|
|
 |
1731 Connecticut Ave. NW
(202) 265-6688
Hours of Operation and Prices
Lunch: M-Thu 11:30-3; Entrees: $6-$10
Dinner: M-Th 3-10:30, F 3-11, Sat noon-11, Sun noon-10:30; Entrees: $7-$12
Other Information
• All major credit cards
• Reservations recommended
• Dress: casual
• Validated parking, evenings
• Nearest Metro: Dupont Circle
|
As Chinatown shrinks, City Lights Of China keeps growing. It's now tripled its original size, and depends on little more than pale green walls and mirrors to set the mood. The entrance crowds up, the service bogs down, but the cooking doesn't falter. It's bright, and it's crunchy where it should be and tender where it counts 3/4 and the flavors hit all the right buttons.
Over the years I've built a list of favorite dishes - eggplant with garlic, stir-fried spinach, crispy fried beef with its caramelized glaze and red-pepper heat, and pungent, slippery little chili-hot dumplings. The star of the show, however, is the Peking duck, as much for the dining room's performance as the kitchen's. The skin is as glossy as lacquer and nearly devoid of fat. The meat is moist and not overdone, and it's always available freshly cooked, even at lunch. The carving is a dance of considerable grace.
City Lights Of China has a broad menu, yet the kitchen can handle the range with competence. Its sauces aren't greasy, its vegetables are never overcooked, and its portions are so large that you are likely to leave with the makings of tomorrow's lunch. On the down side, the service is more efficient than attentive; it's not a place that cossets its diners. But if there are shortcomings in the service, there are none in the quality of ingredients. It's the food that counts here.
© Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company
Back to the top |
