Dish’s foodie spys tell him that Taste of China, which recently opened in the Albemarle Square Shopping Center, is the real deal. Apparently, a very itinerant but renowned Szechuan chef named Peter Chang is currently biding his time there until his next big gig. Indeed, fans of Chang have been stalking him from place to place for years, and trying to learn about his whereabouts since he left the Hong Kong House in Knoxville, Tennessee. He specializes in “boldly seasoned” Northern Szechuan cuisine.

A call to Taste of China confirmed that Chang is indeed the chef, but a considerable language barrier prevented us from gleaning much more. This is good news for authentic Chinese food fans, while it lasts. In China, Chang apparently cooked for president Hu Jintao, and in 2000 he became the chef at the Chinese Embassy. He eventually began cooking at DC and Northern Virginia area restaurants and was quickly discover by folks like Tom Sietsema at the Washington Post.