Best Chinese Food
Good Chinese takes some digging. Or you can just cheat by dining at the ones on our list.
1. Tasty Corner
Portland – Downtown
A lot of Chinese food can be ho-hum, but Tasty Corner is exceptional. We liked some dishes more than others, but everything was wonderful. The dumplings were good, but we’re spoiled by the ones at Xin Ding. The Hot & Spicy House Made Noodles with Beef and the Pork Chow Mein were fantastic.
The shining star, however, was the Orange Chicken. It wasn’t too syrupy or overly sweet. It was gourmet and, without question, the best Orange Chicken we’ve ever had.
2. Wong’s Garden
Portland – SouthWong’s Garden is one of the best Chinese joints in VanPort. We’d rather drive past dozens of other Chinese restaurants to dine at Wong’s because they serve tasty food in huge portions at fantastic prices. We order way more than we’ll eat and bring home the rest. There’s usually enough for three or four more meals—all for about $100.
Highlights: For spice lovers, the Szechuan chicken is a standout. Ordered “extra spicy,” it arrives perfectly balanced with heat and flavor. The orange chicken is another favorite—crispy, tangy, and satisfying. The broccoli beef is fab and the egg foo young is top notch. The pork lo mein is delicious and is a must.
Room for Improvement: Not every dish hits the same high mark. The fried shrimp have more batter than I care for. The hot and sour soup is decent but not very spicy. I still want to try their wonton soup. The Chinese spicy beef is just okay.
The Verdict: Wong’s Garden feels like a bit of a secret. It’s a modest, no-frills space, but the kitchen consistently delivers where it matters most—flavor, portion size, and value. While I usually lean toward Thai food eight times out of ten, when the craving for Chinese hits, Wong’s is my go-to. No website. They’re old school.
3. Yaowarat
Portland – East
The waitress recommended that we order 5-8 dishes. They’re $18-26 each. We weren’t up for blowing a lot of cash so we ordered six plates. It was just the right amount of food. We all agreed that the best was the tofu. I’m not usually big on tofu but the flavor was by far the best. The fried rice was $16 and nothing special. The Black Pepper Beef was tasty but small for $26. Their craft cocktails are fab. They lean towards refreshing and tropical, but they can make other types, if you know what to ask for. I had the Obsolete which was spirit forward, rye and rum drink that was delicious. Someone else had the more polite, 76 Letters, a vodka based cocktail with Amaro, lemon juice and fruit liqueurs. Both we just $14 each. That’s a good price for a craft cocktail in this market. The joint was hopping on a Friday night. The street parking is sparse. Plan to walk a block or so. INSIDER TIP: I tried to book earlier in the day but it said there was nothing available. I called and inquired and was able to get a table for four. Bottom line is I like Yaowarat. Their unique Bangkok style is very flavorful, but not cheap. Our bill was $165 before tip with us trying to be mindful of cost. If you stick to drinking water, you can play less. But what’s the fun in that?
4. Xin Ding Dumpling House
Both – three
Xin Ding have locations in Sellwood and downtown Portland and now a third location in Vancouver. Like many place, some of their dishes are better than others. But their dumplings are fantastic and the stir-fried beef with green onion is wonderful. They have a small cocktail bar which can make some cocktails including Lychee Martinis.
5. Szechuan Brothers
Vancouver – Central
One of the best Chinese food this side of the river. It’s very flavorful as you expect with Szechuan. Portions are good size. Service is decent. Better than average cocktail selection for this kind of joint. Decor is nothing special but the food is great. PRO TIP: If you like spicy try the beef with pickled cherries. I didn’t like the cherries but the dish has a great flavor. UPDATE: My new favorite spicy dish is Twice Cooked Pork Belly. It has a few of the cherries but I’ll ask for none next time.
6. Sichuan Taste
Portland – Downtown
I have a great appreciation for Szechuan. It’s my favorite style of Chinese food. I’m really glad I tried Sichuan Taste. The food is fantastic and it’s a very reasonable price. I had the Kung Pao chicken which is the best I’ve had in a long time. My son ordered Mongolian chicken. Both were from the lunch menu. He also had a cup of hot & sour soup, which he said was just ok. This is an excellent restaurant. The only difficulty is finding parking.
7. House Of Beijing
Vancouver – Central
One of the better Chinese joints in Vancouver. Massive portions and funky, tacky decor but the food is delicious. The best dish so far is the Szechuan chicken. I asked for it to be spicy and it was. Most Chinese restaurants you have to beat them with a rubber hose to get them to make it spicy but House of Beijing nails it. The pork fried rice is blah. Love this joint…. but DON”T order on Christmas Eve. We ordered at 4:30pm. They said 90 minutes….it took 3 hours. NEVER ON CHRISTMAS EVE AGAIN!
8. Good Taste
Vancouver – Central
Solid neighborhood Chinese joint. Fantastic orange chicken. If you want spicy you have to really insist on it. They don’t automatically give mustard for takeout. You have to ask for it. PRO TIP: Check out the combination dinners. You get several things for just two dollars more. UPDATE: The prices haven’t gone up but the portions in the combination are a bit smaller. Before there was enough for leftovers. Now there’s just enough. That works because the other Chinese restaurants have increase their prices. It’s a trade-off.
9. Great Taste Chinese Restaurant
Vancouver – Central
Dependable local Chinese eatery with all the usual dishes.
10. Corner of Tastes
Vancouver – East
Corner of Taste is a decent Chinese joint. Their lunch special is a good value. I thought the hot & sour soup was ok. My wife had the egg flower soup. It was better. I ordered the Kung Pao chicken. It was decent. The spring rolls were good but the breaded shrimp was cooked a little too long. Service was very fine and there was adequate parking.
11. Zien Hong
Portland – East
Dependable Chinese eatery. Zien Hong doesn’t offer combinations like most Chinese joints. Spicy dishes aren’t very spicy but good. INSIDER TIP: Wonton soup is better than hot and sour.
12. Dragon Palace
Portland – Gresham
One of the best Chinese joints I’ve found in Portland. Classic theatrical Chinses vibe. This place could have been in the movie, “Big Trouble in Little China”. Their food is delicious and the staff is friendly. They have a free parking lot.
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