10 of tastiest Chinese restaurants in the city as curated by the What’s On team.

It’s an exciting time to be a Chinese food fan in Dubai. Gone are the days where the main options were fried rice and chicken chow mein from sad little take out containers. There are now restaurants mastering the art of roasted Peking duck, steaming juicy parcels of xiao long bao (aka soup dumplings), and creating perfectly plump dim sum. Chopsticks at the ready, folks. Here’s a list of the 10 best Chinese restaurants in Dubai right now.

Din Tai Fung

This immensely popular Taiwanese chain introduced Dubai to the glorious world of xiao long bao a few years ago and now there are three chains in the city; one in Mall Of The Emirates, another in Al Ghurair Centre and a third in Dubai Mall. Its most famous dish are the fragile, tender soup dumplings delicately hold piping hot broth and chicken/shrimp/truffle meatballs. Other highlights on the menu include the sesame noodles, the crispy wontons, and any of the fried rice dishes. Once you’re seated (which, be warned, can take up to 1 hour), service is swift. It’s the ultimate in no-frills Chinese dining. Long may it reign!
Mall Of The Emirates, Dubai Mall and Al Ghurair Centre. instagram.com/dintaifungae

Streetery Asian Food Hall

This wonderful Asian Food Hall is the brainchild of Nicky Ramchandani. After witnessing the growing popularity of his original Thai and Chinese brand Zen, he decided to expand by bringing over his favourite street stalls from Singapore and Hong Kong.  The atmosphere is a little rustic, and a touch dive-y by design. In fact, it’s a lot like the real hawker stalls you’d find in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Diners eat fast and scrappily, using thin wooden chopsticks while sitting on colourful plastic stools. Be sure to order the following: xiao long bao, scallion pancakes, chicken rice and roti canai. You can thank us after.
Streetery Food Hall, Cluster D, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, daily 11am to 11pm. Tel: (04) 5873373. @streetery

Zheng He’s

This Dubai stalwart is the granddad of fine dining Chinese restaurants in Dubai, having opened in 2003, a timed when there still wasn’t too much mainstream interest in regional Chinese food. It’s still a firm favourite thanks to its regal decor, fantastic setting alongside the Madinat waterways, and excellent food includoing a variety of dim sum, vegetarian dishes and other Cantonese style favourites. The whole roasted Beijing duck (Dhs620) is the showstopper here. The self-titled duck master serves this roasted bird in three ways: 1) with pancakes and hoisin sauce, 2) as a crispy duck salad with fresh pomelo and pine nuts and 3) sit friedin Sichuan style sauce.
Jumeirah Mina A’Salam, Madinat Jumeirah, daily noon to 3pm, 6.30pm to 11.30pm. Tel: (04) 4323232. jumeirah.com

Zhen Wei

Forget your no-frills dumpling counter – Zhen Wei’s cavernous dining room is appointed with high ceilings, plush seats, and attentive servers. The prices here are a bit steeper than your standard dumpling spot (a xiao long bao order consists of four little steaming parcels for Dhsxx) but you get what you pay for. The food is tasty, clean and virtually grease-free, with unrivalled xxxx.
Caesars Bluewaters Dubai, daily noon to 3.30pm, 6pm to 10.30pm. Tel: (04) 5566666. caesars.com

Hakkasan, Atlantis the Palm

One of Dubai’s best restaurants is this fine-dining Chinese restaurant. Yes, the signature oak latticing is eye-catching, as is the lush, exotic greenery on the terrace at this pretty restaurant; but the food more than matches the surroundings. There are delicate fish courses, dainty dum sum platters, great duck options and satisfying noodle dishes. Hakkasan has it all.
Hakkasan, Atlantis Hotel, Crescent Road, The Palm, Dubai, 6pm to 11.30pm, daily. Tel: (04) 4262626. atlantisthepalm.com

Maiden Shanghai

A relative newcomer to the Chinese dining scene, Maiden Shanghai almost has two different guises. Six days a week, it’s slick, sultry upscale restaurant serving tip top Chinese cuisine, such as a crispy shredded beef, chicken and sweetcorn soup, silky vegetable noodles, eggplant claypot and a delicious shallow-fried tofu. But on a Friday, the restaurant transforms into the hugely-popular – and mega-raucous – Candypants brunch. Regardless of which dining experience you prefer, the food impresses at both.
FIVE Palm Jumeirah Dubai, Sat to Thur noon to 3.30pm and 7pm to 11.30pm, Dim Sum Disco Fri brunch 1pm to 4pm. Tel: (04) 4559989. fivehotelsandresorts.com

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China Club

Old-time expats will remember The China Club’s heyday, and the menu still boasts some worthy platefuls, with duck, seafood and tofu served in both traditional and inventive ways.

Radisson Blu, Dubai Deira Creek, Dubai, daily 7.30pm to 11pm. Tel: (04) 2227171. Taxi: Radisson Blu Deira. radissonblu.com 

Shang Palace

Fine Cantonese cuisine in a grand setting. Shang Palace needs livening up, but the menu is full of old favourites and inspiring dishes.

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Ba

A romantic restaurant with a great bar area and a tranquil terrace offering fantastic views of the city skyline. The lobster and scallop dim sum and the prawn wonton soup are great, but their trilogy of desserts will blow you away.
Fairmont The Palm, The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, Sat to Wed 7pm to 11.30pm, Thur and Fri 7pm to midnight. Tel: (04) 4573338. Taxi: Fairmont The Palm. dineatba.com