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Fried rice, sweet and sour pork, and honey chicken are as synonymous with Australian food as meat pies, pavlova, and Vegemite sandwiches. Like plenty of other Aussies, my first restaurant memories are centred around spinning a lazy Susan, everyone happily grabbing fistfuls of prawn crackers as they pass. While those Cantonese restaurants still command a beloved spot in most towns and suburbs, Sydney’s Chinese food landscape (and appetite) has broadened in recent years. The food of Sichuan, Hunan, Xinjiang, and other regions has become much easier to find, driven partly by first-gen Australians craving a taste of home. Whether you’re looking for a comforting bowl of noodles, a sizzling plate of Mongolian lamb, or abundant yum cha at home, these are some of the top Chinese restaurants in Sydney.
Ba Shan
This Green Square operation started with a simple ambition: create a really great bowl of Chongqing spicy noodles. Having nailed that bowl of noodles doused in punchy chilli oil and topped in soy-flavoured pork mince, BaShan has become a celebration of all things Sichuan, offering kung pao chicken, stir-fried egg and tomato, and my personal pick for the best Dan Dan noodles in town. Ruby-hued mapo tofu and pork and prawn-filled wontons slicked with sesame sauce and chilli oil bring plenty of that numbing Sichuanese heat, but there’s something here for people with all types of spice tolerances to love.
Super Bowl Chinese
Not many things kick-start the appetite like a stroll through Sydney’s Chinatown, eyeing luminescent roasted ducks, soy-braised chickens, and sides of crisp-roasted pork peeking through windows. Super Bowl captures that spirit in a home delivery box, dispatching colourful fried rice, rich stir fries and, of course, plenty of those roasted meats from the popular Haymarket storefront. Don’t skip the Pekinese-style spare ribs — it’s about as close as you can get to that dreamy Chinatown experience without leaving the couch.
Chinese North Noodle House
It’s true, I’ve never met a dumpling I didn’t fall head over heels in love with. Even so, the hand-formed dumplings — filled with pork, seafood, and Chinese veggies like chives and cabbage — at this Alexandria spot are something special. In the extremely unlikely event that the crisp-bottomed, pan-fried pork buns aren’t your bag, the hefty hand-pulled noodles coated in an umami-rich, soy-based sauce would make anyone happy.
Mr Q’s Chinese Restaurant
Growing up, nothing felt more special than a feast at our neighbourhood Chinese restaurant, the table (and soon, us) groaning under mountains of fried rice, Mongolian lamb, lemon chicken, and, if we were lucky, a plate of combination seafood noodles. An order from this Cantonese hotspot in buzzy Leichhardt brings that same sense of celebration and generosity into your home dining room. BYO lazy Susan, I’m afraid.
New Shanghai
Ashfield’s Liverpool Road is lined shoulder-to-shoulder on both sides with regional Chinese restaurants, and while there are plenty that pull a crowd most nights, none are bigger or more enthusiastic than those waiting outside New Shanghai. Dumplings are the main draw here, particularly the explosive soup-and-pork-filled xiao long bao, and the soft-on-top, crispy-underneath pork buns — though you’ll find plenty to love in every section of the epic menu.
Longmenzhu Noodle Bar
Longmenzhu in Mascot replicates the popular buffet-style hotpot experience in your home. Choose from one of the five soup bases (including the classic mouth-numbing malatang broth), select your preferred noodles, then pick from the list of over 50 add-ins — like fish balls, black pepper beef, pig tongue, and duck blood jelly. A bit of simple assembly at home and boom! You’re ready to slurp.
Din Tai Fung
At the time of writing in 2024, this Taiwanese dumpling spot had expanded to 119 restaurants across 15 countries since 1972. Famous for its precision — each dumpling must use exactly 5g of dough and 16g of filling — you know you’re getting the same flawless, bursting xiao long bao dumpling at this Pitt Street location that you would in China, the U.S. or, now, in your own kitchen. Though soup dumplings are unmistakably the hero, I’m always excited to amplify my order with a fried pork chop and a side of egg fried rice. Find other locations on George Street and in Marrickville, Chatswood, North Sydney, and Pyrmont.
Kowloon Café
Kowloon Café in Haymarket does knockout Hong Kong street eats. I’m talking about the fluffy pineapple bread filled with a fried egg and Spam, curried fish balls, macaroni soup dotted with chunks of ham, and instant noodles topped with Swiss Chicken Wings (sweet soy sauce-braised wings named for a mishearing of the word sweet). Even at home, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to a colourful café in Hong Kong, watching people hurry past the steamed-up windows as you work your way through a thick slab of sweetened French toast topped with condensed milk.
Sydney Dumpling King
Along with Chatswood, Ashfield and, of course, Chinatown, Burwood has become a bit of a centre for Chinese food in Sydney. In the heart of that hub of deliciousness sits Sydney Dumpling King, where meats, fish, and veggies of all kinds are lovingly crammed into wrappers by hand every day and steamed to order. Beef, pork, and prawn are all popular choices here, but don’t sleep on the umami-packed veggie dumplings, given a meaty punch-up by dried mushrooms, dried tofu, and black fungus. Hot tip: dumplings might be in the name, but the King is just as beloved for its extensive list of hot and cold soups and crispy chive pancakes.
Yoyo’s BBQ
If, like me, you find it difficult to walk past a glistening roast duck, thick slab of crisp-skinned pork belly, or red strip of char siu pork, then Yoyo’s BBQ in Neutral Bay is the kind of place you’d happily buy an annual membership for. You’ll see the usual Southern Chinese-inspired line-up of favourites on the menu, as well as a few selections from further north (those magnificently-fiery chilli oil-coated wontons, for example). But it’s the roast meats that keep this neon-lit dining room humming — grab the three-meat selection box for a sample of each.
Fun House Malatang
Remember the old Batman TV show, where every punch and kick would be punctuated with a word like “BAM,” “POW,” or “ZAMM?” That’s what it feels like to eat a bowl of Fun House’s signature malatang broth. What sets this Chatswood and Hurstville restaurant apart from the crowded hotpot field is the variety of its soup stocks — choose not only from three spice levels for the classic red soup, but also between a funky sauerkraut broth or a rich and creamy laksa base — and the freshness and diversity of the add-ins. Cut crab, winter melon, meats of all kinds and cuts, and, my personal go-to, the fish balls stuffed with roe, are among the dozens of options available at this Sydney Chinese restaurant.
Bear Chinese Burger
Snuggled in Chatswood’s thumping Mandarin Centre, Bear specialises in rou jia mo — a meat-filled bun from Shaanxi province colloquially known as a Chinese burger. Roti-like, pan-fried coils of dough hold treasures such as soy-braised pork, cumin-spiced lamb, fried chicken, and even battered fish and chips, all dripping with their braising juices and exploding with flavour. Not feeling the burg’? Bear is just as beloved for its extensive potato noodle menu.
First Choice Seafood
Ask the team at this Killara joint why their seafood dumplings are so astonishingly flavourful, and they’ll point proudly to the hunks of wild-caught prawns nestled inside. It’s the use of superior ingredients, the website reads, that makes these dumplings some of the most prized in Sydney. I’ll testify that you can taste the quality: organic cabbage, zucchini, radish and other veggies fill the boiled and pan-fried dumplings while pork, lamb, chicken, and beef across the menu is full of flavour. Everything from the soup-filled xiao long bao to the chicken dim sims are handmade on-site, as is the tingly house chilli oil that you’ll want to drizzle over everything.
Tasty Eating House
It’s hard to argue with a name like this, particularly when every item on the extensive menu lives so wholeheartedly up to it. With locations in Chatswood and Kingsford — two suburbs with a reputation for seriously good Chinese food — Tasty Easting House’s menu reads like a “best-of” food list from across China. Sour-spicy hotpots burst with pickled cabbage, bean curd, and thin slices of pork belly, while zha jiang-style noodles hum with fermented soybean paste and chilli. Don’t skip the dumplings loaded with pork, prawns, and more of that pickled cabbage.
Southern Wok
There aren’t many things that lift a mood as quickly or comprehensively as a really good laksa, and Southern Wok in Kensington is a master of the form. Delivered hot, amped up with chilli, and tempered with creamy coconut milk, it’s everything you want in a bowl of noodles. From Hainanese chicken rice and char kwai teow stir-fried noodles to a whole sub-menu of loaded wonton noodle soups, street food meets comfort food in this celebration of southern Chinese and Southeast Asian flavours.
1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle
Named for the year and city in which the eponymous beef noodle soup was created, 1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle is big on tradition. Noodles are handmade every day, crafted into seven different widths and gauges, just as they have been for over 100 years. Beef is braised in a stock made up of over 20 traditional ingredients, including cinnamon, bay leaf, nutmeg, and tsaoko, a type of black cardamom pod native to Yunnan province. Go for the hot spicy soup for a bit of tongue-tingling excitement. With many from locations Bondi Junction to Tuggerah, you’ll never be far from the goods.
Golden Unicorn Chinese Restaurant
Bustling yum chas are undeniably one of our greatest culinary imports. While there are few things more fun than sharing jewel-like dumplings, silky noodle rolls, chicken feet, roast duck, and mango pancakes with some friends, ordering it all for yourself is equally valid. Golden Unicorn comes to the rescue, bringing all your hot and cold yum cha favourites home, where none of those pesky table manners are required.
Hong Kong Boys Kitchen
Still searching for the best Chinese in Sydney? Traditionalists will find plenty to get excited about on the Boys’ dense list of Cantonese classics, whether it’s the crisp fingers of prawn toast, the XO-tossed king prawns, or the perfectly Aussie honey chicken. But while this Wattle Grove spot nails the staples, it's got a few special tricks up its sleeve too. Seeded mustard fried rice? Lychee-braised pork? Duck, pineapple, and black pepper rice? Anything’s possible.
Golden Palace Seafood Restaurant
For all the diversity of Sydney’s Chinese restaurants, traditional claypot dishes are still a pretty tough thing to find. Thankfully Golden Palace in Cabramatta is on the job, firing king prawns and vermicelli noodles in stoneware pots until the edges go irresistibly crispy. Oxtails in XO sauce get the same treatment, as does a combo of seafood with sea cucumbers. There’s plenty of familiar fare filling out the menu, but the highlights are an array of under-represented winners, like the salt and pepper duck tongues and the deep-fried scallops stuffed with minced, ginger-zapped prawn.
The Hotpot Palace
Choosing from a few different soup bases isn’t revolutionary in the world of home-delivered hotpot , but getting to choose two different stocks in one order is a classic Hotpot Palace move. Once you’ve picked your pair — the chicken broth is an ideal foil for the hot and spicy while the ox tail and tom yum soups play nicely together — it’s onto the giant list of add-ons. Meats, veggies, seafood-y treats, mushrooms, and noodles of all descriptions provide the ultimate bespoke hotpot experience. Just take my word for it: the sesame and soy dipping sauce from this Canley Heights spot is non-negotiable.
Biang Biang Noodle House
If you catch the scent of coriander, cumin, and chilli in the air, chances are you’ve found yourself down-wind of Biang Biang Noodle House in Chinatown or Ultimo. Thick Xi'an-style hand-pulled noodles have become a pretty big deal in Sydney, but few pack the flavour punch that these do, swimming in aromatic chilli oil and topped with chunks of impossibly tender spice-braised beef. You’ll find dumplings, vermicelli noodles, and other bits and pieces on the menu, but they should all be considered add-ons: ordering from Biang Biang Noodle House and not scoring your own bowl of Biang Biang noodles is unthinkable.
Happy Chef Noodle House
When you count rockstar chefs like Neil Perry of Margaret and Dan Hong of Mr Wong among your fans, you know you’re doing something right. Fire may have taken out the Newtown Happy Chef outpost a few difficult years ago, but the Sussex Centre original in the heart of Chinatown lives on, plying Sydneysiders with packed wonton noodle soups and an incredible line-up of laksas. My tip? A bowl of wonton noodle laksa gives you the best of both worlds.
City of Chun
If it’s been a while between visits to Waterloo, you might be surprised to see how exciting its food scene has become. Battalions of international students have brought with them a host of brilliant regional Chinese cuisines, and few keep the home fire burning as proudly (or as hot) as this shrine to north-eastern Chinese food. Try Beijing favourites like the lamb scorpion (braised lamb spine named for its scorpion-like appearance) or the sauerkraut-boiled pork and pig stomach simmered in a chilli sauce.
Little Lamb BBQ
While you’ll find the odd dumpling on Little Lamb’s menu, it’s really all about the skewers at this Auburn hotspot. Choose between regular and extra-fatty lamb, prawns, ox tongues, lamb kidneys, oyster mushrooms, and pretty much every part of the chicken — all skewered, glazed, grilled, and sent straight to your living room.
Taste of Shanghai
After first opening in Ashfield in 2007, Taste Of Shanghai has become a Sydney icon beloved for its dumplings and buns, with locations in both the CBD and Burwood as of 2024. But there’s so much more to this trailblazer inspired by Haipai cuisine, the food of Shanghai that draws influences from European traditions as well as from those found across China. The Famous Shanghainese Fried Noodles make a great meal for one, topped with braised and shredded pork and a punchy combo of steamed and pickled vegetables. But for a real party starter, try the Very Famous Shanghainese Dish, an aptly-named whole barramundi doused in a brightly tangy sweet and sour sauce.
Lilong by Taste of Shanghai
Named for a type of lowrise housing popular in Shanghai in the 19th century — said to be instrumental in encouraging the development of the city’s incredible street food scene — this Macquarie Park joint is another winner from the crew that brought Sydney Taste of Shanghai. With more of a street food spirit than its sister restaurant, you’ll find an expanded selection of dumplings, noodle dishes, and stir-fried classics like the sticky slow-cooked pork belly dotted with quail eggs, as well as some of those Taste of Shanghai faves. (I’m looking at you, plump wontons in red chilli sauce.)
Noble House
Ever found yourself with a craving for braised chicken feet, a velvety mango pancake, or a whole Singapore-style mud crab at 9 p.m. on a Monday evening? Eastwood’s Noble House has you covered, with its comprehensive assembly of classic Cantonese favourites, yum cha, barbecued meats (including a magnificent whole Peking duck with pancakes and accessories), and a selection of clay pot winners.
Double Lucky Chinese Cuisine
Picture the perfect plate of Aussie-style sweet and sour pork and you probably see ruby-like clusters of crisp-fried meat coated in a glossy red sauce dotted with capsicum, onion, and, of course, pineapple. Double Lucky nails the brief, with sweet and sour pork and other Cantonese offerings as delicious as they are nostalgic. In the market for dinner for one? The Combination of Chow Mein with crispy noodles has the perfect ratio of meat, seafood, vegetables, and shatteringly crunchy noodles.
Red Chilli Sichuan
Finding a top Sichuan feed in Chatswood isn’t tough, but even in a crowded field of winners, Red Chilli stands out for its big flavours. Kung pao chicken, steamed fish head with minced green and red chilli, and the smoked pork cabbage braise are all local favourites. Pro tip: take note of those spice level warnings on the dish descriptions; Sichuan specialties like the mao xue wang, a fiery hotpot with duck blood jelly, tripe, and ham don’t pull any punches.
