When living in a foreign country, there are always people who miss the taste of home under the moonlight late at night. For Chinese students living and studying in Düsseldorf, Germany, a bowl of fragrant and soft rice and a soul-stirring Kung Pao Chicken are far more soothing than the same old Western fast food. In addition to fashion and trade exhibitions, this city on the Rhine River, which is full of international atmosphere, actually hides many amazing authentic Chinese restaurants.
1. Jade Restaurant – the homely taste of old overseas Chinese
Restaurant history
Jade Restaurant is one of the earliest Chinese restaurants opened by Hong Kong immigrants in Düsseldorf. It has been rooted in the old city in the city center since 1995, and its main dishes are Cantonese roast meat, home-cooked hot stir-fry and dim sum sets. The founder of the restaurant, Uncle Li, is an old chef who moved to Germany from Guangzhou. He insists on the cooking concept of “not making compromises in products and seeking the original taste of seasoning”. It is the “home away from home” for many first-generation Chinese students in Germany.
Food Features and Taste
Roast duck with barbecued pork rice: crispy skin and tender meat, rich sauce, moderately soft and hard rice, oily but not greasy, a model of rice and food combination;
Dry fried beef noodles: full of pot flavor, the noodles are fried smooth and tender without breaking, the beef is sufficient, the taste is fresh and tender, and the sauce is highly integrated;
Fresh shrimp wonton soup: thin skin and full filling, the soup base is boiled with pork bones for more than 8 hours, and a sip can simply bring back the childhood memories of Cantonese people;
Steamed spare ribs with black bean sauce: salty and fragrant, the spare ribs are not dry or greasy, and the rice is a “killer”.
Location and transportation
The restaurant is located near Oststraße in the center of Düsseldorf, a 5-minute walk from the Oststraße subway station and two stops from the main train station. The surrounding area is the Chinatown area, which is bustling and prosperous.
Costs
The cost per person is about 18-25 euros, while a set meal for two or a family dinner can be controlled within 50-60 euros, which is a good value for money in the city center.
Recommended booking platform
OpenTable Germany: optional language switching, suitable for English users;
Quandoo: a local German booking platform, with coupons during certain periods;
Ctrip International (Trip.com) Food Channel: suitable for Chinese users, often with special packages or full discount activities.
Recommended group
Suitable for southern international students who want to eat authentic Hong Kong-style roast meat, pragmatic diners who miss the taste of home, and Chinese families who travel with their parents and stay in Düsseldorf for a short time.
2. Yen China Fine Dining – Representative of Chinese exquisiteness
Restaurant history
Yen was founded by a Chinese food entrepreneur from Sichuan who studied in Germany. It specializes in fusion Chinese cuisine and modern Chinese plating. Since its opening in 2017, it has been well-received and is a rare “high-end Chinese restaurant” in Düsseldorf. Although the price is high, the quality of the dishes is extremely stable and the environment is elegant, which is suitable for friends to dine together and for anniversaries.
Food Features and Taste
Black Pepper Beef Fillet Casserole: Select high-quality local German beef, paired with Chinese secret black pepper sauce, the beef fillet is tender and tasty, the sauce is rich but not too salty;
Pickled Pepper Steamed Sea Bass: A fusion of Sichuan and Jiangnan flavors, the fish is extremely tender, the pickled peppers enhance the freshness without being overwhelming, and it is slightly spicy and stimulating;
Fragrant Lemon Shrimp Balls: Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a chewy texture, paired with a light lemon cream sauce, it has the exquisiteness of Western dim sum;
Handmade Cured Sauce Claypot Rice: The sausage is fragrant, the rice crust is crispy, and every bite is a fusion of the soul of soy sauce and fragrant rice.
Location and Transportation
Located in the MedienHafen district of Düsseldorf, a high-end office building area on the Rhine River, close to many design companies and creative industry parks. The subway station is Speditionstraße, which takes about 7 minutes to walk to.
Expenses
A single person dining is about 35-60 euros, and a double set meal starts at 89 euros. The restaurant has mid- to high-end wine and beverage packages, suitable for business receptions or couples’ gatherings.
Recommended reservation platforms
OpenTable: supports English reservations, and some evening hours require reservations one week in advance;
Yelp German site: provides user recommendations and reservation channels;
TripAdvisor Chinese channel: Chinese reviews and ratings can be viewed, and some package links are directly linked to discounts.
Recommended groups
Suitable for young people who pursue exquisite plating and taste balance, couples dating, festival commemorative meals, and diners who have high requirements for Chinese food aesthetics.
3. La Si Ji – A gathering place for spicy souls in Sichuan and Chongqing
Restaurant history
“La Si Ji” is a small restaurant run by a couple from Chengdu. The store is not big but is very popular. It has captured the taste buds of a large number of Sichuan and Chongqing international students with its reputation of “the spiciest in Germany”. Opened in 2016, after several expansions, it has now developed into the “first choice for dining” in the local Chinese community.
Food Features and Taste
Spicy hot pot: The spiciness is adjusted in 5 levels, the pot base is rich and rich, and there are various choices of bean curd, lotus root, potato, luncheon meat, etc., which are spicy and fragrant, and the fragrance is so fragrant that it makes you cry;
Maocai set meal: The portion is large, one pot per person, the soup base is spicy and fresh, and the tripe, bean curd, and tofu are cooked just right;
Kou Shui Ji: There is enough sauce, no stinginess with pepper, spicy and appetizing, and the chicken is tender and tasty;
Dry pot pig intestines/dry pot chicken wings: The pot is full of flavor and the fragrance is compelling. It is the most popular “hard dish” among local Chinese.
Location and transportation
Located near the University of Düsseldorf, the subway station is Universität Ost/Botanischer Garten, about 8 minutes walk. Close to the student apartment area, there are many Asian supermarkets and milk tea shops around.
Cost
The average consumption per person is about 15-22 euros, and the spicy hot pot is priced according to the ingredients you choose. You can choose to order a set meal, which is suitable for single or double gatherings.
Recommended booking platform
Google Maps booking channel: dial directly or fill in the form to make an appointment;
TripAdvisor Chinese channel: you can view user ratings, and reservations must be made by calling or private messaging on social media;
Facebook fan page message reservation: suitable for English communication or regular customers.
Recommended group
Suitable for Sichuan and Chongqing people who love spicy food, students who have extremely high requirements for spicy hot pot, and backpackers with limited budgets but seeking stimulating taste.
4. Northern Restaurant (Restaurant Beijing Haus) – dumplings, ramen and authentic Northeastern cuisine
Restaurant history
Northern Restaurant is an old-fashioned Northeastern Chinese restaurant. The restaurant owner is from Harbin and insists on hand-rolled noodles, handmade dumplings and traditional stews. Since its opening in 2008, it has been loved by local Germans and northern international students. Especially in the cold winter, a pot of sauerkraut and white meat pot is a heart-warming medicine.
Food Features and Taste
Pork and Cabbage Dumplings/Three Fresh Dumplings: Thin skin and rich fillings, authentic dipping sauce, freshly wrapped and cooked, fragrant when bitten;
Bone Rice Pot with Sauce: Large pieces of pork bones are stewed until tender, with a strong sauce flavor, and can be eaten with a bowl of rice;
Sauerkraut and Pork Pot: The soup base is fresh and fragrant, the sauerkraut is sour and refreshing, and the meat slices are of moderate thickness;
Homemade Noodles with Soy Sauce: The hand-rolled noodles are very chewy and the sauce is fragrant, which is the favorite of northern students studying in Germany.
Location and Transportation
The restaurant is located in the western part of Düsseldorf, close to the Morsenbroich area. The subway station is Heinrichstraße, which is a 6-minute walk away.
Cost
The average per capita consumption is between 12-20 euros. The dumpling set meal is the most affordable. The total price of two people ordering pot dishes is about 40 euros.
Recommended booking platform
Quandoo Germany: supports time slot booking and temporary change of appointment;
Ctrip International (Trip.com) Food Platform: convenient Chinese customer service connection;
Google Maps store profile page: can make reservations directly.
Recommended group
Suitable for international students in Northeast or North China, travelers who love stews and noodles, family tourists or middle-aged and elderly groups.
When studying and living in a foreign country, we may temporarily forget where we came from in the classroom, on the street or on the train, but in a steaming Chinese meal, the familiar aroma of rice, pot and sauce can always make people travel thousands of miles and return to the mother’s dining table in the kitchen.
The Chinese food map of Düsseldorf is far more than these restaurants, but they are enough to form the spiritual pillar of the tongue of international students. Whether you come from the land of fish and rice in the south or the land of noodles in the north, there is always a restaurant here that uses sincere spatulas and sauces to serve the taste of “home” to the table.
