Chinese Food in Jersey City (2025)

A Chinese Newcomer Where Fish Is Prepared Tableside | Eater NY

At 537 Washington Boulevard, near the North Garage Driveway, I found a sleek new Chinese restaurant with an outdoor courtyard dotted with potted plants and an interior that holds about 80, where lights hang from the high ceiling like crumpled constellations and a dangling chain-link curtain circumnavigates the room; booths clad in dark woods offered the most comfortable seating while tables jumbled in the center. On my first visit a teenage pianist played Beethoven’s sonatas on a grand piano in the middle of the room; on a later visit she and the piano had vanished. The restaurant’s foremost specialty is whole fish—pick sea bass or croaker—that can be done five different ways; the fish weighs about a pound-and-a-half or slightly more and can easily feed three or four. The “whole fish in foil” ($42) was the most astonishing: a raw fish wrapped en papillote, ferried to the table on a brazier, briefly lit and then ceremoniously unwrapped to reveal a steaming fish in a chunky sea of bright red layered with pickled red chiles. More conventional is the province’s braised fish in Sichuan bean sauce, with multiple types of chiles, Sichuan peppercorns used with a restrained hand, and an intense fermented bean sauce; there is also a whole fish in tofu pudding I did not get to. The vast menu (after three visits I’d only tried about a fifth) includes a pig ear appetizer ($12) as soft as a glove, pig kidney carved into flower-like shapes with a mild minerally flavor, beef tendon with peppers ($28) served in great wobbly chunks flavored with dried and mild fresh chiles, eggplant preparations such as eggplant with minced pepper ($10) and a wok-fried yu xiang eggplant with bean paste, chiles, ginger and black vinegar, a mild Dongbei stir-fry of corn and pine nuts ($13) that tastes buttery, shredded potatoes lightly sautéed with black truffle sauce, and a cold gluten salad of spongy beige cubes in a sweet brown dressing decorated with roasted peanuts and lily shoots. Taken together, these dishes point to Yuan as an exciting addition to Jersey City’s burgeoning Chinese restaurant corridor. - Robert Sietsema

Quietly ambitious Paulus Hook dining room with a deeper Chinese-language banquet list: Peking duck, live fish, and luxurious stews. Spotlighted by Feast the Hudson for its thoughtful service and neighborhood-first ethos.

A Downtown stalwart where locals mix regional plates with American-Chinese favorites. Noted by Eater New York amid the waterfront’s modern Chinese corridor, it’s known for mapo tofu, cumin lamb, and generous portions.

Journal Square’s sleeper hit for hearty northern fare—Tianjin-style wontons, spicy cabbage, and full-flavored mains—praised by Jersey City Upfront. A roomy menu rewards exploration and takeout is brisk.

Family-run Lafayette favorite blending Chinese dumpling craft with Southeast Asian flavors. Highlighted by Hoboken Girl for inventive dumplings, it’s where handmade meets playful and the neighborhood feels like the audience.

The Heights’ go-to for bold flavors: Chongqing chicken, boiled fish in chile broth, and vegan-friendly options. A community favorite for spice lovers with steady delivery and value pricing.

Classic Downtown counter spot with a surprisingly deep menu and dependable late hours. Loved by neighborhood regulars for dumplings, sesame noodles, and reliably crisp crab rangoon.

Decades-strong takeout institution balancing Chinese-American greatest hits with quick service and fair prices. Local chatter singles out the crab meat cheese wontons and dependable lunch specials.

Journal Square staple for generous, budget-friendly combos and familiar flavors. Mentioned by Hoboken Girl among regional dumpling stops, it’s a simple, satisfying answer for weeknight cravings.