1983
Founded by Mo and Li Chan
Chinatown began as a family-owned Chinese restaurant and quickly became a trusted local favorite in Winchester.
About Chinatown
家庭传统 厨师故事 精心选材
The family story behind Chinatown in Winchester.
Chinatown Restaurant strives to create a dynamic dining experience, bringing authentic Asian cuisine into a casual, contemporary setting with a strong emphasis on superior customer care.
What started in 1983 as a Chinese restaurant grew into a broader multi-Asian menu when Ming Chan returned to the family business in 1996, carrying the restaurant forward while staying grounded in the family's roots.
Chef & owner
Ming Chan
A Virginia Tech graduate and longtime steward of the family business, Ming has spent decades improving family recipes and creating new ones with a perfectionist's eye for detail.
Our story
A family restaurant that grew with Winchester.
1996
Ming Chan returns
After graduating from Virginia Tech, Ming Chan came back to the family business and expanded the menu to include Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and Japanese specialties, along with a full sushi bar.
Today
43 years and counting.
The restaurant continues to balance family recipes, fresh ingredients, generous portions, and attentive service in a casual contemporary setting.
Signature dishes
Some plates became part of the restaurant's identity.
These are dishes that help define Chinatown for returning guests and first-time visitors alike.
Steak Chinese StyleSichuan Udon NoodlesSeafood ImperialCrispy YummyGreen Curry
Community connection
Chinatown has long grown alongside the local community.
Chinatown has always been shaped by the people around it. Through family-owned businesses, shared meals, celebrations, and everyday community life, it has remained a place where history, culture, and belonging come together. As the neighborhood continues to evolve, Chinatown carries forward the stories of those who came before while making room for the next generation.
Interview
Video
From the archive
Community spotlight
A restaurant story that reached beyond the dining room
The Winchester Star featured Ming Chan as one of six local chefs creating a benefit dinner for the Free Medical Clinic, showing Chinatown's place in Winchester's wider community story.
Early years
Family history worth preserving alongside the menu
This is where the Chinatown story began. Founders Mo and Li Chan are pictured here at the grand opening of their first restaurant, a moment that marked the beginning of a family legacy still carried forward today. These early photographs preserve the people, memories, and beginnings that shaped the restaurant guests know and love.