Vinh Kee is just off Arlington Boulevard a mile north of the Beltway. Vinh kee bright and cheerful, with tanks of fish, lobsters, and Dungeness crabs near the entryway. Hanging next to the pass-through that seperates the kitchen from the dinning area in each establishment are bronzed roast ducks, soy sauce chickens, sides of whole roast pig, and roast-pork filets (collectively referred to as Chinese barbecue.) These preparation are available both as appetizers and as toppings for the bowls of soup that come with dumplings, wontons, and noodles. Many lunch patrons content themselves with, say, a bowl of soup with shrimp dumplings and noodles, plus a quarter of a chicken or duck or a chunk of pig or roast pork on the side- a satisfying meal that costs around $10 dollar.
