Q By Peter Chang — Restaurant in Bethesda

We had an amazing meal at Q by Peter Chang. They had a duck feast special for Labor Day that included a whole Beijing duck and several other duck-themed dishes. The quality and consistency across dishes was great. Quality is particularly noteworthy, as lower-tier Chinese restaurants’ duck dishes tend to be way too greasy or have a certain aftertaste in the meat. Q by Peter Chang has really dialed in doing a great Beijing duck, and none of the other companion dishes skimped on the duck or felt like an afterthought to that main dish.

The attention to detail- small things like the thickness and texture of the steamed wrappings for the duck meat, the hot fresh large chunks of meat in the fried rolls, even the fresh iceberg lettuce in picked out in just the right shape for the lettuce wraps- give a sense of care and excellence in the cooking.

A particularly creative and memorable dish included was the duck tofu soup- rich in duck flavor but again, without being greasy. The special also included a delicious side green bean dish, where the greens were flavorful and pan-fried, yet still crisp and snappy (I.e., fresh not overcooked).

We had no idea how much food would come out via the duck feast special, so we ordered pineapple fried rice as well and that was also tasty and well prepared, with chunks of pineapple and a curry flavor profile similar to Singapore style noodles, with no skimpiness on the included shrimp. Again, if you eat Chinese food enough, corner-cutting and economical moves with the food (i.e., not-so-fresh, skimpiness on expensive ingredients, greasy, etc.) just become all too familiar, and it’s refreshing to have Chinese food that is prepared with more care/pride (this is assumed on how it tastes obviously!).

In terms of atmosphere, it was easy to converse and not too loud/boisterous. The square shaped 4-seater table sizes seem to be custom dimensions and are surprisingly large, most likely because they wanted to maximize surface area for family style dishes, but tried to avoid the conventional round table with a lazy Susan on top that is the hallmark of most Chinese restaurants. However, the result of that is it is quite hard to navigate and move the food around to share - I’m not that short, but couldn’t reach across the table nor safely navigate a larger dish to share with others without getting up out of my seat which was a little awkward at times and certainly may be frustrating for less mobile patrons. It seems a two-seater would be more conventional/comfortable in that regard. Service was prompt but not particularly remarkable otherwise. Parking was free for the holiday in the public garage a block over.

Overall, we were very pleased with our choices and if our visit was an indicator of the usual quality and attention to each dish, we will gladly return for the creative and...

A more refined and upscale experience than Chang's other restaurants, with presentations I imagine he served when he was chef of the Chinese embassy, or the annual James Beard dinner.

The problem, of course, is that Peter Chang already serves many of his signature dishes at his other family style restaurants, which is why early reviews are mixed. This is a great restaurant serving some of the best Chinese food in the country, but those who frequent Peter Chang's seven other restaurants are complaining that the prices are high and the portions are smaller, and they're right.

But Q by Peter Chang stands on its own merits. If you're looking for a noisy neighborhood joint that churns out heaping family-style hot pots, where you'll go home with boxes full of leftovers, then head to Peter Chang in Arlington or Rockville. If you want a refined, more upscale experience, Q by Peter Chang delivers. Yes, portions are smaller, but there's plenty of food. It's not nouvelle cuisine.

We chose to order dishes that are unique to Q, unavailable at his other restaurants. Seafood Pearls is a perfect example -- beautiful, delicate balls of minced shrimp, scallops, and chestnuts in a spectacular presentation with baby bok choy in a Hong Kong-style sauce that was unfortunately a little under-seasoned.

Starters were the highlights, notably the the Crab Meat Lotus Root Pancake with a tamarind sauce and the Summer Squash Emerald Noodle. Both were unique and both were outstanding.

If you're a fan of the Seafood in Stone Pot at Peter Chang's other restaurants (and who isn't?), then you'll love the Roasted Mushroom Curry Stew, which is buoyed by similar flavors but with a base of exotic mushrooms. It's a wonderful umami explosion with just a hint of spicy. These are all dishes unique to Q.

Chang is still adjusting some dishes based on customer feedback. Bethesda's upscale customers complained that some dishes were too spicy (even though they were listed on the menu under "Ultimate Spicy Challenge"). So sadly, the mapo tofu with ghost chilis has been toned down to be milder than the version at his other restaurants, a move that makes no sense to me. Chang needs to decide who he's serving. You can't please everybody, and if ta 4-pepper spice level means different things at different locations, that's a recipe for customer confusion.

So while I still believe this could be one of the best Chinese restaurants in the country, I give Q a qualified 5 stars and will watch how things are adjusted in the...

I had never visited Q by Peter Chang, and since was temporarily staying at the AC Hotel Bethesda, I walked to this restaurant. The placement and location of Q is a little weird, since it is on the first floor of a business building, and there is practically nothing around it. The decor of their very big space inside is minimalistic, with vaguely orientalized touches, like the huge lantern light fixtures and the trellis wood dividers that separate the main space. The cement floor and the functional but non-descript tables and chairs are mismatched. In a corner, there are piles of plastic cups and empty to go boxes, which contribute to the disjointed atmosphere. Elegant chopsticks in green and gold with embossed Peter Chang were beautiful. I was inmeditely greeted by a hostess, which brought me to a single table. This was during lunch time, but the place was not remotely packed, so why not seat me at a four-top? Another very pleasant server came to take my orders. I wanted to try their dim-sum items, and she pointed out to me where those were in the menu (which is extensive and focused on lesser-known Schezuan style cooking). I ordered a Tsingtao beer, which was served ice cold. Then came the food: the Schezuan shrimp dumplings were strangely chewy inside, but with a pleasant heat. The balloon scallion pancake was dramatic but did not have any discernable scallions other than one or two green specks and was served with a cold brown sauce that did not taste like anything in particular. I have eaten Schezuan style food many times, and I love those flavors (numbing and spicy, garlic, etc) but I wasn't impressed with these two dishes. I decided to order the crispy pork belly. What I got was a mound of deep fried, thinly sliced pork skins (not pork belly) dusted with spices. It was served with chunks of pinneaple straight out of a can, cold. I took a first bite and the pork skin was a salt bomb, making it basically inedible. When a server came by I asked for the dish to be taken. He graciously offered if I wanted something else, but I declined (the dish was taken out of my bill). The food was not great, not even passably good. The decor was disjointed, and leaving out large piles of plastic cups and to-go boxes in a corner did not positively contribute to an elegance or elevation that it seems the owners wanted to portray. The service was friendly and attentive, and I loved their elegant chopsticks; so that is why Q by Peter Chang...