10 Best Restaurants For Chinese Food Outside China
10 Best Restaurants for Chinese Food Outside China
From London to Vancouver, these are some of the best Chinese restaurants you'll come across outside of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
#10 Yum Bun, London
While chef Lisa Meyer was more inspired by David Chang's American eatery Momofuku than she was traditional Chinese cuisine, her steamed buns are making a big splash in London. Since 2010, she's been serving traditional street fare, like pork belly in hoisin sauce, along with more modern spins on the steamed bun, such as portabello mushrooms with a miso glaze. Londoners can't get enough, naming Yum Bun both People's Choice and Best Snack at the British Street Food Awards.
#9 Kirin Restaurant, Vancouver
If you don't think of Canada when you think of Chinese cuisine, think again. Nearly one-fifth of Canada's population is now of Chinese descent, and cities like Vancouver are booming with delicious, affordable Chinese cuisine. Kirin is a real crowd-pleaser, having recently taken home three of Huffington Post's Critic's Choice Awards for their crispy fried chicken with minced prawn, two preparations of geoduck, and smoked lobster with mushrooms.
#8 Chez Vong, Paris
This Parisian staple isn't the fanciest restaurant in the city — you'll find it nestled comfortably on a rundown side street — but the Michelin-starred food is worth the journey off the beaten path. From the frog's legs in five perfumes to the sea bass in coconut sauce, the Cantonese cuisine at Chez Vong is some of the best and most authentic in town.
#7 Lao Sze Chuan, Chicago
Chicago's Chinatown is bustling with great options for Chinese food, but few spots are as celebrated as Lao Sze Chuan, which was given "three forks" by the Chicago Tribune, calling it "one of the best" Chinese restaurants in town. The small, inexpensive spot also won Michelin's coveted "Bib Gourmand" award in 2012 and 2013.
#6 S&W Pepper House, Vancouver
The Vancouver Sun called this small but delicious restaurant the "single best culinary reason to fly to Vancouver." Culinary tourists and publications, including Condé Nast Traveler, agree. The restaurant's Guizhou-style tilapia with cilantro and chili sauce is not to be missed.
#5 Yank Sing, San Francisco
San Francisco has a reputation for having some of the best Chinese food outside of China, but even in a city known for Chinese food, Yank Sing, which has two locations, remains a cut above the rest. The casual dim sum spot won a James Beard Award in 2009, and even the 2014 Michelin Guide had nothing but raves for Yank Sing's pork soup dumplings, which it deemed "near mythical."
#4 Sense, Tokyo
It may seem strange to go to Japan in search of Chinese food, but CNN named Sense its favorite Chinese restaurant in Japan. Food expert Melinda Joe raved about the restaurant's tender spare ribs braised in Chinese rice wine, saying it is "like something your Chinese grandmother would make for your birthday, if she had a Michelin star."
#3 Yam’Tcha, Paris
Paris isn't known for its Chinese food, but this chic hot spot in the heart of the 1st arrondissement is seeking to change that. Chef Adeline Grattard is a rising star in the culinary world, and she spent two years in Hong Kong mastering the art of Chinese cooking. The New York Times raves about her Chinese offerings with a hint of French flair and urges readers to catch a meal at Yam'Tcha before accolades make the place unaffordable.
#2 Xi’an Famous Foods, New York
New Yorkers are notoriously picky about their Chinese food, yet Xi'an Famous Foods consistently ranks among the best in the city. Though you may have to wait in line to get a meal at three cramped locations in Flushing, Queens; the East Village; or Chinatown, The New York Times swears that the lamb burgers and hand-pulled noodles are well worth the wait.
#1 Hakkasan, London
This Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant has 12 locations worldwide, including Shanghai, but the London storefront started it all. Chef Tong Chee Hwee has been honored at the Tio Pepe ITV Restaurant Awards where he was named the "London Chef of the Year." He remains the only Chinese chef to have ever won the honor.