Kolkata’s Chinese Restaurants, From Tangra to Park Street

When people in Kolkata say they're going to Tangra, they often mean they're going to Beijing. Established in the early 2000s, it has become one of the most popular restaurants in Chinatown. The name that runs through the restaurant's lore, though, is older; Ms. Monica Liu, known as the Queen of Tangra, whose recipes anchor menus across five restaurants in Chinatown. Beijing is the one you take someone to when you want to show them what Calcutta's Chinese food actually is.Vibe Check: Old-school Chinatown, a walk back in timeWhat to Order: Drums of Heaven, Golden Fried Prawns, Dry Chilli Fish, Chilli Garlic Button Mushroom, Veg Hot & Sour Soup

Mainland China was started in 1994 with the aim of serving the best Chinese cuisine across India. The cosy seating makes it seem like you're seated at someone's dining room table. If you're going for the first time, start with the a-la-carte. The Sunday buffet is an event in itself, but the restaurant on a quieter evening is something else.Vibe Check: City's most reliable occasion restaurant, Upscale Chinese cuisineWhat to Order: Samurai Roll Sushi, Prawn Cheung Fun, Crispy Chicken Cheng Feun, Japanese Noodles, Malayan Spiced Melon

A relatively new establishment on Park Street, Peter Hu? is from the owners of Peter Cat. That lineage matters, the Peter Cat group knows how to build a room, and Peter Hu? delivers on that side of things. The ambience is comfortable, the service is courteous, and the menu is a vast Asian spread with something from every part. The duplex setup means the upper floor has a slightly different energy from the ground level, worth keeping in mind if you're choosing for atmosphere.Vibe Check: Pan-Asian, Park Street energy, from the house of Peter CatWhat to Order: Wok Tossed Shrimp, Bhetki Fish with Holy Basil, Burmese Khao Suey, Drunken Udon Noodle, Dark Foamed Chocolate

This one was the first authentic Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine fine dining restaurant in a five-star hotel in Kolkata. Decades later, Chinoiserie ranks among India's top restaurants. The menu runs from five-spiced duck to lobster and scallop dim sum, with the kitchen producing Sichuan and Cantonese dishes featuring an indulgent list of ingredients. This is where Kolkata goes for a milestone celebration: birthdays, anniversaries, dinners that need to be remembered.Vibe Check: The city's finest room for Chinese foodWhat to Order: Peking Duck, Wok Fried Andaman Rock Lobster, Sliced Kung Pao Chicken with Sichuan Chilli and Cashew Nut, Vegetable Udon Noodles Shanghai Style, Darsaan Honey

Asia Kitchen is the Mainland China group's more contemporary expression, the younger version of themselves they build for those who want sushi, Thai, and a spirited cocktail alongside their wok-tossed noodles. The kitchen's fluency across Chinese, Thai, and Asian formats gives it range, and the menu's mix of familiar and experimental means there's usually something to explore beyond your usual order.Vibe Check: Younger, bolder, an update of the Mainland China universeWhat to Order: Cheung Fun, Siu Mai, Samurai Rolls, Thai Green Curry with Jasmine Rice, Nasi Goreng

Unapologetically Chinese with no pretension to being global or pan-Asian, Lucky Tigerr is a fine-dining restaurant that achieves what it sets out to do. During dinner, it's a thoughtful Chinese restaurant with serious Cantonese and Sichuan cooking. Past midnight on a weekend, it's something else. A dining area that transitions into a dance floor later in the evening, and an open kitchen for live culinary displays. The kind of place Park Street needed, and didn't quite have.Vibe Check: Cocktail bar, after-party vibesWhat to Order: Dimsum Platter, Prawn Sushi, Chilli Garlic Noodles, Black Bean Fish or Chicken, Lotus Biscoff Cheese Cake, Chocolate Succulent

Located inside the JW Marriott hotel, Vintage Asia is a beautifully designed restaurant with two open kitchens, one dedicated to Chinese, another to the rest of Asia. The menu's range across Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Japanese deems Vintage Asia as an Asian restaurant, but the Chinese kitchen here is arguably the most technically accomplished in the city.Vibe Check: Open kitchen, Marriott qualityWhat to Order: Peking Duck, Home Style Belgium Pork Belly, Kaffir Lime Seafood Dumpling, Rainbow Roll Sushi, Vintage Surprise (Dessert)

An outlet of this Michelin-starred restaurant chain has been drawing diners from across the city, since late 2013. Yauatcha takes design inspiration from Chinese teahouses, with beautifully embroidered Chinese motifs on leather chairs. And the dim sum is the reason to come. Go for the weekday set-lunch if you want a taste of everything, or stick to dim sum and explore the patisserie counter as a post-meal reward, because it is one.Vibe Check: Michelin pedigree, dim sum heaven, the best patisserie counter in any Chinese restaurant in IndiaWhat to Order: Crispy Prawn Cheung Fun, Vegetable Crystal Dumpling, Stir-Fry Chicken with Szechuan Peppercorn, Braised Pork Belly, Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse, Pecan & Coffee Delice

Waldorf was set up in the early 1950s, changed ownership multiple times since, and has relocated from Park Street to Russell Street, though only steps away from its original ground. For those who know the magic, the pull is still real. Dishes like the Crispy Fried Chilli Lamb, Chilli Pork, and Waldorf Special Fried Rice still hold up, the portions are generous, and for the restaurant with this history, the prices remain genuinely reasonable.Vibe Check: Seven decades of legacy, the city's most storied Chinese tableWhat to Order: Sea Food Sizzler, Black Pepper Prawn, Chilli Baby Corn, Traditional Chinese Fried Rice, Darsaan Ice Cream and Noodle with Honey