The Best Chinese Restaurants in New York

"Wu's Wonton King" is a Cantonese cuisine restaurant known for its lively ambiance and the liberty of bringing your own bottle. The menu offers an array of dishes, from dumplings and noodles to BBQ meats and live seafood, making it a preferred spot for both large groups and solo diners. Not only does it cater to meat lovers with options like roast duck and whole suckling pig, but it also serves a variety of vegetable and tofu dishes, ensuring there's something for everyone.

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Colin Wood

Chef – Sydney, Australia

Down in the LES, a great spot for a larger table, sharing crab, dumplings, whole suckling pig and roast duck. BYO too.Popular and very reliable spot, especially with the hospitality industry for any group or smaller occasion and level of hunger. The go-to for orphans Christmas, and lots of messy fun. Whole roast duck buns, live seafood tanks with crabs and other delights, dumplings, noodles and BBQ meats or order ahead for whole roast suckling pig to share with your BYO wine and table.A great spot for a quick solo lunch or sprawling dinner with friends. Use your napkin.

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Alley 41 is a restaurant that serves authentic Szechuan cuisine and offers a creative twist to classic dishes. The menu includes a variety of dishes, but the standout items are the Chinese broccoli dish cooked in marinated soy and a flaky pancake. Open from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM every day, Alley 41 also provides online ordering options through various platforms like Chowbus, DoorDash, Postmates, Ritual, and Uber Eats.

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Mimi Lan

Chef/ Consultant/ Foodie – Jacksonville, USA

Sometimes all a place needs is 1 or 2 dishes that are so good, you will come back just for them, as in the case of Alley 41. This Chinese broccoli dish with marinated soy cooked in a skillet was extraordinarily good. And their pancake was so flaky. Don’t get me wrong, they have some other delicious dishes too but I could get the same things everywhere in NYC. However, these two dishes are special; worth the trip for me.

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Bonnie's is a Cantonese American restaurant that breaks the mold with its daring yet comforting menu. Not your typical Chinese American fare, it offers unique dishes like BLT fried rice, Cha Shu McRib, and Wonton with Parmesan broth. The restaurant also boasts a great natural wine selection and cocktail program, making it a perfect choice for dinner from Tuesday to Sunday, 5:00pm - 10:00pm.

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Peter Meng Sapper

Charcutier/Restauranteur – Guatemala City, Guatemala

Great Chinese American fare! BLT fried rice, Cha Shu McRib and Wonton with parmesan broth don't sound like run of the mill options for Chinese American restaurants yet for Bonnie’s the “American” part of their description isn’t just geographical. With a daring yet conforting menu, their flavor and techniques combinations work effortlessly. A great natural wine selection and cocktail program complement their offer.

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Café China offers Sichuan cuisine in a setting that takes inspiration from the elegance of the 1930s. Renowned for their traditional Chinese dishes, they are particularly noted for their fresh and extraordinary flavors. A standout dish, as mentioned by a customer, is the potato noodle which is described as indescribably good.

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Mimi Lan

Chef/ Consultant/ Foodie – Jacksonville, USA

I consider myself an expert in Asian food, both in cooking it and eating it. So when I heard NYC has a Michelin Star Chinese restaurant, I had to try. I can see why it has the star. The dishes are traditional Chinese food, nothing very inventive. However, they just do it a step above others; everything tasted fresh and extraordinary. My fave dish was this potato noodle (1st pic) that was SO good that’s indescribable. You just have to taste it.

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CHILI is a restaurant known for its authentic Sichuan food, masterfully prepared by an experienced Michelin star chef. It offers a wide range of dishes, including customer favorites like cumin lamb, kung pao chicken, and Dan Dan noodles, all carefully balanced for a perfect blend of flavors. The restaurant also caters for various dietary needs with gluten-free and vegan options, and is equipped to host a variety of events, from corporate functions to family reunions.

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William Li

Writer, editor, eater – New York, USA

Outstanding Sichuan in NYCChili serves some of the finest Sichuan food in NYC. It’s not just about spice. Every dish is delicately balanced. Cumin lamb, kung pao chicken, brisket and tripe, Dan Dan noodles, charred cabbage, and mapo tofu are my standards. But honestly, you can’t go wrong with anything at this always packed favorite.

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Great NY Noodletown is a popular Chinese restaurant that serves authentic Cantonese cuisine. The menu offers a variety of classic dishes such as shrimp wonton soup, roast meats over rice, and chow fun noodles. They also offer seasonal specials including their well-known soft-shelled crabs and roasted suckling pigs.

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Daniel Modlin

Food & Wine Editor – Austin, TX

Chinatown at its finest. No frills, classic chinatown spot. Cram yourself into this joint and slug down a beer before gorging on classics. My advice:Get the shrimp wonton soup regardless of how hot it is outside. And the beef noodles. And the duck over rice.

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Ho Foods, a compact restaurant, is widely recognized for its specialty in Szechuan beef noodle. With just 7 seats, it provides an intimate dining experience. Its signature dish, the Szechuan beef noodle, is particularly appealing during the colder months.

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Mimi Lan

Chef/ Consultant/ Foodie – Jacksonville, USA

Ho Foods is this tiny 7-seat place that is famous for one dish, Szechuan beef noodle. Yum, satisfying, especially in cold weather

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Hutong New York offers a taste of Northern Chinese cuisine in a refined Art Deco-inspired setting. Known for its excellent food, the restaurant is particularly praised for its dumplings, dim sum, xiao long bao, and signature tofu ice cream dessert. Despite its luxurious ambiance, Hutong maintains a focus on quality, showcased by its extensive wine list featuring renowned selections.

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Mika Ihamuotila

Foodie – Helsinki, Finland

Northern Chinese quality restaurant with posh decor in Upper East NYCHutong is in the old Le Cirque restaurant which is pretty clitzy - Gordon Gekko goes for dinner. You might be overwhelmed first but actually the décor is an interesting example of its era. But Hutong’s North Chinese food is absolutely excellent. Do not miss the dumplings/ dim sungs, xiao long bao, or their signature dessert with tofu ice cream. A wine list with famous and expensive wines. As I said, posh.

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Joe's Steam Rice Roll is a bustling location known for its Cantonese steamed rice noodle dishes, freshly prepared upon order. The restaurant serves silky, extremely thin layers of rice pancakes, filled with a variety of ingredients like dried shrimps, shallots, and egg, all cooked to perfection in a special steamer. Visit Joe's Steam Rice Roll for a genuine taste of Cantonese-style steamed rice rolls.

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Maria Nilsson

Foodie, Stockholm – Stockholm, Sweden

Silky, extremely thin layers of rice pancakes filled with for example dried shrimps, shallots and egg. The pancakes are cooked in a special steamer.

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Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao is a popular destination for Northern Chinese cuisine, particularly known for its dumplings. This Flushing-based restaurant has been recognized by Michelin for its Shanghainese food for nine consecutive years, making it a must-visit for food enthusiasts. Whether you're a local Chinese immigrant seeking a taste of home or a Western diner eager to try recommended dishes, Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao offers an authentic culinary experience.

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Pauliina Siniauer

Journalist – Helsinki, Finland

The largest Chinatown of New York City is in Flushing, Queens. Totally worth of the culinary trip. Be sure to visit New World Mall’s food court. For the dumplings, head to the Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao. Anthony Bourdain was here too, that explains the lines.

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Pinch Chinese is a trendy spot in Soho known for its delicious food and modernized setting. The menu features a variety of satisfying dishes, including soup, dumplings, wok-fried garlic beans, greens, and Peking duck, all complemented by a selection of excellent cocktails and wine. The restaurant's Pax room adds a vibrant energy to the dining experience, making it a must-visit for food lovers.

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Jordan Mackay

Food/wine writer – Hudson Valley, USA

Trendy, hip Soho Chinese spot that puts out delicious food.While there is nothing groundbreaking about soup, dumplings, wok, fried garlic beans, and greens, and Peking duck, pinch, put it in a nicely modernized setting with excellent cocktails and wine. Food is delicious and completely satisfying and the Pax room will provide a lot of energy to any dining experience.

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RedFarm is a lively Chinese restaurant renowned for its creative renditions of traditional Chinese dishes. The establishment's chef, Ng, merges classic cooking techniques with the finest ingredients, resulting in dishes that showcase the true flavors of each component in a subtle and refined manner. With a menu featuring items like shrimp & veg dumplings, fresh corn, chive and shrimp dumplings, pork & crab soup dumplings, and pan-fried pork buns, it's no surprise that RedFarm has been recognized for having the best dumplings in New York.

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Mimi Lan

Chef/ Consultant/ Foodie – Jacksonville, USA

If you wonder why should you pay more for Red Farm’s high end dumplings when you could get more authentic, cheaper ones in gritty Chinatown? Well, first of all, don’t mistake a clean, modern dumpling place as inauthenticity. In fact, here is the scoop: “In the '60s, we had a generation of elite Chinese cooks who were cooking in China when they were in their 20s and 30s, but have since moved to New York and are now in their 50s and 60s. That's where the food at the first refined Chinese restaurants came from. This wasn't street food or the food your Chinese grandmother makes—which can be great—but something more subtle and technique-focused." What chef Ng does at RedFarm is to combine those old school techniques and the best ingredients money can buy, but refine it a bit so you could taste each dish’s true flavors. Everything tastes more elegant and is cooked with mild-mannered. Even the dipping sauces are refined, not your typical soy sauce & chili oil. We had Shrimp & veg dumplings; fresh corn, chive and shrimp dumplings; pork & crab soup dumplings; pan fried pork buns. No wonder it won best dumplings in NY.

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Tolo is a Chinese restaurant led by Ron Yan, a seasoned chef in New York's culinary scene. The dining experience at Tolo is characterized by a diverse menu, offering everything from raw seafood to Typhoon Shelter style chicken, all served in a stylish room with vintage furnishings and an open kitchen. Their wine list is extensive, boasting over 300 selections, with a focus on natural producers and traditional collectibles.

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Robert Dentice

Food | Wine Connoisseur – LA | NYC, United States

A stunningly delicious Chinese restaurant with wine friendly vibrant food with an extensive, well priced wine list in a stylish room in Manhattans coolest neighborhood, Dimes Square. Add in a great playlist and Zalto glasses and boom a perfect restaurant for me!

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