Chicago Chinatown Food Tour: 5 tastings with local guide

Five restaurants, five dishes, one meal: a walking tour that feeds you instead of pointing at food.

Chicago's Chinatown Food Tour is a 3-hour guided walk through the neighborhood's most storied restaurants, where you taste five dishes (steamed dumplings, hand-pulled noodles, cumin lamb flatbread, Sichuan chicken, and Portuguese egg tarts), while learning the history of how these cuisines arrived in the city. An English-speaking local guide leads groups through Chinatown Square, the Pui Tak Center, and the Nine Dragon Wall, sharing the stories behind the architecture and the food. The tour includes five tastings that add up to a full meal, insider tips on what to do next in the neighborhood, and VIP access to the restaurants you visit. A beverage upgrade with three drink pairings is available at checkout for ages 21+.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Chicago's Chinatown and food

• Arrive at Chinatown Gateway
• Visit Chinatown Square and learn history
• See Nine Dragon Wall mural
• Tour Pui Tak Center landmark
• Sample dumplings at Phoenix Restaurant
• Taste hand-pulled noodles at Yummy Yummy Noodles
• Try cumin lamb flatbread at Xi’an Cuisine
• Enjoy Chef’s Special Dry Chili Chicken at Lao Sze Chuan
• Have Portuguese egg tart at Chiu Quon Bakery

The experience

Chinatown's food scene runs deep: generations of families have built restaurants here, and the neighborhood's layout can be hard to navigate on your own. This tour solves that by anchoring you to five specific stops, each one a working restaurant where you sit down and eat, not a sample counter. You start at Phoenix Restaurant with handmade dumplings, steamed and filled the way they've been made for decades. Then Yummy Yummy Noodles, where hand-pulled noodles arrive in broth you can taste the hours in. Xi'an Cuisine serves cumin lamb flatbread (warm, crispy bread wrapped around spiced meat), and at Lao Sze Chuan you get their Chef's Special Dry Chili Chicken, wok-tossed with garlic and Sichuan peppers that numb and burn at once. You can ask for mild if the heat is too much. The last stop is Chiu Quon Bakery, the oldest in Chinatown, where Portuguese egg tarts arrive warm and flaky, the custard inside so rich it coats your mouth.

Between the restaurants, your guide walks you through the neighborhood's landmarks. Chinatown Square opens up as an open-air plaza ringed with zodiac statues and traditional roofs. Your guide explains what each symbol means and why the community built it this way. The Pui Tak Center, a 1920s building with terra-cotta detailing and sweeping rooflines, was the On Leong Merchants Association and still serves as a cultural hub. The Chinatown Gateway, the grand archway at the neighborhood's entrance, marks where the tour begins and where your guide shares the story of how the community rallied to build it. The Nine Dragon Wall, a mural with nine dragons in vivid tile and color, sits in the heart of the neighborhood. Each dragon carries meaning, and your guide walks you through what they represent in Chinese tradition.

The tour runs three hours, which means you finish by early afternoon and have the rest of the day open. Groups stay small. You get VIP access to the restaurants, which means reserved seating and the restaurants know you're coming. The guide speaks English and shares stories about how Cantonese, Sichuan, Xi'an, and Portuguese-influenced cuisines all landed in Chicago and took root here. If you want to add three curated drink samples that pair with the food tastings, you can upgrade to VIP when you book. That option is for ages 21 and up.

What’s included

• Five tastings at working restaurants: steamed dumplings, hand-pulled noodles, cumin lamb flatbread, Sichuan chicken, and Portuguese egg tarts.
• a guided walk through Chinatown Square, the Pui Tak Center, the Chinatown Gateway, and the Nine Dragon Wall.
• an English-speaking local guide who shares the history of how these cuisines arrived in Chicago.
• insider tips on attractions and restaurants for the rest of your stay.
• VIP access to the restaurants you visit so you have reserved seating.

Information

Lasts 3h, runs every day at 16:00 and 11:30, from US$ 79.99 per person, with a live guide in English, in groups of up to 15 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesMonday to Thursday: 16:00Friday to Sunday: 11:30 and 16:00Another time? ›

GroupUp to 151 private ›

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Youth (4 to 11 years) · Infant (under 4)

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Bobby's Bike, Hike & Food Tours - Chicago

Is this one for you?Three hours leaves your afternoon free, so you can book this tour and still have time to explore other neighborhoods or rest before dinner. The guide leads a small group, which means you get reserved seating at each restaurant and the places know you're coming: no waiting at the door or competing for a table.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly do I eat on this Chinatown food tour?

Five restaurants, five dishes: steamed Cantonese dumplings at Phoenix Restaurant; hand-pulled noodles in broth at Yummy Yummy Noodles; cumin lamb flatbread at Xi'an Cuisine; Sichuan dry chili chicken at Lao Sze Chuan (you can request mild spice); and Portuguese egg tarts at Chiu Quon Bakery. The portions add up to a full meal, not samples.

How long does the tour take and when does it start?

The tour runs three hours total. Specific start times are set when you book. The operator offers multiple departures throughout the day.

What is Chinatown Square and why does the tour stop there?

Chinatown Square is an open-air plaza in the heart of the neighborhood, framed by traditional Chinese architecture, zodiac statues, and colorful murals. Your guide explains the meaning behind each sculpture and the roofline design, connecting the neighborhood's visual identity to the food and culture you're experiencing on the walk.

Is this tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the tour is wheelchair accessible. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller, and service animals are allowed. Public transportation options are available nearby if you need them.

Can the tour accommodate dietary restrictions?

The operator can work with vegetarians and those who don't eat beef or pork, but vegan and gluten-free options are extremely limited. Let the operator know your dietary needs when you book so they can plan accordingly.

What is the Nine Dragon Wall?

The Nine Dragon Wall is a mural in Chinatown inspired by imperial screens in Beijing, covered in vivid tilework and nine dragons in different colors. Each dragon carries meaning in Chinese tradition (strength, protection, prosperity), and your guide shares the symbolism and connection to ancient Chinese architecture as you stand in front of it.