Chinese Restaurant in Memphis

June 14, 2026

Chinese restaurants in Memphis run the full range from neighborhood kitchens serving familiar Chinese-American plates to destinations cooking regional Chinese food rooted in Sichuan and Cantonese traditions. Memphis is Tennessee’s second-largest city, with a population of roughly 619,000 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and several of its most talked-about Chinese restaurants cluster along the Summer Avenue and Germantown Parkway corridors, where immigrant-owned businesses have long concentrated. The result is a field where a diner can order General Tso’s chicken and lo mein at one address and, a few miles away, sit down to weekend dim sum, Cantonese roast duck, or numbing-and-spicy Sichuan dishes built around chili and Sichuan peppercorn.

The choices come down to style and service. Some Memphis restaurants foreground Chinese-American dishes built on sweet and savory sauces, while others emphasize the bold, layered flavors of Chengdu-style Sichuan cooking, the seafood and dim sum tradition of Cantonese kitchens, or the dumpling-and-noodle specialties of northern China. Service models differ as well, with restaurants variously emphasizing dine-in seating, takeout counters, third-party or in-house delivery, and catering for events. Several operations run more than one location across the metro, so a diner choosing between branches should confirm which address is open and what its hours are before heading out.

Tennessee regulates restaurants mainly through food-safety permits and tax rules rather than a license tied to the cuisine. A restaurant operating in Shelby County must hold a food-service establishment permit, which in the Memphis area is administered and inspected by the Shelby County Health Department rather than a statewide office, with annual renewal and unannounced routine inspections that follow a risk-based schedule. Kitchens that perform complex food preparation are inspected more frequently, and results are scored on a 0 to 100 scale on which a failing score requires correction and re-inspection before the establishment can continue operating. A restaurant that serves beer, wine, or liquor also needs the appropriate permit from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and at least one employee is generally expected to hold a Certified Food Protection Manager credential.

Taxes treat a restaurant meal differently from a grocery run. Prepared restaurant food is taxed at the full combined sales tax rate rather than the reduced rate Tennessee applies to most grocery food, so a dine-in or takeout order in Shelby County carries the combined 9.75% rate (the state’s 7% plus the local option tax), compared with the lower 4% state rate that applies to unprepared groceries. Questions about pricing, billing, or service fall under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104), administered by the Division of Consumer Affairs, while food-safety concerns can be reported to the Shelby County Health Department. Because restaurants frequently move, change names, or open additional branches, confirming a restaurant’s current address, hours, and menu through its own website or a phone call before visiting is the most reliable way to avoid outdated listings.

Top Chinese Restaurant Providers in Memphis

1. Dim Sum King

Address: 5266 Summer Avenue, Suite 65, Memphis, TN 38122
Phone: (901) 766-0831
Website: https://www.dimsumkingmemphis.com
Services: daily dim sum, Cantonese barbecue, roast duck, live seafood, sizzling hot plates, clay pot, fried rice, dine-in, takeout, delivery
Description: Dim Sum King is a large Cantonese-focused restaurant on Summer Avenue, opened in 2023 by restaurateur King Chow in the former Asian Palace space, with an interior that seats roughly 400 diners. The kitchen serves dim sum daily, with small plates such as shrimp and chive dumplings and pork buns, alongside Cantonese barbecue and roasted meats, whole roasted duck in Cantonese and Peking styles, live seafood, sizzling hot plates, and clay pot dishes. Customer favorites cited in coverage of the restaurant include Peking duck, house fried rice, and eggplant with garlic sauce. The menu runs well past 100 items, and weekend service includes traditional dim sum cart service. Dim Sum King offers dine-in, pick-up, and delivery, making it one of the most full-featured Cantonese dining rooms in the Memphis area.

2. Petals of a Peony

Address: 1250 N Germantown Parkway, Suite 105, Cordova, TN 38016
Phone: (901) 707-8886
Website: https://petalsofapeony.com
Services: Chengdu-style Sichuan cuisine, dumplings, noodles, tableside dishes, dine-in, takeout, delivery, curbside pickup, catering
Description: Petals of a Peony is a Memphis-area Sichuan restaurant specializing in Chengdu-style cooking, with its original location on North Germantown Parkway in Cordova and additional locations across the metro, including Midtown. The kitchen leans into the bold, spicy flavors characteristic of Sichuan cuisine, with signature dishes that include Dan Dan noodles, mapo tofu, twice-cooked pork, cumin beef, sliced pork with garlic sauce, spicy dumplings, and fresh green beans prepared tableside. The restaurant offers dine-in service along with takeout, delivery, curbside pickup, and catering, and online ordering is available through its website. Its focus on a specific regional Chinese tradition, paired with multiple metro locations, has made it a recognizable name for Sichuan food in Memphis.

3. Lao Sze Chuan

Address: 5849 Poplar Avenue, Suite 117, Memphis, TN 38119
Phone: (901) 707-8180
Website: https://laoszechuantn.com
Services: Sichuan cuisine, chef specials, dim sum, soups, cold and hot appetizers, dine-in, takeout
Description: Lao Sze Chuan is the Memphis location of a Sichuan restaurant concept created by Sichuan-born chef Tony Hu, whose original restaurant opened in Chicago’s Chinatown in 1998. Located on Poplar Avenue in East Memphis, the kitchen focuses on authentic Sichuan cooking, with chef specials such as mala scallops, crispy Sichuan-spiced fried fish, steamed fish with chopped chili, and boiled beef or fish in spicy Szechuan sauce, alongside mapo tofu and other classic preparations. The menu also includes a dim sum section with items like Szechuan wontons, Peking dumplings, and xiao long bao, plus cold and hot appetizers and soups. The restaurant offers dine-in service and takeout, giving Memphis diners access to a Sichuan menu built around regional specialties rather than a Chinese-American format.

Frequently Asked Questions About Chinese Restaurant in Memphis

Q: What permits does a Chinese restaurant in Memphis need to operate?

A restaurant in Memphis must hold a food-service establishment permit administered and inspected by the Shelby County Health Department, which oversees food-service establishments in the Memphis area. The permit is renewed annually and is subject to unannounced routine inspections. A restaurant that serves beer, wine, or liquor also needs the appropriate permit from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and at least one employee is generally expected to hold a Certified Food Protection Manager credential.

Q: How much tax is added to a Chinese restaurant meal in Memphis?

Prepared restaurant food is taxed at the full combined sales tax rate, which in Shelby County is 9.75% (the state’s 7% plus the local option tax). This is higher than the reduced 4% state rate Tennessee applies to most unprepared grocery food, so a dine-in or takeout order carries the full restaurant rate.

Q: How are Memphis restaurants inspected?

The Shelby County Health Department conducts unannounced routine inspections on a risk-based schedule, with kitchens that perform more complex food preparation inspected more frequently. Inspections are scored on a 0 to 100 scale, and a failing score requires correction and a re-inspection before the establishment can continue operating. Inspection records are maintained by the county health department.

Q: What is the difference between regional Chinese and Chinese-American food?

Chinese-American dishes, such as General Tso’s chicken and lo mein, were adapted over generations to local tastes and often emphasize sweet and savory sauces. Regional Chinese cooking reflects the traditions of specific areas of China, such as the numbing-and-spicy mala flavors of Sichuan, the seafood and dim sum tradition of Cantonese kitchens, or the dumpling specialties of northern China. Several Memphis restaurants focus on one regional style, so checking the menu’s labels or asking the staff helps clarify what to expect.

Q: Do Memphis Chinese restaurants offer dine-in, takeout, and delivery?

Service models vary by restaurant. Some emphasize large dine-in rooms and weekend dim sum service, others focus on takeout, and many offer in-house or third-party delivery as well as catering, sometimes within a set radius and subject to a minimum order. Several operations run more than one location across the metro, so confirming the service options and the correct address with the restaurant before ordering is the most reliable approach.

Q: How can I resolve a billing or service complaint with a Memphis restaurant?

Complaints about pricing, billing, or deceptive practices fall under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104), which is administered by the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs. Concerns specific to food safety or sanitation can be reported to the Shelby County Health Department, which investigates complaints in addition to conducting routine inspections.