DCReview
Chang Chang, a Dupont Circle spot from celebrity chef Peter Chang, is a dual concept Chinese restaurant with two different menus and two different experiences. For the lunch and takeout crowd, that means great food you’ll want to eat over and over, again. The dinner crowd, on the other hand, is going to leave disappointed.
Déjà vu is bound to hit OG Dupont diners when they enter Chang Chang as the set-up looks remarkably similar to the previous spot, Mai Thai, and is still full of coworkers on lunch breaks and business people at dinner. There’s plenty of space for group dinners in the front of the restaurant, including a few round tables that’ll let you hear everyone at the table and not just the people on either side of you. If you end up in a booth, get one of the ones along the wall, which are more intimate than the ones running down the middle, where you’re basically eating with the table right next to you.
photo credit: Reema Desai
photo credit: Reema Desai
photo credit: Reema Desai
The restaurant breaks down into what they call Chang In and Chang Out. Chang Out, which is both the takeout and lunch menu, gives you plenty of classic Sichuan flavors and that awesome mouth-numbing feeling (literally) from dishes like the tofu skin salad. Chang In, the dinner menu, has a lot of great ideas, but that’s where the greatness stops. Take the restaurant’s signature dish, the duck four ways. You get four different servings of duck, including a crispy wing, that all lack flavor and consistency.
Chang Chang stays pretty busy and has a rush during both services. Make a reservation if you’re planning on dining during primetime hours, otherwise you might have to grab a seat at the often empty bar.
If you’re in Dupont for lunch, Chang Chang is one of the best places to grab a bite, whether you have time to sit or you’re taking your food to go. At dinnertime, though, there are much better options nearby. Save yourself the trouble.
Food Rundown
Kung Pao Chicken
Chicken Nuggets With Ghost Chili
Green Beans With Pickled Cabbage
photo credit: Reema Desai
Duck Four Ways
photo credit: Reema Desai
Knife Cut Clam Noodles
photo credit: Reema Desai