3 Chinese Restaurants in Edinburgh

The first ever recorded Chinese restaurant in the United Kingdom opened in London in 1907, and one of the first Chinese restaurants in Edinburgh was believed to have been opened in the 1940s. But it wasn’t until the 50s that Chinese cuisine became popular in the country with waves of Chinese immigrants relocating after the second world war. Now Chinese cuisine is one of the nation's favourites, and you’ll find Chinese restaurants all over the country, even in the tiniest towns and villages. Discover centuries old dishes as well as modern takes on traditional recipes at Edinburgh's many Chinese restaurants.

China is a massive country, and the cuisine varies from region to region. Cantonese cuisine is the most common type of Chinese cuisine you will find in the United Kingdom due to the large number of immigrants who came from Guangdong, the region which Cantonese cuisine comes from. Cantonese is considered to be the finest of the regional Chinese cuisine and is known for its use of fresh ingredients and well balanced flavours. When dining at one of Edinburgh’s amazing Chinese restaurants be sure to try Cantonese classics like sweet and sour pork and beef with oyster sauce. Sichuan cuisine is another favourite and the spiciest of the Chinese cuisines, with heavy use of the Sichuan pepper resulting in a fiery, tongue-numbing taste. Other popular types of Chinese cuisine are Guangdong Cuisine that incorporates special cooking methods like stir-frying, stewing and braising, and Shandong cuisine – developed from the Qi and Lu culture of ancient China which is known for its use of fine ingredients like shark fin, abalone, sea cucumber, deer meat and white fungus. Discover all of these different styles of cooking at Chinese restaurants in Edinburgh!

Sometimes, there is nothing more delightful than some dim sum, a traditional Chinese brunch consisting of small bite-size dishes served up on steam table trolleys and usually served with tea. Going for dim sum is a great way to catch up with friends, or while away an afternoon on the weekend. Typical dim sum dishes include steamed soup dumpling with fillings like pork, crab meat and broth, steamed pork buns, rice noodle rolls and steamed pork ribs. You can enjoy this Chinese tradition at Edinburgh’s Chinese restaurants, so round up a group of friends and book a table for some bite-size treats and tea!

With so many dishes to choose from, deciding on what to go for at Edinburgh’s Chinese restaurants can be a struggle. But you can never go wrong with classics like chow mein, sweet and sour pork and kung po chicken. Some other must-try dishes include Peking duck – a famous dish from Beijing that originated in the imperial area, consisting of duck that has been roasted in a closed or hung oven and flavoured with cucumber, spring onion and a sweet bean sauce, typically served with pancakes, and orange chicken, a traditional Hunan dish of chopped, battered or fried pieces of chicken smothered in a sweet chilli sauce flavoured with orange. If you’re vegetarian, don’t worry – Chinese restaurants in Edinburgh typically offer an abundance of meat-free options, with bean curd featuring heavily on menus. Perhaps try some mapu tofu – a Sezchuan-style dish with a spicy, tongue-tingling sauce. With something to suit all tastes, a trip to one of Edinburgh’s Chinese restaurants is the perfect choice for when dining as a group.