131 editor-picked chinese restaurants across 48 cities.
Chinese cuisine is not one cuisine. The conventional Chinese categorization (the 'Eight Great Cuisines', or Ba Da Caixi) recognizes Cantonese (Yue), Sichuan (Chuan), Shandong (Lu), Jiangsu (Huaiyang and Su), Zhejiang (Zhe), Fujian (Min), Hunan (Xiang), and Anhui (Hui) as the eight major regional traditions, with at least another dozen significant minor traditions (Beijing, Shanghai, Yunnan, Xinjiang, Northeast/Dongbei, Hakka, Chaozhou). Each has its own ingredients, techniques, and ethos. The phrase 'Chinese food' covers more variation than 'European food'.
What unifies the traditions is a few core principles: the ying-yang balance of fan (grain-based staples like rice, noodles, mantou) and cai (the dishes that accompany the grain), the value of texture as a discrete sensory category (mouth-feel words like 'crispy', 'springy', 'gelatinous' are central to evaluation), and the central role of stir-frying, steaming, and clay-pot braising as the three dominant cooking methods. Knife technique, wok control, and seasoning balance are evaluated as separate skills.
Chinese food outside China is mostly a regional translation: Cantonese in the historic emigrant cities (San Francisco, Vancouver, London, Sydney), Chuan in newer waves of expat restaurants (Chengdu chefs cooking in New York and Tokyo), and an enormous adapted-Chinese category (American Chinese, British-Chinese, Indonesian-Chinese, Filipino-Chinese, Peruvian chifa) that descends from emigrant cooking. None of these is wrong; they are their own traditions, and they exist in addition to authentic regional Chinese.
The most refined of the eight. Light seasoning, fresh seafood, dim sum, roast meats (siu mei), wok-fired stir-fries. The motto is 'preserve the original taste of the ingredient'. Cantonese is also the most exported tradition; most overseas Chinese restaurants outside the modern wave are Cantonese in lineage.
Heat, numbing, fermentation. Mala (the numbing-spicy combination of dried chile and Sichuan peppercorn), doubanjiang (broad bean paste), and the deep flavors of sliced pickles. Dry-fry technique (gan bian), red-oil dipping sauces. Mapo doufu, kung pao chicken, twice-cooked pork, dan dan noodles.
The oldest of the eight. Salty, savory, seafood-rich, with deep stock work (the qing tang clear-broth technique is Shandong's). Heavily influenced Beijing imperial cuisine. Sweet-and-sour carp, sea cucumber with scallion, scallion oil noodles.
The most refined knife-work tradition. Multi-day stews, precise vegetable cutting (lion's-head meatballs, knife-cut tofu), freshwater fish, and the soup-dumpling (xiaolongbao) tradition. Generally lighter and less spicy than southern or western traditions.
Sichuan's neighbor and the only other tradition that rivals it for heat, but with fresh chile (not dried) and no peppercorn numbing. Smoked, cured, and pickled flavors. Mao's hometown cooking. Chairman Mao's red-braised pork is Hunanese.
Wheat, sour cabbage, hearty stews, dumplings, deeply Russian and Korean influenced. Guo bao rou (sweet-and-sour pork), zhajiangmian (fried-sauce noodles), the di san xian (three earthly delicacies). Cold-weather cooking.
Order family-style with one or two more dishes than diners (a group of four orders five or six dishes). Balance: one cold dish, one stir-fry, one braise, one steamed, one soup, one vegetable. Always include rice (it is the fan, the staple); the dishes are cai, the accompaniments. Lazy Susans are common at round tables; the host spins toward the guest of honor. Chopsticks rest on the rest, not on the bowl, and never standing in rice. Tea is poured by the youngest at the table for elders; tap the table with two fingers to thank the pourer. The bill at the end is contested as a status game; the host pays. The rookie mistakes are ordering one dish per person (Chinese meals are shared), drowning food in soy sauce (the seasoning is in the dish), and confusing dim sum for dinner (it is a brunch).
Tea is the universal pair: pu'er, oolong, jasmine, longjing for Cantonese; chrysanthemum or pu'er for dim sum; bo lei or shou pu'er for the heavy oils of Chuan. Baijiu (the clear Chinese sorghum spirit, often 40 to 60% ABV) is the toasting alcohol at formal banquets; ganbei (bottoms up) is the call. Beer (Tsingtao, Snow, Yanjing) is the casual pair, especially with hot pot and grilled food. Yellow wine (huangjiu, Shaoxing) goes with Huaiyang and Cantonese braises. Modern Chinese fine dining has begun to pair with French wine and Champagne.
China itself is the gold standard: Hong Kong for Cantonese at the highest level (Lung King Heen, Forum), Chengdu and Chongqing for Sichuan, Beijing for the imperial-style and Peking duck, Shanghai for Huaiyang and the soup-dumpling tradition, Xi'an for Shaanxi noodles and lamb, Yunnan's Kunming for the southwestern minority cuisines. Outside China, San Francisco, Vancouver, Singapore, Sydney, and Penang lead the Cantonese diaspora. New York's Flushing is the most concentrated regional-Chinese cluster outside Asia. London's Chinatown is mostly Cantonese; the newer wave of Chuan and Hunan restaurants sits north of Chinatown.
Chinese culinary culture predates 6000 BCE in the form of fermented foods and grain processing. The eight-cuisine codification dates from the Qing dynasty (17th-19th century), based on imperial court taxonomies. Modern Chinese cuisine is the product of 20th-century population movement, the 1950s state-canteen era, and post-1980 reforms that revived regional traditions. The Cultural Revolution suppressed some lineages, but most were rebuilt by 1990. UNESCO listed several Chinese culinary traditions (Lu, Min, Yangzhou) on its national lists; the cuisine remains uninscribed at the unified level.
It is descended from Cantonese (specifically Taishan) immigrant cooking adapted to American ingredients and tastes from the 1850s onward. General Tso's chicken, chop suey, crab rangoon, and fortune cookies are Chinese-American inventions, not Chinese. It is an authentic tradition in its own right, just not the same as cooking in China.
Probably the seasoning grammar. Cantonese tries to preserve the ingredient; Sichuan transforms it with mala and ferment; Shandong builds with deep stock; Huaiyang uses extreme knife-work and freshness; Hunan uses fresh chile and smoke. They share rice and chopsticks; almost everything else varies.
No. Monosodium glutamate is the sodium salt of an amino acid found naturally in tomatoes, cheese, mushrooms, and dashi. The 'Chinese Restaurant Syndrome' claim of the 1960s was scientifically debunked; the FDA classifies MSG as generally recognized as safe. The anti-MSG narrative was largely a xenophobic moment, and modern food science has rehabilitated it.
Jinweide opened December 2024 in De Pijp, the Amsterdam room for Northwest Chinese hand-pulled noodles, the chef pulling the dough in the open kitchen.
Signature: Hand-pulled noodles, Lamb soup noodles, Beef tendon
Order: Hand-pulled noodles in lamb broth; ask for medium thickness.
Tip: Walk-in usually fine on weekdays. Sundays book up fast Booking recommended for weekends.
Peijie on Zeedijk is Amsterdam Chinatown's Chongqing hotpot room, the broth red with chilli oil and sichuan peppercorn, with raw platters carried to your.
Signature: Chongqing hotpot, Lamb skewers
Order: Half-spicy mandarin pot with sliced lamb, lotus root and beef tendon for the table.
Tip: Order the mid-heat unless you mean it. Book ahead Friday and Saturday.
Tarim is Amsterdam's halal Uyghur room on Aalsmeerweg in Zuid, hand-pulled laghman noodles, cumin-rubbed lamb skewers, dishes carried out of Xinjiang via.
Signature: Hand-pulled laghman noodles, Lamb skewers, Polo rice
Order: Laghman noodles with lamb, then a plate of cumin skewers to share.
Tip: Halal-certified; alcohol-free. Walk-ins fine on weekdays, book Friday and Saturday.
LanZhou Ramen on Atlanta's Buford Highway hand-pulls noodles to order: classic Lanzhou beef noodle soup, knife-cut variations, Michelin recognition.
Try: Hand-pulled noodles in beef broth
Tip: Watch the noodle-puller through the window. Order the classic Lanzhou beef noodle soup; it's why the line exists.
Eden Noodles at 105 Dominion Road in Mount Eden, Auckland is the city's queue-on-the-pavement dumpling shop. Hand-pulled noodles, xiao long bao on hand.
Try: Hand-pulled noodles and dumplings
Eden Noodles at 105 Dominion Road in Mount Eden, Auckland runs hand-pulled noodles and dumplings under NZD $18. Queue-on-pavement reliability, daily.
Try: Hand-pulled noodles and xiao long bao
Lin Asian Bar in Austin is Ling Qi Wu's dim sum and Chinese kitchen on West 6th, a bright room with an open kitchen and Sunday dim-sum brunch carts.
Signature: Xiaolongbao, Wagyu dumplings, Pan-fried buns
Order: The xiaolongbao and the pan-fried beef buns; the dough is rolled in front of you.
Tip: The dim sum cart only runs Sunday brunch; lunch service Monday to Saturday is a la carte off the same kitchen.
Lin Asian Bar in Austin is Ling Qi Wu's dim sum and Chinese kitchen on West 6th, a bright counter room with an open kitchen and Sunday brunch dim-sum carts.
Signature: Xiaolongbao, Wagyu dumplings, Pan-fried buns
Order: The xiaolongbao and pan-fried beef buns; dough rolled in front of you at the counter.
Tip: Sunday brunch is the only dim-sum-cart service; book a week out for the 11am seating window.
Nai Ek in Bangkok's Yaowarat has cooked rolled-rice-noodle kuay jab in peppery pork-offal broth until midnight since 1960, the late-night canonical Chinatown.
Try: Kuay jab Yaowarat in pork broth
Tip: Open 08:00 to midnight daily, cash only. Order with extra crispy pork belly; the pork offal bowl is also the local pick.
Nai Ek in Bangkok's Yaowarat has cooked Bib Gourmand kuay jab in peppery pork-offal broth since 1960, bowls with crispy pork belly all under 120 baht.
Try: Kuay jab Yaowarat in pork broth
Tip: Open 08:00 to midnight, cash only. Closed for Chinese New Year. Queue from 11:00 onwards on weekdays.
Michelin Bib Gourmand 2025. UC Berkeley institution: Peking duck, Double Skin noodle salad, hand-made dumplings and an award-winning wine list.
Long March Canteen on Berlin's Wrangelstrasse cooks the city's reference dim sum with hand-folded dumplings from an open kitchen; the bar runs natural wine.
Signature: Dim sum platter, Mapo tofu
Order: The dim sum platter for two, the mapo tofu, and the steamed-fish special of the night.
Tip: No reservations. Arrive before 19:00 weekdays or wait 45 minutes at the bar.
Long March Canteen in Berlin Kreuzberg is the city's dim-sum reference, with hand-folded dumplings from an open kitchen and a long bar pouring tsingtao.
Signature: Dim sum platter, Mapo tofu
Order: The dim sum platter for two, mapo tofu, and the steamed-fish special of the night.
Tip: No reservations. Arrive before 19:00 on weekdays or expect a 45-minute wait at the bar.
Irene Li's Mei Mei Dumplings runs the dumpling factory and cafe in South Boston since 2012. Order the lemongrass pork dumplings, the signature filling.
Signature: Lemongrass pork dumplings, Curried sweet potato dumplings
Order: Lemongrass pork dumplings, the signature filling.
Tip: Dumpling-making classes run on weekends from the storefront kitchen. Book on the website.
Gene's on Bedford Street has hand-pulled wheat noodles and folded Xi'an flatbread in Boston's Downtown Crossing since 2013. Located in Chinatown.
Signature: Hand-pulled noodles, Cumin lamb flatbread
Order: Hand-pulled cumin lamb noodles, the Shaanxi house dish.
Tip: Closed Sunday. Cash only. The flatbread sandwich is the to-go order; the noodles need a seat.
Gene's on Bedford Street has hand-pulled wheat noodles in Boston's Downtown Crossing since 2013. Cash only, $12 cumin lamb noodles the menu order.
Try: Hand-pulled cumin lamb noodles
Tip: Cash only. The flatbread sandwich is the under-$10 lunch order; the noodles need a seat.
Donna Chang sits inside the heritage 1914 Government Savings Bank on George Street. Cantonese-Sichuan banquet, marble columns, gilded ceiling.
Signature: Cantonese-Sichuan banquet, Yum cha, Peking duck
A Single Pebble has anchored Bank Street since the 1990s, serving family-style classical Chinese with a Sichuan lean. Mock eel is the long-running signature.
Signature: Mock eel, Dan dan noodles, Salt-and-pepper shrimp
Order: The mock eel (deep-fried shiitake in a tangy soy glaze), the dan dan noodles and a sizzling clay pot.
Tip: Lazy Susans at every six-top. Order family-style; minimum three plates plus rice. Reservations recommended on weekends.
Family-style classical Chinese with Sichuan touches; the Bank Street fixture since the 1990s. Mock eel and dan dan noodles are the long-running signatures.
Signature: Mock eel, Dan dan noodles, Salt-and-pepper shrimp
Order: Mock eel, dan dan noodles and a sizzling clay pot.
Tip: Lazy Susan tables; order family-style with a three-plate minimum plus rice. Reservations recommended on weekends.
Wen Cheng on Flandrische Strasse in Cologne's Belgisches Viertel serves hand-pulled lanzhou noodles in the window; a full bowl with sides under twelve euros.
Why locals love it: No English menu, no TripAdvisor listing, discovered only via word-of-mouth from Belgian Quarter Chinese community.
Wen Cheng on Flandrische Strasse in Cologne's Belgisches Viertel serves hand-pulled noodles prepared in the restaurant window, a compelling spectacle paired.
Order: Hand-pulled noodles in spiced beef broth, watched being stretched at the kitchen counter
Tip: Lunch is the best time to visit; portions are large and prices are some of the lowest in the Belgian Quarter.
Chin Burger at Friesenplatz in Cologne serves Xi'an Chinese street food including hand-pulled biang biang noodles and roujiamo meat sandwiches from Shaanxi.
Order: Roujiamo, the Xi'an meat-in-bun sandwich, and the spiced lamb biang biang noodles
Tip: Casual counter service; no reservations. The lunchtime queue is worth joining.
Hop Alley in Denver is Tommy Lee's modern Chinese dining room on Larimer in RiNo since 2015, a Michelin Bib Gourmand that runs Sichuan and northern Chinese.
Signature: Mapo tofu, Cumin lamb noodles, Tea-smoked duck
Order: The cumin lamb noodles and the tea-smoked duck, both menu signatures since opening.
Tip: Book the bar counter to watch the wok station.
BIGFAN on Aungier Street in Dublin, a Michelin Bib Gourmand 2026 Chinese and Taiwanese small-plates room, paper-and-pencil ordering, bao to xiao chi.
Signature: Wu ya bao, Xiao long bao, Pork jiaozi
Order: Wu ya bao with tender pulled beef, a steamer of xiao long bao, plus the cucumber salad in chilli oil.
Tip: No bookings before 17:00 Monday to Thursday. The Friday and Saturday afternoon window from 14:00 is when walking in still works.
Bon Appetit Best New Restaurants 2019, a strip-mall Sichuan kitchen in South Durham. Handmade dumplings, dan dan noodles and scallion pancakes made daily.
Signature: Handmade dumplings, Scallion pancakes, Dan dan noodles
A Sichuan strip-mall kitchen in South Durham. Ma po tofu, dan dan noodles and hand-torn noodles deliver spice depth rarely found elsewhere in the Triangle.
Why locals love it: Strip-mall location off the main circuit; cash-preferred, no reservations, word-of-mouth reputation only
Xi'an Street Food on Quay Street Galway serves hand-pulled noodles from China's Shaanxi province, made in full view in an open kitchen in the Latin Quarter.
Signature: Hand-pulled noodles, Spicy dumplings, Rou jia mo
Order: Hand-pulled noodles in a spicy broth; the dumplings are the other anchor
Tip: One of Galway's best-value sit-down meals; expect a queue at peak lunch and dinner hours.
Xi'an Street Food on Quay Street Galway serves hand-pulled noodles from China's Shaanxi province, made in full view in an open kitchen in the Latin Quarter.
Signature: Hand-pulled noodles, Spicy dumplings
Order: Hand-pulled noodles in broth; the spicy dumplings as a starter
Tip: No reservations; arrive at opening time to secure a table on busy evenings.
Nut Hot on Bridge Street Galway is the late-night Chinese takeaway open to 4am; salt-and-chilli chips and spice bags fuel the post-pub crowd nightly.
Try: Salt-and-chilli chips, spice bag and Chinese takeaway classics
Hai Ky Mi Gia is a Cho Lon institution for mi vit tiem, herbal braised duck over springy egg noodles, a Cantonese noodle house beloved in District 5.
Signature: Mi vit tiem, Duck egg noodles, Wonton noodles
Order: Mi vit tiem, the herbal braised-duck egg noodle soup.
Tip: The duck is braised in Chinese herbs; ask for it dry with the broth on the side to taste the noodles.
Ha Ky is a long-running Cho Lon dessert house serving Cantonese-style sweet soups, warm and cold che by the bowl, in the heart of District 5's Chinatown.
Signature: Che, Chinese sweet soups, Sesame ball soup
Order: A bowl of warm black-sesame or almond sweet soup.
Tip: It doubles as a savoury spot, but locals come for the Chinese sweet soups after dinner.
Thiem Huy is a well-loved Cho Lon noodle shop specialising in mi vit tiem, deep-fried then herb-braised duck leg over egg noodles in a fragrant broth.
Signature: Mi vit tiem, Duck noodles, Roast duck
Order: Mi vit tiem with a whole braised duck leg.
Tip: The duck leg is fried before braising, so the skin stays firm; go early evening before it sells out.
VEA Restaurant on the 30th floor of The Wellington is chef Vicky Cheng's Chinese-French tasting room with one Michelin star, a 25 seat counter and the open.
Signature: Hairy crab with crispy rice, Smoked Iberico char siu, Wagyu with black pepper jus
Order: Hairy crab tasting course in season (October to December).
Tip: Book the counter rather than the booth; the dishes are conceived for the chef to plate in front of you.
Wing in Central is Vicky Cheng's contemporary Chinese tasting menu room, two Michelin stars, ranked No. 2 on Asia's 50 Best 2026 and No. 11 on the World's 50.
Order: Whatever the seasonal hero ingredient is on the tasting menu.
Tip: Reservations open at midnight Hong Kong time for the date 28 days out; set an alarm.
Ho To Tai Noodle Shop in Hong Kong: chinese room. A Michelin Bib Gourmand noodle shop in Yuen Long that still presses dough with a bamboo pole; few.
Why locals love it: A Michelin Bib Gourmand noodle shop in Yuen Long that still presses dough with a bamboo pole; few visitors take the West Rail to reach it.
Tip: The bamboo pressed wonton noodle is the dish to come for; the trip is the point.
Bo Lings on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City has run dim sum and pan-regional Chinese cooking since 1981, with weekend cart service citywide.
Signature: Dim sum, Mongolian beef, General Tso's chicken
Order: Dim sum on a Sunday morning from the rolling carts; cheung fun and shumai are anchors.
Tip: Dim sum runs weekends 10:30-14:30. The Zona Rosa outpost runs the same menu without the lines.
Bo Lings on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City has run dim sum and pan-regional Chinese cooking since 1981, with weekend cart service and four metro.
Signature: Dim sum, Mongolian beef, Steamed dumplings
Order: Dim sum on a Sunday morning from the rolling carts; cheung fun and shumai are the anchors.
Tip: Dim sum runs weekends 10:30-14:30. Zona Rosa outpost serves the same menu without lines.
Wing Lei at Wynn Las Vegas is the first Michelin-starred Chinese kitchen in North America, a Forbes Five-Star room with chef Ming Yu carving Imperial Peking.
Signature: Imperial Peking duck, Wok-fried Maine lobster, Dim sum platter
Order: The Imperial Peking duck carved tableside; pre-order at booking. Two-course service.
Tip: Children under five not admitted; book the early seating for a pre-Lake of Dreams dinner window.
Wing Lei at Wynn Las Vegas in Nevada is the first Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in North America, a Forbes Five-Star dining room with Imperial Peking.
Tip: Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays; the Imperial Peking duck must be pre-ordered when you book.
Noodle ST in Westwood near UCLA, Los Angeles pulls Lanzhou-style hand-pulled noodles to order and serves them in a long-simmered beef broth from an open.
Try: Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles
Imperial Garden on Allen Boulevard in Middleton, the long-running Chinese restaurant since 1984, serves the area's voted-best Cantonese and Mongolian menu.
Signature: Cantonese seafood, Mongolian beef
Order: A Cantonese seafood preparation or Mongolian beef with a hot tea.
Tip: Lunch Monday-Friday 11:00-14:00; private rooms available for larger groups, free Wi-Fi and parking.
Three-floor pan-Asian food hall on Oxford Road's Circle Square. Vietnamese pho counter, Cantonese roast counter, dim sum bar, Chinese bakery and Korean fried.
Try: Pan-Asian street food
Lee Ho Fook on Duckboard Place: Victor Liong reinterprets regional Chinese dishes with Australian produce across tasting menu and a la carte formats.
The South Melbourne dim sim is a Melbourne birthright: invented at this stall in 1949, deep-fried in a paper bag and eaten standing on the market footpath.
Order: Original South Melbourne deep-fried dim sim in a paper bag
Hu Tong Dumpling Bar on Market Lane serves Shanghainese dumplings in Chinatown: xiao long bao, pan-fried pork and a queue that validates the wait every time.
Order: Pan-fried pork and prawn dumplings
Ravioleria Sarpi in Milan's Chinatown sells four hand-folded dumplings for under 5 euros from a street-side counter. Located in Isola. At Via Paolo Sarpi 27.
Try: Hand-folded xiaolongbao and dumplings
DanDan in the Third Ward, by chefs Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite, runs modern Chinese-American small plates with dan dan noodles and a long mezcal list.
Signature: Dan dan noodles, Hot pot dumplings
Order: Dan dan noodles with Sichuan peppercorn and pork dumplings.
Tip: Walk-in counter and dining room; reservations on Resy for weekend evenings.
Nouilles de Lan Zhou hand-pulls its noodles to order in Montreal's Chinatown, the dough stretched at the window over bowls of cumin-spiced beef broth.
Order: Hand-pulled beef noodle soup, watched being stretched at the counter.
Tip: Ask for your noodles thin or wide when you order; the beef soup is the one to get.
Why locals love it: A Chinatown noodle window where the dough is hand-pulled to order, overshadowed by flashier neighbours but turning out the real Lanzhou article.
Tip: Watch the noodles being stretched at the counter and order the cumin-spiced beef soup.
Nouilles de Lan Zhou fills a table for cheap in Montreal's Chinatown, its hand-pulled beef noodle soup one of the best-value hot bowls in the city.
Try: Hand-pulled noodle soup
Tip: One big beef soup and a plate of dumplings feeds two for the price of a downtown sandwich.
Mamma Bao in Munich's Maxvorstadt has hand-pulled Biang Biang noodles and steamed bao buns since late 2022; the open kitchen does the rolling in front of you.
Order: The Biang Biang hand-pulled noodles with cumin lamb and a side of pork bao.
Tip: Walk in for lunch weekdays; weekend dinner books out by Thursday on Quandoo.
Irish chef Trevor Moran's 12 South dumpling and kakigori counter in Nashville earned a Michelin Star and 20th place on North America's 50 Best Restaurants.
Order: Pork dumplings in chicken broth and the seasonal kakigori shaved ice.
Tip: Friday through Sunday only, lunch and dinner. Moran wants his team to have weekends; midweek bookings are not an option.
Nan Xiang on Prince Street in Flushing pleats soup dumplings to 18 folds in New York City. Pork, pork-and-crab, and a green truffle-pork basket on weekends.
Signature: Soup dumplings, Pork-and-crab xiao long bao
Order: Pork-and-crab xiao long bao, basket of eight.
Tip: Take the 7 train to Flushing-Main Street; the room runs 60-minute waits at lunch. No reservations; expect a buzzer.
Lhasa Fast Food hides behind a Jackson Heights phone shop in New York City. Tibetan momos, hand-pulled thenthuk noodles, butter tea, cash-only counter eating.
Signature: Beef momo, Thenthuk noodle soup
Order: Steamed beef momo, ten to a plate.
Tip: Enter the phone shop on 74th, walk to the back. The counter is to the left through the curtain.
Milu is a chinese room in Flatiron. The mapo tofu and the spicy beef noodle soup are the two-order minimum. Walk-ins at the bar are easy after 14:00.
Why locals love it: A modern Chinese-American room on Park Avenue South in Flatiron is the New York City pick for hand-pulled noodles and Sichuan dumplings without the Flushing trek.
Tip: The mapo tofu and the spicy beef noodle soup are the two-order minimum. Walk-ins at the bar are easy after 14:00.
Commis is Oakland's only two-Michelin-star restaurant. Chef James Syhabout runs a ten-course tasting on Piedmont Avenue with Thai-Chinese influences.
Shan Dong in Oakland Chinatown pulls hand-made noodles for under twelve dollars a bowl. Dumplings, chive pancakes and sesame noodles round out the menu.
Order: Sesame paste noodles and pork dumplings under twelve dollars.
Tip: Watch them pull the noodles in the front window; weekday lunch hours have shorter lines.
Shan Dong on 10th Street in Oakland Chinatown pulls noodles by hand behind a glass counter. Dumplings, sesame noodles and chive pancakes anchor the menu.
Signature: Hand-pulled noodles, Pork dumplings, Sesame paste noodles
Grand House Asian Bistro on N Classen in Oklahoma City has served Cantonese dim sum and authentic Chinese cuisine since 1983, with dim sum carts on weekends.
Grand House Asian Bistro on N Classen in Oklahoma City has served Cantonese dim sum and authentic Chinese cuisine since 1983, with dim sum carts on weekends.
Grand House Asian Bistro on N Classen in Oklahoma City has served Cantonese dim sum and authentic Chinese cuisine since 1983, with dim sum carts on weekends.
See all 4 chinese rooms in Oklahoma City →
A Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in Nishitenma by chef Koji Azuma, whose Chinois-Fume concept fuses Chinese flavour with French culinary structure.
Order: ["Chef's tasting menu"]
One Michelin star; chef Koji Azuma's Chinois-Fume concept fuses Chinese flavour with French culinary structure across a short tasting menu in Nishitenma.
Dim Sum Garden in Philadelphia is chef Shizhou Da's Shanghai dumpling room, reopened January 2025 on Race Street in Chinatown with a doubled soup-dumpling.
Signature: Xiao long bao, Hand-pulled noodles
Order: Xiao long bao by the basket; hand-pulled scallion-pancake noodles; the XL straw soup dumpling.
Tip: Sit at the front window seats to watch the pleating. Cash works but cards land too.
Dim Sum Garden in Philadelphia is chef Shizhou Da's Shanghai dumpling room, reopened January 2025 on Race Street in Chinatown with a doubled soup-dumpling.
Signature: Xiao long bao, Hand-pulled noodles
Order: Xiao long bao by the basket; hand-pulled scallion-pancake noodles; the XL straw soup dumpling for the table.
Tip: Sit at the front window seats to watch the pleating. Cash works but cards land too.
Everyday Noodles is a squirrel hill room where a glass-walled team pleats soup dumplings by hand, a quiet draw away from the marquee restaurants.
Why locals love it: A Squirrel Hill room where a glass-walled team pleats soup dumplings by hand, a quiet draw away from the marquee restaurants.
Tip: Watch the dumpling team through the window. Order xiao long bao and hand-pulled noodles; expect a wait.
Bing Mi at SW 6th and Yamhill in downtown Portland is a two-person jianbing cart with the city's best Chinese street crepe for $10, Tue to Sat lunch.
Why locals love it: A two-person jianbing cart at SW 6th and Yamhill, with the city's best Chinese street crepe for $10.
Tip: Tue-Sat 10:00-15:00. Add extra wonton crisp for $1.
Sandy Di's jianbing cart in downtown Portland by Pioneer Square, savoury Chinese street crepes around scrambled egg and crisp wonton skins for $10.
Try: Jianbing Chinese street crepe
Tip: Cash or card at the cart. Add extra chili crunch for $1 Cash is faster than card.
Frank Fat's on L Street, downtown Sacramento, is the Fat family's Chinese-American room that became the city's political-class watering hole.
Signature: Banana cream pie, Honey walnut prawns
Order: Banana cream pie at the end of the meal; honey walnut prawns
Tip: Booth seating is the photo op. Sister venues across the city under the Fat family banner.
Yue Huang on Truxel Road, Natomas Sacramento, is the Michelin Bib Gourmand Cantonese dim sum and live-seafood room, the best yum cha in the Valley.
Signature: Dim sum, Live seafood
Order: Cart dim sum at weekend brunch; the live Dungeness crab in season
Tip: Weekend dim sum runs 09:30-14:30 and queues. Book the dinner seafood room separately.
Tasty Noodle House in San Diego is the Convoy Street northern Chinese noodle counter, with hand-pulled noodles made through the open window and one.
Signature: Hand-pulled noodles, Xiaolongbao, Dan dan noodles
Order: The Lanzhou hand-pulled beef noodle soup; the xiaolongbao steamer for sharing.
Tip: Cash is fine and faster than card. The dan dan noodles are the room's secret order.
Tasty Noodle House in San Diego is the Convoy Street northern Chinese noodle counter, with hand-pulled noodles made through the open window and reliable.
Signature: Hand-pulled noodles, Xiaolongbao, Dan dan noodles
Order: Lanzhou hand-pulled beef noodle soup; the xiaolongbao steamer for sharing.
Tip: Cash is fine and faster than card. The dan dan noodles are the room's secret order.
Mister Jiu's in San Francisco is Brandon Jew's Cal-Chinese flagship in old Chinatown, holding a Michelin star and a separate cocktail bar worth a visit alone.
Signature: Hot and sour Dungeness, Quail in roses, Whole crispy duck
Order: The whole roast Mongolian duck with house pancakes, ordered ahead.
Tip: Sit in the upstairs bar Moongate Lounge and order from the full menu without committing to the tasting.
Mister Jiu's in San Francisco is Brandon Jew's one-Michelin-star Cal-Chinese flagship in Chinatown, with whole-duck dinners and an upstairs cocktail room.
Tip: Book the whole roast duck 48 hours ahead by phone; it does not appear on the website ordering form.
San Tung in San Francisco is the Inner Sunset Northern Chinese room famous for dry-fried chicken wings glazed in a sweet soy and garlic sauce; pure cult.
Why locals love it: Northern Chinese counter on Irving Street, far from tourist Chinatown. Locals queue for the dry-fried chicken wings; tourists rarely make it out to the Sunset.
Tip: Dry-fried chicken wings are the order, hands-down; nothing else on the menu hits as hard.
The Euljiro industrial backstreets have a cluster of Chinese-Korean (jungshik) restaurants serving jjajangmyeon (wheat noodles in black bean paste sauce).
Try: Jjajangmyeon (black bean sauce noodles) and jjamppong (spicy seafood noodles)
Beng Thin Hoon Kee on the fifth floor of OCBC Centres carpark is one of Singapores oldest Chinese rooms from 1949, with oyster omelette and Hokkien mee.
Why locals love it: Located on the fifth floor of a CBD carpark podium, invisible from street level and only accessible by a specific lift. No signage outside the building.
Tip: Open daily 11am to 2.30pm and 6pm to 9.30pm. Lunch is the busier of the two services; the dinner service is quieter and better for unhurried eating.
Tip: Open daily 11am to 4am. The Geylang Road strip has several competing frog porridge stalls; Lor 9 is the original.
Lu Lu Seafood & Dim Sum (Chinese) in St Louis: Come for weekend dim sum before noon for the fullest carts. Salt-and-pepper dishes are the off-menu standouts.
Why locals love it: Off the Olive Boulevard Chinese strip far from downtown, Lu Lu runs cart-rolled weekend dim sum that draws Chinese-food regulars who know to drive out.
Tip: Come for weekend dim sum before noon for the fullest carts. Salt-and-pepper dishes are the off-menu standouts.
Lao Wai on Luntmakargatan in Stockholm's Vasastan runs a Chinese vegetarian kitchen with Sichuan and Yunnan dishes; the dry-fried tofu is the dining-room.
Signature: Sichuan-style dry-fried tofu, Mapo tofu with brown rice
Order: Dry-fried tofu with celery and chilli; mapo tofu over brown rice.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Tight room of 18 seats; book or arrive at 18:00.
Victor Liong's modern Chinese room in Sydney's Porter House precinct on Castlereagh Street. Crispy eggplant, glossy Peking duck and Sichuan share plates.
Signature: Crispy eggplant, Wagyu char siu, Mapo tofu
Neil Perry's Spice Temple sits below the Art Deco City Mutual Building at 10 Bligh Street in the Sydney CBD. Regional Chinese, dark room, sichuan-heavy.
Signature: Stir-fried lamb with cumin, Mapo tofu, Salt-and-pepper squid
Modern Chinese on Bligh Street in the Sydney CBD. Crispy poultry, Sichuan beef tongue and oysters in chilli oil, recommended booking on weekends.
Signature: Crispy poultry, Sichuan beef tongue, Oysters in chilli oil
Din Tai Fung's Xinyi Road original counter in Taipei is the xiaolongbao queue that turned a 1958 oil shop into a global chain. Bib Gourmand listed.
Signature: Xiaolongbao, Niu rou mian, Cucumber starter
Order: Ten-pleat pork xiaolongbao, niu rou mian, cucumber starter.
Tip: Take the queue ticket on arrival and shop Yongkang Street while you wait.
Din Tai Fung's Xinyi Road original is the xiaolongbao counter that turned a 1958 cooking-oil shop into a global chain. Bib Gourmand; queues from 11:00 sharp.
Signature: Xiaolongbao, Truffle and pork xiaolongbao, Cucumber starter
Order: Ten-pleat pork xiaolongbao, niu rou mian beef noodle soup, plus the cucumber starter to share.
Tip: Take the queue ticket on arrival and shop the Yongkang Street strip while you wait; cards and mobile pay accepted.
Ya Ge sits inside the Mandarin Oriental Taipei and was a long-term Michelin star holder. Hangzhou-leaning modern Chinese, two-course Peking duck the marquee.
Signature: Peking duck two courses, Tea-smoked sea bass, Stir-fried Wagyu
Order: Two-course Peking duck and the tea-smoked sea bass; pair with the white-tea list.
Tip: Reserve through the Mandarin Oriental website; service charge 10 percent on the bill.
Ling's Dumplings inside Heights Public Market hand-folds soup dumplings, pork dumplings and scallion pancakes to order. The kitchen leans on local Florida.
Order: A dozen pork soup dumplings plus a scallion pancake.
Tip: Counter inside Armature Works; the soup dumplings sell out by 2pm.
Ling's Dumplings at Heights Public Market hands a dozen pork soup dumplings for $14, a Tampa dumpling bargain. A quiet neighborhood pick worth the trip.
Try: Pork soup dumplings
Sazenka in Tokyo's Minami-Azabu was Japan's first three-star Chinese restaurant (2020). Chef Tomoya Kawada blends Chinese technique with kaiseki rhythm.
Tip: Closed Sundays. The renovated German ambassador's residence holds private rooms; book through byFood for English service.
Mother's Dumplings on Spadina has run northern Chinese comfort food in Chinatown since 2005, Shenyang-born Zhen Feng pressing dumplings by hand.
Signature: Pork and chive dumplings, Green onion pancake
Order: The pan-fried pork and chive dumplings and a green onion pancake.
Tip: Walk-in only; frozen dumpling fridge by the door for takeaway. Cash and card accepted, but cash moves the line faster.
Mother's Dumplings on Spadina has run northern Chinese comfort food in Chinatown since 2005, Shenyang-born Zhen Feng pressing dumplings by hand.
Signature: Pork and chive dumplings, Green onion pancake
Order: The pan-fried pork and chive dumplings and a green onion pancake.
Tip: Walk-in only; frozen dumpling fridge by the door for takeaway. Cash and card accepted, but cash moves the line faster.
Mother's Dumplings on Spadina has run northern Chinese comfort food in Chinatown since 2005, Shenyang-born Zhen Feng pressing dumplings by hand.
Try: Pork and chive dumplings, $12 for 10
Order: Ten pork-and-chive dumplings and a green onion pancake to split.
Tip: Cash and card. The frozen dumpling fridge sells takeaway 50-packs for under $30.
Bao Bei on Keefer Street since 2010 is Tannis Ling's modern Chinese brasserie, Michelin Bib Gourmand 2022, the city's reference natural-wine Chinese.
Signature: Shao bing pork belly, Mantou with chicken, Spicy peanut noodles
Order: Shao bing pork belly bun with the spicy peanut noodles; pair with a sake highball.
Tip: No reservations; the bar walks in from 17:30. Sunday evening is the easier seat.
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