The Best Chinese Food in Nashville
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The best Chinese food in Nashville, according to the experts: The Infatuation, The New York Times, and the Nashville Scene have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Xiao Bao comes out on top.
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Rank 1. Xiao Bao
Chinese Noodle Shop
A diner-style Asian restaurant where a giant strawberry guards the door sets the tone for everything inside: Formica tabletops, red velvet couches, and a menu that bounces between hand-pulled noodles topped with brisket and a la zi spiced smash burger on a bao bun with beef fat fries. The retro fever-dream aesthetic is very much the point. The New York Times named it among Nashville's 25 best restaurants.
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Burgers In America
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: #23 · The Best Restaurants In Nashville
- The New York Times The New York Times: The 25 Best Restaurants in Nashville Right Now
- The Infatuation The Best Burgers In America
- The Infatuation #23 · The Best Restaurants In Nashville
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Nashville Right Now
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Rank 2. Noko
Sichuan
Wood fire and a blazing wok run through nearly everything at this Pan-Asian restaurant on Porter Road, from the shishitos to the Wagyu brisket to a smoky half-chicken in wasabi white sauce. The menu roams freely across Asia without apologizing for it. The chef landed a James Beard semifinalist nod in 2025, and the New York Times put Noko on its Nashville list, which goes some way toward explaining why a reservation is the hardest thing to find in East Nashville right now.
The awards
- Nashville Scene Nashville Scene: 2024 · Best Restaurant Bar Experience · Best of Nashville
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: #3 · The Best Restaurants In Nashville
- The New York Times The New York Times: The 25 Best Restaurants in Nashville Right Now
- Nashville Scene 2024 · Best Restaurant Bar Experience · Best of Nashville
- The Infatuation #3 · The Best Restaurants In Nashville
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Nashville Right Now
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Rank 3. Music City Tea
Chinese Coffee Shop
Music City Tea is a loose-leaf Chinese tea shop in an unassuming house in Murfreesboro, with shelves and tables crowded with pouches, bins, and tins. The owner sits you down and pours round after round through a gaiwan while explaining oolong versus green versus black, so plan on an hour and a mild caffeine tremor. Nashville Scene named it Best Intro to Tea in 2025, and you'll probably leave with a colorful gaiwan of your own.
The awards
- Nashville Scene Nashville Scene: 2025 · Best Intro to Tea · Best of Nashville