We are visiting Washington DC to celebrate the 250th birthday of the USA!. We decided to visit Chinatown in search of authentic Chinese food. We went totally tourist and asked a local we met on the street if they could give us a recommendation for lunch. The young lady didn't even think twice...she pointed across the street and said, "Tony Cheng's is good." We probably would have walked right past Tony Cheng's without her recommendation, because frankly it was hard to see. Most of the restaurant's sign is hidden behind a large tree. Then I got really nervous when I saw the stairs...I have a bad knee and use a cane, but I powered through it. When we entered the restaurant, we weren't sure it was open. It was about 4:40 pm and we were the only ones there. Nonetheless, the staff were very professional and sat us at a beautifully set table. Our waiter, Jason, answered all our questions and made good recommendations. Upon Jason's recommendation we ordered several options and shared the dishes family style. We ordered the following: General Tzo's Chicken Combination Lo Mein Hunan Style Chicken Sweet & Sour Pork OMG!!!! It was all sooooooo good!!! Everything had obviously been made fresh just for us. Each dish was so good. The General Tzo's and Hunan chicken were nice and spicy! The noodles were so tender and yummy! But my favorite had to be the Sweet & Sour pork. The meat was tender, the coating was hot and crispy, the sauce was nice, and the pineapple and bell peppers were fresh. So, if you're in DC and you visit Chinatown, you have to go to Tony Cheng's! Y'all come!!! You'll love it!!! read more

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We hadn't been to Tony Cheng's since before COVID, so we didn't know ahead of time that they stopped doing their famous Dim Sum around that time. That's on us for not researching, though. But, since we were there, we opted to stay for lunch upstairs. Downstairs was closed long-term for what I hope is remodeling. Even in December, it felt colder inside the upstairs restrooms than outside! But, given that we were the ONLY people in the place at noon on a Saturday, I guess they are trying to cut costs where possible. We wound up being joined by about six other tables in total while we were there, fortunately! The food was as good as I remember, despite the lack of Dim Sum. We did have a few apps to try and make up for it (shrimp dumplings, scallion pancake, spring rolls, wonton soup). They were all pretty darn good, I must say! For entrees, we went with just two, since we were already getting a bit full. We ordered the Ma Bo (ma po) Tofu and the Mu Shi Pork (with the pancakes). Both were flavorful and filling. My only complaint on the Ma Bo was that they used very silken tofu instead of a firm one. I do not admit to being an expert on the dish, but I was the only one of the three of us who didn't find the texture off-putting. But, that being said, the ground pork and sauce itself were very good, so not too bad overall. The service was okay. Our first server, older gent, seemed like he did not want to be there that day. He didn't seem rude or mad, just... sad. Like, the weight of a thousand bad days in row, kind-of-sad. But, the entire staff served every table, so it was one of those setups. That always seems to work better, I think. The drinks? Well, let's just say, one was enough! They have a menu of very colorful "tiki-era" libations, like the Suffering B*st*rd and the Scorpion Sting. We had one of each, and both were delicious and powerful in their own ways. There is basically very little parking nearby, though they are about a half a block from a Metro stop at Gallery Place - Chinatown. So, their location is wonderful! But, the downstairs being closed, the upstairs in desperate need of renovations, and the outside to match, it was somewhat of a letdown. I really hope they come back to full strength soon, because memories of Tony Cheng's back in the day are what keep me going when I have a craving for some Dim Sum! read more

Tony Cheng Seafood Restaurant - Wonton soup - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

It's been almost 10 years since we've dined here and many more than that since we started coming to Tony's. The upstairs "seafood" restaurant is quiet and nicely appointed. Our service was excellent. Crispy shredded beef is to die for and is just as fantastic as remembered. The same goes for the black pepper scallops. We always get these two dishes and then put together on your plate there is an amazing umami element that can't be found anywhere. Especially the crispy beef - no one does it like Tony's! Looking forward to another visit before too long! read more

Tony Cheng Seafood Restaurant - Black pepper scallops (foreground) and crispy shredded beef - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The atmosphere is fine, but nothing to brag about. The food was absolutely outstanding, though! I've eaten here several times and never been disappointed. Most recently, I had the best sesame chicken I've ever had! Portion size is excellent, and the flavor was perfect. Yes, I understand that sesame chicken, and a few other others are general, mainstream, American versions of Chinese food, however, it doesn't matter! The food was fantastic! We also had a couple appetizers, fried dumplings and spring rolls. They, too, were excellent. read more

CLOSED!!! Walked a mile each way from our hotel to find out they are no longer open!!

When you're craving good Chinese food, this place really hits the spot. The dim sum is a highlight -- there are lots of options to choose from, and the quality is consistently good. Everything tastes fresh and well prepared, and it's a great place to go if you want a variety of classic dim sum dishes to share. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the mood for solid Chinese food and a good dim sum selection. read more

We only tried 2 dishes, but they were very good. Its an upstairs restaurant, looks like an old-school Chinese American place. Service was good. Soup dumplings were wonderful, we've had them in many places, and these were among the best. The eggplant in garlic sauce probably was the best we've ever had, and its a dish we are big fans of and order frequently. read more

Tony Cheng Seafood Restaurant - Plate - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Wonderful authentic Chinese food. As an Asian who frequently eats authentic Chinese and all Asian food. We know what is real and authentic. We got the shaken beef, hot and sour soup, calamari, shrimp and snow peas with white rice. I highly recommend this place. Please come and support this family owned business. They are struggling since Covid. read more

Tony Cheng Seafood Restaurant - Shaken beef, snow peas, Fried Calamari - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Great restaurant! Great food! The scallion pancakes are delicious, the dumplings are very well made and the service is quick. The restaurant used to be a lot more crowded but COVID hit the restaurant hard and seems like they have less business than they used to. Really recommend it though and hope people go and check it out to help keep it in business. read more

Overall, I was very satisfied with our experience. We ended up bringing a group of over thirty people here and the servers dealt very well with the large number and various checks. The food itself was very delicious and as a certified Asian, it was pretty authentic. I would definitely recommend. Also, the inside was your average Chinese place and it was decorated accordingly. read more

This restaurant has a reputation for being the best Chinese food in the city from years ago, it clearly is trading on that reputation now. There were 3 of us and w e had the calamari, which was a little tough and salty. I had the Singapore Noodles and the curry powder was now evenly mixed into the dish and it was extremely salty and oily. One of the people in my party's chicken dish was just oily with no other flavor. The Chicken and cashews was okay. read more

As the previous review notes, they stopped Dim Sum service, which used to be quite excellent. I think the manager is new also, because all I saw was an Asian manager (I think he was Chinese), but when he went in back to give directions for the order, he spoke fluent Spanish. The cooks are Spanish, as one can hear them and the waitress is also, as she was secretly tuning into a Latino radio station. The food was not a full meal but the portions were small and not very authentic looking. However they were generous in the packets of soy sauce and even put in a fortune cookie. read more

We had to make a stop in Chinatown on a visit to DC. A friend of someone in my group heard good things about this place from a friend so we stopped in. I will have to admit, it looked a little sketchy going in. We went up a dark stairway and were greeted by empty fish tanks. The decor definitely needed serious updating. Although the service was good, staff was friendly and our food came out quickly. Now on to the important stuff, the food. It was actually pretty good, some of the best Chinese food I've had in a while. We ordered a number the dishes and shared and family style with each other. We had the shredded chicken and eggplant, chicken and scallions, vegetable lo mein, and my favorite though honey walnut shrimp. I always said the best Chinese restaurants are in the most questionable places. I would come back here. read more

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The restaurant's ambiance was kind of gloomy inside. And food was not that fresh especially the pecking duck cantonese style. It was not the typical pecking duck as it was dredged with a dark soy based sauce that beats the authentic taste of its meat and so are all the food that we ordered, all covered with the dark sauces. Food can be improved alot more. read more

Tony Cheng Seafood Restaurant - Pecking Roast Duck, Cantonese Style Beef Beef with Broccoli Sweet and Sour Chicken Young Chow Fried Rice Lunch - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is what I call authentic Chinese food compared to your local take outs. It's not about counting calories or eating healthy here. It's about real good Chinese food for the most part. The coconut shrimp was saucy, juicy, and huge. Probably on the greasy side for most people but I loved it. The sesame chicken was not satisfying. It was a little hard and dry. It was below average that I didn't even finish it. Don't order this. The sizzling beef with black pepper sauce. was one of the best beefs I've had in a Chinese restaurant! The name says it all. It was saucy enough to add onto ur rice. The beef came sizzling hot and delicious! The water here doesn't taste good in my opinion, but the food here is worth coming. Maybe get a soda? Although the inside of the place seems outdated, it still gives authentic vibes of Chinatown. It's clean and big. read more

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Great authentic Chinese food. Dine in or carry out available. ORDER: * Honey Walnut Shrimp * My all time favorite shrimp fried and smothered in a slightly sweet creamy sauce dressed with toasted walnuts. Thrilled for this entree as you don't always see honey walnut on the menu; I savored each bite. Paired with fresh steamed rice; chef's kiss. * Sizzling Steak * This steak was tender and juicy. It came sizzling and the gentleman poured the black pepper sauce when he brought it out. It was amazing. Accompanied with some cooked mushrooms and paired with combination fried rice. * Combination Fried Rice * Delicious fried rice cooked with chicken, steak and shrimp. This fried rice was legit. Filling alone or pair it with any other entree on the menu. SIDES: * Hot & Sour Soup * One of my favorite soups that has a little kick of spice, tofu, bamboo shoots and green onions. The soup comes with the crispy crunch bites that make each warm bite of soup perfect with a slight crunch. SERVICE: The service was absolutely exquisite. Warm welcome max water topped off. The timing on ordering was perfect and the waiter checked us frequently. The entire staff was amazing. LOCATION/FACILITY: China Town / 2nd Floor of Tony Cheng's. PARKING: Public Parking next to the restaurant. PAYMENT METHOD: Cash or car SUMMARY: I love this restaurant as it's authentic. The staff is excellent and the food is delicious. They have items on the m eh that you don't always see on a Chinese restaurant menu in America unless you're in specific areas (such as this area in China Town). Items include, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Crispy Pan Fried Noodles, and Hot & Sour Soup. hope they continue to stay around for years to come. read more

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My brother and sister-in-law and my two nieces were in town visiting me with the intention of going sightseeing in DC. We hit all the major monuments at the National Mall then decided to stop by Chinatown for lunch. We asked a random Asian man on the street for recommendations after we parked and he suggested Tony Cheng. It was shortly after noon on a weekday. I was surprised to see how empty the restaurant was and I was worried that the food wasn't going to be any good. I did notice that it's been several years since they last received an award. We ordered a bunch of items to share including the crispy crab wontons, fried dumplings, Mongolian beef, General Tso's chicken, Combo Lo Mein, and a side of fried rice. If I had to rate the food it was about average. Nothing to write home about. I've definitely had better, but it wasn't terrible. I understand that we're going through a pandemic and the restaurant may have been busy preparing take out orders, but they were so short-staffed they couldn't adequately provide service to their dine-in patrons. There were only two other tables seated in the restaurant and I had to go around back to flag our server to request some knives and it took her awhile to bring it to us. When I asked multiple friends, colleagues, and acquaintances for recommendations for Chinese food in Chinatown, there was a consensus that Chinatown no longer serves good, authentic food and this establishment confirmed it. read more

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This seafood restaurant operates regular dining on the second floor and a banquet hall on the third floor. The banquet hall fits around 24 round tables. With Lunar New Year dinner, it began with the ground beef and egg drops soup, which had filled ingredients. The chicken cubes with peanuts were heavily sauced. The fried rice in lotus leaves had great flavor. In the beef with Chinese broccoli, beef was tender and broccolis were in good softness. Broiled shrimps were so-so, and needed the garlic and scallions sauce to pair with. The BBQ pork ribs were heavily seasoned as well, the green pea spouts were the best fish over this dinner. The deep fried fish was served in sweet and sour sauce. There was no dessert nor fruit. read more

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Service was not what I would call friendly but at least our server was efficient and got our orders right. Our food was good, as always. I got the shrimp with cashews and mushrooms; my partner ordered General Tso chicken. Both were tasty. The place was not terribly busy and still it took 48 minutes to get our meals. One important thing to note: They automatically include the tip charge on the check AND they do their best to hide that from customers in an attempt to get more tip money. Beware!!! read more

Food was outstanding! Service was great. Close to Capital One Arena. Will definitely go back. read more

Tony Cheng Seafood Restaurant - Seafood combination pan fried noodles - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Outstanding old school Chinese food! We had the chicken in black bean sauce, which was delicious! Also had the chicken fried rice, which was so perfect no soy sauce was needed. The egg drop soup was perfect! The vibe is a throw back to the neighborhood Chinese restaurant (from NY) and the service was great! We will definitely be back next time we are in town! read more

Tony Cheng Seafood Restaurant - Address and Phone Number - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Please try any means to avoid this restaurant! I'm a Chinese and the food offered in this restaurant is nothing authentic. In addition, they tasted awful! The rice they provide is less than half bowl!!! They add 20% service fee on top of AFTER tax! After tax? And there is no sign in the store telling you about the service fee!!! Please do not fall in this tourist trap! Im too mad to take food picture but include my receipt as a proof. So mad! An update - my son got some food poisoning after back to hotel!!! The food must be dirty!!! read more

Tony Cheng Seafood Restaurant - 20+% service fee automatically added to your bill! - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

First Review of the new year. My co-workers and I decided to try a local place known for Dim Sum (Chinese cuisine served on small plates with small portions - Cantonese). I tried it once and wanted to share the experience. I didn't get that feeling from the menu or the presentation. Not at all, although the menu says it is a Dim Sum menu, that wasn't the case. The decor and vibe definitely gave me something that I am not used to. The Chinese food places in Oklahoma and Texas are usually carryout. I got the feel of a fine dining experience. It's not often Duck is skinned and hanging as decor. As we entered the restaurant, there were two levels - one for mongolian and one for chinese. We opted to go upstairs for chinese. The dishes and placement were nice - fine china. There were also chopsticks provided. The place looked clean but the water did not taste pure (not sure if it was the ice or water). We were treated nice, menu explained in detail. Far to much for a lunch setting. We opted to get to-go boxes. There is a strict two (2) packet rule per entree. I love soy sauce so I was disappointed. My entree was $14 (drink not included). I opted for the lunch portion of combination fried rice. It did not include a spring roll or egg roll. That price shoulda afforded me more soy sauce, but it didn't. The food was good but not extra fancy, something I would get at a takeout. read more

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This is one of my favorite restaurants in dc Chinatown. Really clean, spacious (the Chinese restaurant is upstairs and Mongolian restaurant is downstairs). Very nice service and the food is more delicious than other places in the area. They even helped me pack my to-go food. read more

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NO MORE DIM SUM! Used to love this place, but it's changed a lot since COVID and them cutting costs. They no longer have dim sum, and if you ask, they huffily say no and immediately leave your table before you can order. We got the beef chow fun and general Tso's chicken. Both were mediocre. Hot and soup was ok but probably from a mix. I'm not going to come back ever again. read more

Have been coming here for over 13 years....they have been consistent...great food, great service . Recommend sesame shrimp, combo fried rice, roast pork, chicken in wine sauce, broccoli in garlic...ok I love it all. Worth the drive every time...don't mind paying for parking. read more

My go to place when in DC. Located on Chinatown close to the metro stop, it sits in an eclectic area of town. I have tried other dim sum joints in the area, but this is one of the better ones. Good variety and tasty food, comparable to some of my favorite places back home. Service is pretty good and the prices are a little on the high side. But it usually pretty crowded on the weekends, especially on Sunday, so it is a local favorite. read more

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I visited this restaurant for a dinner with friends on a Sunday night. As soon as we went in, i loved the interior design of the restaurant including the nice, fancy chandelier. The restaurant is on the 2nd floor of the building and we had to use stairs, i did not see any elevator but we don't have problems with that. We were seated pretty quick, our server was nice and friendly and made sure we were taken care of the whole time. He did also engage by talking to us about our country, coz he guessed we are from the Philippines. Let's talk about the food! We ordered, calamari, crispy breaded pork chops and chicken fried rice and they all taste good. I especially love their calamari, it was crispy and well seasoned. Overall, we had a nice experience at this place and would definitely go back. read more

Tony Cheng Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Any place that has peking duck automatically gets 3 stars from me. This spot also had some SOLID tasting pan fried noodles and alcoholic drinks! My friends lived the honey walnut shrimp, and as an avid honey walnut shrimp person myself, I was pleased. The duck was standard and tasty. It was very empty when we went at 4pm on a Friday but it's definitely a staple in Chinatown! Also sooooo many unique drinks that come in a great presentation! read more

Tony Cheng Seafood Restaurant - Seafood combination pan fried noodles yum - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I have loved this restaurant since I was young, but had not been in a while. Great service, beautiful restaurant, decent food. Wonton soup, hot and sour soup, and steamed dumplings were all delicious. Also recommend the $1 hot tea. The Kung Pao chicken was not great, felt mushy and didn't have a great taste. read more

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First floor is Mongolian food and second floor is Chinese food. Food, service, prices and bar selection are all very good. read more

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Don't charge for service if you didn't provide any. That's just wrong. Get better exhaust or clean you kitchen.

Upon entering Tony Cheng, I realized I was in a beautiful, classical Chinese restaurant with uniformed waiters and white table cloths. The atmosphere was quiet, as there were few diners at an early hour (5:30). The cocktails were very good, and our dinners were served with grace and ease. We had hot and sour soup (excellent), fried dumplings (good), spring rolls (excellent), chicken with broccoli (excellent), duck with asparagas (good). What I appreciated the most was the warm, welcoming atmosphere. And even though it's considered a seafood restaurant, it serves meat, vegetarian, and vegan options. I would definitely return again and again. read more

It was GAMEDAY and I needed to feed the boys before the Commanders game. I wanted to show the boys Chinatown and I have always enjoyed the fresh made food in that part of DC. IT WAS COLD, so we walked to a couple of places by where we parked. If you are going to that part of DC, be aware of the homeless who hit you up for cash which made it a bit uncomfortable for me and my 2 sons. We entered the establishment and went upstairs to the restaurant. It was empty so we received quick customer service from our waiter. The menu has tons of choices which complicates it for my 2 son's who eat the same chinese dish over and over. We ordered Hunan Chicken, combination fried rice, and YES Orange Chicken. The food arrived quick and as expected fresh and extremely flavourful.The portions were above average and service well ok for it being empty. Each plate approximately $20 my issue was that they charge me $14 tip without my approval....WHAT?! Well this Hispanic doesn't make DC money and didn't appreciate them charging that tip. The food good, warm but that charge came out of left field. I probably will not return on my next visit to DC or if i do, ill get a loan from CHASE. read more

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I have been to some of the best dim sum restaurants in DMV area. This one was underwhelming so to say. Not sure if we went at the wrong time or it's always like this. We were actually supposed to go Farmers and Distillers but we ended up here as Farmers and Distillers wait time was ridiculous. One of our friends had never had dim sum before so we thought this could be a great place to introduce him to dim sum. But to our disbelief he tells after we get a seat that he is allergic to shrimp. That's a bummer cause most of the dim sum are combination of either shrimp or pork. So we ordered just one dim sum with shrimp in it and everything else was pretty much other meat. We really liked chicken and pork dim sum. Also, roast pork, broccoli, and beef noodles were very delicious. Roast pork especially was very well cooked and juicy. It's literally floating in their soy sauce. Roast pork in other places could be a little dry but it's amazing here. Ambiance is great! Pricing is very nominal. Service was mediocre. They forgot to run their trey by us a couple of times. We had to literally wave at them multiple times. Anyways, most of the diners were fans of the Caps team and since there was game that day, it was booked with all the hockey fans. read more

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Nothing worse than having high expectations that are not fulfilled and still charged you for it. Stay far away from this has been place. All the pictures of the owner with "celebrities" don't add to anything if your staff is sub standard and your food is quick to follow that low water mark. My wife, my daughter and myself decided to make a trip to DCs Chinatown for a tasty dinner of authentic chinese cuisine. Unfortunately we came across Tony's place. First thing I noticed was the sitting arrangement, we are taken way to the back and sat down next to what used to be the bar which is now the home for the different electronics used for ordering and paying such as the credit card machines. So my view instead of enjoying a chinese decor is of cables, boxes of electronics and phones getting charged on top of the bar counter!!! If I would glance to my left I could appreciate the stacks of boxes containing all the fortune cookies, plastic cutlery and similar items used for takeout food. Well the place was full so on we go. We are given paper takeout menus because apparently Tony doesn't like to spend money on proper dine in menus. Water glasses are swiftly brought out along with a small plate and a fork for each one of us. Less then 5 minutes later a harsh, military type of waiter asks if we are ready to order to which I answer no since we are still in shock of the many items on the menu and the extremely high prices for each. Five minutes later same question comes up, and no mention of "any questions?" "anything to drink?" once again my answer is no. Five minutes more a different waiter approaches with the question of the night "ready to order?" this time I asked a question to which a answer was given and then we placed our order. I asked for chopsticks because I enjoy eating asian food that way, I guess not been asian they took it for granted that I couldn't use them. We were handed a very unsanitary set that where simply picked up by the waiter from a box. No wrapping on them, just his bare hands that had been touching who knows what! The arrived in a usual time frame like any chinese restaurant, so nothing special to elevate the prices to the level seen in the menu. My sesame chicken was a mixture of left over batter refried with a few pieces of chicken dark meat . So at the end after a very unpleasant experience without asking how was the food or if we cared for anything resembling a dessert we are handed a check totalling 93.95 whic included a 20% tip for a worthless service experience. It seems that the staff feels entitled to receive the hard earned earnings of their patrons for sub standard service. Never again will this place receive my visit and I advise all to stay clear. read more

Food terrible and no Service. They will charged your service Fee. Don't go there. Food was not fresh at all and disgusting. read more

Tony Cheng Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

If you want great Chinese food, definitely visit this restaurant. It's not the most fancy but the food is delicious and the wait staff is great! Whenever we're in DC, we try to hit Chinatown to visit Tony Cheng's. read more

Wanted some food in Chinatown following a convention, saw Tony Cheng's and decided to try it. Nicely decorated, a little dated if anything but overall pretty clean. Very quiet when walked in around 12:30 pm. Seated immediately and were given menus. Food was excellent and waitress was friendly. Would recommend. read more

No dim sum! Old decor Chinese restaurant that does not serve dim sum. During the relatively short amount of time I was there at least four parties asked if they served dim sum. No! Most parties left after asking. The host seemed to get more annoyed each time he was asked. Apparently, they ended dim sum over a year ago, but the word hasn't gotten out. The final time he was asked if they served dim sum he explained how expensive dim sum chefs were and that they'd have to hire two chefs and provide them with accommodations. Dim sum is an expensive endeavor. Anyway, I got a bowl of wonton soup and mapo tofu with pork. Both were fine, but not spectacular. Do not come here for dim sum. read more