One of the best food neighborhoods in Chicago is definitely Chinatown. The neighborhood provides so many food memories for me because of the authentic experience you receive at every restaurant. The most unique aspect of Chicago’s Chinatown is the old vs. new areas all in the same neighborhood. Old Chinatown holds a lot of history and welcomes you with the Chinatown gate, but new Chinatown has made sure to raise the culinary bar to keep up with the excellence of old Chinatown’s restaurants that were the building blocks of the neighborhood.
Whether it is Dim Sum, Sze Chuan, or Bubble Tea you’re guaranteed to leave Chinatown full with pure happiness (and just full in general). I recommend making your visit to Chinatown a culinary exploration. Check out our top recommendations for the full experience…
A Chinese staple, Dim Sum. The best Dim Sum in Chinatown is hands down at Triple Crowne. It’s insanely delicious and offers over 90 different food items! Fan favorites tend to be the dim sum cart where you can select what you would like to eat as the cart is being pushed by you. My favorite, the Taro Puff. It is taro, shrimp, pork, and mushrooms deep fried to create a unique presentation and flavor.
Check out their dim sum video to see all of the delicious foods that complete the dim sum experience.
Lao Sze Chuan is one of local celebrity, Tony Hu’s, multiple restaurants. The reason he has opened multiple Lao Sze Chuan’s in Chicago is because of it’s popularity and spectacular food. Sze Chuan style food is by far my favorite Chinese food. It is so flavorful and doesn’t have to always be spicy, such as their Moo Shu Vegetables. My personal favorite is the Dry Chili Chicken, it takes chicken to a whole other flavor profile.
Eating at Lao Sze Chuan is truly an experience and you can pick that experience whether it be your own personal order, family style serve, or hot pot.
Ice Point is a great dessert spot in Chinatown. Not only do they have their famous rolled ice cream, but they also have a wide variety of bubble teas. Our Chicago Food Planet recommendations are the Taro or Lavender Milk tea & the Green Tea or Strawberry rolled ice cream. You’re definitely going to need both ;).
When in Chinatown one must end their night with Karaoke, and No. 18 Karaoke is the place to be! You won’t have to travel far as it is right next to Triple Crowne at the entry of the Chinatown Gate. All you have to do for some singing shenanigans is reserve a room and get the drinks flowing for that liquid courage!
To truly experience the culture and history of Chinatown, with all the amazing food, check out our Chinatown Adventure Food Experience. You’ll get to try 5 restaurants and learn about how the neighborhood came to be in Chicago.
Our Food Ambassadors are full of fun knowledge that your guaranteed to have a blast. The best part – 5 restaurants in 3 hours. How else would you accomplish all of this eating on your own?!
Devour all five of the iconic “Chicago-style” dishes from the eateries that perfected them on our most popular downtown tour.
Discover Chicago’s hottest foodie neighborhood as you nosh on cuisine from the master chefs that started a dining revolution.
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