2026 Chinese Restaurant Awards - Elite 12 United States

Kato is a restaurant in Los Angeles' Arts District.

Book Birds of a Feather for modern Sichuan cooking in Williamsburg that feels polished without turning formal. At about $40 per person, it is strongest as a shared à la carte meal built around chili oil, peppercorn heat, cold noodles, whole fish, smoked duck, and wontons. It is better for spice-friendly dates and small groups than for quiet business dinners or tasting-menu seekers.

HK Lounge Bistro holds back-to-back Michelin Plates (2024–2025) at a $$ price point on Folsom Street in SoMa, making it one of San Francisco's better-value cases for Michelin-recognised Chinese cooking. With easy booking, it's a practical pick for a late dinner in the neighbourhood without the commitment of a $$$$ tasting menu.

The first US outpost of Hong Kong's Maximal Concepts, Mott 32 at The Venetian is the most seriously sourced Chinese restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip; Kobe beef, Australian wagyu, Iberico pork, and a 48-hour apple-roasted duck that must be pre-ordered. Ranked #346 in OAD's North America list for 2025, it's a strong special-occasion booking with five private dining rooms and easy availability.

Mister Jiu's is a modern Chinese restaurant on Waverly Place in San Francisco.

Esquire's number-one new restaurant in the US for 2024, Four Kings delivers seriously credentialed Chinese cooking at a $$ price point that makes it the strongest value proposition in San Francisco's Chinese dining scene. Back-to-back Michelin Plates and an Opinionated About Dining Casual nod confirm this is not an accident. Book a week or two out; it's easy to get a table, and the cooking earns every award it has collected.

Named one of the San Francisco Chronicle's Best New Bay Area Restaurants for 2025, The Happy Crane brings serious technique to modern Chinese cooking in Hayes Valley. Chef James Yeun Leong Parry's background at Michelin-starred restaurants across four cities gives the dim sum-focused menu real credibility. Booking is currently easy; that may not last.

A Michelin Guide-selected Taiwanese restaurant in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Wenwen delivers technically serious cooking; whole striped bass with black sugar-yuzu vinaigrette, 16-hour oxtail broth beef noodle soup; at a $$$ price point that undercuts Manhattan's tasting-menu tier. It is a strong choice for a special-occasion dinner without the $200+ per head ceiling.

Against Kendall Square's more familiar dinner options, Sumiao Hunan Kitchen is the pick when the meal should be flavorful, easy to arrange, and less formal. The 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand is the key trust signal, pointing to a value-led Cambridge choice for Hunan cooking rather than a special-occasion splurge.

Named the San Francisco Chronicle's best new restaurant of 2025, Fù Huì Huá is an eight-seat Mission tasting counter with a small, exceptionally well-priced wine and sake list. Seats are very hard to secure; booking difficulty 4/5; so plan around each weekly Tock release.

Bistro Na's in Temple City holds Michelin Guide recognition and back-to-back top-ten OAD Casual North America rankings at a $$ price point; making it one of the most credentialed-per-dollar Chinese dining experiences in the Los Angeles area. The kitchen specializes in royal Manchu cuisine, with Peking duck as the anchor. Reservations are accessible, and groups of four or more get the most out of the menu's range.

A Michelin-starred (2024) contemporary Chinese restaurant in Hell's Kitchen where Chef Emily Yuen applies French fine-dining technique to Chinese ingredients. Dishes like soy milk custard with doubanjiang and reimagined nian gao reward attention rather than appetite. At $$$$, it earns its price; book 4 to 6 weeks out and request counter seating.