Like other major metropolitan areas, Detroit could claim its own Chinatown as early as the 1870s. Located near Third Avenue where the MGM Grand Casino now stands, the neighborhood was largely flattened in the mid-1900s to make way for office buildings and freeways. Many members of the community relocated their businesses to Cass Corridor, but that area too eventually declined and restaurants shut or relocated to other cities in the metro area.
Today, scores of Chinese restaurants operate around the region serving up old-school Michigan favorites like almond boneless chicken alongside spicy mapo tofu, jjajangmyeon, and salt and pepper squid. More recently, southeast Michigan Chinese restaurants have also branched out into hand-pulled noodles and hot pot. Whether the day calls for dim sum or numbing bowl of Sichuan noodles, here are 19 excellent Chinese restaurants to try in metro Detroit.
This has been a tough time for the restaurant industry and its staff, too, so please, if you do choose to grab a bite, be kind and remember to tip well.
Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; the latest data about the delta variant indicates that it may pose a low-to-moderate risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial transmission. The latest CDC guidance is here; find a COVID-19 vaccination site here.
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