A DC Celebrity Hot-Spot: Meiwah Restaurant

To celebrate the Chinese New Year, I went to Meiwah on New Hampshire Avenue for dinner. As one of the most widely known restaurants in D.C., Meiwah prides itself on the number of celebrities that it attracts, and brags by posting their pictures all over their walls as a showcase. To see a celebrity list, click here. It is named one of the best Chinese restaurants in the District, and at a reasonable price. From traditional dishes to exotic mixed drinks, Meiwah certainly has a lot to offer! 

While the decor in the restaurant itself is average, the quality of the food makes up for the difference. The restaurant is known for providing one of the best values for Chinese food in D.C., and after experiencing it myself, I would have to agree. Meiwah provides a vast variety of menu options, and even provides Atkins friendly entrees.

When arriving at the restaurant, the hostess seated me and my friend Carlo in the front of the restaurant near the large glass window right beside the street. The service was prompt and friendly, although, not overly talkative. I ordered the spring rolls for an appetizer--which came with two types of sauces. The first was a sweet sauce, and the second was a spicy mustard sauce. The mustard sauce was EXTREMELY spicy. My eyes were watering before I even knew what hit me; it felt like I swallowed a ball of fire--I even felt the burn through my nose!  It was very good--but it needs a warning label!

Carlo ordered the wonton soup and was very pleased with it. Nice and meaty :-) 

For dinner, I ordered orange chicken, and Carlo ordered duck with "special duck sauce". The orange chicken was amazing--a far cry from my usual chinese take out! What I liked best about the chicken was that it wasn't completely smothered by the orange sauce; rather than having a mound of syrup over the chicken--it was lightly glazed, giving it the perfect flavoring. The pieces of chicken were large and the beef fried rice went wonderfully with the dish. I also took a bite of Carlo's entree, and tried it with the sauce. The duck itself was good-but it was the sauce that made all of the difference. Although we didn't know what was in the "special sauce", it definitely gave the duck a nice salty taste.  

Duck

Duck Sauce

Orange Chicken and Beef Fried Rice

The food came out very quickly, and the waiters cleared our plates as soon as we finished eating. The language barrier prevented any small talk with the waitress, and while we didn't feel rushed, the entire meal process was rather quick. If I were to go back, I would ask to sit away from the front entrance of the restaurant; the large glass window facing the street was almost distracting throughout the meal, and made it less relaxing. Although the restaurant seemed a bit more americanized in decor than I expected (not to mention, the lack of square plates and chopsticks), I was very pleased. The food at Meiwah is exceptional, and I highly recommend it!!

Meiwah is about a mile away from the White House, and about half of a mile from Dupont Circle, one of DC's best night-life locations. With an endless list of bars and clubs, Dupont Circle is one of the most popular places to be in DC, especially on the weekend!!