Shoots (stir-fried in garlic; we liked that this didn't come 'watery'), the Walnut Shrimp (with a nice honey sauce with candied walnuts), Mapo Tofu (with beef, chili, garlic, scallions, and sichuan peppercorns), and the OG La-Zi (a fried chicken thigh with peanuts, chili, and sichuan peppercorns). My counterparts enjoyed their drinks, and the the bartending staff were great. Portions are generous and easily shareable! The space is beautiful, which is like a railroad-style; the staff were friendly and attentive. Metered and some restricted residential parking can be found in the area. +sichuan-style shareables +friendly & attentive staff +metered street & restricted residential parking available

We dropped by after my wife was in the mood for ramen. I am glad we did. We arrived at 6:00 pm…read moreon a Tuesday before it got crowded. Most of the tables were taken but we were seated right away. We ordered the Edamame and House Smashed Cucumber. The Cucumber had the right amount of tanginess. The Cheng Du Spicy Wonton stood out. The spicy sauce that they came in was an excellent accompaniment. We finished off with the Reren Signature Ramen. It really hit the spot. The ambience is very casual. We were tourists but it seemed a lot of locals were eating there too. We would definitely come again.

I've been walking (or running) past Reren for a while. I've had their soup dumplings through Uber…read moreEats, but hadn't tried their entrees/Lamen yet. I ordered the Kung Fu Noodles and really enjoyed them! I appreciate a noodle soup thats also packed with veggies (hello, Bok Choy lover here), and the the kimchi gave the soup an added layer of glamor and crunch! It's advertised as spicy, and I was asked if I was ok with spicy after I ordeeed (which I appreciated), but I honestly didn't find the soup very spicy at all! It was pretty flavorful though. I'd get it again. I'm also looking forward to trying other items like their Dan Dan Noodles.

I found this place on tiktok and I love soup dumplings, soup and boba. This place has it all!…read more Coming inside there's a counter where you can order drinks and food to go but if you plan to dine in, you just sit down at any available table and order from the QR code. The restaurant I very clean and the decorations are really pretty. We ordered soup dumplings and noodles and our food was ready really fast. I ordered the veg spicy and sour noodles and they come with an egg and crispy pieces of corn and a lot of boi hot which I love. The flavor was spicy with a hint of lime for the sour flavor. My husband ordered the beef noodle soup and he said it tasted amazing. Our chicken soup dumplings were full of flavor and a lot of broth inside. This place is really similar to Yu noodles which is one of my favorite places so if I'm ever in the area again I would go to this place for soup dumplings. Our server was really sweet as well.

Stopped by for dinner and had a good time overall. Seat yourself at an open table and place your…read moreorder using the QR code. Our order was brought out faster than I expected, with our mains coming up before the apps. Although not as spicy as I was hoping for, the spicy mapo tofu with noodles was really good. Of course I had to add ground pork for a few dollars more! To drink I had the strawberry fruit tea (50% sugar), which was good and refreshing. I also tried the pan fried dumplings and spicy wontons in chili oil. Both were just okay. I'll be back when I'm in the area to try out additional items.

Mecha is by far my new favorite ramen spot! I can't believe I haven't done a review already…read more First things first, you have to get the edamame. This is the most uniquely prepared edamame I've ever had. It's packed with herbs and spices and so flavorful that you won't go back to regular edamame after trying it here. I've ordered quite a few items off the menu, and I've been equally satisfied every time. I've had the Pho Ga and the Shoyu Paitan...both were so delicious. They come with extras so you can customize your bowl with hoisin, chili flakes, and more, which I love. One time I went with a friend who's pescatarian, and we ordered the Cha Ca La Bong (catfish). It was incredibly flavorful and filling. It's served cold, a delicious sauce. But don't let this cold dish fool you ...it does not disappoint. We also ordered the General Tso shrimp, and I got the sweet-and-sour spareribs. Everything was delicious. As for drinks, I don't quite remember which frozen one I ordered, but it didn't give much of a buzz. The regular alcoholic drinks, though? They definitely got the job done. Every time I've gone, the service has been excellent. Everyone is welcoming, smiling, and genuinely seems proud to serve you. I also appreciate that if you don't finish your ramen, they box it up thoughtfully, packing the broth and noodles separately so it stays fresh. Highly recommend!

Mecha Noodle Bar was pretty good. I visited on a Thursday at 6 PM and it was about 1/3 full…read more The place is very casual. Many of the tables have benches on one side and small stool on the other; it's fine, but not the most comfy. Tables are also loaded with the basic chopsticks, napkins, menus, and condiments you need. We tried the Kale Salad, Red Oil Dumplings, Firecracker Wings, Spicy Miso 2.0 ramen, and Tonkotsu 3.0 ramen. The kale salad was fine but a little lame. The wings weren't "firecracker" -- not spicy at all -- but had a very nice dry rub and smoky flavor (very similar to the wings at Succotash). The dumplings were enormous and pretty good, but I wish the sauce stuck to the dumplings better. Ramen was also good; I preferred the Spicy Miso over the Tonkotsu. Service was a little too basic. We had to flag down a waiter to get water, water wasn't refilled, the check and pay pad weren't picked up quickly, and I got the wrong ramen order.

good i suppose very very good. a bit expensive but that's a given in the area. otherwise, the…read moreflavors taste great and are authentic for their class. I was well nourished! the vibes were honestly run of the mill and nothing to write home about (I mean you're eating on metal tables after all) but that didn't affect the quality of the food. clean enough place !

One of the better beef noodle soups I had in awhile! The soup is super flavorful and savory. The…read morebeef is tender and I love the texture of the thick cut noodles. The noodles were chewy and bouncy. I am not a huge noodle soup fan but I absolutely loved this dish and ended finishing the whole bowl! I highly recommend trying the beef soup with thick cut noodles!

This was a tasty (& very filling) brunch experience. We were seated at one of the few remaining…read moretables one early afternoon. The mission was dim sum and mimosas, and that was exactly what we had. All you can eat was $36 and I believe each mimosa was like $1? I was a huge fan of the peach and lychee flavors. For the food, we stuck to light dishes ... We saw some surrounding tables getting these heavy bowls of noodles, and on top of the dim sum we had already, we were like absolutely not XD. I loved the cod cilantro and lamb carrot dumplings. Coconut sago and plum pork ribs were also a highlight... Just so much yummy stuff! I would love to return at some point in the future, whether it be for brunch or just the general all you can eat experience. But I have a lot of places to tackle, so one at a time!

Two Haiku Review:…read more Came for a dinner date and ordered tasting set 1. Big portions and A good way to try many different things. Good food, Cozy ambiance.

There's definitely a reason why Da Hong Pao Restaurant is always booked and busy…read more The food was absolutely amazing--you can really tell it's authentic Chinese cuisine. They were also able to accommodate a group of about 18 of my family members and me, which was a huge plus! The service was excellent as well; the staff consistently checked in to make sure we were taken care of. Highly recommend!

I came in for the dim sum. The place was empty which is rare. I sat at the bar and was greeted…read moreimmediately but I wasn't given instructions on how to order the dim sum and as a first timer, I was kind of stuck. The staff answered my questions quickly and took my order. I had the Chinese broccoli, soup dumpling and salt and pepper squid. The Chinese Broccoli wasn't good at all. Very bland and I didn't really like the oyster sauce. The soup dumplings were good. Not anything to write home about, but I'd order them again. The squid was really flavorful and it was a good portion. I also had a giant pot of oolong tea which was delicious. They take Apple Pay as well and for less than $40 it wasn't a bad lunch. I'll be back to give it another shot for dinner.

Food is always good. One of the few ramen places that I can actually finish my bowl. Favorite ramen…read morein the menu is the Shio, but I gave Mugi-miso a try, and it was really good. Not strong miso flavor that hurts your throat, but still has that umami flavor. Place can get packed especially at dinner. But quick turnaround. Can be a group or solo.

My wife got the spicy miso and I got the veggie ramen. It was so amazing that I actually drank the…read moresoup. I rarely consume the soup due to my parents' influence. The toilet lid and the movie poster were very amusing. The ambience was lovely. The wait time was about 10 minutes during this past Sunday. The server was friendly.

The Anthony Bourdain-approved New York noodle institution has a ghost kitchen outpost in…read moreAlexandria, and it's the real deal. Went straight for the spicy cumin lamb with hand-ripped noodles. Tender lamb, that signature cumin-chili heat, noodles with the perfect chew and pull. Quality is identical to New York -- and somehow $1.50 cheaper. Pickup is surprisingly seamless: park in the alley behind two convenience stores (tight but manageable), then tap a link in your text confirmation to pop open a designated locker with your order inside. No counter, no waiting around. Bonus: about four other ghost kitchen restaurants share the space, so you can mix and match cuisines in one order.

Had no idea that this was just a pickup spot, but I was already on my way so it was too late to…read moreback out. I have had this place on my list for a while and I'm glad I tried it! I got the lamb hand pulled noodles and the lamb dumplings. The dumplings are A1 and a must, they are flavorful, have the right level of spice and are pretty filling on their own. The noodles are yummy too but not as memorable. The price point on each was actually very economical. I wish that the place offered a sit down option, but the food was very hot and travels well. They won't give you utensils or napkins on their own so make sure you ask for some if you plan on eating it right away!!