Chinese Restaurants in Vancouver: 5 Delicious Ways to Experience the City’s Chinese Cuisine

Vancouver’s food scene is celebrated for its quality and diversity of global flavours, including some of the best Chinese cuisine in North America. The city’s vibrant Chinese community and Pacific Rim location have helped shape a world-class Chinese restaurant scene. The tastiest Chinese restaurants Vancouver has to offer shine through ingredient quality, deep-rooted authenticity, and inventive fusion cuisine.

Chinese restaurants in Vancouver feature dishes for every palate, from Cantonese cuisine showcasing local seafood to spicy Sichuan stews. Here are five restaurants that showcase both the evolution and range of the Vancouver area’s Chinese cuisine.

Tasty Hot Pot in Richmond: Cho Cho Hot Pot Richmond

A trip to Richmond is non-negotiable. Home to the Richmond Night Market (running from April to the beginning of October) and a population over 50% of Chinese origin, Richmond has an incredible Chinese food scene.

Hot pot in Richmond needs to be on every foodie’s Vancouver bucket list. And Cho Cho Hot Pot Richmond is one of the best spots in town to enjoy this tasty tradition.

This premium, all-you-can-eat establishment is the go-to spot to gather with friends and family to eat and chat the night away. It’s open until 1 AM every night, so you have plenty of time to enjoy the food and atmosphere.

What makes ChoCho special is that every guest has their own hot pot, so you and your loved ones can tailor the perfect combination of broth and ingredients. Everyone cooks their own food and can pick from five tasty broths, including pork, tomato, and vegan mushroom. Or go half-and-half to try two at once. Add in premium meats, fresh seafood, and vegetables, and you’ve got a meal that’s as fun as it is satisfying. This spot is a must-try from the endless options for Chinese restaurants in Richmond.

Delicious Vancouver and Richmond Dim Sum: Kirin Mandarin Restaurant

When searching for Chinese Restaurants in Downtown Vancouver or Chinese Restaurants in Richmond, look no further than Kirin Mandarin Restaurant. This beloved local dim sum destination has been serving elevated eats since 1987, earning its place as a longstanding staple in the city. The kitchen team specializes in “New Era” and classic Cantonese cuisine, Sichuan dishes, and northern Chinese specialties.

Their dim sum menu changes seasonally while their dinner menu spotlights many of the “chef’s special recommendations,” such as braised sea cucumber with dried shrimp roe, or prawn, scallop, and Arctic surf clam sautéed with mushroom and puréed truffle.

Fabulous Fine Dining Chinese Cuisine in Vancouver: Mott 32

Mott 32 is a jewel among the many Chinese restaurants in Vancouver. It’s one of the most awarded Chinese restaurant brands in the world, having started in Hong Kong in 2014 and since expanded to cities around the globe. Mott 32 takes Chinese cuisine to the next level in culinary technique, creativity, service, and drink pairings.

They are celebrated for their show-stopping 42-day applewood-smoked Peking duck, as well as specialty dishes such as their barbecue pluma Iberico pork. The restaurant has added a handful of plant-based signature dishes to their menu, including braised lion’s head meatballs made of tofu, mushrooms, and water chestnuts.

Recommended Chinese Cuisine in Chinatown

It’s no surprise that some of the city’s best Chinese restaurants can be found in the vibrant, bustling, historically rich neighbourhood of Chinatown. This neighbourhood is full of budget-friendly eats including a standout for Cantonese-style roasted meats, Chinatown BBQ.

Their signature Four Treasures Chef’s Plate is perfect for indecisive orderers, allowing you to sample multiple of their signature BBQ meats alongside steamed rice and half a salty duck egg.

For something heartier, go for the award-winning beef brisket curry. It’s melt-in-your mouth tender and so packed with flavour you’ll be scraping your bowl clean. If you’re like us, you’ll want to end your meal with something sweet. Sweet, silky, and refreshing, their lychee pudding pairs perfectly with a steaming hot cup of tea.

Must-Try Asian Fusion Restaurant in Vancouver

We’re taking a slight turn from traditional Chinese cuisine with our final recommendation, Torafuku. This MICHELIN-recommended Chinese restaurant in Vancouver is known for its inventive pan-Asian flavours and contemporary approach to dining.

Weekend brunch offerings include mouthwatering dishes from beef luclac steak & eggs to Asian-inspired French toast. For dinner, we recommend arriving hungry and splurging on the chef’s style tasting menu where rotating menu offerings showcase the chef’s creativity and seasonal ingredients.

Where to Start if You are New to Chinese Food in Vancouver

If you’re new to exploring Chinese food in Vancouver, begin in Vancouver’s Chinatown. This historic neighbourhood is packed with authentic Chinese restaurants, inventive pan-Asian spots, budget-friendly eats, and upscale dining experiences all within walking distance of one another. Here are a few favourite stops to add to your Vancouver Chinese restaurant itinerary:

The next must-visit destination for Chinese food exploration is Richmond. Easily accessible from Vancouver, you can take transit and travel from downtown to Richmond in less than an hour. If you’re visiting between late April and late September, make sure to add the iconic Richmond Night Market to your itinerary, which is a mere 3-minute walk from the train station.

Here are a few other recommendations for Chinese restaurants as you eat your way through Richmond: