This used to be your classic American-Chinese food restaurant with the typical sesame chicken, orange chicken, and beef and broccoli menu items. Last year the restaurant had a complete revamp, and now offers many authentic dishes in a more spacious and chic setting.
While still serving many of its western-style Chinese dishes, the restaurant also serves Taiwanese beef noodle soup, pork belly with garlic sprouts, and various Sichuan seafood dishes. For my recent visit I ordered a Shanghainese appetizer, Four Happiness Bean Curd (四喜烤麸). This dish includes bean curd, black fungus, lotus seeds, and bamboo shoots in a slightly sweet sauce. For the main dish I ordered the whole Sichuan fish in a spicy broth with vegetables, tofu and mushrooms.
This restaurant has moved significantly up my rankings since refurbishing last year. The increasing number of good authentic dishes on the menu is the greatest improvement. Overall, I would give TNR Cafe a tasty/authenticity score of 7.8.
Washington D.C. Asian Food 