Peking Pavilion Chinese Restaurant

The best General Tso I've had. Also great egg drop soup.Our definite go-to for Chinese in ArlingtonSometimes we try other Chinese places, but only when we (my wife) wants greasy/gross Chinese Food (like Panda Express/TNR)

Came here as a group of 5 to get the Peking duck, and we were pretty disappointed! As you know, Peking duck is expensive, and what was served was pretty dry. They also gave a very small portion of hoisin sauce, and the toppings/wrappings weren't fresh - the wrapping felt like a tortilla wrap from the grocery store (rather than the traditional Peking duck wrapper).

Is the duck as good as Peking Gourmet Inn? In my opinion... yes.My mom and I really missed doing our yearly duck visit at PGI, but as of a few years ago, promised never to return due to outrageous prices and slipping standards. I did a bit of Yelp research and found Peking Pavilion literally on our doorstep! I was so excited to try. The duck is not carved table side. They don't scrape off the fat like they do at PGI. But, the duck was very flavorful and moist. Might even be better than what PGI has become in recent years. The pancakes seem store-bought, almost like tortillas. The duck sauce tastes like it came from a jar. But still, we both really liked it. That's about where it ended.We got two other dishes to try (Kung Pao and Black Bean Pork, leftovers in mind) and though I had a suspicion that they might be similar, I didn't think they would be *that* similar. It was like they used the exact same base-sauce. The different meats were hard to distinguish and were soggy. Unlike any Kung Pao I have ever had. The Black Bean Pork hardly had any beans... I dunno, we were both pretty disappointed. I may or may not have overheard them saying that the original chef or owner changed, which could be a reason why the quality was lackluster. It's extremely American-Chinese, I guess. The restaurant was fairly empty, but so many people were getting take-out. Staff very friendly. TL;DR: The duck was fantastic and was good enough that we might even come back next year just for the duck, but I thought the main dishes were below average. No chopsticks on the table by default should have been a big clue.

We discovered this restaurant when Yelp sent out an email that featured Chinese restaurants. All the years we've lived in NoVA, we had never heard of it. Looking at the reviews and seeing that it is well liked, we then took a look at the menu. We liked what we saw and agreed to give them a try.This restaurant has been around for several years---so long that some Yelpers wrote how they recalled going here as kids. When we arrived here (on a Saturday around 5 p.m.) and entered, it was like stepping into a time warp. It was very clear that the decor dated back to when they first opened. We don't mind that as long as a place is clean, which it was.We were immediately greeted and seated. Everyone who worked here that we interacted here was very friendly, polite and caring. Their menu is extensive so I recommend taking a look at it online. That will help you get a good idea as to what interests you. There is one thing to be aware of---only a few of their chicken entrees come with white meat. The menu will tell you which items they are.Before we ordered, we were given glasses of water, followed by a pot of hot black tea (which was a nice touch). We both started out with a cup of hot and sour soup. For my main course, I chose "Chicken Peking Style" which consists of: "White meat chicken, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, dry mushrooms stir fried in spicy hot garlic sauce". While I don't mind spicy food as long as it isn't too strong, the menu doesn't mention the heat level. I asked about that and the response to me was to ask if I wanted it mild. I said "okay". Looking back, that wasn't quite the right answer. To them "mild" meant taking out all the garlic, which I didn't expect. My concern was about the heat of the sauce. A dish can have garlic and still be on the tame side. Thus, my dish ended up being rather bland. Next time (and there will be a next time) I will be more careful as to what I order.My husband ordered "Seafood Imperial" which consists of: "Jumbo shrimp, scallops, broccoli, snow peas, straw mushrooms and baby corn in white garlic sauce". His dish was meant to be a mild dish and it was indeed mild. He did enjoy his dish. The shrimp were "jumbo". However, looking at his dish, I wondered if they left out the scallops. The scallops were there but they were thinly sliced. He said he would have this dish again.Some things to note --- the restaurant is in a strip shopping center that's small. Parking can get tight. When we were there, we easily found a spot. Getting out was not so simple. There are arrows painted on the tarmac that point you to the exit. They lead you to a side street that is a dead end so getting out wasn't a problem after all. We will be back!

There is new ownership of this staple - but the chefs have remained the food quality is consistent. My go to for takeout.

As a vegetarian, I think their food is just okay. The tofu is overcooked and limp. My meat-eating other half likes them, though.

Peking Pavilion is a family-run restaurant that has solid, classic American-style Chinese food. I use this as a term of endearment. My favorite dish is the Imperial soup, a thick soup with seafood and vegetables. It really coats your stomach and hits the spot on a chilly day. It also reminds me of Cantonese soups that I ate at other American-style Chinese restaurants as a kid (and later at more authentic Cantonese restaurants as an adult). There are stir fry dishes with various meats and vegetables in brown sauce. Everything is pretty good. Sometimes you don't want an avant garde menu, you just want cozy comfort takeout food. And with winter coming, I definitely want the soup!

I was drawn to this place because we weee nearby and needed a quick bite. The reviews were great and it seemed like a neighborhood favorite.This place gets a 5 on customer service! The staff was super kind and even offered to bring my food to the car after sharing I had a busy bee toddler in the car. But the food was surprisingly disgusting. We ordered Lo Mein and General Tso chicken which are typically pretty standard dishes that is really difficult to "mess up". And it did NOT meet my expectations (which were already extremely low). And just completely skip the Orange beef! It was soggy and just gross.I took pictures of an updated menu for locals that want to give it a try! But I will never return.

Ordered spring roll and peking low main. Neither were good. The spring roll was mushy inside, no crunch. The low main was mainly soft noodles, the chicken and beef hardly visible thin strips with some shrimp which were noticeable. A real disappointment. There were 2 little pieces of green spring onion in it. I you like only soft noodles order this. Also very little flavor.Hope they add some more to the noodles in the future.

We haven't been to Peking Pavilion in several years. We were not disappointed. The food was very good. We started with hot & sour soup, then had mushi pork and General Tso chicken. Very generous portions and everything tasted great.Service was quick and responsive, and very nice wait staff.They have renovated and it was a relaxing and comfortable dining room. We will definitely be back!