Best Chinese restaurants in Los Angeles

Everyone knows you can find great Chinese food in Chinatown, but what about the rest of L.A.? Sometimes I get hungry for some crispy Peking duck and I need a restaurant -quick! Here are my top picks for great Chinese food you can have in all different parts of the city.

Yujean Kang’s

67 N. Raymond Ave.

626-585-0855

($8-$18)

Chef Kang is known for his dishes that have deep Chinese roots with unusual modern twists. Doesn’t Chinese polenta sound exotically delicious? This is also your chance to eat in a five-star restaurant for a pretty low price. The calamari is some of the best in town, and did I mention the dumplings? It’s hard to believe people actually eat at the Cheesecake Factory chain next door when they could be having a gourmet Asian feast.

Mission 261

261 Mission Dr.

626-588-1666

($2-$6 dim sum)

Many people I know name this as their favorite Chinese in town, and it’s a contender for sure. Much more traditional than Yujean Kang’s, the variety of dim sum are handcrafted little works of art. The tea dumplings are a treasure, wrapped carefully in bamboo leaves like little packages waiting to be opened. The space itself is a treasure too: a 100-year old adobe near the San Gabriel Mission.

Chinois on Main

2709 Main St.

310-392-9025

($20-$36)

This one gets my personal vote as best (when I’ve got a little extra cash), with a menu created by Wolfgang Puck that has a bit of a French Twist. Asian cooking is at the heart of each dish, though, and the European touches just give it an extra oomph. For lunch, try the Chinese chicken salad. At dinnertime, it’s a tough choice between the barbecue baby pork ribs and the absolutely perfect crispy Cantonese duck. Order both with a friend and share.

Grand Central Market

317 S. Broadway

213-624-2378

This indoor market is a great place to find every kind of food under the sun. When Chinese is what you’re looking for, though, head to the upper level. Here you’ll find straightforward simple favorites that fit the bill. Hot, steaming won ton soup will calm your day, or a plate of spicy noodles will inflame your passions. This is a quick, easy, on-the-run option with dependable food.

With such great choices outside of Chinatown, you can satisfy your cravings wherever you might be. Isn’t L.A. great?