Lee Hwa Modern Chinese Tapas & Bar in Chantilly held their grand opening earlier this month and I finally paid them a visit.
Lee Hwa can be found in the Sully Place Shopping Center, next door to Shilla Bakery. The address is 13934 Metrotech Drive.
The menu at Lee Hwa includes a generous selection of “small plate” options, often meant to be shared with your dining companions. Some of the interesting tapas dishes include a Deep Fried Baguette Toast, Spicy Edamame, Silky Mapo Tofu, and a Lemon Cream Shrimp.
Under the Chef’s Special section, there is a Sichuan Lobster Pasta, a Deep Fried Red Snapper with Sweet & Sour Sauce, and — of course — a classic Peking Duck, which is always a fan favorite.
Lee Hwa also serves up soups plus noodle and rice dishes. You can see snapshots of the menu at below this story.
I decided to try a Lee Hwa Fried Noodle Combo, which was their version of a Lo Mein. It was amazing. It was Lo Mein times 10 — with beef, chicken and shrimp all in one dish and loaded with flavor.
I am definitely looking forward to coming back to this quiet, cute little gem and trying more of their offerings.
It was also interesting to note that they do not offer desserts at Lee Hwa. Instead, the staff politely points customers to Shilla Bakery next door for desserts. I thought this was a great gesture — a local business supporting another local business. I loved that.
Paul Tomaselli is an enthusiastic food promoter who hits many of the big (and small) restaurant openings around Northern Virginia. He shares his culinary adventures in an occasional guest column here on The Burn.
