Food is undoubtedly the heart of Chinese and Chinese American culture, the centerpiece of family gatherings and social events. Growing up, my family would go out on weekend mornings for dim sum, crowding around a giant round table and piling the lazy Susan with steamers full of dumplings. The arrival of Dungeness season in winter was the perfect excuse to gather at home, steam live crab and play mah jong. We’d follow some of the symbolism and traditions associated with food, too: noodles at birthday dinners to represent long life, plus a whole fish during Chinese New Year to signify wealth.
The best Chinese restaurants cook with that same obsession with food, whether that means hand-pulling noodles, folding dumplings pleat by pleat or sourcing the freshest ingredients. Luckily, there’s no shortage of good Chinese food in Oregon. The roots of Chinese communities in the state run deep. Primarily Cantonese-speaking immigrants began arriving here around 1850. Early in its history, Portland’s Chinatown was the second largest on the West Coast. Today you’ll find Chinese restaurants across the state serving many different regional cuisines, including Guangdong, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sichuan, Dongbei and more.
A Range of Regional Cuisines in Portland
In downtown Portland, Sichuan Taste specializes in all things spicy and tingly, whether that’s fish filets with dried red pepper and Sichuan peppercorns in tangy pickled cabbage broth or mashed eggplant with century eggs and green peppers. Or head to nearby Xin Ding Dumpling House, which serves soup dumplings alongside heartier dishes like cumin lamb and dry-fried string beans in a sports-bar-like atmosphere, complete with cocktails.
The Jade District on 82nd Street in Southeast Portland is home to an especially high concentration of Chinese restaurants. Gather a group for morning dim sum fresh off the carts at Excellent Cuisine or HK Cafe. For a quick meal, stop by Fortune BBQ Noodle House for the city’s best won ton noodle soup, topped with barbecue pork or roast duck.
In Northeast Portland, try Dongbei-style dumplings stuffed with pork and Chinese sauerkraut at Chin’s Kitchen, which was featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and showcases one of the coolest vintage neon signs in the city. If you’ve got vegans in your party, grab plant-based dim sum at Jade Rabbit, located inside The Aimsir Distilling Co.’s tasting room.
While strolling through the walkable Northwest Portland neighborhoods of Slabtown or Nob Hill, stop at Bing Mi, which specializes in jianbing — a handheld crepe stuffed with meat, a crispy won ton cracker, pickled veggies, scrambled egg and herbs.
In North Portland’s bustling North Williams district, try XLB for won ton and the namesake xiao long bao (Shanghai-style soup dumplings). There chef Jasper Shen slow-roasts chicken and pork bones to create a deeply flavored broth that gushes out of each delicately pleated soup dumpling.
Chinese Food Hot Spot in Eugene
In the southern Willamette Valley, Eugene is a major hot spot for authentic Chinese cuisine. You’ll find plenty of Chinese restaurants in Eugene’s downtown. Spice N Steam, with its modern ambiance brightened by dozens of hanging star-shaped red lanterns, offers a little bit of everything including dim sum, Chinese American dishes, and comforting bowls of congee with fried-dough sticks and Sichuan twice-cooked pork belly. At Spring House, printed-out food photos taped above the cashier lay out the menu: Chinese American dishes, Chinese-barbecued meats, Cantonese homestyle cooking, and Hong Kong-style noodles and rice plates. Uniquely Chengdu homes in on Sichuan cuisine and milk tea, while Jade Dumpling & Noodle House fills its menu with dumplings galore, from pan-fried pork buns to soup dumplings. The restaurant recently landed on the Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in America list on Yelp.
Just a few miles from downtown, the newly opened Mr. Dumpling serves comfort-food dishes including steamed bao, soup dumplings and spicy won ton. And one town over in Springfield, Chopstix has a wide-ranging menu with freshly made, knife-shaved noodles and spicy dry pots of meat and vegetables.
Must-Try Restaurants Elsewhere in Oregon
Owner Grace Su has run Hood River’s China Gorge — perched atop the must-visit, scenic Columbia River Gorge — for over 40 years. After a day of hiking, apple picking or windsurfing in the Gorge, diners can dig into Chinese American classics, Sichuan dishes like spicy Chongqing chicken, or vegetarian options including tempeh and custardy egg tofu. The main room has a classic family-restaurant feel, but there’s also a full bar and a sports-bar-style lounge.
In the family-friendly town of Seaside, New Garden Asian Cuisine is one of the rare restaurants on the Coast offering Sichuan and Hunan dishes. They also serve Chinese American fare like fried rice and lemon chicken, as well as a range of combinations served bento-style. It’s in the same plaza as the Seaside Carousel, if you’ve got littles to entertain.
In Southern Oregon, Medford’s Dragon Express has a dual menu to please various palates and moods. The Chinese American menu includes a classic dish popularized right in Medford in the 1950s: mar far chicken, deep-fried chicken chunks in a tangy pink sauce. The other half of the menu features primarily Sichuan dishes rarely seen in these parts, like spicy fish with tofu and dry-fried ribs.
