Sampan Cafe

Went here with a good friend of mine today - ordered honey walnut shrimp, beef + tofu casserole, and roast pork belly. Amazing food, good service, good portions and price. I highly recommend this spot for anyone who wants authentic Cantonese food, even if the atmosphere can feel quiet at times.

A traditional Cantonese restaurant with pleasant and comfortable decor. The restaurant features several private party rooms of various sizes, which is a great touch. It's perfect for friends' gatherings or business dinnings, offering privacy and even karaoke for added fun. The food here is a feast for the senses, with an impressive presentation, aroma, and taste. There are quite a few dishes featuring high-end ingredients, which elevate the dining experience. If you're looking for a restaurant to enjoy a cozy meal with friends or colleagues, with top-notch ingredients and a prestigious atmosphere, this place is an excellent choice. --- Hope this meets your needs!

Tasty food. Large portions. Reasonable prices. One of my favorite Chinese restaurants

THE best dim sum in America! I have lived and been all over Cali, as well as TX, and I am from New England. Tried them all. What a pleasant find as I've been missing my native Canto dishes recently. Picked up their signature roast duck on the way out for tonight's dinner and can't wait to try. Service was amazing and chatted with the server and owner. They were such sweethearts- warm, friendly & great, fun energy. Looking forward to returning soon. And to the duck!:)

I was skeptical about this restaurant serving dim sum when the restaurant's name was unusual. We decided to give it a try. It was a legit dim sum or a Chinese restaurant. The dim sum may not be the best comparing other dim sum places in the NoVa, but it was good and expensive. Update: We had a big party and were able to book a private room for 22 people. It was amazing to enjoy a big family gathering and dinningexperience.

I was craving some dim sum and had heard Sampan Cafe was worth checking out. I went for an early dinner and while there was a lot of takeout, I was the only dine-in. Started with the sticky rice in lotus leaf, beef rice noodle roll, and shrimp dumplings. The sticky rice was delicious, with a piece of Chinese sausage and chunks of chicken inside. The rice roll was very tender with plenty of sauce. The filling on the shrimp dumplings were good, though the dumpling skin was a bit thick, so it ended up a little chewy. For my "main" I got the shrimp dumpling noodle soup. Broth was clean, but not much seasoning. I used some chili oil and soy sauce to give a little kick. Noodles and veggies were good. The shrimp dumplings were just kind of "eh". I'd probably go with a different topping next time. The waiter was extremely nice and even brought out an extra, smaller bowl of broth. Because I was tempted, I ordered some beef and Chinese broccoli with pan fried noodles to go. The bag was big, so I was confused at first. In a good serving technique, they fry the noodles and put them in a foil-lined container so they stay crisp. Then the beef/Chinese broccoli/sauce is in a separate, quart container. This let me dish out portions the next day with fresh, crispy noodles. Overall, I'd like to try more of the menu and will be back.

Go for traditional Chinese family style. Roast pork and snow pea leaves are on point. Coconut pecan shrimp were gone in 60. Snow peas never made it on camera.

Sampan Cafe is such a gem! I came here many times and food always delicious! They also have the best dim sum in town! Very fresh and tasty! I love this place 10/10

Sampan Café is now clearly our favorite dim sum eatery. The staff are so friendly, attentive and patient. Really about the best restaurant staff anywhere. Almost all dishes are not just good, but really tasty. On our last visit the custard egg yolk buns were spot on, a great dessert! The pork buns have a fluffy exterior and have a great just a little bit sweet pork sauce tucked inside. The ribs are really good. Same for the shrimp balls, they have a great flavor! The Chinese broccoli is certainly a healthy option. This just my own personal preference, but I like my broccoli more cooked and with less garlic. The sticky rice is an interesting tale of two cities. The sticky rice in the toasty warm banana leaf was really good. But the pork in the center was pretty musky. And yet, in the sticky rice was one li'l Chinese sausage that was really delicious! Comfortable atmosphere with plenty of tables.

Made a delivery order of 5 dishes, 4 dim sum items and 1 appetizer. Delivery took over an hour. I called after an hour and the person who answered the phone told me it was on the way and it arrived a few minutes later. The packing receipt accounted for between 15-20 minutes on delivery, so my assumption is either they are slow cooking or they messed up something and had to fix it. Despite the long wait, the food when it got to us was still borderline warm but by the time we stopped eating was borderline cool. This heavily impacted my review. SO said that the food here was authentic and they seemed to use quality ingredients. Without the long wait and with this in mind I might have given 4*. Perhaps on subsequent orders they can improve, we'll see. Person who took my phone order took food, address, phone number, credit card and tip. I have not ordered any chinese food since pre-pandemic but I've never given tip in advance. After I had to repeat my card number 3 times, I was left wondering why I didn't just order online. The food was mostly in styrofoam containers (for anything that didn't have a sauce). Even the rice was in styrofoam (PS: not sure if intentional but for this reason it was much easier to serve than any other place I've gotten delivery from; 5* on white rice if you care about that). Items that had a sauce came in the plastic reusable tubs (black plastic, not currently recyclable in Alexandria). Spring rolls came in a bag. Food came with fortune cookies (5) and soy sauce packets. No duck sauce, no hot mustard. * Fried Walnut Shrimp in Mayonnaise Sauce (commonly known as "Honey Walnut Shrimp"): Had a good mix of shrimp and veggies (mostly brocolli). It did not skimp on walnuts but also didn't have a ton of them. The sauce came seperate (in a small plastic tub) which I thought would be good but it's a very thick sauce so was not easy to mix. I give this 3* tho I would probably not get it again as delivery because of the sauce seperation (which I realize was for my own good=)). I also don't like to have to work for order in, it feels like I could have just cooked. Also didn't reheat especially well. * Chicken w/ Cashew Nut: 4.5* this had a great number of cashews, the chicken was good and there was a good ratio of veggies/mushrooms as well (the latter a surprise). * Roast Duck: 3*. This dish was the main impacted most by the delay. I tasted bursts of hoisen and wondered if this was the dish they messed up (and caused delay) because I believe Peking Duck has hoisen. SO theorized this may have been reheated. Anyway, roast duck from every chinese restaurant (dim sum and non) is fatty and boney. This was no exception (but also can make the dish great). Despite the cooling temp was still quite crispy. It came with a sauce (soy?) which I didn't use. * Beef w/ Bitter Melon: 4* (SO wanted this, agreed on rating). When we ordered it, the guy told me to hold on. SO said they might have been confirming they had bitter melon. I tried it and it was very bitter :) The beef was super good though so I'd look forward to trying another beef dish to see if that carries over. * Stir Fried Chinese Brocolli: 3.5*. I would have liked the pieces to be a bit more cut up. You can cut it obviously, but it's work and a pain to dish up if you don't. Taste/texture was there though. It was salty but like the duck I knew what I was getting in to. * Steamed Pork Dumpling (Xiu Mai): 4*. Good though got colder. I've had better in person so suspect it didn't travel well. I had a brief hit of onion/chive tho I don't think there is any. Also didn't reheat especially well. * Steamed Shrimp Dumpling: 2*. This suffered from the delay and travel I think; the noodle wrapper was fairly tough. Innards were good but could have just gotten Deep Fried Shrimp Balls for that. Also didn't reheat especially well. * Pan Fried Turnip Cake: 4*. Somehow despite the delay these were still crispy and warm with the perfect amount of "char". I've had better before; of note after the first cut into, it sort of collapsed. [Observant people will note this is just 3 dim sum not 4; I didn't eat the 4th at all so not reviewing it] * Spring Rolls: 1.5*. I don't want to put 1* because it wasn't inedible but the middle was super mushy almost like whatever they put in there was lightly mixed together with a blender. Somehow the outside was still crispy but it didn't redeem it. Overall, I'd order from there again but would order much earlier or make sure I was ready for a delay. I'd also like to try in restaurant (or carry out) and see if it's any better and the atmosphere. Given the dim sum and proximity I will but I've definitely also been to chinese resturants with better individual dishes. On a closing note, I had a menu from them pre-pandemic (back when they were doing mailers) and it's entertaining (in a sad way) to literally see inflation (everything $3+ more now, soup dumplings was nearly double the price). But that's the world we live in.

Sampan Cafe is located in the Franconia Center, and they offer an extensive menu that includes apps, soups, congee, lo mein, chow mein, beef/pork/chicken/seafood/vegetarian platters and dishes, chow foon, Hong Kong style BBQ and noodle soups, and an all-day dim sum menu. We came here for an earlier lunch, and we ordered: +Dry Stir-Fried Beef Chow Foon - this was pretty good, as it had a nice wok-fried taste and of a generous portion; don't forget to add some soy sauce and chili oil +Steamed Shrimp Dumpling - aka, har gow; the skin was a little sticky, but I liked that it came out piping hot +Zha Liang Noodle Crepe - the crepes were just okay +Beef Rice Noodle Crepe - the crepes were just okay +Chive Dumpling with Shrimp - the exterior skin was a bit too sticky and tore easily; the filling was a little lukewarm +Scallop Dumplings - the exterior skin was a bit too stick and tore easily; wasn't a fan of this filling, as it was bland and had a weird taste to it Staff were welcoming, friendly, and efficient. I was surprised at how large this place was, and could see how this place fills up on the weekends. There were locals coming in to pickup orders throughout our dining experience. Plenty of parking in the large lot. +good chow fun +friendly service +located in the Franconia Center +ample parking

Came to Sampan around 1:30pm on a Saturday afternoon. It was about half full when we arrived so we were seated right away. I think this is a relatively kid friendly spot. We had no issues getting a high chair and saw one other baby/toddler in one. My son was hangry with it being passed his lunch time and having been active/playing in the park before. Dim sum was therefore perfect because the food arrived right away--you just pick the containers off the cart. The chashabao pork buns were good. My 2 year old had 4 of them we had to order another one. I got chicken feet and beef tripe it was bringing me back! I ate those both on my own because my husband is white. Jokes aside though Everything we had was pretty good. They have soup dumplings that were juicy with good filling and dough. We also got beef tendon noodle soup. I think all the noodle soups are hong kong style. Soup arrived piping hot which is a good thing for me. The owners seem like they could be cantonese. But this is just a guess. The shrimp rice crepe pretty good as well. They have lots of different types of shrimp dumplings and balls. Where my prawn fans at?! I did not get pics of everything we ordered because i was focuses on eating while the food was still hot. Verdict is we will return.

Note: This review is based on a DoorDash delivery order from Sampan Cafe so does not address the restaurant experience, service, etc. Holy moly, some of the best dumplings I've had. I ordered the steamed roast pork buns, steamed shrimp shaomai, soup dumplings, and the salted egg yolk cream custard bun. Everything was so dang good. I overate because I literally could not stop stuffing my face with these plump lil dumplings. If you haven't had soup dumplings before, do yourself a favor and order them from here. The pork to bun ratio was perfect... a bit of pork in every bite. The Salted Egg Yolk Cream Custard bun was pure delight. I don't think I've had a more delicious sweet style bun. I could go on and on. Honestly I think I'll have to roll myself to bed from how much I ate because I'm so full but it was all so dang good.

This is our go to dim sum place. The restaurant is spacious and seating is comfortable. The dim sum is so delicious and always comes out freshly made. The wait for food might be a little long since they made the food to order. Would highly recommend if you want to find a good dim sum spot.

Came here for an early Easter dinner. It's been maybe 7 years since I last ate here. It looks like they may have gotten newer tables and chairs, and some new paint on the walls compared to when I last ate here. I will probably be another 7 years or more before I come back. So my mom and I ordered three things: 1) seafood noodles, 2) pork, and 3) snow pea vegetables. The pork came out first, and was really good. The seafood noodles took forever to come out, and the most disappointing thing is that a family who came in after us and ordered after us got their seafood noodles delivered first! Like a good 15 minutes before ours finally came out at the end. So the pork and rice is something that I can bring home, but the seafood noodles really shouldn't be because the sauce would make the noodles too soggy. Bad order for the food to come out and terrible that the other table got theirs first! The snow pea vegetables were not fresh (too hard) and the flavor was lacking. Sorry but I'll be going to Full Kee more often than this place.

I would say this is one of the better dimsum options in the dmv area, some dishes here are very well done. I grew up in Hong Kong so I probably have a higher standard for dim sum. I really liked their beef chow fun, their fried noodles with beef, and their classic dim sum like siu mai, har gao etc. The beef slices in the chow fun were perfectly tender and very well seasoned. I wasn't the biggest fan of their cheung fun, the skin is pretty thick. I also had their egg tart once, it was cold, like it came out of the fridge. The worst thing I had was their fried intestines. They tasted like they weren't cleaned well. I love organ meats especially intestines, but the taste almost made me gag, even the intestines I've had at street vendors in Hong Kong didn't taste like that and they are definitely not made in the cleanest environment. Everything else is pretty ok, the selection of dim sum is not as large as their competitors, but they taste better. We were pretty full and it was pretty cheap. I would just stay away from the intestines. It's also pretty packed and the service is kinda slow on weekends in the morning.

Chinese food in our area tends to be very expensive so anytime we order some, you know we're splurging for the day. My husband grew up in Alexandria and has fond memories of eating at Sampan Cafe after sports practices, so when I said I was craving hot & sour soup, he suggested we do a carry out from here. I called and placed an order for Chinese broccoli beef chow foon, small hot & sour soup and general tso's chicken which comes with steamed rice. The wait was for 20 minutes but the food was ready when I stopped by 15 minutes later. The food itself was flavorful but almost all was room temperature and cold, I had to warm up my soup in the microwave. Also, I think there was some miscommunication on the phone and I got wet chow foon instead of dry. I wasn't a huge fan of the wet version, it was just OK. My husband enjoyed his general tso's and I enjoyed the soup (after it was warmed up). Would love to give this place a try again!

This is a full service Chinese traditional restaurant, so don't let the cafe name fool you. The entrance has one panel see-through glass door, and see-through glass window, you can miss this place easily from the street. Sampan Cafe is a hidden gem because the food is great and close to home. We often dine here for family dinners or when we have guests. Sampan have great selection of Chinese Cantonese food which we love. We have a few favorites there, see picture. If you're sitting inside and you see people walking out from the back side, that's because Sampan have more individual rooms in the back. We went there once, we got a small room for 6 people with round table, the room is bright, clean and nice chandelier. It's awesome for private dining or party. Here are the 3 dishes we ordered recently, any leftovers mean yummy food at home.

Tons of free parking. Accepts both cash and credit card. First time coming here as others recommended checking this dim sum place out. Upon entering, there are quite a bit of dining tables here. If you come with a large party (13+), you may need to have multiple tables as they cannot accommodate larger parties at the same table. They offer the typical dim sum entrees and it comes out hot and ready in steam cart. Their dishes appears fresh and are warm enough to consume. Their fried tarp dumpling is good and crispy. Their shrimp crepe is pretty good as well. They also have lobster and fish tanks in the front so you can see them beforehand. The staff here are friendly and appears clean. They do have a huge display of their pork buns. Worth grabbing an order if you are there. They do get busy so come early if you want to beat the brunch rush.

I recommend the following dishes: bitter melon and beef, tofu bean curd, egg yolk bun, and shrimp dumplings. Service was prompt and attentive. Ambiance was fun looking at Chinese paintings and sculptures. Guest wi-fi password was a mystery and not visible on the menu so I did not request it but would have wished for it to write this review. Overall, I recommend this restaurant and look forward to bringing family and friends here.

Happy to see a dimsum menu. Scallop and shrimp shumai are highly recommended. We also had the pan fried seafood noodles, chicken with garlic, and Chinese spinach. Nothing spectacular but the service was good. It would be worthwhile just to stick with dimsum in this place.

This morning we had dim sum there. The food was great and the service was excellent. The salted egg custard bao was really bad good. The deep fried taro and chicken feet were also outstanding. Everyone there were friendly and ready to service. The price was very reasonable. One of the best dim sum i had in many years.

My younger brother and I went to check out this place that we heard highly about the dim sum. We got sat fast but unfortunately the service wasn't. When the cart arrive with all the steamed items, most of the items were semi hot. Disappointing to find out that not all items were on the a la carte menu and separate off the main menu. The restaurant itself was small and limited seatings, luckily we arrive early.

I wish you could give places .5. Sampan Cafe is a 3.5/5 for me! The staff is typically SO NICE They attend you pretty fast and really make you feel the customer experience even if you're picking up. I had wanted tea while waiting for my online order and someone gave it to me on the house honestly it was so nice since my throat felt a little sore. The food its self was pretty good i loved their shrimp dumplings, the soup dumpling wasn't too good due to the texture of the filling. I like my filling a little less paste and more texture. This was more of a blended paste filling and the soup spilled out. I don't recommend the crab rangoon they lacked flavor and personally i like when they're folded in petals and not triangles. The restaurant is very clean inside and well decorated.

we wanted to skip the crowds on lunar new years, and sampan cafe alexandria came highly recommended by my younger sibling. very uncomplicated good food, especially during a time where dim sum spots in va are declining or experiencing price inflation. this was probably the most affordable, and the quality was excellent -- almost everything was cooked perfectly. leftovers tasted super good in the air fryer too.

Combination fry rice is too bad I have never ate before something like this may be they have brand new chefs

Pretty solid dim sum. Came with a large group and they were able to accommodate easily. They have carts, but we ended ordering from the waitress and everything came out hot. Except the baked char siu bao which they get from a cabinet on the counter. It was cold and not too pleasant; not to mention it was mostly bread and little meat. Also ordered beef chow foon and that was excellent. They have a pretty good selection of dim sum items and service was good. I've never had my water filled so many times, kudos to the staff.

I came here for dim sum on a Sunday morning. There were not many people and it was very easy to get seated. We ordered on a paper menu where you write in how many items you would like. The shrimp dumplings were good but the dumpling wrapper was a little too thick. Same for the shrimp rice noodle crepe, the noodle was a little too thick. The spare ribs were tasty and had a large portion. The egg buns were hot and had a very runny egg yolk. The taro dumplings were not good because they were served cold. Everything was served very hot which made it taste good but the taro dumplings were an exception. I would recommend coming here for dim sum if you are in the area. However, I do not think it is worth the drive if you are not near. There is better or just as good dim sum elsewhere.

Authentic Chinese dimsun. The house fried noodles is huge and delicious. The waiter may not speak English but they are so attentive! We ate at four and had the entire restaurant to ourselves.

I've been here a lot, so I feel like I know the whole menu pretty well now. Whether it's good or bad really depends on what dishes you get. Chow foon and pan fried noodles - Amazing! Chow foon always has that special wok fried taste (wok hei). And the pan fried noodles are always perfectly crispy with a flavorful saucey topping that they package separate from the noodles in takeout, which keeps the noodles from getting soggy. My favorite is the seafood pan fried noodles, which has all kinds of veggies with fish, shrimps, scallops, and squid. It might be my favorite noodle dish to get anywhere, ever. On the other hand, the dim sum items are completely unremarkable tasting and come in tiny portions. Since there are so many wonderful dim sum places in nearby Falls Church, I wouldn't bother coming here for any of it. Buns, ha cao, shu mai, noodle crepes, turnip cakes, dumplings, etc just pass on those here. Somewhere in the middle of the pack are the Hong Kong dishes and noodle soups. Not bad but not amazing either. They'll hit the spot if you're craving Cantonese food, but you don't need to make a special trip to try them either. Overall, they've got a loyal customer in me, and I'd recommend them. But it depends on what dishes you're looking for.

Very friendly staff, the soup dumplings & congee were good. I tried a few more dim sum. Great spot for lunch. Clientele shows this is an authentic place. I'd go again. Recommended.

Authentic Chinese cuisine! Great service! Delicious dim sum, my favorite, nice to gather with friends and family.

Wanted to like this place, but it was just bad dim sum food regret. First hint, no Asian family groups lining up. Second hint, place was never crowded during prime dim sum hours. Tiny amount of filling in the fried sesame balls. DH spied a manufacturer stamp on the previously frozen shrimp dumpling wrapper. Good job on making it not taste too freezer burnt. Other items that the wait staff claimed were fresh turned out to be room temp without a hint of warmth. We'll stick to tried-and-true Hot Peppercorn, Hong Kong Pearl and Vinh Kee.

At first glance, it would be easy to overlook Sampan Cafe. Situated in a strip mall about 3 miles from the Franconia Springfield Metro station, walking in is like being transported to a 1980's themed Chinese restaurant with large wooden tables, Asian themed artwork on the walls, and the requisite fish tanks filled with fresh to order available seafood. One of my co-workers who is of Polynesian descent told me about this place, and specifically, how he and his family have been patronizing Sampan for years. Unlike at most "traditional" dim sum places, there are no carts being pushed from table to table offering their wares, but customers order from a sheet. I actually prefer this method, since I know my food is always freshly prepared. Also bonus that because the dim sum is always freshly prepared, it's available all the time, and not just at lunch...at least that's been my experience so far. On a few occasions, I've gotten the tried and true dim sum dishes like har gow shrimp dumplings, shu mai, the black bean spareribs, steamed beef ball, shrimp rice crepes, char siu bao, and (my all time favorite) pork bean curd roll. And I think of all the dim sum places in NOVA, I have to say Sampan is right up there. The rice flour wrapper on the dumplings is thin without being gummy and does an excellent job of containing the various meat fillings. The char siu bao has a nice fluffy exterior with a sweet/salty meat filling, and the portion sizes are good. Nowadays, you're paying $4.50-$5.00 for typical dim sum dishes, and the sizes of the dumplings keep getting smaller and smaller. Not here...and I'm thankful for that. I detract one star since the hot chili sauce is not homemade. Not that I use a lot of chili sauce, but I think having house made hot chili oil mixed with soy sauce to lightly dip the food, is an essential part of the dim sum experience. The bright red chili sauce on the table is more pickled chili flakes than hot chili oil. It's fine though. Ask for some freshly chopped firecracker Thai chili peppers on the side, mix in with the red chili sauce, and it's also a tasty accompaniment. Some of the other Cantonese style dishes I've gotten are also hit and miss. The wonton noodle soup was just okay. The wonton dumplings themselves were nice and plump with pork/shrimp filling, but the soup stock was too salty and tasted like it was broth from a can. Some of the roasted meats were also "meh". My dining party ordered a pound of the char siu and roasted duck and both dishes tasted a bit old and under seasoned. So my advice: stick with the dim sum. In all honesty, Sampan Cafe serves up some of the best dim sum in NOVA, but at a restaurant most people have never heard of. Typically places in the Seven Corners area like Hong Kong Seafood Pearl, Mark's Duck House, or Vinh Kee get all the notoriety people think of Dim Sum. However, don't overlook this hidden gem.

Sampan Cafe has been around since I was a little kid and has been a local favorite for years. Just recently, they have renovated and added new dinner rooms which you can reserve and book for your friends and family (they also offer karaoke). I've always been a fan of the food, but I tried some dishes I've never had before, specifically the Hong Kong style dishes. I fell in love with the salted-egg crab. Crabs fried and coated in savory egg flavor. I also loved their Fried egg tofu which are slices of tofu wrapped in egg. As you can see, I really love eggs! I hope Sampan Cafe stays open for many more years to come :)

I didn't know this place existed until recently. My friends and I checked out their karaoke party rooms and it was legit! This was the best Hong Kong style dishes I've had in the area. My favorites of the night were the Caramelized Beef, House-special fried rice, and the Jumbo shrimp with walnut & mayo sauce. The flavor profile and quality was way better than your average Chinese carry out. I also found out the owner has owned several different restaurants over two decades so it makes sense why the food is so good. Oh and they also have random Chinese robots hovering around the restaurant which was pretty cool. Looking for some solid HK cuisine and karaoke in Virginia? Head to Sampan Cafe.

This is an authentic Cantonese restaurant with reasonably prices. Most customers are regulars from Asia. Good food but not a fancy place.

Came here for dinner, there were 4 families dining and we were spread out, this place is kinda small so spreading out would not be feasible if there were more than 6 groups. The waiters were attentive, our water was refilled constantly. We ordered stuff from the regular menu and some dim sum on a different menu. Sweet and sour chicken - 3/5 Wish they didn't dump all the red sauce on top. It was great and crunchy the moment it came out but once it started to cook down the soggyness kicked it and ruined the dish. Wonton soup - 3/5 Very bland, it had that wonton hint of flavor to it but then it was very bland. Beef soup - 1/5 Meh, I didn't care for this one. Again, bland like your eating porridge. Its suppose to have that asparagus soup but it is made with beef which was nasty. Beef chow fun - 3/5 Again, bland. Everything was cooked right but it had no flavor. Mixed vegetables - 3/5 Just vegetables sauteed in oyster sauce, nothing special. Steamed buns - 5/5 These were the best thing out of all the good we ordered. Buns were nice and steamy with the red cha shu pork filling. Turnip cake - 4/5 Good but bland. Ha Caw and Shumai - 4/5 Can't really mess these up. Crispy Pork - 3/5 Meh I didn't see much of the crispy skin. It was ok, I can do better at home with my air fryer. Crab balls - 4/5 We were too full to try, just took them home for later but these don't come in pairs, you would need to order them by singles. Overall they are just alright.

A good second choice for dim sum (usually go to Hong Kong Pearl). Also a plus that dim sum is served all day every day! I also have enjoyed their other dishes outside of dim sum. Some favorites are shumai, turnip cake, sticky rice, mayo walnut shrimp, and other noodle dishes! The staff is super attentive and friendly :-)

Terrible experience. I've been in the service/restaurant industry +15 years so I tend to let things slide easily because I understand sometimes there is nothing a restaurant or the staff can do to accommodate but I was highly disappointed in this restaurant & how their staff (host and manager) handled our situation. We booked a reservation 3 weeks prior for NYE evening and specifically asked the host if they had a cover that night and the host said No. The day of the reservation we called because we were running 5 min behind and the host asked us if we were aware of the set menu- I answered no and that's where it started. We were not aware of a set menu, she assured us I received texts and calls to let me know if this but I never received a single text OR call. She also said they tried leaving a voicemail but apparently my voicemail was full- that was a lie, I called my phone and I was able to leave a voicemail. I then spoke to the manager who was unaware I had a situation until I had to explain everything to him all over again and his response was cold and indifferent. "So what happens now? I have my family here from out of town and this was supposed to be our NYE dinner. What do I do?" "Not sure what to tell you." He even got snippy with me after I tried explaining what happened. Like if my situation was of an inconvenience to him. No responsibility or even a sincere apology for their lack of information. Very disappointed.

I was craving some dim sum and had heard Sampan Cafe was worth checking out. I went for an early dinner and while there was a lot of takeout, I was the only dine-in. Started with the sticky rice in lotus leaf, beef rice noodle roll, and shrimp dumplings. The sticky rice was delicious, with a piece of Chinese sausage and chunks of chicken inside. The rice roll was very tender with plenty of sauce. The filling on the shrimp dumplings were good, though the dumpling skin was a bit thick, so it ended up a little chewy. For my "main" I got the shrimp dumpling noodle soup. Broth was clean, but not much seasoning. I used some chili oil and soy sauce to give a little kick. Noodles and veggies were good. The shrimp dumplings were just kind of "eh". I'd probably go with a different topping next time. The waiter was extremely nice and even brought out an extra, smaller bowl of broth. Because I was tempted, I ordered some beef and Chinese broccoli with pan fried noodles to go. The bag was big, so I was confused at first. In a good serving technique, they fry the noodles and put them in a foil-lined container so they stay crisp. Then the beef/Chinese broccoli/sauce is in a separate, quart container. This let me dish out portions the next day with fresh, crispy noodles. Overall, I'd like to try more of the menu and will be back.

Dim sum review! No lineup when I I came here on a Sunday just after the 11AM opening. I had a party of 2, was taken to a private room in the back (!!). It felt initially awkward however there were other diners also seated in the private rooms so the wait staff were very good about circulating through regularly. I imagine this is done because most of the main dining room tables are enormous, for large families, so smaller parties probably get placed in the little back rooms first in order to accommodate for any large families that arrive later. This place does all-day dim sum, with cart service on weekends only. However you always order from a menu, and if the food isn't available for the wait staff to pick off of the cart, the dish is prepared fresh for you. Most dim sum items are between $5-6. *Steamed shrimp dumpling (ha cau): Not the best ha cau I've had. The dough was a little too much on the hard / firm side so it tasted not as fresh as I would like. Wasn't terrible though. *Steamed pork dumpling (xiu mai): These aren't bad! Really generous portion size, and the pork meat was seasoned just right. *Steamed spare ribs with black bean sauce: This place does a decent job with the spare ribs. They're well seasoned here with an appropriate temperature and they taste just vibrant enough, not heavy / oily / overbearing. *Shrimp rice noodle crepe: The shrimp are large and the dough tastes fresh and vibrant. A couple complaints though: the dough texture falls apart too easily and becomes mushy when you try to lift it with chopsticks. Also the sauce they pour on top is a tad sweet for my taste. *Chive dumpling with shrimp: Yum! These are deep fried and loaded with chives. Tasted very fresh. Service was a little blunt as expected for Chinese restaurants in the US but I still felt like they were being friendly and our waiter was really helpful. Even though the restaurant looked a little on the old side, it wasn't "dirty" or "smelly". The dim sum is not the best but hey it's the DMV, I feel like just about all other big cities in the US with sizeable Asian populations (W coast, NE, etc) do a better job. Mostly based on location & efficiency, I would come back to Sampan Cafe for dim sum.

This is my fave dim sum place in the area. I was surprised it wasn't busier but it seemed like they had a lot of takeout orders. The dishes are made to order (not pushed around on a cart) so the dishes are nice and hot when they get to the table. We ordered: - steamed roast pork bun: the meat had good flavor and the bun was nice and fluffy - ha cao: was good, the wrapper was a little thick and I prefer it a little more delicate but still good! Xiu Mai: my favorite dish! The pork was juicy and had good flavor -steamed chicken feet with black bean sauce: this dish was ok, the sauce could have been a little more flavorful - pan fried turnip cake: this was good, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside - shrimp rice noodle crepe: this was good! Nice sized shrimps and delegate wrapper - soup dumplings: I liked them! The soup was good. I think the meat could have been seasoned a bit more but my boyfriend really liked them Would love to come back for dim sum again or to try other items on the menu

Service can be slow but the food is good, traditional Chinese food my family has enjoyed coming to. Definitely recommend for authentic experience

I decided to try this restaurant because I had a craving for Singapore rice noodles and dumplings. I showed the employee that took my order a picture of what I saw on yelp from their page but my food looked nothing like what I saw. They just dumped a bunch of bland, no flavor noodles with maybe 2 pieces of shrimp. When I checked my order prior to leaving the restaurant, I showed it to the same employee that took my order and he was very dismissive and kind of rude about it. Despite it not looking how I expected it to look, I gave it a try and after two bites, I threw it all straight in the garbage. NEVER AGAIN.

I was skeptical about this restaurant serving dim sum when the restaurant's name was unusual. We decided to give it a try. It was legit dim sum or Chinese restaurant. The dim sum may not be the best comparing other dim sum places in the NoVa, but is was good and expensive.

Nice smaller Dim Sum restaurant that frequents by those in the know. Get there early when they open on the weekends for no wait, and carts of food comes around for your selections as they come out of the kitchen. You can also order favorite dishes. Makes a nice Sunday outing every time.

Terrible service I really love the dim sum and egg tarts here and today I decided to have lunch with my boyfriend here. But when I arrivedthere , I saw that it was crowded, so I ordered it for to go. A man he look like a manager walked in and acted like I was asking the food for free , speaks and acts rudely. I won't go back there again. Even how much I like food don't treat custormer like this again !!!!

Weekday Dimsum!!! Don't wait for the weekend. Just brought my dad here. Great food, clean, and nice staff. Not sure why the overall rating is lower. Food is 5 stars! We last visited almost two years ago but happy to try their dimsum again. During the weekday you order it off the menu rather than from a cart. The normal menu is still available. We just finished all the food!

Many years ago, Sampan was in Washington DC off of Pennsylvania Ave. I loved it. U saw this one in VA and thought it was like it. No! I will never go here again. I didn't like anything I purchased. I tasted it and put it in the trash. It was that bad. I am writing this post for myself to remind me never to go to this place ever again!!!

Very delicious dim sum! They have dim sum all day and everyday. The food is very consistent and the service is okay, better than most Chinese restaurants. They have private room in the back that is very ideal for birthdays event or any special event. It's very new and pretty!! Every dim sum dish here is super delicious, some dishes that I always get are the pork shiu mai, shrimp crepe, chicken feet in black bean sauce, pork rib in black bean sauce, beef tripes, fried shrimp balls, and pork bun. (Do not recommend the shark fin dim sum) Overall, very decent dim sum and the price is very reasonable! Definitely check it out if you're craving for dim sum!

The temperature in the restaurant was extremely hot. Food took over 45 minutes to come out. My cup of tea had hair inside of it. The main course came out before any of the appetizers. That When my friend picked up the bill the waitress came back and said the tip wasn't enough and forced my friend to tip more. Would not recommend.

First visit for Sunday Dim Sum and impression is GREAT! I am really puzzled with 3,5** rating on this side. Our experience was definitely a 5** one. The taste of the food was on the level of New York City/Flushing NY best dim sum places. The variety of dishes was quite wide, but unfortunately we were not heading straight home and couldn't have a lot of leftovers carry out as we usually have so aimed for 7 favorite dishes and all of them were tasting wonderful. The service was VERY nice and helpful, and the prices also very reasonable. The place is clean and tastefully decorated in Chinese cultural motives. We can't wait till our next trip to the area to taste some more of the yummy dishes they cook.

I love Dim Sum and have been coming to Sampan over years. However, the service and food quality seems to gone down each time i go. The dim sum is Not always hot and fresh because the amount of customers they get. Sometimes, i feel like the dim sum were left over from the previous day because i can tell they have been reheated. It has gotten me pretty disappointed when i crave for a good dim sum weekend.

The food is great! This is like a hidden gem, ever since 1st visit in Jan, I have been here every other week.... everything has been AWESOME Party room offers Secret menu, accommodate your needs! the food is very tasty, freshly cooked! authentic flavor with great portion and reasonably price! The party room is pretty big, can easily fit upto 15-16ppl I think. Service is always great, great solid place for family and friend gathering :))) highly recommended

Yesss! Everything was so so so good. We ordered the pan fried dumplings, crispy beef, and congee with sliced beef. Pan fried dumplings: They were huge and made freshly in house. The dough was so fresh and chewy as opposed to the thin slimy kinds you get when they are frozen. These were great and I highly recommend them. Congee: my stomach was kind of hurting so I just wanted a simple warm soup and that's what I got. Like a traditional congee, it is simple with no seasoning other than fresh strands of ginger. Top it off with a bit of chili oil and it's perfect. Crispy beef: the crispy beef which my hubby got was delicious. It was a real cut of beef, not the super processed thin slices of whatever that you find in other places. The meat was super tender just like the sliced beef in the congee. Everything tasted like it was made fresh with high quality ingredients and minimal grease/oil. Our server was also excellent. She was very polite, helpful and welcoming. We will absolutely be back to bring our whole family.

Recommend dish: Pan Fry Taro Dim Sum and Walnut Shrimp It's okay at best. Heard so many things about this store such as "robot serving dim sum" and "dim sum cart service on the weekends" all were lies. We brought it up with the waiter and he said yeah they don't do those things anymore and the owner refuse to take those false advertising off the local newspaper. Quality: 3/5 (overall the dim sum was decent. I wouldn't say anything was special about it. We were served cold fried taro dim sum dish but I believe it would have been good if it was hotter) The best dish to try here is the Pan Fried Taro Dim Sum dish and the Walnut Shrimp. Atmosphere: 3/5 Verdict: because the environment was not that clean. Ran out of hand soap and some tables are too close to one another. Service: 4/5 Verdict: Friendly waitress and waiter here. Took care of all our family needs in a timely manner and was attentive throughout.

Nestled between a 7-11 and a dance studio, Sampan Cafe is a hidden gem. My husband and I came here for the dim sum - actually more accurately *I* did and he wanted his usual Beef and Broccoli. The entree came out first and it was huge enough to share before the dim sum made it out. We got shrimp crepes, pork dumplings, sesame balls, and soup dumplings. All were so delicious and filled my craving while the soup dumplings were my husbands favorite. I would definitely come again to try more of their items on the dim sum menu but remember: if you're coming for that, just ask for that menu because it's not on the main one!