Mama Chang — Restaurant in Fairfax

Okay, let me start out by saying that I NEVER write reviews. But today's experience was so exceptional in the WORST way that I had to write this so other customers wouldn't have to go through the same bad experience as me.

We had reservation for 5:15PM on November 3rd. We walked in about 5 minutes early. The server we had was a slim middle aged Asian lady (had thick Chinese accent) probably in her 50s, with bobbed-hair, and wearing a mask.

As soon as we sat down she asked us what we wanted without even introducing herself. Me, not having had a chance to look at the menu, asked her about what I thought I was going to order. I had a dish in mind that I had ordered before but couldn't remember the name of: "It was a hot pot dish but had green soup. Does this one have green soup?" she went, "Oh! GREEN bean! we have green bean dish in the back!" After a few more back and forth I realized the language barrier was just too high to communicate effectively with her. I decided to figure it out myself and asked her for more time. She came back in A BLINK OF AN EYE and rushed me again. I politely asked her again for MORE TIME. She came back AGAIN after like 30 SECONDS, making me give up and just order whatever.

The whole time we waited we found it funny how the couple sitting on my right (who arrived later than us) was given plenty of time to look at the menu and managed to get all of their dishes come out faster than ours did.

Our first dish came out, and it didn't take long for us to realize we were in desperate need of spoons because of the rice. However, our server did not BOTHER to check on us not even ONCE before we were completely done with our first dish. Considering how many times she bothered us before ordering, I thought this was ridiculous. By the time the second dish came out, which was late, we had given up on the spoon. It made us feel like she didn't care about us anymore now that we have ordered everything.

At this point, because of all that's happened, and dozens of other unpleasant encounters we experienced while there but I’m too fed up to mention in their entirety, I felt pretty annoyed and just wanted to leave. So instead of finishing the second dish, we just asked her for a to go box and the check. She came back with both. I reached for the to go box but noticed she was still standing there. (at this point I hadn't even taken a look at my bill yet) She hovered around for a bit more and left. As soon as I was done boxing things up, she came right back again and noticed I was fumbling with cash and asked, "OH are you paying with cash?" I was like, "Yes, I am." In normal circumstances, you would take a step back as a server to give the customer some personal space. SHE DID NOT. The whole time I was trying to count my bills she stood right in front of me looking at me counting one by one. I was thinking "IS SHE BEING SERIOUS? Is she trying to see how much tip I'm giving? or am I imagining things?" So I TURNED AROUND AWAY from her, keeping the bills close to my stomach so as to hide it from her, then guess what she did?? SHE FOLLOWED me and CAME AROUND WITH ME positioning herself to be in front of me again so she can look at me counting again. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HER? It did not only tell me she was doing it on purpose as it was clear as day that she knew what she was doing but also she didn't care about how she made her customers feel as long as she got her money.

Throughout my entire history of dining, I had NEVER met such an INSENSITIVE, RUDE SERVER like her before. I SO wish we had gotten the server the couple sitting on the left of me had. He seemed way more genuine and caring, telling the couple to order less food because the portion was more than they could handle, and WAY MORE knowledgeable about the menu, not to mention easy to communicate with no language barrier.

I came back home and had the WORST stomachache ever from being rushed to finish my meal. Needless to say, I won't be back here again and will tell everyone around me that this place...

Bottom Line Up Front: Fine Entrée Options, Poorly Trained Staff, Separated Food Timing, and One Bad Bowl of Rice

Mama Chang is a clean and spacious restaurant. They make good food. I wouldn’t know authenticity of Chinese cuisine, for I’ve never been to the mainland, but I can state that the food was good: fresh ingredients, proper preparation, nothing out of balance, and good portion size. Yet, our dining does not end with just good food. It’s the service, and most of the time, it is the small details that separates the good from the bad. That is why we prefer going to Chic-Fil-A instead of McDonalds, if we have options.

The staff wasn’t particularly unfriendly, but not very attentive. If Mama Chang is a new establishment, I’d understand, but it isn’t. It shouldn’t take several iterations and trips to take orders from a group. And when our table finally finished ordering, we barely saw the server again. They didn’t care how the food was or what we needed more. Then the food came out. First the puffed pancakes, and then tofu skin, and so on. And they arrived in intervals of 10 – 15 minutes. We didn’t order a course meal. We wanted all the entrées at the same time. It was typically bad because there were 11 of us.

One mediocre entrée was the soup dumplings, xialongbao. The dough didn’t have the bounce and resilient enough to hold the hot soup inside. The gelatin will melt during the steaming process, creating the stuff flavored soup inside the dumpling, but the particular batch we’ve gotten wasn’t the xialongbao I know from Ney York’s Chinatown. But then, Mama Chang might not specialize in xialongbao, so I may have expected a little too much. Just don’t assume the dim-sum options on the menu will be as spectacular as your other experiences from the specialty restaurants.

And then the final blow came, the rice. It was not only served the very last, it was also below any grade of cooked rice I’ve ever had. A bowl or rice is a canvas for the food. The rice will humbly host the dish on top and be the stead foundation. It mingles with the rest and fill you with satisfaction. Regrettably, Mama Chang’s rice was lukewarm crumbled and broken lump of grains mashed together and ice cream scooped in a bowl, not pure, not cozy, and just below basic, well under expectation from a restaurant of this caliber.

Now, was that how did chef Chang’s mother prepared the rice at home? That I may never know. While I doubt that, I would like to reference Chic-Fil-A again. I don’t know if you appreciate, or even notice the level of details they strive, but I do, and I appreciate it. They put out a tiny bottle and a real flower on every table, every morning. There hasn’t been an occasion where they didn’t have that set up all the times I’ve been there. Does that add value to the restaurant? Not really. But I am certain that if they are able to pay attention to such little details, like a flower vase, then they will pay attention to their food and customers.

Mama Chang while they provided good tasting dishes, they didn’t care much for the simplest dish of all. The rice, which I ordered and paid separately. And here we are. Can I recommend Mama Chang to you? That’s a hard maybe. If you’d like to try one of the top chef’s establishment in D.C. Metro, why not. However, if you are looking for the experience of the restaurant’s name, just go to a Panda Express. At least there, you won’t be...

This restaurant has easy parking and a nice appearance. After entering, the receptionists received us after they finished chatting. After entering the restaurant, it feels spacious and bright, with light wood decoration. It comes with a professional and clean stainless steel bar, Dianxin area and kitchen area. It feels good. After sitting down, I found hair and dust on the seat, and two flying flies on the windowsill. The waiter is very friendly and confident, making you feel very comfortable. After ordering, it takes about fifteen minutes to start serving. On the whole, it's not lost, and it's pretty decent. I think a restaurant's menu includes Cantonese, Sichuan, Northeastern, Hunan, Shanghai, Hubei, Dim Sum, etc., which are really the best of Chinese cuisine. The result is just a similar name and appearance. Several uniformly prepared sauces are the same for anyone who goes up and stirs them. Although it solves the problem of difficulty in recruitment and consistency of taste. This creates resemblance but dissimilar taste. Chinese cuisine is a dish that emphasizes complex flavors. If it is simply cooked in a singular manner, it will only be different. In addition, the traditional dish name is used, but it is not something like that. Why not use the real dish name from the beginning. Of course, there are many condiments and ingredients that cannot be used to make Chinese cuisine in foreign countries for wider adaptability, easy procurement and cost control. Wouldn't this be a way to give full play to the breadth and depth of Chinese cuisine. I have traveled all over the world, and what I recognize most is French cuisine because of its specificity and loyalty to the ingredients. You can eat all the flavors imparted by the ingredients and the chef. So today I am admired that the restaurant is a former chef of the Chinese Embassy. The result was disappointed. I hope that the restaurant can continue to improve and live up to the reputation of Chinese cuisine, although the restaurant is now very popular. It is the so-called love and hate. Let's...