Peter Chang Restaurant opened at 637 N Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg last April, taking over the location that was occupied by Ichiban since 1985 (Ichiban closed in September 2021 after 35 years in business.) The restaurant, along with another new Peter Chang outpost (NiHao in Crystal City), were recently reviewed by Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema.
Tom Sietsema, who has been the newspaper’s food critic for nearly 25 years, stated that Peter Chang Gaithersburg “distinguishes itself with a sense of intimacy.” Peter Chang Gaithersburg serves tapas-style dishes, dim sum, and signature items that include Chengdu Garlic Steamed Pork Belly, Hot & Numbing Stone Pot Flounder, Shredded Tofu Skin Salad, and Steamed Pork Soup Dumplings.
“In more cases than not, wherever Chang opens a restaurant, it automatically becomes the best place for Chinese in the vicinity. This is true in Gaithersburg,” Sietsema writes. He notes that the prices for small plates range from $3 to $18, and the larger, “party dishes” range from $19 to $78 (for a whole Peking duck).
Aside from Sietsema’s glowing review. Peter Chang has received modest reviews by the general public since opening. On Google the restaurant has a 3.6/5 rating on 80 reviews. On Yelp, it has a 3.8/5 rating on 31 reviews. It has been highlighted in the Washington Post twice– first in the review highlighted above, mostly glowing, and then in Sietsema’s latest dining guide, highlighting “5 great affordable restaurants in the D.C. area.”
Peter Chang has an additional Montgomery County restaurant in Bethesda– Q by Peter Chang, the chef’s headquarters. The Rockville Town Square Peter Chang has rebranded to Kung Fu Kitchen and is under new ownership.