Moody jazz, heavy wooden beams and a bank of barbeque ducks in the old Tank nightclub space. A modern Shanghai-style dumpling den from Dan Hong and Merivale.

One of the few places in the centre of town where you can try Nanjing specialties. If you’re into duck, this is the spot for you.

Roast goose, “fried milk”, and fish dumplings – this is a rare opportunity to try a niche cuisine from south-east China.

One of Sydney’s yum cha kings. This slamming Cantonese favourite can be a tad expensive if you're dining with a smaller group – but the premium is warranted. The quality of food, speed of service and deep history is undeniable.

A lone, late-night Cantonese star among Ashfield’s strip of Shanghai dumpling dealers. Some say it goes head-to-head with Golden Century on quality and price.

An institution among Laksa addicts. Today the name has two locations under its banner, but the original, now-closed Hunter Street shop was ladling bowls of piping hot laksa all the way back in 1987 – long before most of the CBD’s other Asian restaurants joined the party.

Innovative Chinese-Australian fusion in a low-lit underground restaurant. More than a decade on, it remains one of the best places in Sydney to try the lesser-seen cuisines of China's Yunnan, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces. While Sichuan food is king here, the entire menu is stylish, vibrant and well-balanced.

Bow down to the dumpling masters. Or just watch them through the glass, hand-crafting those world-class xiao long bao in the kitchen.

A wildly popular Chinese chain in the middle of the CBD, repping the spicy flavours of Sichuan. The tome of a menu here is telling of the huge portions you get here.

Merivale’s waterside Cantonese joint, complete with live seafood tank, oyster bar and dim sum. The views across the water make for an ideal setting year-round.

Exceptional dim sum with glistening, seafood-stuffed dumplings and saucy pork ribs. Completed by a homely RSL vibe, this is the yum cha king of the south-west.

Sleek and informal Asian dining at the Cowper Street Wharf. The menu is a knock-out homage to the best of Chinese and south-east Asian cuisines. Try tenured dishes such as tea-smoked duck with tamarind and plum, or the pork belly with chilli caramel and *nam pla phrik* (sweet-and-sour sauce). White tablecloths and city skylines included.

Fresh-out-of-the tank seafood banquets and stellar crispy-skin pigeon. This is Cantonese food at its best, alive and well in Beverly Hills.

A swish and enormous restaurant with an exceptional yum cha service. It’s a contender for best yum cha in the CBD, but it's also one of the newest in the pack.

In the old Golden Century site, this 400-seat Cantonese diner is ushering in a new era for Chinatown. The seafood tanks are full, the yum cha trolleys are back in action and late-night dining runs until 3am.

Huge bowls of handmade thick-cut noodles for a little over $12. There’s also several pages-worth of dishes you’d typically find in China’s Shaanxi Province.

Inspired by Chinatown neighbourhoods around the world, this sumptuous diner offers a “secret deep-fried ice-cream”, vintage Chinese teas, wines you can’t find anywhere else in Sydney, and baijiu by the glass.

Start with silky wontons, move onto a chilli-laced fish soup and finish with glutinous rice cakes coated in brown sugar. This is one of Haymarket’s must-try Sichuan spots.

Crazy amounts of lobster, mud crabs, whole fish and platters of pippies weigh down the tables here. Seasonal Cantonese specialties are available too, but believe us – it’s all about the seafood banquet.

A hoemy diner that offers a rare chance to try genuine Uyghur cuisine. The menu blends traditions from both Central Asia to the west and Chinese cuisines from the east.

The flagship location of a string of restaurants specialising in cuisine from north-east China. Tackle a hotpot or go for a platter of smoked pork with Chinese corn bread.

A cornerstone of south-west Sydney’s Cantonese-speaking community. Its suited-up service and low-key decor have remained unchanged since 1980. And you can expect the same consistency from the extensive menu. Equally primed for one-person lunch or a banquet for many.

A taste of China’s best, inside a shopping centre. Believe it.

A little-known spot with some of the best Peking duck around. Here, they carve the duck at your table and – for a bit of extra cash – will batter and fry the last morsels of meat for you once you’re done eating.

A Chinese-Macanese hotpot restaurant aiming to elevate the steamboat experience. You can find this opulent eatery in Haymarket’s 1909 dining precinct.

Fiery dried chillies, mouth-numbing peppercorns and searingly hot oils are standard at this Haymarket restaurant. The offering is as extensive as it is spicy.

A high-end restaurant chain serving Peking duck and north-eastern Chinese specialties you can’t find elsewhere. The lavish dining room alone is the worth the visit.

It’s all in the name at this Dixon House eatery. Crisp, bronze Peking Duck hangs in the kitchen window, which you can try san choy bao-style or on pancakes.