If there’s one thing you need to know about Christchurch, it’s that its Chinese food is seriously catching heat. From sizzling woks in the suburbs to dumpling joints that locals swear they found first, there’s an army of spots in the city that deserve attention.

And of course, I did what every foodie has to do – test everything out, even if it means picking up my rusty chopstick skills. With a few names now up my sleeve, I think it’s safe to say foodies now have new obsessions to line up for.

Check out these amazing Chinese restaurants in Christchurch that deserve their viral moment.

1. Maxine’s Palace

Maxine’s Palace keeps things simple, which is one of the many things we liked about them. Even ordering was super easy – with a colour-coded pricing system, they make it fast and transparent to take note of order costs.

Speaking of which, we find their prices affordable, with dishes ranging from $6 to $10. Considering the price, though, the portions are modest. But they’re not small to the point that you won’t feel satisfied.

We loved their Peking duck, and most of their patrons agreed with us. It’s lightly sweet and smoky, with a deep-marinated profile of ginger and Shaoxing wine. The skin is glossy and golden, highlighting the crispy texture.

During weekend brunch hours, the place gets extremely busy. Fortunately, the service was consistently fast, and they surprisingly remained attentive. They never missed orders or made errors on bills.

For eateries like this, we’ve already expected that certain dishes may fail our expectations, at least when it comes to quality. We did encounter soggy squid and tough beef, though these instances seem to happen only when they’re low on staff.

Quick, polite service 

“11/10 dim sum spot. Everything was delicious and fresh. Quick, polite service. Weekends have fresh baked pork and custard buns. Very reasonably priced. Menu has pictures and color coded pricing for each set of items ranging from $5.90 to $9.90 with the odd higher priced dish like the Peking duck. Wish I had more room to try more things. We will definitely be back.”

Bree Knitter| Google Reviews

All dishes were delicious

“All the dishes including morning Yum Cha and dinner were delicious. Highly recommend booking a table and ordering the Peking duck in advance as it’s often packed.”

Kahmay Chan | Google Reviews

2. Chopsticks Restaurant

Chopsticks is best known in the area for its delicious Cantonese-Malaysian offerings. They offer a well-curated menu, with dishes marked as “popular” or “chef’s recommendation” to guide diners with best-sellers.

If you can secure a seat during the Chinese New Year, we definitely recommend it for their specials. We’ve had their aromatic and earthy herbal duck roast, as well as their delicious Pen Cai soup with its thickened broth.

In general, there are still many options to grab, like their hot beef plate, crispy chicken, and clay pot tofu. The portions are generous and enough for sharing, though the prices are slightly higher than average at $30 to $40 per person.

As for service, orders arrive within 15 to minutes, which is just right. Plus, the staff are responsive to requests, which makes time fly. 

With plenty of parking, it’s easy for groups to come and dine too.

If we have a bit of complaint, it’s that their takeaway service isn’t up to par with their dine-in experience. The taste and quality of the food just aren’t the same, so we definitely would like to see changes here. 

Good service and great food

“In terms of quality of food and cooking, this is by far the best Chinese restaurant in Christchurch! Dishes are well seasoned and cook to perfection. Just pick those dishes that are marked as “popular” or “chef recommendation” and you won’t go wrong. We tried the sweet and sour pork, hot plate beef, crispy fried chicken and clay pot tofu, and they all tasted great! Good service and very friendly staffs. Reasonably priced too. Highly recommended.”

Irvin Seah | Google Reviews

Amazing restaurant 

“Chopsticks Restaurant is amazing, especially their lou sang and peng cai! The lou sang is super fresh, packed with flavour, and perfect for sharing—it’s seriously one of the best I’ve had. The peng cai is just as great, full of premium ingredients and so rich in taste. The food is top-notch, the vibe is chilled, and the service is on point. Highly recommend!”

Kay Nny (knylee) | Google Reviews

3. Orange House Restaurant & Takeaways 大家乐餐馆

Known for authentic flavours and a wide range of dishes, Orange House is the perfect place to dine without breaking the bank. With meals arriving within 10 to 15 minutes, it’s ideal for those on quick lunch breaks too.

The restaurant serves a wide range of regional Chinese dishes, with a focus on Sichuan and Cantonese-style options. Some of the best dishes we’ve had include the spicy lamb with coriander, mapo tofu, and crispy wontons.

There’s also a good range of rice combos, fried crocker, and hot-spot-style items here. It’s a great place for larger meals to share, especially for those who want to enjoy various types of dishes. 

Pricing is generally $20 to $30 per person, which is a great value considering the portion sizes. 

There’s plenty of parking behind the building too, so the setup makes sense for convenient dine-in and takeaway services. 

There are just a few sour notes in our experience: the delivery packaging is poor, sometimes the meat is too little, and certain dishes are too bland. 

Delicious food and friendly staff

“I ordered the chicken with vegetables and cashews over white rice and it was delicious! The staff was very friendly.”

Westley Strellis | Google Reviews

Authentic flavors with reasonable prices

“I had Chinese food here and it was absolutely delicious! The flavors were authentic and every dish was full of taste. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area. The prices were also very reasonable for the quality. Highly recommended!”

Fan Zhang | Google Reviews

4. Benson Chinese Restaurant

We liked that Benson’s carries an extensive menu, offering local favourites that feature authentic Chinese flavours. The kitchen doesn’t shy away from heat or seasonings, making it a must-visit for numbing Sichuan spices.

Their Chongqing chicken won us over for its intensely spicy yet deeply aromatic profile – it’s not super saucy, but we do love the slightly citrusy hints. The braised beef was deeply tender and best enjoyed with warm, white rice.

On average, serving times take between 10 and 15 minutes, though you can expect slight delays during busy hours. Despite this, the staff are all still willing to accept requests and spice adjustments with no fuss.

Value for money is also good at $20 to $30 per person, with healthy portions that could even serve up to 5 people (mostly their medium-sized soups). They even allow BYO with a $7 corkage fee for casual get-togethers.

Unfortunately, a few diners expressed concerns about allergy awareness – one case involved peanut content not being disclosed, which was alarming. Fortunately, it seems that the restaurant has been taking steps to avoid this moving forward.

One of the best 

“One of the best Sichuan restaurants in Christchurch! We tried the Yu Xiang shredded pork, Kung Pao chicken, all of them were very authentic and tasty. The portion sizes were generous, especially considering the price. The staff were also very friendly and responded quickly to our requests. A great spot if you’re craving real Sichuan flavours. Will definitely come back again.”

Cooper | Google Reviews

Delicious with good portions

“Nice food overall. Liked the tofu with beef- quite delicious and good portion as well. The steamed blue cod was like Ok but bit overcooked.”

L L | Google Reviews

5. Little Spicy Chinese Restaurant

Known for their bold Sichuan-inspired flavours, Little Spicy earned our attention for their authentic dishes, impressive hospitality, and quick service. 

We liked that their dishes don’t hold back on depth. For instance, their spicy beef in tofu pot is rich and aromatic, with a level of spice that most Kiwis would be able to tolerate.

The pepper tender lamb soup with mushrooms is a gentler alternative, though just as flavourful. Even simple dishes like their seasonal garlic vegetables were packed with flavours.

Our team also observed how fast and attentive their service is, with food arriving within 15 minutes on average. The staff can even adjust dishes for dietary needs wherever possible.

Just take note that certain dishes may taste a little too salty, even for the average palate. The spice levels may be a little too mild for the Sichuan standards too.

Excellent food and amazing service

“OMG this is hands down a place of expertise, it’s so hard to actually find a place where I can comfortably give a 5 star review. As you can see food was excellent service was amazing I honestly nearly didn’t have to lift a finger other than to put food in my mouth. Atmosphere was calm and relaxing. The staff here know what they’re doing, if your out this way and want a taste bud challenge give them a look in.”

Owen Pinder | Google Reviews

Tasty dishes and friendly staff

“Me and other girl friends visited as first time for a lunch, we’re all impressed! The restaurant is very clean and spacious, nicely decorating, friendly staff welcomed us with smile (not very often happend at other Chinese restaurant), all dishes we ordered are very tasty and very reasonable amount to share. Ample carpart at rear of their building. We really enjoyed everything, we definetely come back again! Great work you all!”

Pochi | Google Reviews

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