Restaurant review: Meiwah
1200 New Hampshire Ave.
Washington, D.C.
202-833-2888

It’s a fact: Chinese food in Washington isn’t worth its weight in moo shu.

Other Asian cuisines boast delicious outposts in the region. Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Indian and Korean all feature excellent traditional restaurants, and some are even known to experiment with a more contemporary flair.

Even Malaysia, with 25 million residents, is accorded higher culinary acclaim in Washington than is China, home to 1.3 billion.

Meiwah, with its main location on New Hampshire Ave. and another in Chevy Chase, is one of the better choices for Chinese. It doesn’t take many chances, but the food is higher quality than many of its peers.

Most importantly, the food is cooked properly. Shrimp and scallops, so easily overcooked, are still moist in the center. Double-cooked entrees don’t turn to dust in your mouth. Even squid usually retains a pleasant pop in the mouth.

The spicy Chinese cabbage is a nice appetizer, more sour and sweet than spicy. A recent plate of jumbo shrimp with spiced salt was another success, perfectly cooked.

Some potholes are too deep to overcome. Singapore noodles (one of the many “Chinese” dishes invented in the West) are often too oily, while garlic sauce is usually too sweet.

Overall, however, the food is tasty, especially if you try something you won’t find at your local delivery joint.

A bonus: The Meiwah wall of fame must be one of the best in Washington, from Newt Gingrich to Hillary Clinton and the Rolling Stones to Don King.