Sun Kong in Malden has a steady stream of customers coming in for both dim sum in the morning and seafood dinners at night. If you intend to go on a weekend, be prepared to wait for a table because there might be a line. You’ll find both familiar dim sum items such as har gau (shrimp dumplings) and something a bit more adventurous: baked durian pie, which sees creamy and subtly sweet durian fruit encased in buttery and flaky dough. In the evening, the restaurant turns into a classic Cantonese seafood joint, offering seasonal and freshly caught seafood prepared the Cantonese way.  

To no one’s surprise, Malden has some of the best Chinese restaurants around, as its Asian population has seen steady growth in the past few decades. Better still, the high density of the Chinese population has led to more regionalized Chinese restaurants opening in the area. Enter: Go Chi, an establishment dedicated to Northeastern Chinese cuisine, which is known for hearty, pork-heavy stews, whopping pocket-sized dumplings, and its own version of candied apples, all to fight off long and bitingly cold winters.

For those who are into bold flavors, look no further than Sumiao in Kendall Square — a modern Hunanese restaurant that has it all. True to the mountainous region famous for tangy and spicy fish stew, pickled vegetables, and cured ham with preserved tofu stir fry, Sumiao’s Hunan menu offers a plethora of the most representative local flavors. It’s a good spot for both a date night and a group hang, as its menu has a great selection of vegetarian options, including the incorporation of Impossible Beef. Don’t miss out on its cocktails — with baijiu-inspired concoctions and classic tiki-style drinks, there’s a choice for everyone.

The newly opened modern Chinese restaurant leans heavily on Jiangnan cuisine, where flavors can vary from sweet and tangy to a umami-forward freshness. It takes over space that was once Teatro on the edge of the Theater District but the Romanesque interior remains the same, making it a dressy Chinese food choice if you have a show to catch nearby. Be sure to order the Beijing-style roasted duck and have it prepared “two ways”; one the classic version, which involves sliced skin and meat folded in freshly steamed pancakes, and one with the bones and leftover bits made into a tofu and cabbage soup or crispy salt-and-pepper snacks. 

The long-awaited opening of Szechuan Mountain House in late 2023 marked the completion of a year of high-caliber arrivals from New York, right after the Blue Ribbon Brasserie debut in Fenway. It successfully employs a format combining reimagined Sichuan cuisine with sleek interior design, supported by an eclectic yet thoughtful menu that showcases the Southwestern province’s diverse range of flavors, from mouth-numbingly spicy ma-la frog to umami-rich savory sliced pork belly with chili garlic sauce.  

You can’t really go wrong with any dish you try at this large, often-packed spot that opened in late 2023 in the former Gourmet China House space in Chinatown. The Peking duck is a star, as is the crowd-pleasing bok choy with mushrooms, and the chef’s special tofu in brown sauce. Really, though, dig into your fill of soup dumplings, like crab and traditional pork. The rainbow dumplings come six to an order, with each of the hued dumplings boasting different proteins.

Many in the restaurant industry may know Peach Farm because of its late-night hours, but this family-owned classic Cantonese establishment is also a community builder, feeding hungry families for decades. The seafood program features live fish and shellfish at a reasonable price and the dishes, such as ginger and scallion lobster stir fry, have been consistently superb.

In the highly competitive Sichuan food scene in Boston, this under-the-radar place has carved out a niche for itself, winning a strong fanbase in its bustling corner of Allston. Unlike the showstopping, over-the-top presentations seen at Mountain House, Little Tao tells an intimate story about Sichuan cuisine by focusing on no-frills home-cooking techniques, which its Chengdu chef Tao Liu has spent three decades honing. Try the house-cured meat and sausages, a local tradition that’s been passed down for generations; or order the Sichuan mom’s pork knuckle soup to warm your heart on a snowy, wintry night. 

Sichuanese restaurant Noah’s Kitchen has quietly been amassing clout in Brookline Village, which has seen growing competition in recent years. Don’t be tricked by its lowkey-ness, because it has some of the most hard-to-find Sichuan dishes in the area, such as braised pig trotter, house-cured pork, and spicy bullfrog casserole.

If you’re looking for a no-frills lunch spot in the Wollaston area in Quincy, Chili Square has the chewiest and freshest Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles New England has to offer. The piping hot noodles are made-to-order, meaning it’s best to eat in as opposed to getting takeout. An absolute standout from its noodle menu are the cumin lamb biang biang noodles, which are bouncy and flavorful. If you’re in the mood for a noodle soup, Lanzhou beef brisket noodle soup won’t disappoint. Side dishes such as the spicy sliced pig ear in chili sauce or the duck necks are both great to go with the carbs.

Situated in a strip mall crowded with restaurants and Asian grocery giant Kam Man supermarket, South Garden has carved out a seafood niche for itself in Quincy. It serves classic Cantonese seafood fare — think thoroughly prepared fish and shellfish dishes with just-right seasoning and deep-fried battered squid coated in savory egg yolk sauce. The space may seem small but a good time is guaranteed. Locals are familiar with this place because birthdays and wedding celebrations often take place here; seafood aficionados frequent this spot because its quality has remained top-notch throughout the years.