24 Best Chinese Restaurants near New Kensington

“A Journey Back to Panda: The Hidden Gem (right before my eyes)

Our normal takeout spot was unexpectedly closed. We were hungry. We were spiraling.

There are moments in life when the universe conspires to remind you that greatness doesn’t announce itself with gilded menus or sommeliers in bow ties. Sometimes it whispers from a small takeout counter in New Kensington , where it has been whispering for thirty plus years.

I stood there, right before my very eyes, watching steam rise from those containers like incense from a temple. And in that moment, decades collapsed. I was transported back to the 90’s—a hazy, beautiful memory of my younger self clutching a paper bag from Panda, not yet knowing I was holding something extraordinary. But time has a way of validating what we once took for granted.

Fast forward to now. The order arrives. I open the General Tso’s chicken, and I am struck motionless. This isn’t just food—it’s an aria. Each piece: impossibly juicy, fork-tender, draped in a sauce that somehow manages to be both savory and subtle, bold yet restrained. It’s the kind of balance that five-starred kitchens chase and rarely capture. I’ve eaten at renowned Chinese restaurants where celebrity chefs command three-hour waits. I’ve tasted the handiwork of masters in San Francisco’s Chinatown, New York’s Flushing, even Vancouver’s Richmond. And right here, right before my eyes, in this unassuming New Ken takeout, I found something better. The portion? Gargantuan. The value? Almost embarrassing in its generosity.

Then came the chicken lo mein—a mountain of perfectly cooked noodles tangled with vegetables and tender chicken, each strand glistening with that ineffable wok breath that separates the pretenders from the masters. It was huge. The lo mein is the only item that I would offer a mild suggestion: it needed slightly more liquid smoke flavor and the addition of green onions. Portion size means nothing without soul. Add those two ingredients and you give it soul.

And the Hot & Spicy chicken—oh, the restraint! The sauce was light, almost humble, allowing the vegetables to maintain their integrity, letting the chicken speak for itself. No drowning in cornstarch slurry, no aggressive assault of heat masking mediocrity. Just perfect clarity of flavor, right there before my eyes.

For three (maybe four) decades, Panda has been doing this. Quietly. Humbly. While the food world chased trends and accolades, and buffets while “authentic” became a marketing buzzword, Panda simply kept being magnificent. It stood there, a landmark, waiting for those wise enough to notice. Now I notice.

I notice.

I have seen the light, and it glows from a takeout container in New Ken. This is not hyperbole. This is testimony. Panda doesn’t just serve Chinese food—it serves a masterclass in what happens when skill, consistency, and care simmer together for almost forty years.

Just wow. Simply, unforgettably, wow.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​“

“The food is very good, as is the service. There's no place to sit. It's great for local, I want American Chinese food The prices are very fair and it's where I go when I'm looking for affordable, good+, something different from burgers or other fat food. They normally will have a phones in order ready in 15 to 20 minutes. So, call ahead, get in, get out.“

“The Best around here! Great Taste, Preparation, Price and Time saving!“

“Best Chinese food in the area. I eat here often and the food is always fresh and delicious. The employees are super nice.“

“Awesome sushi!! Never disappoints!“

“Taipei is by far the best sushi and Chinese restaurant in the Fox Chapel area. The servers are courteous and the specialty sushi rolls are noticeabley larger and tastier than Jimmy Wan's. In my opinion, Taipei also offers a better selection than Jimmy Wan's. We also appreciate Taipei's complimentary fried wontons served before each meal and orange slices provided at the end of service. This family-friendly restaurant always make us feel at home.“

“Very nice.
Most food had a greasy, oily consistency to it. The sticky white rice, for example, was not dry and sticky. It seemed like it had oil. And the lo mein noodles were good, just oily.
It's not terrible, I just wish it didn't have that consistency. Kids liked it.“

“Very delicious, not a lot of places like this in my area.“

“Jimmy Wan's Foxchapel is one of the standout restaurants in all of Pittsburgh. Amazing food, excellent drinks, great staff, and wonderful ambiance and lighting. I recommend to everyone.“

“A pretty typical Chinese food place. The food is good and fairly priced- you even get the egg roll with your meal. The restaurant is a little dimly lit and no one greeted me when I walked in. But, when someone was able to come she was very polite and quick to get me taken care of. We will be getting more food from here for sure.“

“The best General Tso's Tofu in PGH that I've found, and I'm pretty particular. I'm so sad that I no longer live super close to this place. I've never had a bad experience with their food or the people there; they've always been very kind.“

“I recently visited this Chinese café-restaurant, and I was really impressed! Their wonton soup and hot and sour soup are absolutely delicious—rich in flavor and perfectly balanced. The dish in the photo is orange chicken, which was incredibly tasty, especially with brown rice. Every bite was full of flavor, and the texture was just right.

Another great thing about this place is that they have an electric charging station, so for some people, it’s a great way to do two things at once—enjoy a delicious meal while charging their car. Overall, this place serves amazing food, and I highly recommend it.“

“Every time I order, it’s always hot, fresh and so delicious! Best Chinese food in the area, hands down!“

“The food here is consistently good and always fresh, which keeps me coming back despite a few issues. The flavors are on point and you can tell they're not cutting corners on quality.However, there are some things that hold this place back from being perfect. They struggle with special requests - even simple ones like extra sauce packets or utensils often get missed or ignored. Also, heads up that when you order egg rolls, you're only getting one (though to be fair, it's absolutely huge). I wish they made this clearer when ordering since most places give you multiple smaller ones.The pricing is on the higher side, but honestly, Chinese food has always been a bit pricier and with how expensive everything is these days, it's not unexpected. My main gripe is that everything only comes in one size - it would be nice to have options for smaller portions or larger family-style servings.Despite these issues, the quality of the food keeps me coming back. If they could just pay more attention to special requests and maybe offer size options, this would easily be a 5-star spot. Still recommend it if you're craving good, fresh Chinese food and don't mind paying a bit more for quality“

“This is my first time visiting a small town and I had the pleasure of dining at this local Chinese restaurant, and I must say it exceeded all my expectations.My friends and I ordered a wide selection of dishes and each and every one of the dishes were amazing. There was just the right amount of favors and they were all VERY delicious. The portion sizes were also very generous and the prices were reasonable for the quality and quantity of food provided.The service was outstanding. The staff was knowledgeable about the menu and made excellent recommendations.I speak for both me and my friends and we would 100% recommend this to anyone!“

“I haven’t been here since before the Pandemic but I remember they had the best General Tso Tofu ? on my way home from work I use to order it and pick it up. The staff is really nice and friendly I need to go back. Great vegetarian sections.

Vegetarian options: I recommend the General Tso Tofu“

“I enjoy their food. Shrimp egg foo young is one of my go tos and theirs comes with a gravy that's different than the one the average Chinese restaurant gives its so delicious. The egg rolls are good too and I'm super picky about egg rolls. All in all definitely recommend them“

“We order out regularly here bc they are consistent! Food is always fresh and good (shrimp and peppers delicious and crab Rangoon the best around town). Once I couldn’t get out of car and owner brought order out to me. Prices very reasonable too“

“I definitely recommend Taipei Tokyo ! Sushi is excellent as well as most of the other options. Friendly staff .“

“I don’t understand the low rating for this restaurant. I live in the area and this is my go to for takeout Chinese food. I usually get the chicken and garlic sauce, steamed dumplings, or beef lo mein. I’ve never ordered something I didn’t like. The portions are very generous and their prices are very reasonable.“

“This was such great food they have the best shrimp toast I ever had in my life. Once you eat their shrimp toast you will not like anyone elses. I really wish I knew how to make it. I ordered off one of the food apps for delivery I think it was uber eats a few times, and everything I have had from you guys was really good!“

“Today was very crowded, as expected, since it was Mother's Day. There was a "special" menu today for a slightly higher fee ($22), but it was to include Crab Legs that they rarely have. I go there 1-2 times/month. I was a bit skeptical about the quality and replenishment of the Crab Legs. Oh, my!!! They were fantastic and constantly replenished. This was fantastic! Thank You.. was much appreciated!“

“My husband stopped by to grab the family meal today around 4:50. Had to wait until 5:00 for someone to bring it out. He ordered 3 orange chicken, 2 rice, 1 noodle. When we went to eat it was only 1 chicken, 4 rice, and 1 noodle. He tried to call and 3 times the automated voice told him there was no one to take his call and hung up on him. Very disappointing. Expensive to not get what you ordered and have no one pick up the phone. Be sure to check your orders!

Update: He went back today to explain what happened and they gave him 2 new chicken. Appreciate them making it right.“

“Yo this place was a banger. The staff were on top of my drinks and the food was absolutely SCHMACKIN. I would go back every day if I could. I cannot stress how good this place was. But these weird white people kept looking at me like they've never seen a Korean person before.“