China Restaurant Reviews
Minmon is an unique Chinese seafood buffet in Shanghai with a location in Shenzhen. It is located about 20 minutes from the Bund. We watch a video about this spot and wanted to give it a try. Decor is modern and nautical in theme. The selection of seafood items geared towards Chinese cooking are unparalleled! What a fun spot. No reservations.
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Zhangjiajie is an amazing place in the Hunan Province of China. The scenic beauty of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is unmatched with its sandstone pillars. The movie Avatar was inspired there. Zhangjiajie’s Avatar Mountains are located in Yuanjiajie, Wulingyuan Scenic Area of Hunan Province, China. The area is accessible via Zhangjiajie City. Be sure to pay extra for VIP tickets to cut in line!
Lai Lai is known for top rated Xiao long bao aka XLB or soup dumplings. We’ve been to Yu garden, Jia jia, Din Tai Fung and several other places on past trips, so it was time for a new place.
Top xiao long bao in Shanghai?
Jia Jia Tang Bao (佳家汤包) is a small but popular Shanghai steamed dumpling or Xiaolongbao shop in Shanghai established in 1986. Our first visit was in 2010, then 2014. Our most recent visit was in Summer 2025 when they had moved down the block to nicer location.
Dumplings worth flying across the Pacific Ocean for…
Yang’s Dumpling – Chinese name: 小杨生煎馆 or xiao yang sheng jian guan 生煎包 – is a popular fried dumpling shop serving pan fried pork bun or Sheng jian bao, a Shanghainese Chinese dish. It was formed in Shanghai in 1994 by Mrs. Yang, who still keeps her recipe secret. They have many locations in Shanghai and are opening more all the time even in Austrailia. We dined at the Shanghai Huanghe location nearest to our hotel by People’s Square.
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We recently finished a culinary tour of China in the Summer of 2025. Shanghai is a world class city full of great food. Most of the Chinese food was superior to that in the San Francisco Bay Area and even Vancouver, BC Canada.
We ate at Yung Kee’s Hong Kong Airport location, Level 6, Terminal 1 West Hall Airside.
Choice of any 2 roasted Meats (HK$380=$48) with Roasted Goose and Barbecued pork. They ran out of Premium Barbecued pork belly. The goose was delicious but had to be eaten with the skin or else it was dense and dry. Barbecued pork comes warm was very good. This was an expensive dinner but when you have limited time in transit! 8.5/10
We return to the first 3 Michelin star Chinese Restaurant in the world.
Upscale IFC Shopping Center – Glitzier than any USA Mall
Last Update: June 2025
We love Xiao Long Bao (XLB) aka Shanghai Steamed Soup Dumplings and have eaten all over the world seeking the best. Are you a Xiao Long Bao addict too? Read on.
One tip: If you are looking for good XLB, do not order them from a Cantonese Chinese restaurant. You are almost always guaranteed disappointing results even at the Best Chinese Restaurant in San Francisco: Koi Palace. Order these little balls of wonder from a Shanghainese Chinese restaurant.
Best buffet in Hong Kong? Harbourside is a restaurant in the Regent Hong Kong hotel that specializes in Buffets for lunch, dinner, and Sunday Brunch. They serve Asian, American, and other international dishes. Our last visit was in the summer of 2011 for Sunday brunch.
Could this be one of the best Saturday – Sunday Brunch buffets?
Best buffet in Hong Kong? Conrad Hong Kong Buffet: Best buffet in the world? Also consider The Market buffet.
Why did we dine here? – Xiecheng Seafood & Hotpot is a popular restaurant in Macau. This restaurant group owns many different restaurants through out Asia including Jinyuexuan. Our friend recommended this restaurant, and we noticed you will not find it in tour books, nor on Trip Advisor. This place is not located on a central street, so you may need a taxi to reach it.
We finished up our latest culinary tour of China in the Summer of 2011 at South Sea Fishing Village for lunch. They have 2 locations here. Guangzhou is the origination point for Cantonese Chinese cuisine, making it a must visit for those serious about Chinese food. In late 2014 we returned for dinner.
Why did we dine here? – Lei Garden is a top restaurant group with locations in Hong Kong, Singapore, China, and Macau. In late 2014 we had dinner at the Guangzhou location of Lei Garden, based on our local friends re-iteration that even this location serves up great food. Interesting to hear that the Xi Jinping’s crackdown has affected business at this restaurant too. Government officials do not want to be caught near any fancy restaurants any more. This location takes up one floor and is 50% made up of private rooms.
Incredible Italian in Shanghai
Why did we dine here? – 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana is the sister restaurant to their Hong Kong location. They have been awarded 3 Michelin Stars in Hong Kong. We were getting sick of several weeks of Chinese food during our Asia trip and decided it was time for something different. Being huge fans of Italian food, we went for the number one bet.
Why did we dine here? – Zi Yat Heen is the Chinese restaurant at the Four Seasons Macau. We were staying in the hotel and saw that this restaurant had two Michelin stars, making it a no brainer to eat here. We knew nothing about the restaurant, so off we go on another dim sum adventure. Prior to this, we were in Taiwan, so we missed traditional high end Cantonese fare.
250lb Wagyu beef roast?
Why did we dine here? – MGM Macau Rossio Buffet is the main buffet at this huge resort in Macau. Macau is China’s Las Vegas, and generates $44 billion in gambling revenue in 2014, compared to $6 billion in Las Vegas. Clearly Macau has become the biggest gambling area around. We stayed here for one night to see how the small country has changed.
Why did we dine here? – Fu Chun is well known as one of the most authentic Xiao long Bao restaurants in Shanghai. They have been in existence for many decades. They have many locations around the city, (10 stores, mostly in shopping centers) we chose the one that was the closest to our hotel near People’s Square. Note: this location is slated to close as a new high end shopping center is displacing it. More progress.
Shenzhen Citizen Center Restaurant is a restaurant located underneath the ultra modern Shenzhen Citizen Center. This restaurant caters to Government officials and may not be open to the public. We were lucky enough to be invited by a friend and dined in a private VIP room. The food here was extra-ordinary when compared to Chinese food back in the San Francisco Bay Area. The service was very good as a waitress was assigned to our private room. Be sure to check out our review of Fu Gow in Shenzhen.
Nanling Restaurant in the French Concession is a restaurant in Shanghai, China serving Huaiyang cuisine, famous for its carving techniques using specialty knives. Nanling also serves Yangzhou specialties, including lots of fresh seafood dishes and the signature dish, roast duck. Interesting Asian art hugs the walls. Our excellent US$50 meal could feed six people or more. After dinner, hit one of the many bars down the block.
Subway: Hengshan Road Station
A taste of the fish market in Guangzhou, China. The market has hundreds of vendors similar to these. Not as beautiful as most food markets, but worth a trip for foodies like us. There are some restaurants located upstairs.
Why did we dine here? – Fu Gow is a excellent restaurant located near the Shenzhen airport. Our local friend highly recommended this restaurant, which is frequented by many government officials and is way under the radar.
We recently finished up our latest culinary tour of China in the Summer of 2011. Cantonese Chinese cuisine originated from this area, making it a must visit for those serious about Chinese food.
Here are some quick mini reviews of places we ate at. We feel this will be useful as more people visit this up-and-coming area. We found few reviews on Trip Advisor and Dianping.
Shangri-La Li Cafe Buffet is located in the Shangri-La hotel in beautiful Guilin, China. Guilin is famous for its unique scenery featuring beautiful limestone rock formations and the Li river delta. This area is a mecca for Chinese tourists and needs to be on more Western travel destinations.
We recently finished up our latest culinary tour of China in the Spring of 2011. Sanya, a beautiful city on China’s Hainan Island, has become essentially China’s Hawaii with beautiful sandy beaches, palm trees, and warm weather. Many Chinese tourist flock here during Chinese New Year and other holidays, packing the beaches until there is no room left!
Here are some quick mini reviews of places we ate at. We feel this will be useful as more people visit this up-and-coming area. We found few reviews on Trip Advisor and Dianping.
Guilin is famous for its unique scenery featuring beautiful limestone rock formations and the Li river delta. This area is a mecca for Chinese tourists and needs to be on more Western travel destinations.
We recently finished up our latest culinary tour of China in the Spring of 2011. Guilin a beautiful city in China’s South, is one of the top destinations for Chinese tourists. A quick glimpse of the scenery with the karst formations tells you why. Yangshou is a couple hours from Guilin, just as beautiful, and far less touristy.
Here are some quick mini reviews of places we ate at in Guilin and Yangshou. We feel this will be useful as more people visit this up-and-coming area. We found few reviews on Trip Advisor and Dianping.
Fu1039 is a classic Shanghai restaurant that is mentioned in many tour books, making us cautious. It is located in the Hongqiao area of Shanghai not far from the subway. The restaurant is located down an alley from the 1039 address marker.
Lei Garden is a well respected restaurant group with locations in Hong Kong, Singapore, China, and Macau. They opened location18 in Shanghai in 2010. We visited their location in the upscale IFC mall in Hong Kong for dinner in late 2008. This location earned one star in the 2009 Michelin guide but lost it in 2010.
South Beauty is a very beautiful restaurant located in the Super Brand Mall in Shanghai’s Pudong district. The view of the Bund was awesome from this location making us worry about the quality of the food. You have to spend at least ¥200 per person to sit by the window. Dining on the outdoor deck is unparalleled. South Beauty, founded in 2000 by Zhang Lan, has over 40 high end restaurants throughout China including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Chengdu, Suzhou, QingDao, Shenyang. They also run Steam, LAN Club, and SUBU. We had eaten at this location about two years ago and had mixed results. South Beauty Was picked this time because the other restaurants in the Super Brand Mall had already closed. They serve a combination of Sichuan and Cantonese Chinese food in stylish environments.
Din Tai Fung is a popular Shanghai dumpling restaurant with locations in Los Angeles, Taipei, Japan, China, Singapore, and several other countries. We dined at the location in Shanghai’s touristy Xintiandi. The Los Angeles location is in Arcadia with Yelp reviews unfortunately indicating it is a step down from the ones abroad.
This restaurant started in Taipei City and has expanded over the years based on the popularity of their Shanghai steamed dumplings. We decided not to visit the USA, Beijing, Tokyo or Hong Kong branch and eat at one in the heart of Xiao Long Bao dumpling territory, Shanghai, China. We were hoping that this would be the star location for dumplings.
Chuen Kee Seafood Restaurant is a seafood restaurant located in Hong Kong’s northern Sai Kung area, about an hour subway and bus ride from tourist central Tsim Tsa Tsui. Take the MTR to Choi Hung (Kwun Tong line), exit through at Exit C2, walk a couple feet forward, and take bus 92 or 96R at the bus stop (arrives every 5 minutes), and get off at the end of the line after a 25 minute bus ride. This restaurant opened in 1988. Chuen Kee Seafood has another location a block farther down the promenade.
Chinese Name: 官府菜
Taiwan Hotel Imperial Restaurant is situated in the Wangfujing area, a busy downtown district, a block away from a popular shopping street and the Dong Huamen Specialty Food Market. It is situated in the basement of the Taiwan Hotel. This restaurant specializes in the cuisine eaten by royalty, Imperial Chinese Cuisine.
Chinese Name: 南门涮肉
Nan Men Hot Pot is a popular Islamic hot pot restaurant in Beijing, with 8 locations. We ate at the Chaoyang District location that is across the street from Embassy row and a couple blocks from the Silk Market and subway station Guomao. The specialize in individualized ornate blue hot pots used to cook meat, seafood, and vegetables. They like to emphasize the health benefits of particular items and love to show off their ISO certifications.
Lei Garden is a Cantonese Chinese restaurant based in Hong Kong, with serveral locations in China and Singapore. We loved their Hong Kong IFC location and had to visit them when in Beijing. They opened in 2006 and are located next to the Regent Hotel, on the 3rd floor right above a Ferrari dealer. They serve dim sum on the weekends and have waiters that understand English. We found the menu lacking some dishes present at their Hong Kong location like squab. There were some dishes missing from the menu that our server alerted us to.
Chinese name: 后海16号美食会所
No. 16 Courtyard Restaurant is a quaint little restaurant hidden in the touristy Hutong area most people tour on bike coaches. It is near Shisha Houhai lake, north of the Yundian bridge. The specialize in Imperial Chinese Cuisine, the best of all China. Tiny restaurant with only a couple tables, so reservations are a must. Be warned that tables usually have a minimum food charge. Our large table had a huge 3000RMB minimum. We happened to strolling at lunchtime without a reservation and lucked out in finding a table available. They host many private banquets.
Chinese name: 锦江苑餐厅
Jinjiang Palace Chinese Restaurant is located in Taiyuan’s 5 star World Trade Hotel, about 400km from Beijing. They focus on traditional Shanghai cuisine.
Jardin de Jade or Jade Garden Restaurant (Chinese Name: 苏浙汇 – Su Zhe Hui) serves Shanghai cuisine and has locations in Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, and Beijing. They are part of King Mang Jade Garden Group’s high-end restaurant brand and launched in 1999. In the Summer of 2009, we visited the Beijing location for lunch, which was located in the Raycom Info Tech Park that is home to many technology companies. In the Summer of 2010, we had dinner at a Shanghai location near People’s Square, which was located above a Porsche dealership.
Chinese name: 全聚德烤鸭店
Quan Jude Roast Duck is the oldest Peking Duck restaurant, having been started in 1864 and has many branches. Quanjude together implies perfection, union, and benevolence. The location we ate at, is one of the newest and is located in North-Sanhuan Haidian District of Beijing. We have been told that other locations are not as good. They have over 60 company-owned and franchised restaurants in China, Hong Kong, and Australia. The chain is closely affiliated with the government.
Restaurant Made in China is a Chinese restaurant located in the five star Grand Hyatt hotel in Beijing, China. They focus on Northern Chinese cuisine including Peking Duck and Beggar’s Chicken. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We were worried that this restaurant was a typical tourist trap with mediocre food at high prices but decided to visit for dinner because we were staying in the hotel. No free tea here. You have to pay for it as you do in other places. 15% service charge. We tried to stay with the menu marked specialties.
Xinxin Dumpling Shop is located in the small industrial city of Hongdong, China, about 500 km from Beijing. This low cost restaurant specializes in, surprise!, dumplings.
Decor, Vibe – Typical average restaurant decor with a couple tables in the small main dining room. Lots of locals, no tourists.
More Foodie delights from our recent trip to China.
What is a fast food place doing on the Foodnut.com? Eating fast food on a vacation? Sacrilegious! We visited KFC in a Beijing shopping mall when we wanted a small snack. We noticed some Egg Custard tarts on the menu and gave them a try.
