Lakewood, and all of East Dallas, hasn’t been a hotbed of good Chinese food since — well, ever. The neighborhood lucked into getting its own outpost from the founders of Jia Modern Chinese. It’s a small spot with great Szechuan beef that packs a punch, dirt stir green beans, and shrimp with honey walnut.

Soupy steamed xiao long bao is the star of this Shanghai-style restaurant’s menu. Other stellar regional dishes include the Hong Shao Rou (red braised pork belly with bok choy) and the pan-fried pork buns. Now with two locations: the original in Irving and the second on Lowest Greenville.

Chef Ivan Yuen and Lombardi’s chef Massimo Esposito Chinese menu includes traditional Chinese favorites found during their work and travel across the country. Dishes adapted to Dallas tastes and sensibilities include soft and buttery coconut milk bread, pan-fried wagyu pot stickers, and an array of entrees that are paired by the diner with the rice or noodles of their choice.

Tucked into the massive shopping center at Preston and Royal, this North Dallas institution has a devoted crowd of regulars. Try the excellent chilled dan dan noodles, which are hand-pulled in-house, and xiao long bao (soup dumplings). Chinese American favorites like kung pao and sesame chicken also get a serious upgrade on this menu.

Diners are welcomed into this spot by a window cabinet of Cantonese-style barbecue filled with glossy mahogany skinned roast ducks, amber steamed chicken, a side of crispy-skinned roast pork, and a mountain of red char siu pork loins. Order any of these to graze on with rice, alongside other Hong Kong-style favorites, including fresh shrimp wonton noodle soup and yang chow fried rice.

Diners here can enjoy northern China-style seasoned meats, seafood, and vegetables on a stick. Beef tendon skewers and the plate of lamb chops are must-orders. Don’t expect to be served rice to pair with this regional delicacy — there is none. Instead, the kitchen offers a choice of noodles, roasted skewered steamed buns, or good old ice-cold bottles of beer as is characteristic of the wheat basket in the north.

Hong Kong style Chinese dishes are front and center on the menu here. Meat over rice recipes such as the baked pork chop smothered with chunky tomato sauce and cheese and satay beef are staples. The curry fish balls with pork rinds is a street food classic that brings back fond memories for many regulars.

Chinese American favorites and Cantonese specialties are the go-to. Dining in is the go-to move for trying the Hong Kong style claypot rice, which requires a 20 to 30-minute wait. That patience will be rewarded with a scalding claypot filled with steamed rice topped with a choice of roast barbecue, chicken and mushroom or pork rib, drizzled with a sweet soy based sauce, and the crown jewel that is the crispy golden layer of rice at the bottom. 

The must-order items at this spot are Chinese-style noodles in different widths and thicknesses that are hand-pulled, sliced, served in soup, stir-fried, or in sauce. Lucky diners can have dinner and a show, watching  the noodles made fresh in the open kitchen.