A contemporary Chinese restaurant is open in Rosslyn after construction and permit issues delayed its original opening date more than a year and then kept the new date something of a secret.
Secret Chopsticks is now open at 1850 N. Fort Myer Drive on the ground level of the Turnberry Tower condo building. The 120-seat white tablecloth restaurant is open for dinner services seven days a week, focusing on authentic, healthy Chinese food.
“We’re trying to change what people think of when they think Chinese food,” general manager Jonathan Theriault said today. “This is fine dining, and everything we do has a strong Asian influence with a twist. You won’t find the large portions of take-out food but a very authentic experience instead.”
This authenticity comes from the restaurant’s executive chef, Robin Li, who is a native of mainland China and began his culinary career there. He came back to the United States — after studying here, serving in the Navy and spending more time in China — in 2014 with plans to open Secret Chopsticks.
“There are a lot of differences between this and other Chinese restaurants,” Li said previously. “Whatever they are cooking in China now, we are going to cook.”
The focus, he explained, is contemporary, modern takes on these dishes.
The menu has two meal options for diners. First, an a la carte menu offers individual portions to mix and match. Prices for these items range from $6 to $32.
For a more traditional fine dining experience, guests can choose from one of the restaurant’s fixed-price tasting menus. There are four options: dim sum, protein, tofu and vegetarian. Each one is nine courses, and prices range from around $60 to $90.
Theriault recommended the tasting menus for four or five people who are willing to share and try new foods.
The restaurant also has a full bar with beer, wine and cocktails. Guests are allowed to bring their own wine in, so long as it isn’t available on the existing wine list.
Secret Chopsticks is currently only open for dinner from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Starting next week, Theriault said, lunch will also be served from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. with happy hour from 4-7 p.m. These are the restaurant’s winter hours, which are likely to change in the warmer months. Additional outdoor seating will also be available during that time.
Despite the setbacks and ongoing work to improve its offerings, Theriault was hopeful about the outlook for the restaurant.
“We’re really excited to be here in Rosslyn and to have finally made this happen,” he said. “I hope it’s a place people know has great food and a great ambience to make all these authentic elements feel like the real thing.”