The best places to eat in Manchester's Chinatown

Housed within a rather fetching building adorned with yellow canopies and retro neon on Chinatown’s George Street is Aplus Oriental. You can tell it’s an elder statesman of Chinatown, and it’s endured for good reason – perfectly glazed roasted meats, flavoursome veggie dishes with plenty of bite, cloud-like pork buns. And if your night takes a more lively turn, you can book out private karaoke booths in the back too, not to mention the fact that it’s one of the few spots in Chinatown open past midnight (and until 3am on a Friday and Saturday).

This bustling Faulkner Street spot is close to legendary. The family-run business opened in 1982 and has never looked back. Known for their speedy service and array of signature roast meats which come perfectly glazed on traditional, ornate plates, Happy Seasons has a speciality to be extremely proud of. If the roasted meats – which hang butchers-style above the kitchen – don’t tempt you, the menu has a comprehensive offering of curries and stir fries too, not to mention a killer brisket soup.

When speaking in culinary terms, Hunan refers to the cuisine of the Xiang province. Hunan the restaurant however strikes a delicate balance between offering the Cantonese style dishes British diners are used to, as well as recipes sourced from other provinces. Come for the sizzling beef, stay for the spicy salmon head. Plus, they put special effort put into creating vegetarian and vegan options which don’t compromise on flavour. A place that caters to all palates, from the cautious to the curious.

Slap bang in the middle of Chinatown, I Am Pho offers something a bit different to some of the more glamorous local eateries. The decor might not be the most polished in Manchester – it’s more a canteen than a restaurant – but for anyone who’s found themselves looking for some comfort on a drizzly Manchester afternoon it’s like a little oasis of calm. And hot, meaty broth. Of course the main event is pho, but the BBQ pork skewers are also excellent.

A run down of the best Chinese restaurants in Manchester wouldn’t be complete without a nod to Little Yang Sing. This basement restaurant has been serving customers for decades. Great service, family vibes, favourites done how you want them. A real crowd-pleaser. The shredded duck pancakes here always go down a storm, and they even have a ‘no duck’ vegetarian option available too.

Hidden below street level in Chinatown, Lottie’s Bakehouse takes the tray-and-tongs format of a traditional Asian bakery and gives it an experimental spin. Opened by aunt-and-nephew duo Polly and Jack, the bakery blends classic Chinese bakes with Japanese, Malaysian and European influences. There are reassuring staples like pillowy char siu buns made with pork from Happy Seasons, milk butter buns, pandan coconut rolls, taro and salted egg mochi, sausage buns and chicken floss-topped breads as well as more unique creations. Pay them a visit, and see what takes your fancy.

This always-packed spot on Faulkner Street has something for everyone. If you’re happy enough with some great stir fried noodles and other standard takeaway-style classics, head to Mr. Hong’s, choose the red menu and have a great night. If you’re after something more ‘out there’, request the blue menu and go exploring. There you’ll find some of the most wondrous dishes in Chinatown – pork cooked with billions of dried chillies, chicken bone and rabbit skewers for barely a couple of pounds, cauldron-sized build-your-own hotpots, the best North East-style crispy sweet and sour you’ve ever had, and, should the mood take you, bullfrog cooked in as many ways as your imagination will entertain. It’s an absolute wonderland.

Until the summer of 2023, Chinatown didn’t have a traditional Malaysian restaurant. Kaya came along and changed all that. Owned by Juliet Moo, who recently moved to Manchester from Malaysia, the menu is full of classics like nasi lemak, prawn laksa, and char kuey teow fried rice noodles as well as their must-try speciality – flaky curry puff pastries. Food is served in the sort of minimal, canteen-like surroundings that ensure you’re in for a special experience. The name Kaya refers to a kind of green coconut jam that is traditional in Malaysia, you can get this jam on a thickly buttered sandwich too, best enjoyed washed down with a pot of Kopi tea.

This Sichuan noodle and street food specialist is located in a basement just a stone’s throw from Chinatown’s landmark Chinese arch or ‘paifang’. This basement spot isn’t shy when it comes to spice, and their extensive menu is full of tempting, reasonably-priced dishes like braised pork belly and Sichuan dan dan noodles. Many of the dishes at Noodle Alley have a strong regional focus and feature the hand-pulled noodles the place is famous for. Many are based on family recipes and each made using ingredients considered fundamental to Sichuan cooking, not least the world-famous Sichuan pepper, which features everywhere. Miss the intensely savoury ‘wavy’ chips at your peril.

If you want no faff, traditional Thai food, you’ve found your place in Phetpailin. Of course, they serve all of our favourite dishes: pad thai, gai yang and khoa pad siam, but they also offer dishes that are perhaps less well-known. Ranging from mild to super-hot, their curry selection offers a range of delicious meals that are all infused with the authentic flavours of Thailand. Thrill-seekers should opt for the special gaeng ped yang, a dish made from roast duck, red curry with pineapple and tomatoes and creamy coconut milk.

An undisputed Instagram sensation that opened up in the heart of Chinatown in the middle of the pandemic, Pho Cue isn’t just a cheeky name and great pictures (though it is both these things) – this food is seriously special. Run by owner Cue and his family, they’ve taken traditional Vietnamese dishes and added a modern twist – with such unique offerings as their Vietnamese tacos, alongside huge pho bowls, pun and tonnes of rice and noodle dishes. Their bahn mi are outstanding, as are their salt and pepper sharing boxes. Esteemed food critic Jay Rayner of The Observer is a convert, as is pretty much anyone who stops for lunch. They’ve also added a coffee and sandwich hatch to their operation, for on-the-go good stuff.

Recognisable by its glowing neon sign, the long-standing bakery is packed with glass cabinets full of sweet and savoury bakes, spanning traditional Chinese favourites, playful creations and a few influences from further afield. Depending on the day, you might find turtle-shaped buns, peanut butter pancakes, red bean and banana cake, rich custard buns and Portuguese pastéis de nata, alongside rows of beautifully decorated sponge cakes. The tirck here is to grab a set of tongs and select anything that takes your fancy, you won’t be dissapointed.

Just around the corner from Manchester Art Gallery, Yuzu has built a loyal following for traditional Japanese cooking, fresh sashimi and specialist drinks. Almost everything is made in-house, from the teriyaki and kaisen sauces to the rice seasoning, while fresh fish arrives daily. The menu covers yakitori, kara-age, gyoza, tonkatsu and tempura, alongside larger dishes like pork yaki udon and tendon with king prawn and seasonal vegetable tempura. Drinks include yuzu lager, gin, sake and alcohol-free citrus serves. Quietly confident and still one of Chinatown’s most dependable Japanese restaurants.