We know, we know, there’s no such thing as “Chinese food”. The variety in regional cuisines is as overwhelmingly large as the country itself – and then we haven’t even started on the interesting fusions happening all over the world. Nevertheless, we’ve listed some of our favourite Chinese food finds in and outside China, from fiery hot Sichuan meals to stellar dim sum, and white linens to mom-and-pop joints. [Photo: Billy Kwong Chinese Eating House]
Huajia Yiyuan (Hua’s Restaurant), Beijing: The spectacular courtyard building on Ghost Street is reason enough to dine at Hua’s Restaurant, but if you need more convincing: crispy roast duck and light vegetable-based dishes, with musical and acrobatic performances to boot. Oh, and a manager calling himself “Bond”, as in “James Bond” who offers visitors translations and tours of the building. huajiacai.com
1/20
Food
The World’s Greatest Chinese Dining Experiences.
Silk Road restaurant
Silk Road, London: This no-frills eatery in Camberwell is steadily adding fans for its dishes influenced by the Uyghur cuisine of Xinjiang province. Go for the fried dumplings, grilled lamb skewers and handmade noodles, all served in generous portions at stunningly affordable prices. 49 Camberwell Church Street [Photo: Kake/Flickr]
2/20
Food
The World’s Greatest Chinese Dining Experiences.
Lung King Heen
Lung King Heen, Hong Kong: In a city like Hong Kong, we could go on and on about stellar dining options. One favourite is the Michelin-starred Lung King Heen. Executive chef Chan Yan Tak was the first Cantonese chef to receive 3 stars for his intricate dim sum and seafood dishes, all made fresh to order. The harbour view is spectacular. Fourseasons.com/hongkong
3/20
Food
The World’s Greatest Chinese Dining Experiences.
Xibei Oat Noodle Village
Xibei Oat Noodle Village, Shanghai: Xibei is a chain specialising in cuisine from the Shanxi region in Northwest China, featuring hollow oat noodles, apparently perfected with the techniques of craftsman “Grandpa Zhang”. Other dishes to try include freshly made tofu and the Mongolian boiled lamb. Multiple locations, including Dongfang Road [Photo: Kattebelletje/Flickr]
4/20
Food
The World’s Greatest Chinese Dining Experiences.
Mission Chinese Food
Mission Chinese Food, San Francisco & New York City: Traditionalists might say Danny Bowien’s food isn’t authentic, but striving for authenticity has never been a goal. The chef taught himself Chinese cooking techniques and applied them to create idiosyncratic, quite sensational dishes for which enthusiasts happily queue up at the restaurants on both US coasts. missionchinesefood.com[Photo: Garrett Ziegler/Flickr]
5/20
Food
The World’s Greatest Chinese Dining Experiences.
DaDong
DaDong, Beijing: The debate over what restaurant does the best Peking roast duck will never quiet down, but we say DaDong definitely is at the top of the list. The restaurant prides itself on duck dishes that are crispier and leaner than elsewhere, due to its preparation techniques that chefs train for years to master. The duck is carved with surgical precision at the table and then served with all the typical condiments on paper-thin pancakes. 3 locations in Beijing [Photo: Joanne Wan/Flickr]
6/20
Food
The World’s Greatest Chinese Dining Experiences.
Bao Bei
Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie, Vancouver: Definitely not your average Chinese joint. This hip restaurant’s name translates as “precious” – and precious it is, from the eclectic décor to the modern Chinese dishes such as “Kick Ass House Fried Rice” and Shao Bing, sesame flatbread with cumin lamb. Excellent cocktails and wines make the experience complete. bao-bei.ca
7/20
Food
The World’s Greatest Chinese Dining Experiences.
TungLok Seafood
Tung Lok Seafood, Singapore: In Singapore, outstanding Chinese food can be chowed down at one of the city’s many hawker centres, but to name a proper restaurant, we’ll mention TungLok Seafood. This branch of the restaurant group located at Orchard Central specialises in fresh seafood, including their signature Black Pepper Crab and Chilli Crab, dubbed the national food of Singapore. tunglokseafood.com
8/20
Food
The World’s Greatest Chinese Dining Experiences.
Jesse Shanghai
Jesse (Tianping Lu), Shanghai: Small and always packed, the “old” or “original” Jesse is the place to go for authentic Shanghainese food, according to its many fans. Classics include dates stuffed with glutinous rice, hon shao rou, or braised pork shoulder and song you mein (noodles with minced pork). xinjishi.com
9/20
Food
The World’s Greatest Chinese Dining Experiences.
Din Tai Fung
Din Tai Fung, Taipei, Hong Kong: Din Tai Fung is a franchise, originally from Taipei, that specialises in xiao long bao, those delicious tasty steamed dumplings with hot broth inside. The original restaurant was opened in the 1980s by Yang Bingyi and his wife Lai Penmei as a way to make ends meet, and the Hong Kong Silvercord Branch now even boasts one Michelin star. dintaifung.com[Photo: Fred Hsu/Wikipedia]
10/20
Food
The World’s Greatest Chinese Dining Experiences.
Dragon Well Manor
Dragon Well Manor (Longjing Restaurant), Ghangzhou: Set in a lovely traditional garden overlooking a tea plantation, Longjing Manor, or “Dragon Well”, became popular with Western travellers following a rave review by British food writer Fuchsia Dunlop. Diners enjoy a 7-course daily menu of delicate dishes that use organic produce sourced from nearby farms. The luxurious setting comes with a certain price tag. [Photo: s tsui/Flickr]
11/20
Food
The World’s Greatest Chinese Dining Experiences.
Billy Kwong
Billy Kwong Chinese Eating House, Sydney: After a recent move, the restaurant of TV chef and author Kylie Kwong is a big, bustling place that still feels intimate and cosy. Chefs cook Australian-Chinese food in a central open kitchen, with Head Chef Kok Hoong Leong using sustainable fresh produce to create dishes such as red-braised caramelised wallaby tail or stir-fried spanner crab. billykwong.com.au
12/20
Food
The World’s Greatest Chinese Dining Experiences.
Asian Glories
Asian Glories, Rotterdam: High-quality ingredients form the basis of chef Kevin Fan’s dishes. He then plays with textures and flavours, giving traditional recipes that extra something. From local lobster with ginger and scallions, to crunchy tofu with prawns and mango, all the way to Iberico pork – it’s all exciting. asianglories.nl
13/20
Food
The World’s Greatest Chinese Dining Experiences.
Skyview Fusion Cuisine Toronto
Skyview Fusion Cuisine, Toronto: The municipality of Markham in the Greater Toronto Area has a large Asian population, raising the probability of finding some pretty good Chinese dining options. One of them is Sky Fusion Cuisine, offering a daily Cantonese dim sum brunch. The dim sum special offers classics like siu mai and steamed bbq pork buns, but also more unusual choices such as an incredible chicken pot pie. skyviewfusioncuisine.ca
14/20
Food
The World’s Greatest Chinese Dining Experiences.
Babi Food
Babi Manthou, Shanghai: A chain of stalls offering the most comforting street food of all: baozi, or steamed buns, usually stuffed with pork and bean curd. You can spot locals lining up here in the mornings to get their beloved breakfast fix. babifood.com [Photo: Gary Stevens/Flickr]
15/20
Food
The World’s Greatest Chinese Dining Experiences.
Lao Ma Tou Hotpot
Lao Ma Tou Hotpot, Chengdu: In Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, spice lovers have lots of options to try the rich cuisine of the region, known for its lavish use of fiery hot and numbing peppers. One of the dishes to try is hotpot, where diners sit around a large pot of chilli-seasoned oil, frying up whatever they’ve ordered – anywhere from pig brains to frog’s legs. Adventurous if you don’t have a native speaker around! lmthg.com[Photo: myasianlinks]
16/20
Food
The World’s Greatest Chinese Dining Experiences.
Hunan London
Hunan, London: Since 1982, Chef Peng has been deciding what his guests will eat – and that’s not a bad thing! You let the staff know what you don’t like and how much spice you can handle, then simply enjoy what arrives at your table: an array of tapas-style dishes, some influenced by the flavours of Hunan, but mostly inspired by Taiwanese cuisine. hunanlondon.com[Photo: Kake/Flickr]
17/20
Food
The World’s Greatest Chinese Dining Experiences.
Tai Pan Bakery
Tai Pan Bakery, New York City: In every Chinatown you’ll find plenty of Chinese bakeries, and New York’s Chinatown is no different. At the bustling Tai Pan, freshly baked or steamed pastries sell like hotcakes, literally, especially at breakfast time: buns stuffed with savoury-sweet fillings such as red bean paste or roast pork, or sweet treats like egg custard cakes, are especially popular. taipanbakeryonline.com[Photo: Sean Munson/Flickr]
18/20
Food
The World’s Greatest Chinese Dining Experiences.
China Live
China Live, San Francisco: There’s a lot of buzz around this place that will open its doors this year. China Live will be a 30,000-square-foot one-stop destination for Chinese food and culture, boasting several bars and restaurants, a rare tea shop, and a market selling Chinese ingredients and kitchenware. Its aim is to make Chinese food more accessible to food lovers, focusing on authentic regional cuisines. chinalivesf.com
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