The best Chinese food in Las Vegas

Come for the xiao long bao; stay for everything else. That’s the game plan at this casual local’s favorite, where those soup dumplings are lusciously soft and filled with sips of the most satisfyingly meaty broth you’ve ever tasted. But don’t stop there. China MaMa’s kitchen knows what it’s doing, so order whatever strikes your fancy and prepare for a Chinatown feast.

As if naming your casino after yourself wasn’t outlandish enough, Steve Wynn has also lent his identity to this super-smart restaurant: Wing translates as "Wynn" in Chinese. Happily, the mogul’s vanity doesn’t extend to taking charge of the kitchen. Expect cultured Chinese food in a predictably luxurious environment in this Michelin-starred restaurant.

When your tongue goes numb and your lips begin to tingle, you know you’re eating authentic Szechuan. And that’s exactly what happens at this California-based restaurant, which set up shop in Las Vegas in 2015, bringing the heat courtesy of those peppercorns and plenty of chiles. The menu may be too adventurous for some diners, so make sure you bring friends who like going well beyond beef and broccoli.

With origins in China, Singapore and Malaysia, Hainanese chicken rice, the centerpiece dish of this petite lunch joint from Fat Choy’s Sheridan Su, isn’t for purists. But it what it lacks in strict Chinese-ness, it makes up for in simplicity and flavor: poached free range chicken served with rice cooked with chicken fat, marinated cucumbers and a trio of homemade dipping sauces. If that doesn’t sound like much, don’t worry. This is international comfort food that connects right from the first bite.

Many Las Vegas visitors hit Hakkasan’s mighty facade inside the MGM Grand and head straight upstairs to watch Tiësto or Calvin Harris hold court. That’s a shame, because the first floor is dedicated to Hakkasan the restaurant, a London import that serves upscale Chinese food and inventive cocktails in a stylish setting. There are plenty of tempting options on the menu, but don’t skip the crispy roast duck with kumquats and mustard sauce, a sweet-meets-spicy entree that takes almost 24 hours to create.

For elegant Cantonese in a setting to match, you could do much worse than this Strip staple, which overlooks the Bellagio’s dancing fountains and serves an array of tempting options. Consider Kobe short ribs with pickled mustard greens, imperial Peking duck served in two courses or, for a more lavish dinner, the Jasmine Experience, a five-course tasting with paired wines.

For elegant Cantonese in a setting to match, you could do much worse than this Strip staple, which overlooks the Bellagio’s dancing fountains and serves an array of tempting options. Consider Kobe short ribs with pickled mustard greens, imperial Peking duck served in two courses or, for a more lavish dinner, the Jasmine Experience, a five-course tasting with paired wines.

Off-Strip at the Gold Coast casino, Ping Pang Pong has long been the standard for dim sum in Las Vegas. Settle into the casual space and dig into a parade of dumplings, buns and rolls. If dim sum isn’t your thing, there’s also a full menu of usual-suspect Chinese fare, from lo mein to roast duck to honey walnut shrimp.

Like Lao Sze Chuan at the Palms, Aria’s Blossom is a crowd-pleaser. Its menu of about 100 dishes ensures that everyone will find something to suit their palate, whether that’s a familiar kung pao chicken or something more ambitious, like Natural Nine hot pot with abalone, sea cucumber, duck feet and lobster. The seafood selection, with many items kept in in-house tanks, is particularly worth trying.