Locals are Obsessed with These 5 Best Chinese Restaurants in Hamilton
David Sims
| Last Updated: September 2025 When I first arrived in Hamilton, one of my biggest struggles wasn’t figuring out the bus routes – it was finding good Chinese food. After a few hit-or-miss dinners, a friend finally took pity on me and brought me to a no-frills place close to Claudelands.
Let’s just say, after one place of stir-fried noodles, I was immediately obsessed.
See, that’s the thing about Hamilton – the best Chinese restaurants aren’t the flashiest (and they’re definitely not the ones without pictures of food on the windows). You’ll find some of these restos here, and we’re sure you’d happily line up for hours for them!
Let us save you from trial and error. Here are the best Chinese restaurants in Hamilton you’ll love.
How much does it cost to dine at a Chinese Restaurant in Hamilton?
1. The Chilli House
Location: 237 Victoria Street, Hamilton Central
Contact: +6478390098
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday: 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM
This Chilli House has been the go-to spot for many locals who want fast food service. With roots dating back to its days in night market stalls, they serve food fast, with great prices and solid portions.
There is a solid range of Chinese staples here. Their hand-pulled noodles (especially their popular Youpo noodles) have the perfect level of chewiness and heat, just right for the Kiwi tongue.
Their signature dumplings are to die for, with their plant-extract-infused dough, giving way to a nice twist on a Northern Chinese classic. For those who want to share their food, they have braised beef, which is the perfect meal for families.
The overall ambiance of the place is great, with decor showcasing Sichuan culture. The walls are painted with art referencing Tang dynasty poetry, traditional opera masks, and red lanterns. Service is warm and serves food with no errors or delays.
We just like to note that while we found the dishes flavorful, they’re a bit inconsistent. When we dined in during evening hours, the food tasted a bit bland. We found their dishes to be the tastiest during lunch hours.
Friendly and efficient service
“Service was friendly and efficient, lovely ambiance. Chilli House is situated on Victoria Street Hamilton 😀. Not a long wait for our meals. Enjoyed my order and had a taste of all servings very tasty. Will certainly return when carving some beautiful Asian food.”
– Heather M, Google Review
Lovely place and amazing food
“Lovely place, amazing food. If you want it mild like a salsa or so hot your regretting you decisions later they will cater to you. If you want any sort of meat or vegetarian, they can help you. staff are super friendly the food comes out quick and it’s high quality food. A good place to swing by alone or with friends would recommend!”
– Chris Masefield, Google Review
2. Regal Chinese Restaurant
Location: 62 Bryce Street, Hamilton Central, Hamilton 3204
Contact: +6478341288
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Regal Chinese Restaurant is the ideal spot for those who want to enjoy Cantonese dining with a large group. As a family-friendly restaurant, the ambiance is unmistakably traditional, with large round tables and lazy Susans for shared dining.
One of the highlights is their Yum Cha service, which involves a meal of Chinese tea and dim sum. For those who are unfamiliar with the setup, this is a great way to experience various dishes in smaller portions.
Some signature selections include siomai, prawn dumplings, braised chicken feet, and prawn toast. For something heavier, there’s also roast duck, salt-and-pepper squid, and even crayfish mains.
The food is consistently delicious, and the portions can be easily shared – most of the mains can be shared by at least 2 people. The prices are just right, with the cheapest options ranging from $20 to $40 per person.
If you choose to dine here, just remember that there’s a significant wait time during lunch hours – you may even find that certain dishes are unavailable during peak hours. If possible, it’s best to arrive early to ensure you get the dishes you’re eyeing.
Best food ever
“Best duck ever! My partner and I got the Peking duck and it was amazing. We only ordered this as it fed us both. The staff were really nice and welcoming too. Will be back.”
– Shauna, Google Review
Delicious food with a wide variety of choices
“Best Chinese restaurant in Hamilton. Just opened recently and place is already packed on peak hours. Delicious food and heaps of small orders to choose from. Plenty of staff around so queue times are usually short, and food carts cut the wait times as well. Highly recommended”
– Ecl Z, Google Review
3. Sichuan Style Restaurant
Location: 24 Collingwood Street, Hamilton Central
Contact: +6478396959
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday: 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Saturday – Sunday: 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Sichuan Style Restaurant is a great spot for locals who want to enjoy generous portions and well-spiced dishes. From the outside, it looks modest. Inside, it offers a lively dining room ideal for families and solo diners.
The Sichuan flavors are authentic, with signature dishes like spicy chicken, Kung Pao chicken, and beef noodle soup. Every option is shareable, so diners can easily split meals and money during dining periods.
The restaurant caters to both mild and numbing spice flavors, plus guests can easily adjust heat levels based on their preference. We find the default heat just right for options like their chili fish fillet with bean sprouts.
Attentiveness and speed are solid factors too. As we’ve observed across multiple visits, food arrives within 10 minutes, even during busy evening hours. Staff are helpful as well, especially when packing leftovers to take home.
Just note that the experience can vary greatly from time to time – sometimes the food is bland, sometimes the service is slow. However, these are unavoidable issues that usually pop up during busy hours. In most cases, the experience is pretty solid.
Fast service and large portions
“A lots of customer in Friday night. servicing was fast. The portion is large. So it is worth the value. You can choose how spice you like, food was tasty. Will come back if pass Hamilton next time.”
– Darren SHE, Google Review
Amazing food and sweet staff
“This restaurant is my biggest craving! I usually get the mapo tofu with rice (no photos of it unfortunately). Had their chilli fish one time and would highly recommend take a couple of people with you because it is a bigggg serving. Otherwise the owner is the sweetest and the food is just amazing never disappoints. ❤️👍🏼 …”
– Fidah Ali, Google Review
4. Master House Chinese Restaurant
Location: 303 Victoria Street, Hamilton Central
Contact: +6478393888
Opening Hours: Thursday – Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 9:45 PM
Our favourite thing about Master House is how diverse their menu options are. They offer many classic Cantonese staples, including roast duck, sweet and sour pork, and sesame balls.
The best part about these offerings is that the portions are generous – in fact, their sharing plate options can easily feed groups of 4 to 6. At $20 to $40 per person, this is a great value for money without missing out on flavors.
Walk-ins are welcome, whether for solo diners or big groups – just to be sure, however, reservations are encouraged. For those who prefer quick meals, we like that they offer fast takeaways and efficient delivery via Uber Eats.
The staff are hospitable and approachable, and we really appreciate how they can communicate in English and in Cantonese. Complimentary teas are served promptly, and dishes arrive on time, even during peak hours at lunch.
As with most restaurants, there are occasional inconsistencies when it comes to flavors and food textures. The experience varies from time to time, and we’ll appreciate them more if they can ensure quality food offerings regardless of the time.
Overall great food
“Great food overall, fried rice was delicious and filled my stomach. Definitely recommend it for vegetarian people who like the fried rice”
– Alraaf Ali, Google Review
Awesome place to eat
“Another awesome place to eat, have been 2 times this months with my wahine, its not common you find some where with those great flavours that actually hit the spot but we have here, thank you Master House.”
– Mr T, Google Review
5. Dumpling House
Location: 44 Bryce Street, Hamilton Central
Contact: +6478383168
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Dumpling House is everything we’re looking for in a reliable Chinese restaurant: generous portions, tasty food, and fast service. It’s a great destination for those who want to experience authentic Northeastern Chinese cuisine.
The food quality is great. Their signature dumplings are handmade with the perfect texture on the skin and well-packed meat fillings. The braised pork belly is tender, with a sauce that perfectly coats the soft, moist white rice.
We also liked how fast and efficient the service is. On average, we see that meals often arrive within 5 to 10 minutes, even during busy hours in the evening. As for deliveries, orders arrive fast and warm thanks to Uber Eats.
The atmosphere is part of the appeal too. The restaurant is spacious, with plenty of seating that never felt cramped. Even the noise levels are tolerable and low enough for casual conversations. There’s soft background music to soften it all up.
If there’s one thing to note, we just noticed how there’s sometimes too much of something – sometimes the rice is too oily or the sauce is too salty.
Parking can be tricky as well, considering the CBD location, so plan ahead.
Truly authentic Northeastern cuisine
“The food is extremely delicious and in generous portions. Four people ordered four dishes but couldn’t finish them all. It’s very tasty and truly authentic Northeastern cuisine.”
– Tingyue Xiao, Google Review
Excellent and very tasty
“The food was excellent and very tasty. What impressed me the most was the staff’s attitude – friendly and always with a smile. They even offered warm lemon water, which was a small gesture but made me feel truly cared for. If you’re staying in the CBD, this is a great place to dine. We finished everything we ordered. Grateful for the experience!”
– Jie, Google Review
