Ordering Chinese takeout and delivery has never been simpler in Leesburg than using Grubhub to find the top restaurants nearby and view menus, photos, and reviews before placing an order.
Chinese cuisine offers something for every palate and tradition, so there is sure to be something popular and worth trying for any lover of Chinese food. Below, we present ten must-try dishes every fan of China must try at least once.
Kung Pao Chicken
Kung Pao Chicken is a spicy Chinese stir-fried dish comprised of cubes of chicken, peanuts, vegetables, and chili peppers that is widely enjoyed across China and has since become an international classic.
To prepare this dish, dice chicken thighs into 1/2 inch pieces and marinade them with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and salt for at least an hour – an important step many restaurants skip, which helps create super tender chicken.
Add all the remaining ingredients to the chicken and stir well to combine before setting aside. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a wok or skillet and saute aromatics for one minute before adding chicken, cooking until fully cooked with sauce thickening up, before transferring to a plate for serving warm.
Chow Mein
Chow mein is an iconic dish in Chinese American cuisine. Typically made with chicken as the star ingredient, but also available with pork, beef, shrimp, or tofu.
Chow Mein is an elegant alternative to chop suey with light noodles and fresh vegetables cooked in a light sauce, originally hailing from Northern China but popularized in America by Chinese immigrants.
Lo Mein (Chinese for “steamed noodles”) differs significantly from Chow Mein in that its cooking method uses dried noodles, while lo Mein calls for fresh egg noodles tossed lightly with meat, vegetables, and sauce. Both varieties feature ginger and garlic for an additional kick, while scallions bring their unique oniony aroma and taste into play.
Mapo Tofu
Mapo tofu, an iconic Szechuan dish with thousands of variations, is both tart and satisfying, with an adjustable spicy kick that leaves your mouth tingling and numb. Thanks to Sichuan peppercorns and aromatics, its signature mouth-numbing sensation leaves its mark with each bite!
Doubanjiang, a chili bean paste made of fermented soybeans and hot chilies, plays an essential part in creating this dish, with its umami richness helping strike a delicate balance between spicy and savory flavors.
To make map tofu vegetarian/vegan, swap out ground pork with chopped shiitake mushrooms. Blanching will help them retain their shape while absorbing flavors better, creating a heartier and more nutritious dish! Pair this delicious treat with rice for the ideal meal.
Sweet and Sour Pork
Sweet and Sour Pork is an iconic Chinese dish and one of the most sought-after takeout options. Making your own Sweet and Sour Pork at home is quick and straightforward with this homemade version, yet it tastes just like restaurant takeout. Use baking soda, cornflour (cornstarch), and soy sauce in a simple marinade before topping with homemade sweet and sour sauce that tastes incredible!
Ingredients needed for this dish are all pantry essentials; you will require white vinegar and oil for frying and sugar or honey for sweetening the word. Ketchup adds its distinctive tanginess to genuinely authentic Chinese cuisine.
For extra crispiness in the pork, I advise double frying it the first time around – this will make it both more crispy and less greasy!
Hot Pot
Hot Pot is a communal style of dining that involves sitting around a simmering pot of soup at the table and adding thinly sliced chicken, pork or beef, seafood, vegetables, dumplings, and noodles into it for cooking. Leafy greens like spinach and watercress cook quickly, while napa cabbage or bok choy can take up to an hour longer before becoming tender. Additional dishes might include shiitake mushrooms or enoki mushrooms (pre-made and then rehydrated before being added), bean curd, or hand-pulled noodles, which have already been purchased and can be added to the pot after being rehydrated before adding them into it all together.
Many Chinese restaurants now offer all-you-can-eat hot pots, where diners can select their combination of meats, seafood, vegetables, tofu, dumplings, and noodles to add to their hot pot dish. Don’t be intimidated to explore new tastes – it’s an enjoyable and low-stress way to share a satisfying meal with others!
Spring Rolls
Spring rolls are often fried and drizzled with sweet, savory, or peanut sauces. Constructed using thin wrappers filled with sliced cabbage, bean sprouts, and other vegetables, spring rolls can make an appetizer that won’t break the bank!
To create your fresh spring roll, prepare a bowl of warm water and dampen a kitchen towel on your work surface. Dip one or more rice paper wrappers in the water to soften, and lay on a plate or cutting board when finished.
Start layering the ingredients on the third of the rice paper nearest you, starting with lettuce, carrots, cucumber, herbs, and finally, noodles.
To seal and enjoy your spring roll, brush its far corner with cornstarch water to fill it and serve. Enjoy!
Char Siu
If you’ve ever visited a Chinese BBQ restaurant, chances are you have seen strips of red Char Siu hanging from hooks in their window. It’s an iconic dish, even if it wasn’t specifically at that restaurant: Char Siu Bao or Rice Char Siu Fan may have made their appearances!
Chefs use maltose in marinades and glaze to keep char siu looking glossy, just as they would sugar, although its taste has more subtle undertones.
Chefs use rose cooking wine to give char siu its characteristic red hue, though this may be difficult to source; an acceptable substitute could be three tablespoons of oyster sauce or soy sauce. They may also incorporate red fermented bean curd nam yu into their added saltiness and color recipe.
