The Not-so-Chinese Chinatown – Washington, D.C. 不那么中国化的华盛顿唐人街

Don’t get me wrong, I love Chinatown in downtown D.C. It’s a vibrant, bustling area of the city. Lots of lights, lots of people, lots of traffic and absolutely fantastic shopping! It’s a crossroads where tourist and locals come together for big games at the Verizon center or swanky parties at the Portrait Gallery.

So, back to the “not-so-Chinese” Chinatown, besides the beautiful oriental archway on H Street and the Chinese names partnered with the English names on business signs, you don’t really get an authentic Chinese feeling when you’re there. Compared to Chinatown in Chicago or NYC, where you feel like you’re almost actually in China, D.C.’s Chinatown feels more like Panda Express. You call it Chinese but it’s not really Chinese.

To find authentic Chinese restaurants and markets, you’ll have to expand your scope beyond 7th and H Streets. There are a few authentic Asian restaurants tucked away around the edges of Chinatown. My favorite is Chinatown Garden. They have the menu that’s mostly Chinese characters and grainy pictures of what the dishes kind of look like. You know you’re in the right place when it’s easier just to order in Chinese and not off the menu.

Furthermore, to find an authentic Asian market, with real Asian foods and products actually shipped in, you’ll have to make a little trek outside the bounds of the district. I’ve found the best two are in Falls Church, Virginia. It’s only a mere 12 miles outside the city, but I felt like I was practically driving back to Indiana! Although, the long drive paid off. The H Mart and Great Wall Supermarkets were like a piece of China on American soil. As soon as I walked in the door, I felt like I bypassed the 13 hour plane ride to Beijing and passed into the local grocery store where my grandparents shop (in China).

After stocking up on all things Chinese, I hosted a hot pot dinner with my Chinese and Americans friends. It was fun to introduce my American friends to a favorite Chinese tradition with authentic Chinese ingredients. They loved it!

Overall, it is possible to get a real Chinese experience in D.C.; it may just take a little more exploring. But really I think everyone can agree, exploring the nation’s Capitol is always a welcome adventure.

不要误会，我喜欢华盛顿市区的唐人街。它是整个城市中充满活力、熙熙攘攘的地方，这里灯光明亮，人来人往，交通繁忙，并且绝对是很棒的购物之地！在这个十字路口，游客和当地人都到Verizon中心参加大型游戏活动或在肖像画廊参加时尚派对。

因此，回到“不那么中国化”的唐人街，除了H街美丽的东方拱门以及在商标中混合着中文名字和英文名字外，你在那里不会真正有一个地道的中国感觉。相比较而言，芝加哥或纽约的唐人街更让你感觉彷佛真的在中国，而华盛顿特区的“唐人街”给人的感觉更像是熊猫快餐——你可以称之为中国的，但它不是真正中国化的。

为了找到地道的中国餐馆和市场，就必须在第七街和H街之外扩大你的搜索范围。有一些地道的亚洲餐馆藏身于唐人街的周边。我最喜欢的是“唐人街花园”。他们的菜单中大部分是汉字和精美的图片，直观地展现着各道菜肴烹饪后最终的样子。当你更方便地用中文点菜而不会出现任何偏差的时候，你就知道你到了正确的地方。

此外，要找到一个地道的亚洲市场，有着真正从亚洲进口的各种亚洲食品和产品，你就不得不在该地区的外围进行一些艰苦跋涉。我发现最好的两个市场是在弗吉尼亚的福尔斯彻奇市。它仅仅在城市之外12英里的距离，但是我觉得我几乎是开车回到了印第安纳州!然而,长途驱车终见成效。H Mart超市和长城超市就像在美国本土上的一块中国地方。当我一走进门，就感觉仿佛绕过了13个小时的飞行到了北京，然后来到当地的杂货店，像我祖父母经常光顾的商店(在中国)一样。

在囤积了大量中国食材之后，我举办了一个火锅晚餐，来招待我的中国和美国朋友。用地道的中国食材，向我的美国朋友们介绍最喜欢的中国饮食传统是很有趣的。他们很喜欢!

总的来说，在华盛顿特区你可能会得到一个真正的中国体验；它也许仅仅只是需要一些更多的探索和发现。当然事实上我认为，每个人也都会认同，探索这个国家的国会大厦始终是一个受欢迎的冒险。