Zhu Dang

Tumeric fried rice, popcorn chicken, need I say more? Very eclectic Asian fare. Everything was delicious. The Macau Mule was excellent cocktail choice. Really enjoyed the seasonal vegetable tempura of Winter squash.

Tumeric fried rice, popcorn chicken, Tempura winter squash need I say more? Everything was yummy. I really enjoyed the Macau Mule with strawberry shrub. And our server Hannah was great and attentive. We’ll return.

Alright, I mean this guy no negativity or anything. It’s really more like a 3.5 star rating. And I’ll tell you why stars were taken off– 1) price and 2) quantity. Normally overpriced food doesn’t bother me this much, but for the quantity Zhu is offering? Hmmm. I’m Chinese and a home cook, and no, I don’t just stir fry at home. I grew up on a lot of regional cuisines, not chinese take-​out. Needless to say, I was intrigued by Zhu Dang for its claim to authenticity.
Food quality– hit or miss. The black bean paste tofu and lamb (I think I got that right), perfectly made. Imperial pork belly with gai lan, wonderful as well. Then kung pao shrimp comes in like it’s a greasy over salted take-​out order. Uh what? The roasted peking duck was hard and tough, hmmm. Braised pork ribs… Too crusty? I will admit though, the flavors are there. It’s very good to eat. Most of the time, it’s not overpowered by soy sauce or sugar. So yes, I definitely enjoyed eating what food I ordered.
Food quantity– for «family style» the portions are SMALL. Some dishes are just barely enough for two people. For instance, the tumeric fried rice comes in a bowl that’s a little less than 2 bowls worth of rice. There is definitely something up with you skimp on rice! I’ve had more rice on orders of sushi for crying out loud!
Ultimately, I believe that Zhu Dang is perfect experience for a non-​Chinese eater. The portions and presentations are, for a lack of a better term, very Western. Understandable, since if you’re not used to the flavors, you’ll probably have thought you’ve wasted money on that large plate of food. If you are Chinese and grew up with family-​style restaurants and the good old giant rotating table in the middle, Zhu Dang comes to an astounding disappointment. Come here if you want to spend $ 15 – 25 per dish just to simply let your tastebud sample the subtle spices and flavors of Chinese cuisine. Otherwise, go to the I-​district for real home cooking.
Interior is damn fine though. Definitely a beautiful place to sit down and eat.

We tried this establishment for the first time. The cocktails were good and average priced.
The tempura vegetables with lemon aoli was amazing. The sauce with the calamari was out of this world. The popcorn chicken was delicious.
The crispy soy skin rolls were bland. We soaked them on the calamari sauce to give them flavor.
The nine spice chicken was delicious. The buns were bland. The wokked mushrooms were good.
In general the portion sizes were small. The service was mainly good.
We’ll be back to try other dishes.

The food here was absolutely amazing! I had a delicious Mutton special that was out of this world. Also, the duck tongue appetizer is really delicious. I was nervous at first, but I am glad I was adventurous!
Great cocktails too, the basil smash was awesome.
Service was great. Everyone was super nice!
Can’t wait to come back!

Beautiful inside. Decently executed Asian-​fusion fare. Too over-​priced.
Honestly, Asian fusion can be tricky, and this place definitely has some great ideas and concepts for mixing it up, but I couldn’t justify the prices, based on what I received.
I just don’t feel the quality/​price balance has found it’s homeostasis at this place. Maybe I’ll come back in a couple of months and try again.

Consider this review more 3.5 than 4 stars.
Just in case you weren’t sure what type of resturant Zhu Dang is, it is most definitely a Chinese fusion restaurant. I think my friends and I were expecting something a little more traditional, though it’s difficult to tell from the menu.
We ordered:
–Sheng Jian Bao
–Drunken Lamb Skewers
–Nine Flavor Chicken
–Bok Choy
I think my two favorite dishes were the Sheng Jian Boa and the Nine Flavor Chicken. The Drunken Lamb Skewers definitely had great flavor, but the lamb was overdone (pretty chewy). The Bok Choy had a nice and light ginger flavor to it, which I liked.
But being completely honest, the Nine Flavor Chicken was probably the best dish of all. Slightly crispy with a ton of flavor (it boasts nine flavors, after all). I thought it was pretty addicting.
Our waiter had a little bit of ‘tude, but maybe it was a strange night for him, so I’ll let that slide. Do note that this is not a place to grab some quick and cheap Chinese food — it’s awfully pricey. Zhu Dang is good for things like parties and other special occasions (they do reservations ahead of time). I would be open to trying out Zhu Dang again.

If you’re tired of the standard Asian offerings on Capitol Hill, head right on to Zhu Dang for some Chinese fusion. I love what they’ve done with the space – it’s industrial, hip, and spacious. Extra points if you get to score one of the wraparound booths to enjoy your meal in.
Don’t come in expecting a traditional Chinese dining experience. No one in the restaurant speaks Mandarin or Cantonese, and the menu is full of dishes that you’d never see in the International District. However, it is all still pretty damn delicious. I’m a particular fan of the seafood clay pot, duck liver fried rice, Sichuanese eggplant, and nine flavour chicken. On one of our visits, the nine flavour chicken was so ridiculously salty that it tasted more like one flavour chicken. Zhu Dang did eventually comp us for that after a word with the manager – it is the only offering of theirs I genuinely didn’t like eating – but I felt like their server could’ve handled that situation better (she essentially dismissed our complaints/​tried justifying the saltiness). Service has always been warm and helpful apart from that incident as well.
Be prepared to shell out $ 20 – 30 a person for dinner and a potential drink. Portions aren’t massive by any means, but I’ve never left without feeling full. A good rule of thumb is to order as many dishes as people in your party, and to enjoy the meal family style.

Asian, and particularly Chinese, fusion is often hit or miss. While the dishes did not lack flavor, I found them to be a bit one-​note. The oil of the spring onion pancake overpowered onion or duck, XO sauce overwhelmed the beef chow fun, and five-​spice was too prevalent in the lion’s head meatball. The noodles in the beef chow fun were also overcooked. We did love the basil fried rice, particularly with the salty pockets of bacon. Portions were large but I still think the food is overpriced.
The interior is spacious (rare for a Capitol Hill restaurant), dark and modern. It was easy to get a table on a Friday night. Service was spotty (very attentive at first, then a lull when the bar started to fill up).

Was recommended this place by my cousin. Went here with some girlfriends and we loved it! Food was great. All of the flavors were very interesting and the server was really open at explaining things and giving his honest opinion. We ordered a lot of food. The only negative thing I have to say is that the order the food came to our table was confusing. Some of us got our entrees first and appetizers and main courses came out at the same time. The server didn’t explain that clear enough to. I guess everything is made to order?
Definitely plan on going back in the future.

A good dining experience incorporates well prepared meals and creates a memorable ambiance with its surrounding. Zhu Dang tries to offer the latter with an inviting décor of modern Chinese features — the quintessential red lanterns outside to the massive octagonal shaped ones inside — providing a dimly lit ebbing sunset to the stylized booths inside.
However, with this impressionable surrounding, one could not get past the noxious odor emanating from the kitchen as it literally smelled of burnt pork belly fat and duck fat left unattended in a hot pan (that the only way I can describe it). My dining companion remarked of the same disconcerting smell which sent us to vacillate between leaving or staying. We decided to stay which proved to be an ill advised decision (yes Unilocal failed us and reviewed it as 4 stars).
We ordered from the small plates selection and a noodle dish, picking out standard staples. While the concept of the restaurant is modern Chinese fusion, we anticipated how their presentations would add to the established taste and cultural heritage of the dishes.
The Snow Pea leaves stir fried in garlic and sesame oil was overly blanched and quite oily. It was not properly prepped as the pesky tendrils were still on them. These coarse and tough strings should be removed as they are a nuisance. This is basic in correctly prepping this favorite simple dish.
Surprisingly, the cold Spicy Cucumber was probably the only delectable item we enjoy to contrast the cooked meals we ordered. It had an almost balanced taste of sweet, hot, and tangy taste — the crunchy texture element makes this its saving grace.
We ordered two Sheng Jian Bao dishes which came with six in each plate. At first glance, we were horrified to see that the dumplings had severed missing pieces — showing a disastrous execution mishap. Also, the dough was too thin to accommodate the filling. In order to achieve a golden brown and crispy fried bottom, the precise amount of water is needed to steam the meat filling through, and evaporate at the right time to pan fry the dough. The remaining moisture inside is trapped and collects as juice from the meat — this is the hallmark of this dish. Adding to this atrocity — the meat was partially uncooked. Needless to say, it was time to ask for the manager. I would not even consider getting this out to diners.
The Beef Chow Fun was as poorly presented and improperly cooked. The flank steak was lack luster in taste and the noodle was soggy. The Chinese broccoli (Gai Lan) was tough and partially blanched. The noodles were barely pan fried missing that smoky aroma and taste to this dish. Truly disappointing dish.
The manager came by to hear our grievances and was apologetic about the mishaps from the kitchen. We sent the dumplings back as we could not eat them.
To their credit he sent out a new plate and charged us for only 1 plate. While I agree that this is a fusion Chinese establishment, acquiring the necessary skills to execute the basics in Chinese cooking — clearly this place has not.
PS– Was going to give this a 2 star rating, as I truly had better, but the horrendous experience, and the reminder of the smell will undoubtedly have me at «Eek! Methinks not!» (which I have given quite sparingly).

Food was very good. Service was mostly very good. Atmosphere … meh.
We ordered the pork dumplings, dan dan noodles and 9 flavor chicken and blistered long beans. I would have expected the dumplings to come out first since they’re an appetizer … no, long beans came first with nothing else (I would have expected them to come out with the «entrée», the 9 flavor chicken). So, the kitchen and/​or server’s lack of coursing was the only service hitch we experienced. The servers, themselves, were very friendly and attentive.
Pork dumplings were yummy — fresh, house-​made yeasted dough, rolled thin around around pork and chives, pan fried so the bottom of the dumpling has been caramelized brown. These dumplings rivaled DTF (Din Tai Fun) … I read somewhere that the chef preparing the dumplings here was the master trainer at DTF … comes with (not enough) dipping sauce.
Dan dan noodles were also very good — fresh, thin egg noodles, with cumin spiced ground lamb, lots of shaved scallion, and a red szechuan sauce. Menu says it also comes with crispy shallots and peanuts, but we didn’t have very many so they were unnoticeable. Also comes with a side of green and red szechuan oil to use at your discretion — we were told it creates a bit of a numbing sensation (like novocaine) … didn’t use it but took it home, so we may try it on the leftovers.
9 flavor chicken was hoisin heavy (too sweet), so we dipped the pieces into black vinegar, which helped immensely. Because of the overbearing sweetness, it was impossible to discern all of the 9 flavors in the dish (didn’t get (at all) lemongrass, coconut, or lime). However, the chicken thighs were crispy and tender and there were lots of peanuts, cilantro and garlic.
Blistered long beans with toasted garlic were very good (not slimy or limp as they can be).
Don’t care for the atmosphere — it’s a huge open space with little focus or warmth. We ate very early so there were very few people — I could imagine it being exceedingly noisy at full capacity. There are few desirable tables for 2.
Nonetheless, the food and service will bring us back. And, they will do pick up (but not delivery — unless you hire an Über driver to go get it for you, or possibly postmates).

Ambience. A
Service. A
Food. B–
Price. B
Great space and ambience for updated swanky asian décor.
The service from hostess to server were very friendly and attentive.
Now, the food was a hit and miss for me.
My faves were:
The kung Pao sweetbreads. — lightly battered pieces of sweetbreads with lovely pungent tangy red pepper sauce.
Housemade sausage platter. — I truly liked the flavorful seasoned blood sausage and the lamb sausage. The other sausages were just okay. All accompanied with spicy mustard and chinese mustard greens.
Spicy scallop. The scallops perfectly cooked, however the sauce was good flavors, but very oily.
CON
The pork and choice dumplings — the dumpling had a nice filling, however the dough was too thick and doughy and very greasy. Accompanied by a vinegar soy sauce.
Basil fried rice with fried soft boiled duck egg. — Sigh. The rice was mushy. Lacking in any basil flavor. I had to stop the server from over mixing the soft boiled egg into the rice. I didn’t get the idea of how this dish is best served.
This was a hit and miss for me. I wouldn’t go out of my to eat here. However, it’s in my neighborhood. I’ll try again. But will seek out only the good eats! It’s a the matter of taste!

What an impressive buildout! From an old abandoned industrial space to a half-​assed nightclub, and now to a gorgeous, hip restaurant. I was so impressed with this space and the layout when I came for the first time a few months back.
More importantly however, I was impressed with the food! The small plates menu is more than enough to look at and order from. You’ll find dumplings, sweetbreads, green onion pancake, fried calamari, and more. But better yet, the ingredients are made with great flavors. So simple, classic dishes are made better with duck fat, sweet and sour sauces, light batter, and so on.
I popped by for a second time the other night and it was totally slammed. I was impressed that there was a 30 min wait for a table for 2 midweek! It showed a bit in the food though and the second time I ate here I was slightly disappointed. Some dishes were amazing, others were not.
It won’t stop me from returning though. I highly recommend the Gen. Tso’s Sweetbreads — they were the highlight of the night.
The green onion pancake had so few actual green onions that is just tasted like thick, fried batter. Last time it was great so it’s on my «try again» list.
Definitely worth checking out. So glad there’s a new Chinese option in Capitol Hill!

We stopped by Zhu Dang out of the whom for dinner on a Friday evening around 6pm. The place wasn’t too busy yet, so they let us sit at booth rather than a small table (if we were willing to finish the meal by 7:30pm because the booth had already been reserved at that time).
We ordered a crispy ducky fat scallion pancake, dan dan noodles (shaved noodles with lamb) and grilled prawns and finished with a zhudang parfait (ovaltine with white rabbit candy pudding) for dessert. Overall, the food was super tasty and flavors had a lot of depth. The portion was also quite large and generous, too.
What I like about this place is that the service was really attentive. We were helped by many servers/​waiters and waitresses (I even got my soda refilled 3 times!!).
–1 star though because the food was slightly on the expensive side (e.g. main dishes cost around low 20s while a small appetizer dish cost around $ 8. Overall, for the food and drinks (non alcoholic) that we ordered, we paid around $ 70 (excluding tips) for the meal, which is on an expensive side for an Asian meal.
However, if you wanted to go there for a little more along the line of a special meal, dine out or date night, this is a great place to visit. The food will impress your date, the décor is trendy, and the atmosphere is actually quite fun to be at.

why so few Chinese restaurants in Cap Hill? I never understood what this true. Zhu Dang is a nice addition to eats in the Cap Hill area. Its definitely not your typical Chinese food you would get in the International District. This place is upscale, trendy and a bit more expensive than most Chinese places you will be eating at.
things tried:
1)general tso’s fried sweet breads: yummy… thymus glands coated in water chestnut flour and fried! who knew there was such a thing as water chestnut flour for you gluten intolerant folks out there! very yummy!
2)pork shanks: meat not as moist and tender as we would have liked but the gelatinous skin was awesome
3)frog logs: in sort of a kung pao sauce. nice flavor and well seasoned. sorry Kermit
4)root vegetable medley: carrots, parsnips, turnips. had to have one vegetable dish to offset the meatiness
5) manila clams: swimming in a nice broth with xo butter!
6)sesame donut: sort of like sesame ball filled with sweet bean paste you get at dim sum but smushed to be hockey puck shaped. served with crème fraiche!
7)haw flake ice cream: If you are Asian you grew up eating Haw Flake candy! this ice cream was VERY haw-​flake flavored but a little too sweet for my taste
The space is very nice with high ceilings. A little dark in the corners and we had to use our smart phones to actually read the menu. Service was so incredibly friendly and the atmosphere is good. May be a little pricier than your average Chinese restaurant but it was tasty!
check them out!

Best asian fusion restaurant so far!
The front made it look like a small place but when I went inside, it was bigger than I thought and really nice! Love the modern traditional asian theme they have going on. The kitchen is pretty much open so we can see the cooks working their magic.
The waiters and servers were really kind and courteous. Me and my friend ordered fried rice, pork, and the nine flavored chicken of course (which was the best!). I’m craving it again as I write this. It was definitely flavorful and oh so savory! Ahhh~
It was definitely a nice dining experience! Gets a bit busy during dinner because it’s still pretty new and hyped up.

Hipster Chinese food.
I am starting to think that Asian fusion food is basically Asian food that’s a little off and the title is their defense. This restaurant’s idea of fusion is… including kung pao chicken on their menu?
I came with a group of friends and tried:
–Drunken tea: a fun, boozy take on tea… or a tea take on booze. I’m not sure which is which but it was tasty, fun and you get a lot of it.
–Fresh pickled mustard greens: way too much garlic, not for the faint of heart.
–Seafood clay pot: nice with lots of seafood but a little bland
–Pan seared black cod: tasty but quite spicy! Again, not for the faint of heart.
–Chinese okra with snow crab: nice but a little bland
–Dan dan noodles: a little bland and not as spicy as authentic dan dan noodles
Clearly, there was a trend here: spice issues! None of it is offensively off but it’s all off enough that it’s a little noticeable.
Look: the place has excellent service and is beautiful. The prices are a little high but that’s to be expected. I just hope they can work around the spice issues. I’ll be back to check it out again in a few months, I’m sure.
3.5 stars

Daaaaaaang!
New to Capitol Hill, Zhu Dang is an amazing asian fusion restaurant! My friend brought me here and I had no expectations coming in. Supposedly, it used to be the location of a nightclub.
That would explain the very high ceilings! It adds an awesome effect for the overall ambiance. Date worthy spot! Music playing in the background, and the servers and Waiters/​waitresses are all lively.
They do have a front patio area for when it isn’t cold if you want outside seating.
The food is on point. I don’t think I can think of a better asian fusion restaurant that I’ve been to recently that is better than this one. The 9 spice pork is to die for. Not too sweet, not too zesty! We got that and a plate of the blistered green beans — crunchy, tasty and very very green! We also had rice on the side which gave us a total of about $ 27 before tip.
Not bad for an upscale restaurant if you ask me! I’ll be back, Zhu Dang.

3.5 stars. If you think of it as Chinese food, it’s a rip off because you’re better off going to Chinatown where you can get the same amount of food for half the price. We came here around 6:30pm on a Sunday and the place looked pretty empty, but by the time we left, nearly all the tables were occupied. Zhu Dang loosely translates to pig house, and you’ll see a lot of pork ingredients in the dishes (even the cookies are made with pork fat). I’m surprised they didn’t play with the pig concept in the décor, or did I miss it?
To order: The nine flavor chicken is reminiscent of general tso chicken with shredded coconut and crushed peanuts. The sauce was yummy, but a bit on the sweeter side, and I would’ve loved the dish more if it was made with white meat chicken (but that’s a personal preference). The waiter who delivered the dish warned us that the dried chilis in it are extremely hot… child, please. They’re not spicy, but I’m surprised they didn’t warn us about the hot and sour soup, because that had a more of a kick than the chicken. The winning dish of the night was the garlic fried rice (with house cured ham and fried duck egg on top). It was a bit greasy, but still delicious. It reminds me of Indonesian fried rice, which is also a bit sweeter and always served with fried egg on top.
Things I’m not crazy about:
— The garlic chili ong choy. This is my favorite vegetable, but this dish was just okay, a bit greasy and really small.
— Service was too attentive. I felt as if someone was constantly over to make sure the food was tasting okay and that the plates were cleared within 15 seconds of us looking semi-​full. I’m antisocial and like to be left alone with my food.
— Ambiance/​décor: modern and spacious. Not dark enough to make it feel cozy and intimate, but dark enough to make you feel like you should get your eyes checked when you’re reading the menu.
We split the black bean crème brûlée for dessert. It was a bit on the bitter side (as warned) but it was good and creamy. I’m not sure the lemon sugar cookie on top really did anything. The bill was presented with chrysanthemum dark chocolate truffles (we fancy!), which was a good way to end the meal. It’s not your typical Chinese family dinner, but my tiger mom approves of the food!