Reservations for 8+ guests accepted 48 hours in advance No takeout or delivery service available at this time (online or in-store) Experience authentic Hunan cuisine in the heart of the DMV. Located in Vienna, VA, Chef Tan brings the bold flavors of China to your table. From spicy Hunan specialties to classic stir-fries, our handcrafted menu celebrates the richness of Chinese culinary tradition. Join us for a cozy, flavorful dining experience you won’t forget.
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Chef Tan, 132 Branch Road Southeast | Online Ordering
Chef Tan. Open. 132 Branch Road Southeast, Vienna, VA, 22180. Cold Dishes. Appetizers. Specialties of Chef Tan Style(With rice). Cooking Dish in Hunan Style( …
Chef Tan 湘味轩- VA (132 Branch Road Southeast) – Uber Eats
Use your Uber account to order delivery from Chef Tan 湘味轩- VA (132 Branch Road Southeast) in Vienna. Browse the menu, view popular items, and track your …
New restaurant opens in Vienna, VA – Facebook
… s&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiys4 DsmuiOAxXaMVkFHeq6HhwQ4kB6BAg WEAA. google.com. Chef Tan 湘味轩 · 132 Branch Rd SE, Vienna, VA 22180 · 8mo · 3. Lydia …
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Reviews
Edmund Jong
My wife and I recently tried Chef Tan in Vienna and enjoyed a solid meal overall. We ordered the scallion pancake, pan fried dumplings, crispy fried chicken, Japanese egg tofu, and clay pot tofu. All of the dishes came out fast with a good portion size, were tasty and well‑prepared. The menu overall leans into Hunan‑style Chinese cuisine, bringing some new flavor options to the Vienna area.
That said, our experience felt a bit uneven compared to the price point. At around $100 for two, the food quality was good, but the overall service and restaurant ambience didn’t quite match the prices for us. It felt more like mid‑range casual dim sum restaurant that contrasted the upscale pricing. For Vienna at that cost range, we expected a little more polish in service and atmosphere.
We still liked the food and it’s worth a try as each person’s definition of value varies. If you’re looking for something new with interesting Chinese dishes and bold flavors, it’s worth a visit. Be aware of the price vs. overall dining experience.
… moreThat said, our experience felt a bit uneven compared to the price point. At around $100 for two, the food quality was good, but the overall service and restaurant ambience didn’t quite match the prices for us. It felt more like mid‑range casual dim sum restaurant that contrasted the upscale pricing. For Vienna at that cost range, we expected a little more polish in service and atmosphere.
We still liked the food and it’s worth a try as each person’s definition of value varies. If you’re looking for something new with interesting Chinese dishes and bold flavors, it’s worth a visit. Be aware of the price vs. overall dining experience.
Jiaxin Kang
I really enjoyed the food here! The “Spicy Double Crispy” was amazing — super flavorful and really spicy, just the way I like it . The braised pork was tender and rich, full of aroma. I also loved the boneless pork trotters, which were so convenient to eat and packed with flavor. The chitterlings (fatty intestines) were delicious too, perfectly cooked and seasoned.
Even the beef dishes had a nice sweet touch — a great balance that shows their creative take on American-style Chinese food. Highly recommend this place if you’re craving authentic Hunan flavors with a bit of local twist!
… moreEven the beef dishes had a nice sweet touch — a great balance that shows their creative take on American-style Chinese food. Highly recommend this place if you’re craving authentic Hunan flavors with a bit of local twist!
Erny Prada
Chef Tan feels like a true Chinese dining experience rather than a typical Americanized spot. It helps to know what you’re ordering because the staff will ask questions and expect you to be familiar with the menu, which can catch you off guard if it’s your first time. Not required, but reading reviews ahead of time to see which dishes people recommend makes the experience smoother. Food quality is strong and consistent with what longtime fans mention, and it’s a great place if you want something more traditional and authentic.
… moreLiz
Definitely one of my favorite Chinese places. It gets busy so you may want to make a reservation. Parking is free. Love to atmosphere and the service is really good for a Chinese restaurant. They sell stinky tofu which I’m not a fan of but my husband and his mom loves it. She even drinks the sauce. The green beans and cabbage were excellent. The ribs had a spicy kick with lots of flavor. I always get the fish.
… morePatrick Min
Chef Tan Chinese Restaurant is situated at Danor Plaza, near Maple Avenue in Vienna, VA, serving authentic and flavorful Hunan cuisine with well-balanced flavors. Its exterior is modest, but the interior offers a spacious, modern ambiance with friendly service. The restaurant boasts a diverse menu and generous portions. I appreciate discovering a Chinese eatery that serves traditional dishes, avoiding westernized or Americanized variants that tend to be overly sweet.
Some dishes we loved and highly recommend:
1. Steamed pork dumplings, truly homemade with authentic flavor.
2. Pressure-cooked pork belly: tender, juicy, and mildly spicy.
3. Iron plate Mongolian beef: similar to Korean bulgogi but less sweet and saucy—very good!
4. General Tso’s chicken: a classic dish with chicken balls in a subtly sweet and mildly spicy sauce.
5. Pumpkin seafood tofu soup: sizable enough to share, with balanced flavors from pumpkin and seafood that weren’t overpowering
6. Fried rice: among the best in Northern Virginia, with a deep, savory flavor from stir-fried onions.
… moreSome dishes we loved and highly recommend:
1. Steamed pork dumplings, truly homemade with authentic flavor.
2. Pressure-cooked pork belly: tender, juicy, and mildly spicy.
3. Iron plate Mongolian beef: similar to Korean bulgogi but less sweet and saucy—very good!
4. General Tso’s chicken: a classic dish with chicken balls in a subtly sweet and mildly spicy sauce.
5. Pumpkin seafood tofu soup: sizable enough to share, with balanced flavors from pumpkin and seafood that weren’t overpowering
6. Fried rice: among the best in Northern Virginia, with a deep, savory flavor from stir-fried onions.
Grace Yang
Update: we went back and tried much more of the menu with my mom and the food was phenomenal. Summer was our waitress and she made the best recommendations. She knew the menu very well and everything she recommended was as wonderful as she described. The cauliflower was the surprise favorite of the table, you think you know what it tastes like but it’s actually 1000% better than anything you had before and that goes for every dish here. It would be all familiar to foodies but a class better. The price is the only thing that prevents me from ordering the whole menu.
We’ll be back for Chinese new year.
This is my first time here after much anticipation and expectations from lots of recommendations from friends. Without exaggeration, I think this is the best Chinese restaurant in the state of Virginia. It’s new and very big and nice inside, you don’t expect it from outside in the middle of a strip mall. The price is squarely on the high side. It’s rare to see Chinese restaurant this expensive but when I walked in and saw all Chinese filled tables I knew the food will be good. Chinese aunties won’t be paying this price if the food is not worth it. I came for the stinky tofu and it was perfect. I can’t get this dish anywhere and it’s just as good if not better than the best from China or Taiwan. It’s spicy but full of flavor, the flavors are layered and complex. It’s another level above a good Sichuan restaurant. There are so many more dishes I want to try and I can’t wait to come back.
… moreWe’ll be back for Chinese new year.
This is my first time here after much anticipation and expectations from lots of recommendations from friends. Without exaggeration, I think this is the best Chinese restaurant in the state of Virginia. It’s new and very big and nice inside, you don’t expect it from outside in the middle of a strip mall. The price is squarely on the high side. It’s rare to see Chinese restaurant this expensive but when I walked in and saw all Chinese filled tables I knew the food will be good. Chinese aunties won’t be paying this price if the food is not worth it. I came for the stinky tofu and it was perfect. I can’t get this dish anywhere and it’s just as good if not better than the best from China or Taiwan. It’s spicy but full of flavor, the flavors are layered and complex. It’s another level above a good Sichuan restaurant. There are so many more dishes I want to try and I can’t wait to come back.
Kaili Xu
I’ve been to Chef Tan three times already, and every single visit has been fantastic! The dishes here truly capture the authentic flavors of Hunan cuisine — bold, spicy, and full of depth.
My favorites so far are the Spicy Stir-fried Beef Aorta & Chicken Offal (火爆双脆), Home Style Sauteed Pork (农家小炒肉), Hunan Style Stir-fried Pork Intestines (小炒肥肠), and Stir-fried Boneless Pork Trotters (小炒无骨猪蹄). Each one has that perfect wok aroma and balance of spice and savoriness that’s so hard to find outside of China. The offal dishes are cooked just right — tender with great texture — and the flavors remind me of the true Hunan taste back in China.
The portion sizes are generous, the rice comes perfectly cooked, and the service is friendly and quick. Every dish feels carefully made, not just spicy for the sake of it, but layered with real flavor.
… moreMy favorites so far are the Spicy Stir-fried Beef Aorta & Chicken Offal (火爆双脆), Home Style Sauteed Pork (农家小炒肉), Hunan Style Stir-fried Pork Intestines (小炒肥肠), and Stir-fried Boneless Pork Trotters (小炒无骨猪蹄). Each one has that perfect wok aroma and balance of spice and savoriness that’s so hard to find outside of China. The offal dishes are cooked just right — tender with great texture — and the flavors remind me of the true Hunan taste back in China.
The portion sizes are generous, the rice comes perfectly cooked, and the service is friendly and quick. Every dish feels carefully made, not just spicy for the sake of it, but layered with real flavor.
F’burg Foodie
A small group of us came in on a weekday for lunch, we chose Chef Tan’s because of their unique Chinese menu, which is authentic Hunan style food. Our server was excellent, she was very descriptive and helpful with the menu and making suggestions. As a result, we ordered many entrées and some appetizers to try an assortment of dishes. We got chicken, beef, pork, and some veggie dishes too and all were made with very fresh ingredients and tasted great.
Their jasmine tea is amazing as well, so get a pot or three! I drank one whole pot myself. Some favs of mine were the spare ribs, they had an amazing flavor, were extremely tender, and a nice spice to them. Another fav of the group was the beef with cilantro (they subbed the beef & celery for beef & cilantro) – The amount of cilantro was amazing, there was so much and the depth of flavor of the entire dish was great! We also really enjoyed their griddle fish. They use flounder for this dish and it tastes great! Very fresh fish that is freshly battered and fried. The flavor of the “sauce” in it was nice, not too spicy. It’s a softer ‘fry’ and less bold type of dish when compared to Peter Chang’s Bamboo Fish, but looks slightly similar. A very nice appetizer was the scallion pancakes! They came out piping hot and so flavorful! Their cold beef & tripe had a nice, smokey, “chili oil” flavor to them.
Highly recommend stopping in if you like authentic Chinese foods, as they make great Hunan. But they also have American style dishes too. They even have some quasi-American style Chinese dishes, like the cumin line-up. I’ll definitely return!
… moreTheir jasmine tea is amazing as well, so get a pot or three! I drank one whole pot myself. Some favs of mine were the spare ribs, they had an amazing flavor, were extremely tender, and a nice spice to them. Another fav of the group was the beef with cilantro (they subbed the beef & celery for beef & cilantro) – The amount of cilantro was amazing, there was so much and the depth of flavor of the entire dish was great! We also really enjoyed their griddle fish. They use flounder for this dish and it tastes great! Very fresh fish that is freshly battered and fried. The flavor of the “sauce” in it was nice, not too spicy. It’s a softer ‘fry’ and less bold type of dish when compared to Peter Chang’s Bamboo Fish, but looks slightly similar. A very nice appetizer was the scallion pancakes! They came out piping hot and so flavorful! Their cold beef & tripe had a nice, smokey, “chili oil” flavor to them.
Highly recommend stopping in if you like authentic Chinese foods, as they make great Hunan. But they also have American style dishes too. They even have some quasi-American style Chinese dishes, like the cumin line-up. I’ll definitely return!
A&T
We had a wonderful lunch experience at Chef Tan! The seating was comfortable and stylish, with a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Every dish we tried—the fish, chicken, and beef soup—was flavorful and beautifully prepared. Total ~$75. The food tasted fresh and authentic, and the service was attentive and pleasant throughout our meal. A great spot for delicious food and a relaxed dining experience!
1/18/2026: Updating to include our dinner experience, this time with the Peking duck. And it did not disappoint. The duck was freshly made unlike at other restaurants that prepare the ducks beforehand and flash fry them when ordered. Here the skin was still crispy and fresh, and the meat was tender and juicy. We appreciate how the authentic Peking duck hung oven was shown through the windows. From the careful carving to the delicate plating and then soup preparation with the remaining duck meat and bones. The only complaint we had was the Peking duck pancake wrap being slightly too thin. But everything else was amazingly delicious. We were so full near the end but still couldn’t resist having more of the delicious soup. Highly recommended to try the Peking duck ($100).
… more1/18/2026: Updating to include our dinner experience, this time with the Peking duck. And it did not disappoint. The duck was freshly made unlike at other restaurants that prepare the ducks beforehand and flash fry them when ordered. Here the skin was still crispy and fresh, and the meat was tender and juicy. We appreciate how the authentic Peking duck hung oven was shown through the windows. From the careful carving to the delicate plating and then soup preparation with the remaining duck meat and bones. The only complaint we had was the Peking duck pancake wrap being slightly too thin. But everything else was amazingly delicious. We were so full near the end but still couldn’t resist having more of the delicious soup. Highly recommended to try the Peking duck ($100).
Bo
Chef Tan is an excellent place for Chinese food. The spicy stir-fried beef aorta and the chicken offal as well as the mushrooms were both outstanding — bold flavors and just the right amount of heat. If you enjoy spicy food, this place has plenty of options to choose from.
Service was fast and friendly, with food starting to arrive within 10 minutes of ordering. The dining environment is comfortable and nicely sized, making it a great place to enjoy a meal with friends or family. Highly recommend!
… moreService was fast and friendly, with food starting to arrive within 10 minutes of ordering. The dining environment is comfortable and nicely sized, making it a great place to enjoy a meal with friends or family. Highly recommend!