Thursday ushers in the Chinese year of the rabbit. What better way to celebrate than with a memorable Asian meal, says journalist Jennifer 8. Lee. The author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles (Twelve, $13), she spent 10 months traveling the world in search of the best Chinese restaurants.
"It's the most pervasive food on the planet," she says. "It's served on all seven continents." Lee shares some favorites with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY.
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Zen Fine Chinese Cuisine
Richmond, British Columbia
This suburban Vancouver restaurant tops Lee's list as the best in the world. Many recent Chinese immigrants to Vancouver came from Hong Kong and brought sophisticated tastes and high standards, which are on display here, she says. A standout is stuffed abalone with curried seafood. 604-272-2777; zencuisine.ca
Trey Yuen
Mandeville, La.
One notable thing about Chinese cuisine is that it's malleable, adapting to local tastes and traditions, Lee says, citing this ornate New Orleans-area eatery that serves Cajun-influenced food. The menu includes surprises like crawfish in spicy lobster sauce and Szechuan alligator. "It's a memorable experience," she says. "It's clichéd to say this, but the alligator tastes like chicken." 985-626-4476; treyyuen.com
Jai Yun
San Francisco
Even in a city with a huge Asian population, this restaurant stands out. It has a prix fixe lunch and dinner menu ba<x>sed on the chef's daily selection and whim. "It would be hard for Westerners to have the confidence to order these dishes," she says. The decor is modest, it's BYOB, and reservations are required, but, Lee says, "It's where the chefs in Chinatown go to eat." 415-981-7438; menuscan.com/jaiyun
Xi'an Famous Food
New York
You'll find rare Muslim-influenced specialties from Western China at this small New York City chain. Lee likes the East Village outpost, and compares the offerings to great street food — as opposed to high-end restaurant fare. She suggests trying the lamb and cold noodle items. "The authenticity of the dishes here is quite remarkable," she says. 212-786-2068; xianfoods.com
Xi Yan
Singapore and Hong Kong
The menu changes weekly at this private kitchen-style restaurant run by celebrity chef Jacky Yu, who has been called Asia's answer to TV personality and cookbook writer Jamie Oliver. The focus is modern Chinese with pan-Asian influences. "The food is spectacular and you feel like you've stumbled upon a treasure," Lee says. xiyan.com.hk
Haozhan
London
Some of the best Chinese restaurants in the world are in London, and this new entry is particularly impressive — and pricey, Lee says. She loves the wagyu beef, and the desserts, like lemongrass jelly and black sesame ice cream, which usually aren't a hallmark of Asian eateries. "It's inventive and executed immaculately," she says. haozhan.co.uk
Wok and Roll
Washington
It's not necessarily the Chinese and Japanese food at this restaurant that puts it on Lee's list, but the historical significance of the location. The eatery, located on the edge of what is now Washington's Chinatown, was the boarding house where John Wilkes Booth planned the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. "It's a fascinating reminder that cities evolve," she says. Plus, she adds, "The name is clever." 202-347-4656; wokandrolldc.com
Din Tai Fung
Los Angeles and Seattle
The legendary Taiwanese dumpling shop has two locations in L.A., and recently opened in Seattle. The dumplings are usually filled with pork and crab and served with soup. "They have consistently high quality, time and time again," Lee says. "They're excellent." 626-574-7068; dintaifungusa.com
China Garden
Mumbai, New Delhi, and Kathmandu, Nepal
India has its own version of Chinese food, and chef Nelson Wang of China Garden helped invent it. "He's probably influenced the Chinese dining experience more than anyone on the planet," Lee says. Indian Chinese food emphasizes soups and uses fewer gravy-type dishes, which are common in Indian foods.
Chan's Fine Oriental Dining
Woonsocket, R.I.
Although it has been around since 1905, this restaurant makes the list because it offers an astonishing southeastern New England specialty, the chow mein sandwich. "It's crispy and soggy and wet all at the same time," Lee says. The starch-on-starch white bread sandwich is so popular that parents put them in care packages for their children serving during the first Gulf War. Chan's has also been recognized as one of the top blues clubs in the nation. 401-765-1900; chanseggrollsandjazz.com
