House of Fortune

i wanted to try this place for a while
overall, it is standard chinese fare, mediocre and i knock it down further b’c w/​out a buffet the price goes up but the food value does not
food
spring rolls-​came out burned! they were ok
beef stew-​bland
chicken with rice and peppers-​bland
service
no issues
price
high for the quality of the meal
parking
free, its a lot

This place needs a renovation. During our family visit last night we ran into a few issues regarding the venue itself. The right side of the dining room seems to get hot while the left side stay cooler. The carpet needs to be replaced which caused asthma irritations to my mother as well. This could have been caused by the rain and mild dew build up underneath.
All this is typical for Chinese restaurants and I have to say we have gotten use to as well. Compared to other Chinese places, this is not that bad, but not great.
If you want to skip all this just do carry out.
I think this is the best Chinese food in McLean honestly. Friendly service, good Chinese/​Taiwenese

I ordered Peking Duck (Chinese turkey) from House of Fortune for Christmas Eve dinner believing that it would be really good. KINDA DISAPPOINTED. Of course they include several panackes but will have to order extras for a extra charge. Same goes with onions and the plum sauce.
Anyway, I ordered it to go and waited an extra 10 minutes after arriving 20 minutes after I called cause they told be 20 minutes. The food was put in separate containers and was piping hot! That’s a great sign!
But when I brought it home, that’s where the disappointment started. The onion and sauce weren’t the problem. The pancakes were luke warm and dry. I had to moist them and heat them in the microwave. And then the duck. The sliced the meat and skin into long blockly cubes. NO NO NO NO NO!!! That’s not right! It is supposed to be slice thinly at an angle for both the meat and the crispy skin. The skin was not crispy but thats to be expected heated in the covered container. The duck meat itself really was bland and was too chewy due to the incorrect cut. It was still good as I doused it was plum/​hoisin sauce. For $ 29.99 for duck and minimal pancakes/​onions/​sauce/​carcass is just okay but you get what you pay for. Stick to Peking Gourmet Inn for your Peking Duck!

Came to House of Fortune for lunch today. I have been here on several occasions but only now have gotten around to a much deserved review on this hidden gem. The reataurant is actually located below its much more famous neighbor, Tachibana. In fact, the only reason we found this place is because we were going to eat at Tachibana but they had a wait and we were starving. The staff is very friendly and very adept at remembering former patrons, even if you haven’t visited in quite a while. Today’s hospitality was no different as I was greeted with a huge smile and a «great to see you again!» by the owner upon entering the establishment.
All of the food I have had in the past has been excellent. A couple of my personal favorites include the slightly spicy szechuan beef noodle soup and crispy yet soft combination pan fried noodles. However, today I chose a delicious dish (2 orders actually) that you would be hard pressed to find at any other Chinese restaurants in the area. In fact, we usually have to make a run up to NYC to get our hands on these delicacies. I am talking about soup dumplings!
For those of you who don’t know what soup dumplings are, I am very sorry for you. But I am also very happy for you because now you will! Soup dumplings are comprised of congealed broth and a protein wrapped in a dumpling wrapper which are then steamed. Upon steaming, the broth turns to liquid so you are basically left with a tiny soup in a dumpling! House of Fortune offers two types of soup dumplings, crab and pork. I like the crab, but this pig is partial to the pork. As you bite into the dumpling you are greeted with many different textures all at once. The delicate wrapper of the dumpling, the liquid from the from broth, and the firmness of the protein. It is undoubtedly a unique and delicious experience.
Two words of advice:
1) I know your mouth will be watering as the dumplings come out but please resist the urge to just grab one and shove it in your mouth. When first brought out the dumplings are molten hot inside. Ever bit into a hot pocket right out of the microwave? Ya, same excruciating pain.
2) House of Fortune serves soup dumplings for lunch and dinner on weekdays. However, on weekends they only serve them for lunch.
Bottom line: If you are looking for a warm and friendly atmosphere. If you are tired of eating your soups and dumplings separately and need to have both in your mouth at the same time. If the terrible food at China King and Panda Express are no longer cutting it. Then you would be fortunate to find yourself in this house.

As I’m walking towards Tachibana, I see this restaurant (House of Fortune) underneath and think to myself, «who would go there?». I made this assumption over and over again through the years. It just seems so hidden and not wanting attention. There’s just one sign above the door and one dark window, which won’t really allow you to see the interior.
Then my wife, who loves soup dumplings dragged me to this place. Boy am I glad she did. The soup dumplings were pretty good. No, they’re not exactly like Joe’s Shanghai (NYC), or Taiwan Café (Boston), or even Din Tai Fung (global); but you know what?! It’s good enough! The dumplings are a bit larger, but the flavor profile is there. One steamer tray contains 8 dumplings; enough for 2 people if you plan on ordering more food.
We also ordered the spicy beef tendon as an appetizer. The spicy sate oil that coats the tendon just numbs your mouth throughout. It was rather spicy, but I kept on going back for more. The spicy crunchy chicken was decent, but nothing to rave about. You can also order their «sauteed seasonal vegetable», which was broccoli leaves/​stems. I loved how the vegetables were so flavorful and still crisp.
One must remember that this restaurant is located in McLean, so the prices are just a little higher than the average Chinese/​Taiwanese restaurant. I still think it’s a great option for soup dumplings as I wouldn’t need to book a flight out of VA.

House of Fortune has become one of our favorite spots in our dining rotation. While we were already huge fans of their pork XLBs (best in the area! Only served Mon-​Thurs (both lunch & dinner), Sat & Sun (only lunch)), the hubs wanted me to try certain dishes from their authentic Chinese menu that he had with his friends. We tried the Braised Lion’s Head (literally large meatballs with a pungent sauce and largely-​sliced onions and veggies; I wasn’t a fan of this, as I just wasn’t feeling the sauce), the Sauteed Chinese Broccoli (I never knew that Chinese broccoli could be so juicy! Don’t forget to drench these in the liquid collected in the bottom!), the Sauteed Hot Peppers with Pork (I first had this and it automatically came with cilantro; loved the flavor of the pork, but the cilantro was just way too overpowering; the second time around, I learned to opt out, and it was just so yummy! Great mixed in with the rice, but this really does have a spicy kick (thick slices of jalapeño!), the Crispy Spicy Chicken (kind of reminded of General Tso’s/Empress Chicken; this was more on the sweeter end; I appreciated the crispiness, but it was forgettable), and the Gold Sands Shrimp (literally one of my favorite dishes of all time! The shrimp are fried to a golden brown, and they are luscious and decadent — it might be slightly heavy for some, as it is topped with scrambled egg; this is a combination of saltiness and creaminess (from the sprinkling of the egg) and is quite addicting! We are always greeted so warmly here, and I just have to give a shout out to Ms. Fiona, Ms. Lisa, and Mr. Leun — they are all so sweet and always go out of their ways to make sure we are happy: D This place gets packed, and it is a local favorite. Definitely check them out!
+pork XLBs (served only on Mon-​Thurs (lunch and dinner), and Sat & Sun (only lunch))
+Gold Sands Shrimp
+Sauteed Hot Peppers with Pork (no cilantro)
+Sauteed Chinese Broccoli
+ask for Ms. Fiona, Ms. Lisa, and Mr. Leun: D
+great service!
+plenty of street/​lot parking