Real Chinese Food

I spent part of my childhood in China, and AJ's is THE closest thing to the authentic Chinese food experience I have had in the area. True, it is not the Cantonese style dim sum, so if you are looking for that, go elsewhere. The small plates and cheap prices allow for sharing. Some of my favorites include the dan-dan noodles, the pork ribs, thousand year egg and tofu. Fantastic!

Excellent Shantung light cuisine

The food is extraordinarily pleasant, and the service is kind and efficient. Those expecting Hong Kong/Cantonese dim sum will have to keep looking: The Shantung roots of the Taiwanese-born owner are expressed in exceptional soups and noodle dishes. To my taste, the kitchen has a surer hand with pork than beef dumplings, but there are several delightful beef and beef tendon soups. I have eaten at this and the Annandale location. While both are good, I prefer this location, which has very dear servers and a very dependable kitchen.

Great food

I agree with the other reviewers that this is not Cantonese/Hong Kong "Dim Sum" that you'd find at Fortune Restaurant in Gaithersburg, MD... they don't claim to be that. I personally love (I'm Chinese grown up eating authentic Chinese, my dad's a chef) and this restaurant have very good food. I order and LOVE (and think is pretty darn authentic) the dumplings, pork chop noodle soup (must get), a cold noodle dish with cucumbers and a peanut-like sauce (they might call it a "salad"), smoked chicken is a must-get, scallion pancakes (I don't know anyone that doesn't like these, unless you're on a no carb diet :). These folks are on the Washingtonian best cheap eats for a reason... they're truly good.