First place:

Peter Chang

2816 W. Broad St.
728-1820
11424 W. Broad St.
364-1688
peterchangrestaurant.com

Second place: Mekong Restaurant
Third place: Fat Dragon Chinese Kitchen and Bar
Honorable mention: Beijing on Grove

It’s no wonder Richmonders gleefully embraced the high-quality Sichuan cuisine conceived by Peter Chang, the former Chinese embassy chef, when the first local outpost opened its doors. When quarantine hit, about the only thing that changed at Peter Chang was where eager eaters consumed their hot and numbing, spicy food. In fact, the restaurants have seen absolutely no drop in their numbers, just that every order is boxed to go.

“Our food is so unique that there’s not much in Richmond where customers can go to get this style food,” says Ian Cross, who calls himself a to-go packer.

The management remains committed to keeping staff and customers safe, so the two local outposts currently have no plans to reopen. The front door is kept open for air circulation and pickup surfaces are sanitized frequently, with weekday hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and noon to 9:30 p.m. on weekends.

“We adapted quickly and well,” Cross says. “Now we’re just going to keep this train running.”