Tempt Asian Café, 6259 Little River Turnpike (just west of where 395 hits 236), Alexandria, VA, 703-750-6801 [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | Don Rockwell]
Update June 2006: The prize-winning chef who used to be here– Peter Chang — is now nowhere to be seen. Some of the dishes here are less complex, but this remains a Sichuan restaurant and still better than the average Chinese place. Future decline may be in order, we will see.
Get the Dan Dan Noodles (it gets better as you dig in), the Scallion Chow Foon, the Dried, Minced Beef in Hot Pot, and the appetizer with fish and cilantro. After that go with the specials. Ignore the American menu. The parking lot, while it always has spots, is an exercise in frustration.
Links
TCEDG.com
Let me know what places
you recommend:
tcowen -at- gmu.edu
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If this is your first visit, read these:
-- Welcome
-- General Remarks
-- Six Rules for Dining Out
- Tyler Cowen's home page
- Marginal Revolution
- The Complete TCED Guide (June 2019) (127-page PDF)
- Metro Trip Planner
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Halal Kabab House
Halal Kabab House, 6245 Little River Turnpike, Alexandria, VA, 703-354-1848 (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) Afghan kababs, in the mall with Tempt Asian Café, across from Tower, near Landmark Plaza. And for that reason I will, sadly,…
China Gourmet – Szechuan Boy
China Gourmet (the new Chinese name may be Szechuan Boy), 9901 Lee Hwy, Fairfax, VA, 703-293-9898 (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [Chowhound | Washingtonian | WaPo | Don Rockwell] Run by the prize-winning chef who used to…
http://anchorfree.com/6699-free-wi-fi-AnaDolla+Restaurant+&+Bakery-Alexandria-VA-USA.htm
Loved your guide. Suggest you add Anadolla Bakery/Cafe. I have been there many times. Comments from wi fi users in link just above.
Sadly, I think Tempt Asian is in decline.
The first time I ate there I had a delightful meal, with no complaints about either the food or the service. Wonderfully spiced and prepared, and surely more authentic than most of the Chinese restaurants in my close vicinity, my meal was very memorable.
After a few months I decided to take advantage of their delivery service and enjoy the food in the comfort of my own home. The result? Very VERY oily food, to the point I ended up cooking extra rice to help cut the grease (this is in direct reference to a fish with hot peppers dish off of the authentic chinese menu). I also ordered a notoriously spicy beef appetizer but it wasn’t as notoriously spicy as I remember. I decided to give it another chance a few months later, but, the same thing happened.
However, if you’re a fried rice fan, the salty fish and chicken fried rice still makes a nice lunch.
I suggest skipping Tempt Asian at this point and heading across Beauregard street to Yamazato (Japanese + Thai) across the street in the office complex with Sistah’s Hair Salon. They serve the best sushi I’ve ever eaten, with a very innovative menu, and still affordable prices. You can also pick up some Thai entrees along with your Japanese food!