"Much has been written about suburban Richmond's many Chinese destination restaurants, often heralded as among the best outside of China. But Bao Bei—a crowded, loud hipster haven in Chinatown—doesn’t even pretend to be traditional. Try the beef tartare with burnt scallion oil and taro chips, or the Shao Bing, an Asian sandwich with cumin-flavored lamb sirloin on sesame flatbread. Don't miss the dumplings, either. In all, it's good fun and good food in a great setting. The restaurant now takes reservations through OpenTable, but if you decide to come here on the fly and face a wait, check in with the host and grab a cocktail a few doors down at Keefer Bar, a local favorite." - Guy Saddy, Nicole Schnitzler
Christopher Flett/Courtesy Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie