The Best Chinese Food in Chicago
From the push-cart dim sum at MingHin to Sichuan, hand-pulled Xi'an noodles, Cantonese roast meats, and soup dumplings — across Chinatown and beyond.
Chicago's Chinese dining anchors in the Chinatown corridor on the near South Side, one of the largest Chinatowns in the country, and the city's dim sum standard-bearer is MingHin Cuisine — push-cart har gow and siu mai at lunch, Cantonese banquet dishes at night, most plates under $10. But the depth is regional: Sichuan mala, hand-pulled Xi'an noodles, Cantonese roast meats, and Shanghainese soup dumplings. These are the picks worth seeking out, each scored and verified by Dim Hour.
A note on the map: most of these sit in Chinatown, with standouts north in Edgewater and Uptown and south in Bridgeport. Nearly all are walk-in and cash-friendly — order family-style and bring a group.
MingHin Cuisine
The Chinatown dim sum standard-bearer — push-cart service at lunch with har gow, siu mai, and dim sum carts, and Cantonese dishes (including Peking duck) at night. The default answer for dim sum in Chicago. Walk-in.
Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings
The Chinatown soup-dumpling and dumpling specialist. The pork soup dumplings, lamb-and-cumin dumplings, and spicy wontons are the table; a tiny, busy room that built its name on hand-wrapped dumplings. Walk-in.
Lao Peng You
A Chinatown Sichuan favorite for mala heat — the dry pot, Sichuan cold noodles, and mapo tofu bring the numbing-spicy backbone of the cuisine. A go-to for the Sichuan canon. Walk-in.
Sun Wah BBQ
An Edgewater Cantonese BBQ institution known for its multi-course Beijing duck dinner, char siu and roast-meats platters, and wonton soup. The North Side answer for Cantonese roast meats. Walk-in.
Xi'an Cuisine
A Chinatown specialist in Northwestern-Chinese (Xi'an) cooking — hand-pulled biang biang noodles, cumin lamb, and the lamb "burger" (rou jia mo). A distinct regional voice in the neighborhood. Walk-in.
JM Seafood
A Bridgeport Cantonese seafood house — twin-lobster sticky rice, salted-egg-yolk pumpkin, and soft-shell crab. The pick for a live-seafood banquet south of Chinatown. Walk-in.
What is the best Chinese food in Chicago?
Where is the best dim sum in Chicago?
Where are the best soup dumplings / dumplings in Chicago?
Where is the best Sichuan food in Chicago?
Where can I get Cantonese roast meats / Peking duck in Chicago?
Where is the best Chinese food in Chicago Chinatown?
Where can I get Xi'an / hand-pulled noodles in Chicago?
How expensive is Chinese food in Chicago?
How many restaurants does Dim Hour cover in Chicago?
Dim Hour scores every restaurant on food, service, ambiance, and value, and verifies every listing. This guide is updated as the catalog changes. Explore all Chicago restaurants →