The 10 best Chinese restaurants in metro Phoenix

While we do have Mesa's dedicated Asian District, sadly we don't have a designated Chinatown in this city. However, that doesn't mean you can't find delicious Chinese food in Phoenix. You just have to know where to look.

Some of the city's best Cantonese restaurants might be hiding right in plain sight, and if you're on the hunt for some harder-to-find cuisines, we have those too. Good fortune is shining. Here are the 10 best Chinese restaurants in Phoenix.

China Chili

302 East Flower Street

China Chili is a Phoenix institution. The dining room at this longtime spot is reminiscent of the large and ornate dining halls you'll often find in San Francisco's or New York's Chinatowns. There's well-worn carpet, sparkling chandelier lighting and a fish tank. Tables are decked out with rotating Lazy Susans and paper placemats depicting Chinese zodiac signs. The food is classic Cantonese-American fare done well. Tables of friends chat over noodles, families gather and kids dig into plates of sweet and sour chicken. Takeout orders fly out the door. For something hearty and warming, try the Hunan Chicken, a dish made with a black bean sauce almost like gravy.  Whether you're looking to satisfy a craving, enjoy some nostalgia, or please a crowd, China Chili can't be beat.

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A selection of dishes from Dim Sum Cafe.

Tirion Boan

Dim Sum Cafe

2711 South Alma School Road, #2, Mesa

Dim Sum Cafe is a tiny, square restaurant that makes smart use of mirrors to give the illusion of a much bigger space. But contrary to the small seating area, the menu is massive. Flip through multiple plastic pages of dishes with helpful photos as you decide what sounds good. Servers also drop off little sheets of paper and pencils for those looking to order the restaurant's namesake dim sum. We recommend ordering a mix from both menus. Make sure to place a checkmark next to the Shumai, a collection of four hearty pork and shrimp dumplings that are so stuffed they are more like meatballs with a soft, yellow wrapping. Plump Shanghai Soup Dumplings and pillowy custard buns are also must-try bites. It's a good idea to order multiple rounds of the different shapes and sizes of dim sum. Extremely friendly servers are happy to help as you navigate the menu and indulge in the wide selection of offerings at this ideal East Valley lunch cafe.

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Try the Shrimp Miona at George Yang's Chinese Cuisine.

Tirion Boan

George Yang's Chinese Cuisine

6048 North 16th Street

George Yang's Chinese Cuisine is decidedly more upscale than many of the great Chinese restaurants in town. The lighting is dim and moody, a glass wall displays an impressive wine selection and customers don their date-night best. Attentive servers walk you through a menu filled with familiar dishes including Mongolian Beef and Moo Shu Pork, and more unusual offerings, such as the Crispy Dried Sauteed Taro that resembles French fries. All of the Cantonese classics are available, but the quality is upped on every single dish. Make sure to order the Shrimp Miona, a hearty portion of soft shrimp fried in a light, crispy batter and doused in a bright orange, slightly spicy, tangy sauce.

June House Asian Kitchen

6245 E. Bell Road, #105, Scottsdale

June House Asian Kitchen offers an array of Americanized Chinese dishes, dim sum delights and options that draw from other Asian cuisines. The north Scottsdale restaurant is cozy and no-frills, with most guests popping in to place or pick up takeout orders. The dim sum and starter selections include comforting Shanghai soup dumplings, pillowy bao topped with barbecued pork and crisp scallion pancakes. Main dishes include sesame chicken and savory beef with broccoli alongside pad Thai and Korean bulgogi. Although the menu stretches some culinary borders, the core of its menu is focused on satisfying Chinese dishes that make it one of our go-to spots for takeout.

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Mekong Plaza is home to a supermarket and many restaurants.

Tom Carlson

Mekong Palace

66 South Dobson Road, #120, Mesa

The full name of this Mesa restaurant is Mekong Palace Dim Sum Chinese Restaurant, but it's known as Mekong Palace. It's inside Mekong Plaza and next to Mekong Supermarket. You get the idea. During brunch and lunch rush hour, servers weave throughout the dining room, pushing stainless steel carts brimming with small plates. Some carts are filled with dumplings; others have sweet and savory buns or seafood dishes. Taro cakes are made at the front of the restaurant, and customers eagerly await the freshest batch. Mekong Palace offers a full menu, but dim sum, served daily until 3 p.m., are the real draw.

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Nee House offers a selection of Hong Kong-style dishes along with more Americanized recipes. The restaurant specializes in seafood.

Sara Crocker

Nee House Chinese Restaurant

13843 N. Tatum Blvd. #15

Although you can find plenty of familiar Americanized Chinese dishes at Nee House Chinese Restaurant, what stands out at this North Phoenix eatery are its Hong Kong-style recipes and seafood-forward options. Upon walking in, you’re greeted by a tank filled with vibrantly colored fish. Behind them and across the dining room, you’ll find tanks of crabs and lobster ready to select for your meal. Among Nee House’s regular selection of seafood is the umami-forward rock cod with black bean sauce – a spicy stir fry packed with large, tender chunks of fish.

Old Town Taste

1845 East Broadway Road, Tempe

This strip mall Chinese restaurant is easily identified by its bright-red neon sign, and its interior showcases muraled walls and turquoise booths. Old Town Taste's menu has a Sichuan bent. It promises some exciting dishes, including braised eggplant, Ma Po tofu and Szechuan-style blood curd. One of our favorite plates is the Chongqing-style platter. This house special is offered with chicken or fish, and both options are phenomenal thanks to the piping hot meat coated in thin, crunchy batter. The dish is further weighed down with string beans and chile.

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Get cozy in a booth and enjoy a top-notch meal at Shaanxi Chinese Restaurant.

Jacob Tyler Dunn

Shaanxi Chinese Restaurant

67 North Dobson Road, #109, Mesa

This casual restaurant specializes in the bold, elusive flavors of northwest China's Shaanxi province and its capital city of Xi'an. Formerly called Shaanxi Garden, Shaanxi Chinese Restaurant's expansive menu spans more than 50 dishes, including stews, dumplings, offal, barbecue and handmade noodles. Service is great, and you'll find plenty of items that are hard to locate at other Chinese restaurants around metro Phoenix. Start with an order of dumplings in glistening red chile oil and don't miss house specialties like crispy Shaanxi-style chicken and broad, silky Biang Biang noodles served with slow-roasted pork.

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The Cumin Lamb at Spice Spirit Chinese is made with watercress and roasted garlic cloves.

Tirion Boan

Spice Spirit Chinese Cuisine and Bar

1955 W. Main St. #101, Mesa

As you enter Spice Spirit Chinese Cuisine and Bar, you land in a lobby filled with customers picking up takeout orders. But venture a little further inside this HMart neighbor, and a large dining room and bar spill out before you. Booths line the walls and groups of friends tuck into steaming hot pots and pass around metal trays of dumplings. A back room offers seating for large groups, complete with tables topped with lazy susans. And the large space matches the giant menu. Spice Spirit offers regional dishes from all around China, plus a few Americanized dishes, making the menu perfect for groups where someone wants to try Spicy Bullfrog and Chongquing Boiled Blood Curd while others want to stick to Egg Fried Rice. Our favorites are the fragrant cumin lamb, refreshing crushed cucumber salad and spicy, rich noodle soup topped with tender short rib.

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At Wong's Restaurant, wrap tasty Moo Shu Pork in soft pancakes for the perfect bite.

Sara Crocker

Wong's Restaurant

10540 W. Indian School Road

Tucked into a shopping center off Indian School Road near 107th Avenue, Wong’s Restaurant offers more than meets the eye. The two-tiered dining room is comfortable and the service is swift and friendly. And, the kitchen is turning out delicious, generous portions of stir-fried meats and veggies that comprise familiar American-Chinese classics. On the menu, diners will find everything from Chop Suey and Orange Chicken to Ma Po Tofu and Kung Pao. Each dish is executed with care. The Moo Shu Pork is tender, with soft scrambles of egg and crisp carrots and cabbage that all tuck into the supple pancakes that accompany the dish. Before diving in, be sure to top your pancake not just with the accompanying plum sauce but also with Wong’s fiery chile oil.