I’ve been on the hunt for the best Chinese food in Seattle basically since I moved here. It’s been both an easy and difficult feat. It’s easy because Seattle has been heavily influenced by Chinese immigrants, so there are a lot of restaurants reflecting that history. However, it’s difficult because there are so many options for authentic Chinese food.
I’ve sat on this article for more than a year as I ate my way through Seattle’s Chinese restaurants. Have I been to them all? No, that’s impossible. But I’ve been to more than a hundred so I’m finally confident to share what I’ve found.
To make sense of them all, I’m including what style of Chinese cuisine each spot focuses on, like Taiwanese or Cantonese. While I know these are distinct ethnic groups that don’t necessarily call themselves “Chinese”, I’ve combined all of them in this article since you’re probably searching for a mix.
Ready to dive in? Whether you’re craving dumplings, noodles, Szechuan, hot pot, or a bit of everything, consider this your guide to Seattle’s best authentic Chinese food.
Best Chinese Food in Seattle
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Disclaimer: As you can see from my pic on the sidebar, I’m white. Restaurant “best of” lists, while based on research, are highly subjective. Thanks for entrusting your palate to me.
A+ Hong Kong Restaurant
website | neighborhood: Chinatown-International District (get directions) | cuisine: Cantonese | best for: rice rolls & wonton soup
Not to be confused with A+ Hong King Kitchen around the corner, A+ Hong Kong Restaurant has a huge menu of dumplings, hot pot, and classic Hong Kong-style dishes. When I first went, I had difficulty deciding because the menu is so long, so we ordered a bit of everything. I encourage you to do the same.
My favorite are the rice rolls, which have a satisfying gummy texture and irresistible sesame drizzle. The wonton soup has a strong smell, but it’s surprisingly delicate in texture. The umami-rich flavor packs a punch and leaves an impression.
Prefer famous dishes like egg rolls and honey walnut shrimp (or sesame shrimp as labeled here)? A+ HK Restaurant’s versions are excellent. All in all, this spot has a lot of options and executes them well.
Hong Kong Bistro
website | neighborhood: Chinatown-ID (get directions) | cuisine: Cantonese | best for: all day dim sum
Hong Kong Bistro is next to the popular late night dim sum spots Honey Court and Purple Dot Cafe, but I prefer HK best (though shout out to Purple Dot’s complimentary tea. It’s the best I’ve had in Seattle!).
HK is a bit fancier than other spots serving the best Chinese food in Seattle. There’s a lot of seating and they serve dim sum all in addition to hot entrees.
I love all of the dumplings, especially the pan-fried shrimp dumplings that come out the size of empanadas. The shu mai are huge, overstuffed, and super juicy.
The honey walnut prawns are another standout since they have a surprising vinegar flavor, which makes them less cloyingly sweet than most other versions. I also love the garlic pea vines, which are tender and super aromatic.
Need help deciding what to skip? I’d pass over the congee and pork bao buns because neither are standouts compared to the other dishes I mentioned.
Spicy Style of Sichuan
website | neighborhood: Haller Lake (get directions) | cuisine: Szechuan | best for: kung pao
Spicy Style of Sichuan was one of the first Szechuan restaurants I went to in Seattle. It actually helped me realize that I do in fact like Szechuan pepper. I used to not be able to handle super spicy food, but slowly grew my tolerance over time thanks to an India trip. However, I always assumed Szechuan with its bright red chilis and peppercorns would still bring too much heat.
While yes, Szechuan is spicy, what I discovered is that it’s more of a numbing heat. Unlike Mexican and Thai chilis that tend to burn the middle and front of your mouth for a while, Szechuan hits the tip of your tongue and is a bit more subdued. It also often has this floral note, which adds a lot of complexity to dishes.
Spicy Style does a lot of my now-favorite Szechuan dishes well. And I love how they feel like a hidden gem since they’re connected to the Asian Family Market grocery store in a strip mall on Aurora Avenue.
Don’t miss the kung pao chicken, Chongqing rabbit, toothpick lamb, garlicky pea vines, and mapo tofu. All but the kung pao pay homage to the classic version. The kung pao is different in that it has a lighter, more acidic sauce that’s reminiscent of general Tso chicken. While purists may call it out as too different, I like the creative spin on this dish.
Golden Daisy Dim Sum
website | neighborhood: Beacon Hill (get directions) | cuisine: Cantonese | best for: super cheap takeout dim sum
This hole-in-the-wall takeout dim sum spot looks a bit run down on the outside, but I promise they’re serving some of the best cheap dim sum in town. You can get enough food to feed 4-6 people for about 60 bucks, and almost everything you get will be on point.
All of the dumplings are perfectly seasoned and overly stuffed. I’m still drooling over the fried dumplings, which have either pork or beef. I honestly couldn’t tell you since after one bite I basically inhaled the rest.
I also love the boiled shrimp dumplings and sesame balls, the latter of which have a great texture and pleasantly earthy and nutty flavor from the red bean paste. The entrees are also good, most notably the roasted duck which has tons of flavor and a nice crackly skin.
Xi’an Noodles
website | neighborhoods: U-District (get directions), Westlake (get directions) & Bellevue (get directions) | cuisine: Xi’an | best for: biang biang noodles
If you love huge hand-ripped homemade noodles with tons of spice, then definitely stop by Xi’an Noodles. Or get delivery, as they’re one of the best takeout restaurants in Seattle.
I honestly don’t know which of the noodle dishes are my favorite, but the qishan pork and spicy, tingly beef noodles come to mind. Both have layers of flavor and the perfect amount of spice.
The beef is chili-forward with perfectly cooked onions. The pork noodles have more subtle heat, tons of crunchy cabbage, and a spoonful of garlic cucumber in chili oil. This is some of the best Chinese food in Seattle when you need a quick and satisfying meal.
Harbor City
website | neighborhood: Chinatown-ID (get directions) | cuisine: Cantonese | best for: pan-fried shrimp & chive dumplings
Harbor City is one of my go-to restaurants in Seattle, most notably for their dim sum bamboo steamers with plump, doughy dumplings filled with savory or sweet ingredients. They used to do carts, but alas stopped after the pandemic. Either way, it’s still a must try restaurant serving some of the best Chinese food in Seattle.
Everything I’ve ordered here always comes out in generous portions and well-executed. I’m low key obsessed with their juicy pan-fried shrimp and chive dumplings, which can recognize by their golden sesame crust. If you’re not a dim sum fan, they have a huge menu with a variety of hot dishes too. Don’t miss the honey walnut prawn!
Pro tip: This place is bumpin’, so I usually call ahead to get my name on the waiting list.
Jade Garden Restaurant
website | neighborhood: Chinatown-ID (get directions) | cuisine: Cantonese | best for: har gow dumplings
I used to go to Jade Garden all the time before I gave Harbor City a try. Now I find myself going to Harbor more, but Jade Garden still has a soft spot in my heart and serves a spot on this list of the best Chinese food in Seattle.
They’re a C-ID staple and have a similar no-frills dim sum menu. The pan-fried chive dumplings and har gow shrimp dumplings are a must-order.
Dumpling Generation
website | neighborhoods: Edmonds (get directions) & Lake Forest Park (get directions) | cuisine: Northeastern Chinese | best for: dumplings
Dumpling Generation is an unfussy spot serving steamed buns, hot pots, and noodle dishes. The noodles are unmistakably handmade, with uneven shapes and the perfect amount of chewiness.
As the name suggests, the must-get here are the dumplings. You can see them being made by hand and lined up on roller carts. They’re always super juicy and served steaming hot, which is super comforting on a cold day.
Little Ting’s Dumplings
website | neighborhood: Greenwood (get directions) | cuisine: Chinese | best for: dumplings
Little Ting’s is another unassuming spot that serves some of the best Chinese food in Seattle. As the name implies, you can expect to find plump, perfectly seasoned dumplings. The pork and shrimp boiled dumplings are my favorite, but the pork and fennel potstickers come in a close second.
I also really enjoy the wonton soup, which has beautiful wontons and clean, warming broth. It comes with a spicy chili oil for dipping and I seriously could have taken a pint of that stuff home with me.
Chengdu Taste
website | neighborhood: Chinatown-ID (get directions) | cuisine: Sichuan | best for: cumin lamb
This small California chain makes unapologetically spicy Sichuan cuisine. I’m talking I-can-barely-handle-a-2-spice-level spicy. Luckily they put a chili key on the menu to help steer you in the right direction.
The menu is quite big, but don’t miss the cumin lamb and Chengdu fried rice. The lamb is high quality and has a really addictive, nuanced spice rub. I love how it has some fatty pieces and cilantro to really play up the tension between fresh and indulgent.
While some may think the Chengdu fried rice is a bit tame, it has a lot of subtle flavors unlike your typical version of this side dish. It’s earthy and floral thanks to scallions, eggs, and mushrooms. It’s served less fried, so it’s a lighter palate cleanser to help you stomach your way through all the spice. Yet it’s complex enough to stand out on its own.
Master Jianbing
website | neighborhood: U-District (get directions) | cuisine: Northern Chinese | best for: Chinese street food
I first fell in love with the popular Chinese street food, jianbing, after trying it at Bing Mi, one of the most fun places to eat in Portland. If you’re not familiar, jianbing is like a crepe that’s folded over into a burrito-like wrap. They’re often large and filled with meat, veggies, sweet sauce, and a signature crunchy fried wonton.
I haven’t seen a lot of jianbing in Seattle, so you can imagine my excitement when I discovered Master Jianbing during a Door Dash browsing session. They serve this street food classic with a bunch of different filling options like fried chicken, shredded beef, mushroom, and more.
My favorite is the peking duck and Chinese sausage with add-on mushrooms. There’s a great balance with the sweetness from the sauce juxtaposed with the earthiness from the duck and mushrooms. I also love the black sesame seeds embedded into the crepe batter. It makes this dish as pretty as it is tasty.
Little Duck
website | neighborhood: U-District (get directions) | cuisine: Northern Chinese | best for: eggplant with minced pork
Little Duck is an adorably tiny spot with only a few tables and window seats. The dining room is often full so I usually get takeout. I enjoy their spicy fried chicken which isn’t really spicy at all and eggplant with minced pork that’s cooked to perfection with no hint of bitterness.
However, the surprise banger for me is the shredded potato in chili oil, which oddly enough reminds me of papaya salad except for the subtle starchiness. It isn’t spicy, but instead has a fresh sesame flavor.
The mapo tofu also isn’t very spicy, but has a nice floral flavor with supple chunks of soft tofu and a thick umami sauce. So Little Duck is a great spot to come to try Sichuan dishes if you aren’t into extreme heat.
Tai Tung
website | neighborhood: Chinatown-ID (get directions) | cuisine: cross-regional Chinese | best for: chicken chow mein
Tai Tung is the oldest Chinese restaurant in Seattle, and it shows with newspaper clippings lining the wall and a constant buzz of people going in and out. In fact, Bruce Lee used to love coming here. He’s remembered by the signature mural honoring him on the front of the building. History like that prove Tai Tung deserves a spot on this list of the best Chinese food in Seattle.
I’ve gone here quite a few times and my absolute must-order is the chicken chow mein with soft noodles. The brothy sauce is aromatic, flavorful, and pairs perfectly with the stir fried onions and celery. Some may argue it’s plain, but that’s what makes it the perfect comfort food.
The wonton soup is also a good choice. The wontons themselves are light and delicate, making for a refreshing soup I could drink year-round.
Tian Fu
website | neighborhood: Northgate (get directions) | cuisine: Sichuan | best for: mapo tofu
This spot is the spiciest Sichuan I’ve had, particularly the mapo tofu. So if you like heat, definitely prioritize this restaurant. A lot of other people do, as this place is always crowded!
I recommended ordering the Chinese broccoli and cucumber with fungus salad to cool your palate. For spicy dishes, the lamb toothpick and Chongqing chicken are great accompaniments to the mapo tofu. I just recommend getting the boneless chicken if you don’t like the texture of cartilage.
Secret Congee
website | neighborhood: Ballard (get directions) | cuisine: Chinese-Southeast Asian fusion | best for: pork belly congee
Congee is a hard dish to get right since it’s naturally very mild and the texture is everything. I’ve been going to Secret Congee for years. They’re one of my go-to spots in Ballard for lunch when I’m craving a big bowl of comfort food in Seattle. They take this classic Chinese dish and add fun Southeast Asian ingredients to really pump up the flavor.
I recommend getting the pork belly congee or the squash and miso congee if you’re not a big meat eater. Both have a rich umami flavor, and they’re even better when you add on a soft-boiled egg and a side order of kimchi.
Din Tai Fung
website | neighborhoods: Downtown (get directions), Bellevue (get directions) & U-District (get directions) | cuisine: Tawainese | best for: spicy cucumbers & xiao long bao
It was a tough decision to pick between DTF and Dough Zone, but I prefer DTF. This surprises me because I don’t typically frequent chains in favor of local restaurants, but there’s no denying that DTF has figured out how to scale their operations and deliver consistently some of the best Chinese food in Seattle.
I go here frequently because it’s my niece’s favorite restaurant, so I have my order down to a science. It includes a cucumber appetizer for each person, xiao long bao soup dumplings with multiple fillings, pork and shrimp shumai, spicy wontons, garlic spinach, and the chicken rice cakes. All of these are excellent and will make sure you don’t go home hungry!
Pro tip: Because they have so many locations, they offer some of the best food delivery in Seattle.
Dim Sum King
website | neighborhood: Chinatown-ID (get directions) | cuisine: Cantonese | best for: dumplings
It took me forever to get to this dim sum spot because its takeout only and only open for lunch. I’m rarely in the C-ID for lunchtime, and when I am I feel like I need some place to sit. But one day I decided to go on a crawl and just eat Dim Sum King’s offerings on the roof of my car.
I’m happy I did because they’re making excellent dim sum that you can order by the piece. The dumplings are the star, but other standouts include the beef rice rolls, sesame balls, and pork footballs. If any of these are available in the case or online when you arrive, get them!
Pro tip: You can order online ahead to skip the line. However, don’t just grab your takeout from the counter. They want to see your ID and will yell at you if you don’t show it, which I learned the hard way. 😅
No. 9 Alley Hot Pot
website | neighborhood: Bitter Lake (get directions) | cuisine: Chinese hot pot | best for: hot pot & sesame balls
No. 9 is an all-you-can-eat Sichuan hot pot restaurant in Bitter Lake, a neighborhood nestled between Greenwood and Shoreline in North Seattle. While many people prefer buzzy spots like Chengdu Memory, which are also good, I prefer this quieter restaurant to get my hot pot fix.
All-you-can-eat hot pot orders are ~$28.99 per adult (less for kids and seniors) and come with unlimited trips to the toppings and sides bar. There you’ll find at least 10 different sauces you can mix and match into your perfect dips. They also have sides up there like cucumber salad and slaw, plus sesame dessert balls.
I go up to the bar multiple times whenever I eat here because I can’t get enough of the slaw and sesame balls. They are such a nice accompaniment to the hot pot!
As far as the hot pot goes, you can order one or two broths. I like the bone broth and signature spicy broth so you get a bit of earthy and spicy. The seafood and meat are high quality here, so get a mix of both to dip!
Ping’s Dumpling House
website | neighborhood: Chinatown-ID (get directions) | cuisine: Chinese | best for: pork & chive bao buns
Ping’s is a small dumpling spot serving a variety of dumplings, potstickers, soups, and stir-fries. I didn’t love the pork and shrimp dumplings because the dough is thicker than I want and a bit on the shaggy side, but their pork and chive bao are so good that I still consider them as one of the best Chinese restaurants in Seattle.
You eat it with your hands like a traditional bao, but it’s less spongey and sweet. The inside is perfectly balanced with huge bites of chive that pair nicely with the Parmesan-like crispiness on top. Whatever you do, don’t skip this dish!
Chiang’s Gourmet
website | neighborhood: Maple Leaf (get directions) | cuisine: Shanghai | best for: hand-shaved noodles
Chiang’s Gourmet is one of the first “fancy” Chinese restaurants I fell in love with when I moved to Seattle more than 15 years ago. My sister, brother-in-law and I went to Ballard Mandarin for our everyday takeout, but this is where we went for a sit down experience.
Now I find it a bit funny because the outside is a little run down and I doubt a lot of people would call it fancy, but it’s old-school upscale-ish when you walk in. They serve a variety of Chinese-American, authentic Chinese, and dim sum dishes, so you can bring even the pickiest of your friends and know they’ll find something good.
I’m a fan of the hand-shaven noodles, which are perfectly chewy and cooked to al dente, as the Italian in me thinks they should be. The pan fried noodles are my favorite, and I usually get the beef since it’s juicy and gets a nice caramelized exterior from being seared.
Canton Noodle House
website | neighborhood: Beacon Hill (get directions) | cuisine: Cantonese | best for: noodle soup
I’ll eat soup regardless of the season, even if it’s 90 degrees out. But it hits different during chillier months. I find it’s basically all I want to eat, so I’m ecstatic to have a new-to-me spot that serve a mean bowl of some of the best soup in Seattle.
That spot is Canton Noodle House. They changed ownership, which some OG customers will undoubtedly claim means it went downhill. But rest assured, they’re still open under the new owners and serve a similarly-focused menu of soup, noodles, fried chicken, and more.
I don’t love the fried chicken pieces because they’re too oily, but the beef noodle and wonton soup are awesome. It has a deep seafood flavor that goes beautifully with the bitter Chinese broccoli and fall-off-the-bone beef that has a noticeable marinade.
You can also add sui-kau dumplings to your soup, which I highly recommend because why choose when you don’t have to? They’re like wontons, but bigger and have pork, shrimp, and mushroom vs. just shrimp. Both are great, just different. You can order either of them frozen to take home, too!
Kau Kau Restaurant
website | neighborhood: Chinatown-ID (get directions) | cuisine: Cantonese | best for: BBQ pork
Ask anyone where to go for roast or BBQ meats and they’ll undoubtedly say Kau Kau. This C-ID staple is some of the best Chinese food in Seattle, as is evident by its loyal fan base.
It smells intoxicatingly of meat as soon as you walk in. It’s easy to see why, as there are barbecued meats hanging in the window and a butcher working quickly to deliver all the orders.
People love the duck and roast pork. I personally find the roast pork too fatty and salty and the duck too boney, so my go-to is the BBQ pork. It’s sweet and juicy with a shiny lacquer. I heard you can ask for plum sauce and green onions on the side, which I have yet to do, but get it if that’s of interest to you!
Dumpling the Noodle
website | neighborhood: Wallingford (get directions) | cuisine: Chinese | best for: Chili the Beef Lamen
Dumpling the Noodle is a Chinese restaurant in Seattle that merges techniques from four different areas: Szechuan, Shandong, Guangzhou, and Huaiyang. You can eat at their shop, but they also run a tight food delivery service to a pretty wide radius around Seattle.
I can’t get enough of this place, and my niece agrees. She ordered the Chili the Beef Lamen one time, took a bite, then looked up at me and said, “I’ve never had anything like this before.” I think she was referring to the crazy fresh flavor of the cabbage and cilantro, plus the richness of the peanut butter which tied together the whole dish.
This place is known for hand shaved noodles and dumplings, and my favorite dumplings are hands-down chicken corn and pork with cabbage. I also like the pork onion buns, which aren’t as thick as bao buns, but rather more flaky like Chinese crepes. The chicken wonton soup is also delish because I think it has kombu in the broth to give it depth of flavor and atypical sourness.
Judy Fu’s Snappy Dragon
website | neighborhood: Maple Leaf (get directions) | cuisine: Sichuan/Mandarin | best for: crispy eggplant
Upon first look, Snappy Dragon’s menu seems like your typical Chinese-American restaurant. However, dive deeper and you’ll find some authentic dishes you don’t typically find at your typical chicken-and-broccoli spot.
For example, you’ll find your typical Chinese dishes like fried rice and General Tso’s, along with more authentic plates like clay pot stews and green onion pancakes.
They’re probably best known for their dumplings and hand shaven noodles, but I’m partial to the crispy eggplant. It comes with a tangy, sticky glaze and has a flavor that almost reminds me of chicken parm. As an Italian-American, I approve of this.
Pro tip: If you like their dumplings, you can order some frozen to make at home!
Dump Truck
website | neighborhood: Ballard (get directions) | cuisine: Sichuan & Yunnan | best for: pork belly sandwich
Dump Truck is a food truck owned by Plenty of Clouds, a Sichuan and Yunnan restaurant based in Capitol Hill that I have yet to try. The truck is in Ballard and lives permanently outside Cloudburst Brewing, one of the best Ballard breweries.
They specialize in Chinese street food, dumplings, and noodles. However, I’ll be honest, I think the noodles can be a bit heavy. The winners for me are the cucumber salad and the pork belly sandwich
The salad comes with ground peanuts and a chili sauce that is surprisingly refreshing. The pork belly has a softer texture, more like porchetta than crispy pork belly, and the pickled cabbage on top is addictive.
Frying Fish
website | neighborhood: Bellevue (get directions) | cuisine: Sichuan | best for: house special chili beef
There are just too many Chinese restaurants on the Eastside, so for the most part I focused on Seattle for this article. However, I can’t create a list of the best Chinese food in Seattle without mentioning the Sichuan spot Frying Fish.
I love the chili beef, which has a heavy dose of lotus root, cucumber, cauliflower, and tender, juicy beef. The honey walnut prawns are another star that come in huge, perfectly-breaded portions. So in the meantime before I make an Eastside-specific Chinese restaurant article, head here!
More Seattle restaurants to try
After you make your way through the best Chinese food in Seattle, check out my other guides for more dining inspiration.
