The scope, breadth, and depth of complexity of Chinese cuisine is tough to recreate in any one menu. Throughout the Twin Cities there are several restaurants serving regional dishes that together make up a small taste of the incredible food found in the massive country. Whether enjoying Cantonese or Sichuan near the University of Minnesota or tracking down dim sum in Bloomington, there is a wealth of incredible food to be found around the Twin Cities that go beyond the American Chinese menu dominated by sweet and sour.
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7 Twin Cities Chinese Food Restaurants That Go Beyond the Sweet and Sour
Hand-pulled noodles, dumplings tucked into fiery sauce, puffy stuffed buns, and more

1. Shuang Cheng
Minneapolis, MN 55414
This restaurant is an icon of the Dinkytown area specializing in Cantonese cuisine. It’s affordable for college students and the flavors bring Chinese immigrants a taste of home.
2. Tea House Chinese Restaurant
Minneapolis, MN 55414
There are two Tea House locations, but the one near the University of Minnesota is the place to order exceptional dumplings from. There’s a good amount of numbing peppercorns and just enough sweetness in the Sichuan dumplings to make them just about impossible to stop eating until the whole order is gone.
3. Lao Sze Chuan
Minneapolis, MN 55414
For those who miss the original iteration of Little Szechuan on University Avenue, this restaurant near the University of Minnesota retains some of those recipes, like the Geshalan Ma La chicken, little nubs of fried chicken nestled into garlic, ginger, scallions, and a mountain of dried peppers.
4. Magic Noodle
St Paul, MN 55104
Fans of hand-pulled noodles had a bit of a freak out when Magic Noodle first opened. There aren’t many places to get the tender/chewy good in the Twin Cities and from the start, Magic Noodle exceeded high expectations.
5. Rainbow Chinese Restaurant and Bar
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Chef-owner Tammy Wong is a beloved figure in the Minneapolis food world and her family-run restaurant has been serving American-style Chinese food to generations of Minneapolis residents. No order from here is complete without a batch of her signature, crackling-crusted egg rolls, and the Sichuan wontons, a savory (and not at all spicy) tender noodle wrapper cradling shrimp and pork smothered in a rich black bean sauce.
6. Cheng’s Garden
Minneapolis, MN 55408
The fires and unrest of this summer in the wake of George Floyd’s killing almost claimed this tiny mom-and-pop shop in a strip mall on Nicollet Avenue. The gas station behind it still hasn’t returned. However, Cheng’s Garden continues to serve the best fried rice found in the cities and orange chicken that bears little resemblance to the food court iteration. Expect hunks of chicken breast breaded and served in a sweet, spicy sauce with leaves of charred orange peel.
7. Mandarin Kitchen
Bloomington, MN 55420
There is a dearth of dim sum options in the Twin Cities, which is why Mandarin Kitchen was often packed with people from all over the metro area. Now, in the lockdown days, it’s best to place a takeaway order and recreate the carts at home.