Restaurant Spotlight of the Week

If you haven’t noticed by now, there’s a new restaurant in town, and its name is the Hunan Cafe.

Brand spanking new and occupying the space next to the Broad Street Grill, formerly used by Aladdin’s Lamp Bookstore, the Hunan Cafe is a breath of fresh air to the downtown area of Falls Church. Having opened its doors just this past Tuesday, the Café is the second restaurant of owner Zhou Lin, a long-time resident of Northern Virginia. The other restaurant is located in Arlington.

Sporting a welcoming corner storefront, as well as employing an exceptionally friendly staff, the Cafe will no doubt leave a positive first impression on all visitors, as it did on the News-Press staff this past Tuesday.

There’s a plethora of selections on the menu including soups, rice and noodle dishes, pork, poultry, beef, and seafood choices, not to mention a pack of chef’s specialties. While the News-Press was, admittedly, intimidated by the number and variety of choices (130 in all), the helpful Hunan staff was happy to recommend some of their signature dishes, and they did not disappoint.

For starters, the Pan Fried Dumplings and Crab Rangoon were served up quickly, and unlike some Chinese food restaurant appetizers, these were piping hot and tasty to the max.

Following the apps, the Press received the suggested main courses—the chef’s specialty Crispy Beef, and the most popular dish, General Tso’s chicken. The Crispy Beef (shredded beef deep fried until crispy, served with celery and carrots in a special sauce) is excellent-- crispy, but not too crispy, and teeming with flavor while not overpowering the senses.

There’s a reason why the General Tso’s is the restaurant’s #1 dish—theirs is by far and away one of the best versions in the area. While many Chinese restaurants offer up a serving with sauce that is sweet enough to qualify as a dessert, the Hunan Café’s version is delivered perfectly, capturing all the flavor with exactly the right amount of spice—just the way the General would have wanted. But be warned, once you order this dish, it will be difficult to pass it up the next time around and then you’d miss the other Hunan Cafe favorites like the Sesame Chicken, Hunan Beef, Moo Shu Chicken, and countless more. The serving sizes are more than generous—the News-Press needed two to-go boxes after the meal.

All this flavor and taste is served up with no MSG, only 100% vegetable oil is used in their cooking. If there are any questions with the menu or the food, Lin invites customers to ask away-- simply stop by or give him a call.

Offering free delivery to Falls Church City, the Hunan Café also features an extensive list of lunch specials available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. At $4.95 and including an egg roll and fried rice, like Bob Barker says, the “Price Is Right.”

Four days old but serving up food like a vet, the Hunan Café is destined to become a Falls Church hot spot. As part of their Grand Opening celebration, they’re offering a 20% discount coupon, so be sure to stop by and pick up a menu today.