Mark's Duck House

User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Best Dim Sum in Falls Church. Wait staff are very courteous and will get any dim-sum item upon request. Very crowded on weekends, but well worth the wait. Better than Fortune (across the street).

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User Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Dim Sum climbed to excellent lately. Regular dishes can outshine any restaurant's in area, but not all.
As with vast majority of places, kitchen output can vary over time. For the last year (we last ate there Jul 20), Mark's Duck House has been on a roll, and we have been satisfied and happy most of the time. With such an extensive menu, some dishes can come out better than others - I find that the special dishes that set it apart from others often come out better than the usual dishes that they have to carry just because all Chinese restaurants are expected to.
Last Dim Sum luncheon (served 11 AM-2PM), impressed by these (random sample, not all-inclusive): giant oyster steamed with ginger garlic, salt-encrusted soft-shell crabs, fried shrimp paste patties, batter-fried taro paste, shrimp-stuffed tofu, ha gow.
On the other hand, the xiu mai was a bit dry by the time we got to it.

Regular menu dishes: roast duck, as well as the many variants of duck. Their Peking Duck is fine, though Peking Gourmet Inn on Route 7 is so outstanding, Mark's does not quite match theirs. A discovery there was Sautéed Chive Blossom w/Garlic Sauce. Also, for a "Duck House", the kitchen usually does an outstanding job with seafood dishes.

Service: most of the time fine, but I, too, have encountered their staff on a bad day, when I swore I would not return. Did not regret returning, though, so those were probably just bad days and not a systemic problem.

Do not expect discount chinese restaurant prices, this is not what Mark's Duck House is about. Their prices are on the higher side of the scale for Chinese family restaurants (average to $15/p for 5-person Dim Sum); but very reasonable for a gourmet Chinese place, towards which they seem to try to aim to position themselves.

Bottom line: if you only know and love a few of the Chinese dishes most often served in the USA (Orange Beef, Kung Pao, sauteed noodles, etc.), and you already have a favorite place that does your dish perfectly, Mark's Duck House can be more hit or miss. If you are more adventurous and ready to try some or many of their more exotic menu entries, you are more likely to find outstanding satisfaction from your visit.

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User Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

busy busy busy!!!!
this place is known for their peking ducks but dimsum is a must too!!! price is reasonable and food is great!
quite noisy which is typical of a chinese restaurant. just enjoy the food and you will surely be back for more!

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