China Boy

I’ve arrived here and the guy that usually is at the front was taking a walk so I had to order to free guys talking only Chinese. Was a nice experience with a lot of laugh, and they gave me a steamed bun for free to try. I ordered steamed dumplings and pork crêpe, just one word: amazing!!!
The pork crêpe was something I never had before, and I was not disappointed. You can tell that they make everything in the back, every single dumpling looked like just rolled for me.
Will come back here multiple time during my visit, I’ll try new things.
There steam bun was really good, filled with a meatball.
The guy helped me to use the correct sauces for each player and was everything perfect.
I had an early lunch around 10:30, the place is just for you.

A very small restaurant with two tables and six chairs. Most people take food away. Mainly serve Chinese chow goon and other Canton food. Cash only. Both Chinese menu and English menu. About ten dollars or less each dish.

Really intriguing. I got the chicken chow fun and their pork crepes. The chow fun was great! Excellent taste and no skimping on either the noodles or the chicken. Another restaurant here that knows the value of bean sprouts for Chinese food.
The crepes were almost good. They have tremendous potential, but they were slightly greasy and in some respect the pork had little taste. Maybe I’ll try the shrimp crêpe next time just to compare.
Yes, the hours are funky as they close at 5 pm, but it truly is a lunch place. Big portion and very good prices. Will be back.

If you like dumplings… go here! They are so flavorful and delicious. The roast pork noodle dish is also really good! The noodles are homemade and fresh

This little hole in the wall is wonderful. Food is authentic and delisous although atmosphere is less than one would want. Two tables, one is communal, the other seats two, and is literally behind the entrance door! Worth it for the food.

This place should absolutely have five stars. This is authentic, cheap, Chinese food and it’s so, so good. Order the chow foon (my favorites are roast pork, beef, and shrimp) and the dumplings. If noodle soups are your thing, go for the soup (tripe or beef are good). Also be aware that it’s cash only. And there is very limited seating, so it’s best done take-​out style. But seriously, you owe it to yourself to try China Boy and experience what real Chinese food tastes like.

Cash only, one table, so take it and go sit in the park for a picnic– absurdly good Chinese food. Love the noodle crepes and the chow fun. Anything will be good there, so order away!

Thank Heaven for good Chinese food! Disclaimer: if you want a sit down, modern, nice place to go, don’t come here! But if you want what food should be all about, good food, then come here!!! Even if you sit down, the food is served in plasticware. When I walked in, I almost walked out because it doesn’t even look like a Carryout. Warning: cash only! I had to order my food to go because I’m a working girl, but let me tell you that I’m not disappointed!
I ordered the beef noodle soup, known to some as yakamein and to others as ngawyukmein. The broth is where it’s at!!! And those noodles! I’ve been eating these noodles since I was a young kid, who knew they were produced in DC?
I will be back again and again. I would suggest Carryout, but if you get the soup, make sure you let the noodles soak in the the soup a little before you eat them.

I’m a huge fan of hole in the wall places so I was excited to check this place out. Upon entering, it certainly looks and feels like an authentic spot with only a couple tables, a single counter, and a hand written menu. Unfortunately the items on the menu were overpriced for what they were. Back in Manhatten Chinatown, I could easily order the same items, but half the price. The chicken chow fun was bland and nothing special. It tasted like any other chow fun at a cheap, greasy chinese take out spot. The fish ball soup was good but I can’t distinguish between their fish balls and the frozen ones that you buy at a chinese supermarket. This cash only spot is a «hole in the wall» in appearance only but is neither authentic nor cheap given the menu items they offer

I was really excited to try China Boy, one of the few authentic Chinese places left in Chinatown, but I was kind of disappointed. Contrary to what others have been saying, my noodles weren’t greasy at all and were actually quite plain-​maybe because I didn’t get them with meat? Anyways, I had to keep mixing in sauces in order to eat them. The dried shrimp rice noodle crepes on the other hand were really delicious with their sauce complementing them rather than flavoring them. I would come back just for the crepes and to try the recommended dumplings.

Great place. Beef chow fun was very good. Plan to get your food to-​go as there are only 2 tables. It is greasy and isn’t fancy (and doesn’t try to be) but with those expectations it’s great.

A tiny hole in the wall in Chinatown with odd hours (apparently they close at 5pm today for the day? Weirdest hours I’ve seen for a Chinese restaurant) and a limited menu. However, what they do have on the menu is very good. I got an order of their beef chow foon ($ 8.95) and it was the perfect on-​the-​go dinner. The flat noodles were sautéed with beef and bean sprouts, and although the dish was on the greasy side, the flavor was delicious. The order was also ready to go in 10 minutes, which I appreciated.
The inside of the restaurant is tiny. There are literally only two tables, so I wouldn’t recommend this place for a sit-​down meal.

I’ve heard about China Boy for years. If I wanted rice noodle sheets for home, this place would be my go-​to (even though the noodle is a skosh on the thick side for me). But I also heard people raving about their rice noodle crepes and chow fun. The noodle crepes were good but usually I like to eat other things besides noodle crepes so I’d prefer to just drive to Rockville or NoVa for dimsum. Their chowfun was burnt, overly oily, had way too many onions, and the beef was dry. I would not recommend eating here but just coming here to order rice noodles if you need.
And yes, it’s a hole in the wall, so for people complaining about the atmosphere — what did you expect? Sometimes the best food comes from the dingiest places. (Although that’s not the case here).

The Chow Foon is OK. But it is cash only and we waited for a while.

This is a quintessential «hole-​in-​the-​wall» joint and a good place to go if you’re looking for a heavy lunch in Chinatown. The noodles are oily, fatty, and very very savory. You don’t get much meat in your dish, but the sheer volume of noodles you get with an order makes it a good value at $ 6 – 7 dollars. You could easily make 2 – 3 meals out of one visit.
The pork is decent so would recommend ordering that as your meat.

Short summary: The food is very greasy and lackluster. The noodles didn’t taste fresh, they skimped on the meat, the service was not friendly, there’s hardly anywhere to sit inside the restaurant (there are two small tables), and the food is pricey for what you’re actually getting.
I’d been wanting to eat at China Boy for quite a while due to its rave reviews. I had previously tried visiting during lunchtime when they should have been open but their door was locked. It was during their normal business hours and they did not leave any sign or indication that they were closed that day. I am automatically docking a star for that.
Years later, I finally decided to visit again recently and they were actually open during their business hours (what do you know)! I ordered the «beef chow foon» and was served what was hardly passable oil-​slathered noodles with hardly any traces of beef. It was unappetizing, left an unsettling feeling in my stomach afterwards, and was wholly not worth the 1500+ calories I’m sure it contained (1200 of which were comprised just of the fatty grease they douse the noodles in).
Note that this place is cash only. I did note it beforehand and came prepared.
I had a pretty bad experience at China Boy and I doubt I will return. I really do think it’s sad that the Chinese food in DC’s Chinatown is so terrible… you really do need to venture out into the suburbs (Annandale, VA and Rockville, MD) to get good, authentic Chinese food around these parts. SF’s Chinatown is far preferable.

Yum authentic style for your rice-​based Chinese eating needs. Walk into this shallow (as in from the door to the counter, it’s not even 10 feet) establishment and place your order. What to order? Look at the white paper with sharpie marker wall menu behind the counter. Don’t find what you’re looking for on the paper? Ask the staff. While I was here, there were only Chinese customers. They seemed to be in the know. Two young diners were chatting with the proprietress about this and that non-​menu item — clearly, they knew to ask for what wasn’t listed… so, go with someone who can speak Chinese, and I think you’ll be pleased.
The noodles are authentically delicious. I can’t complain. I only ordered chow foon, aka broad rice noodles… because I love them, slightly sautéed with some soy sauce and veggies. It’ll set you back about $ 10 cash, but the portion is generous. You can also order a plain rice roll with soy sauce if you like, and I bet if you ask, you can have it with the yu choy (aka Chinese kale) inside. I intend to find out one day, but not today. The food is not too salty and has the right flavor to focus on the freshness of the noodles and vegetables. Only yu choy, bean sprouts and onions (yellow and spring). Simple and to the point. Made me happy that there weren’t canned bamboo shoots or mushrooms — those are so annoying.
Would I go back? Yes. It’s all about the fresh rice noodles. Bring it.

This is one of my go-​tos in DC. I believe the shop makes the flat rice noodles as a business, and sells some food on the side. As a result, the rice noodles are delicious and fresh!
You only have three options for your noodles: fried, crepes, or soup. All are fantastic. The shrimp (fresh, not dried!) or beef noodle crêpe is classic, and the beef chow foon is tasty too.
Remember, this place is cash-​only, and runs pretty limited hours for food (I can only eat here on days off work). I recommend takeout, since there’s only one circular table and it probably won’t impress your date. Call in, take the metro to Chinatown, and you’ll have dinner easy!

Hey this ain’t no NYC or Vancouver but for DC it is banging! Yes, fresh ingredients does give you better food. China Boy specializes in one thing… rice noodles (the lasagna type not vermicelli type). They offer the stir fried variety (chow fun), the dim sum variety (chang fun), and the soup variety (he fun). The noodles are fresh, giving you that pillowy and chewy texture that so many restaurants fail at.
Food is lightly seasoned, yes, but stop whining and add your own sriracha and soy sauce. Seriously, I rather like tasting the natural ingredients than eat something covered in grease and salt.
Rice noodles are typically cheap eats but at close to $ 10, it’s bordering expensive. But this is DC, where $ 10 is cheap eats! Incredibly happy to have China Boy in the neighborhood.

Not everyone has the guts to bring his/​her boss to this place for lunch. But I do, and I still have a job (well, it’s an unpaid internship anyway…).
I did some research before heading to DC for a conference. Chinatown is next door but this place stood out because of it’s sketchy and hole-​in-​the-​wall appearance and still gets 4 stars on Unilocal.Plus, it’s not Americanized Chinese food. I had to visit, right?
I made arrangements to eat with my boss anyway, so I asked him, «Do you want to go to this sketchy little Chinese place that only speaks Chinese?» He’s fine with it.
From Unilocalers’ photos, I was prepared for it to be tiny. The first moment we walked in, it’s extremely tiny. Both of the tables are occupied, and we wanted to eat here. My boss stared at me. I replied, «Let’s order first.» The cashier did speak English, but I talked to her in Chinese. It’s Cash Only btw. So bring some DC greenbacks to pay.
Here’s the food part: Awesome! The Chow Funs my boss and I had are very fresh and tasty. Meat and bean sprouts blended perfectly together. 5 stars for food.
But the environment kills it. It’s always the Chinese mindset that creates the messiness in Chinatown and even their own stores. And this is no different. You can at least sweep the floor every day with 1:99 bleach. It won’t take 10 minutes, but the cleanliness is what makes and breaks a restaurant. Having said that, this is a to-​go place to be fair.